Even though, the only political citadel where presidential power & authority flows unto all Nigerians at home and abroad is Aso Villa as ENSHRINED in 1999 Constitution as amended, the governors nonetheless remained not only the Chief Executive Officer of their respective states, they also exercise absolute dominion over the federating units they’re elected to govern.
The 1999 Constitution has unequivocally spelt out in unequivocal and unambiguous terms that Commander-in-Chief of Armed Forces in conjunction with governors MUST administer the country together, and therefore must jointly accountable to the citizenry with respect to rendering their stewardship on periodic basis or when occasion demands.
But, what’s obtainable in Nigeria?
Contrary has been the case, perhaps largely on account of preponderance of illiteracy level in the country or lack of deep knowledge of the workings of democratic governance.
There exists no doubt at all that only the president has always been in the eyes of storm, receiving the backlash from the citizenry, since the turn of 4th Republic in 1999.
It’s particularly profound in the case of President Bola Tinubu, who with all intents and purposes, inherited a dead economy from the gross mismanagement and maladministration of successive regimes, a dire situation the president has been making tremendous and valiant efforts committing 24/7 to turn around since his inauguration.
Its worrisome, disheartening and very frustrating that while the president frantically make efforts to re-engineer, re-position, restructure and re-fix all facets of Nigerian institutions, as well as infrastructures that have been thoroughly bastardized, some segments of population have remained indifferent, unconcerned and unappreciative of the government efforts, as they continually cast doubts and aspersions on the good intention of the government.
Meanwhile, the governors whom so much have been conceded, with respect to funds from federation accounts and others, power & authority, as well as other prerogatives, are just hiding and taking refuge in their respective states, absolutely making INSIGNIFICANT or NO justifications for so much resources they’ve received from federal government.
Of course, they attract less or no attacks from the populace, as most brickbats and venom are directed at the president.
Meanwhile, it’s in public domain that the present federal regime have significantly increased Federal Allocations to the States, as well as Local Government Councils much more than any other successive administrations since 1999, adequate enough to ensure functional, efficient and effective running of their respective states, and more importantly, to cause the well-being and general welfare of Nigerians at the grassroots.
Despite the above gestures from federal government, what stare generality of Nigerians on the face is squalor, hunger, intense deprivation and anger, culminating in teeming population continually casting doubts & aspersions on the capacity of government at the center.
It’s instructive to note that, to redress and normalize the above funding challenge at the grassroots, presidency indeed opted to resort to Apex Court, which eventually granted FINANCIAL AUTONOMY to local government authority, a development that constitutionally ensure that monthly federal allocations are henceforth credited directly to their separate accounts for them to deploy to herald significant infrastructural, educational, medical and socio-political developments all around their local governments.
Despite the unmistakable and unambiguous nature of Supreme Court judgment in this respect, some governors who are obviously comfortable with status quo of trampling on and oppressing the Local Government Authority with IMPUNITY, openly or covertly moved against the judgment, feigning their ignorance that when Supreme Court speak; ITS FINAL!
Notably fingered in speaking ills of the judgment was Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo, who even made valiant attempts to incite uninformed Local Government Chairmen across the state to pull out of ALCON on account of the judgment.
This federal government equally make it a point of duty that huge funds deployed/been deployed to all federal roads executed or been executed by state governments in their respective states are been promptly REFUNDED.
May I deploy this medium to confirm to state authority/s that, it’s not mandatory and obligatory for the central government to do this.
Meanwhile, for decades, no federal regime had given so much palliatives to state governments for the benefits of the citizenry than Tinubu regime. But, what have become of these initiatives?
80-85% of the stock are always simply cornered and eventually found their ways to the massive warehouses within the estates of top government officials and functionaries in the states.
It’s quite demeaning and barbaric that some top government maintain personal warehouses in their individual sites SPECIFICALLY for the purpose of storing food items meant to provide succor for the downtrodden, for reason ONLY best known to them.
It’s also more saddening and embarrassing that governors are practically helpless about this very ugly development!
Where the palliatives are grants in form of billions of Naira, they simply divert them into the accounts of state governments, instead of deploying them for the citizenry which they’re meant and purposed.
This is to what extent, Nigerian governors have subjected the governed at the grass roots to deprivation, hunger, frustration and have succeeded in putting the citizenry in the state of despondence, that they’ve totally lost trust and confidence in the government.
It’s also in the public domain that some governors are in the habit of mindlessly looting several billions of Naira from the Treasury of their states, thus depriving those states huge resources needed for infrastructural construction and renewals, as well as educational, and other developmental purposes.
The citizenry have account of few governors who accessed huge developmental loans/fund from International Financial Institutions and even, Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) on behalf of their states and diverted them for private ventures.
Meanwhile, it’s the federal government that guaranteed the fund!
More importantly, developmental fund particularly those from international bodies are included in the foreign debts portfolio of the country.
This is why it’s frustrating!
It’s also in the public knowledge that some governors take delight in practically living abroad, while practically abandoning and abdicating their responsibility/s for Deputy/s or Secretary to government as the case may be, thus grounding the machinery of the state to a halt, as there are key decisions that couldn’t be taken in their absence.
The crux of this Piece is therefore to re-emphasize and re-iterate to all governors across the country that the responsibility of administering the country is not that of President Bola Tinubu alone.
Presidential system of government grants absolute authority and power to Commander-in-Chief of Armed Forces to administer the country at the federal level, while the same model gives mandate to state governors to take charge at the state level.
But, while the president has shouldered the responsibility of administering the country with admirable zeal, uncommon patriotism, unwavering intent, total commitment, bravery, courage and everything he has, many governors have been found wanting as some of them have so far, derelict on their duty/s.
Let me also deploy this medium to remind our governors that the wicked wishes of disgruntled elements, frustrated members of oppositions, as well as members of hitherto indomitable cartel who have been feeding fat on the nation Treasury, for military to intervene WOULD NEVER PREVAIL.
If it does, it’s not only President Tinubu who would suffer; they would also be swept away.
So, it’s an AUSPICIOUS time for the governors across the country, irrespective of party affiliations to reconsider changing their ways, embrace and hug handwork, renew their commitment and dedication to their mandates, and more importantly, collaborate with the president in his efforts to not only changing the tide, but, build a virile and prosperous nation for the teeming Nigerian.
This is the best they could do to compensate and reward Nigerians who have collectively gave them life of comfort and stardom forever, by voting them in office.
Kola Amzat (FCA, FCIB, ACTIN) is Lagos based Financial & Management Consultants
