By Anifowoshe Oladipupo
Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has urged President Bola Tinubu to stop depending on state governors for poverty alleviation and instead take full responsibility for addressing the nation’s deepening hardship.
Falana made the call in response to the President’s recent appeal to All Progressives Congress (APC), governors to “wet the ground more” by providing grassroots relief amid economic challenges.
While the statement was widely seen as a gesture of empathy, Falana said it showed a lack of federal leadership.
According to him, the federal government cannot afford to delegate its core responsibility of social welfare to states whose capacities vary widely.
He stressed that Tinubu’s administration has the power and resources to drive lasting nationwide change.
“Instead of begging state governments to ‘wet ground more,’ President Bola Tinubu is urged to ensure that the National Social Investment Programme Agency Act is adopted and enacted into law by the 36 state governments,” Falana said in a statement obtained by the Abuja City Journal.
He argued that tackling the poverty crisis must begin with a robust federal response anchored in law and backed by adequate funding and nationwide coordination.
Falana warned that unless the federal government leads decisively, millions of Nigerians will remain vulnerable to worsening living conditions, with little hope of sustainable relief from state-level efforts alone.
