‘Hold Governors Responsible for Every Kidnappings’ – Daniel Bwala

• Presidential aide Daniel Bwala has said governors and local government chairmen—not the Federal Government.…

The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, has said governors should be held responsible whenever kidnappings or abductions occur within their states.

Speaking on The Morayo Afolabi-Brown Show on Wednesday, Bwala argued that most kidnappings take place within local government areas and questioned how state governments had utilised funds allocated for school security.

“Every kidnapping and abduction that takes place in any state of Nigeria, hold that governor responsible. All the kidnappings have taken place in local government,” he said.

Bwala pointed to the Federal Government’s Save the School Initiative, a programme designed to improve security in schools through perimeter fencing, early warning systems and other protective measures.

He urged Nigerians to demand accountability from their governors over the funds released under the initiative.

“There was this thing called the Save the School Initiative, in which monies were given to states to create perimeter fencing, early warning signs and all of those checks in schools. Ask your governor where that money went to,” he said.

The presidential aide also alleged that many local governments were not receiving funds meant for them directly, claiming that such allocations could significantly improve grassroots development if properly managed.

Using Oyo State as an example, Bwala said some local governments receive hundreds of millions of naira monthly, which could be invested in healthcare, education, community policing and social welfare.

He further criticised what he described as Nigerians’ tendency to wait for the Federal Government to solve every problem, urging citizens to hold governors and local government chairmen accountable through sustained civic engagement.

“It’s only in Nigeria that citizens wait for manna to come from heaven. In all other countries of the world, citizens take their destinies in their hands,” he said.

Bwala explained that under Nigeria’s constitutional arrangement, the President has no direct authority to compel governors to act, unlike previous administrations that adopted more confrontational approaches.

Responding to concerns over the abducted schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State, who have reportedly spent more than 50 days in captivity, Bwala said the Federal Government’s priority is ensuring the victims are rescued alive.

“The number one responsibility of government in a hostage-taking situation is to rescue them and rescue them alive. If you use force carelessly, you may end up jeopardising the lives of the people that are kidnapped,” he said.