Emeagi Emeka Williams
The various states governors in Nigeria are currently suspects as chief executives largely accused of failure to tackle pressing socio economic challenges bedeviling growth and development in their states.
They are seen as icons mainly usurping leadership for self aggrandisement and purposes of enriching the political elitist affiliates.
Suffice it to however emphasise that this palpable suspicion or allegation is age old ( at least since year 2000 when democracy returned to Nigeria after its holiday following military interruptions).
A recent social media video where President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, president of the Feder al Republic of Nigeria was seen practically begging governors to be sympathetic to the rural or Community people raised this concern.
The president’s message utterly urged Nigerian governors to allow efficient local government administration so that the proceeds of democracy can reach deep.
“We have 774 local government areas, but are they efficient”, queried the president, who proceeded to urge communities’ stakeholders to hold their governors accountable!
Nobody can therefore say that Mr. President ‘s allegation did not add flesh to the existing widespread public outcry over the governors’ tactical and inexplicable strangulation of the Third Tier Govt in Nigeria, despite their autonomous status occasioned by the bold constitutional step of the present administration, to liberate them from gubernatorial strangleholds.
Prior to the advent of the latest autonomy, the LGAs got their monthly allocations through the states, practice which gave governors illicit impetus to milk the councils dry.
Shocking revelations abound that even with the present status, governors still manipulate the system by utilising their totems of authority as leaders of their political parties in their various states, particularly as what transpires in Nigeria is a near one – party – system , where virtually all public office holders ( councils chairmen inclusive ) belong to the same party.
Allegedly, the governors hand pick their stooges, empower them , and gerrymander through the electoral process to give them victory, hence their being confined to the governors’ cradle.
What other disenfranchisement or political crime can outweigh this in measure, given that the grassroots governance which is tailored to bring development to the rural communities has been rendered ineffective and non transparent due to aggrandisement.
Against the background that a lot of the states Chief Executives are misfits and non creative beneficiaries of crooked electoral process too, Nigeria is far from attaining shared and overall development , such that cut across the three tiers of governance meaningfully.
The control mechanisms of these governors are so strong that there had ensued situation where Executive Chairmen ( all but one ) were seen in a Southwest state, kneeling before the governor to beg and rededicate consciously to his slavery.
Similarly, a video once circulated where a known Southwest monarch knelt to beg a governor during a certain public function.
These obviously equally happen across the regions of Nigeria as signposts that true autonomy is still a mirage here, despite the constitutional backing for it.
Until that uhuru is berthed through concerted efforts of citizens, who must reject the existing bad culture – by consciously, vehemently opposing electoral malpractice/ hijack by governors; insisting on only choosing people with character and proven integrity for political posts , the rural people will continue to be robbed and denied basic amenities, critical infrastructure; and system that promotes
Rural – Urban drift will also heighten to overpopulate the cities where “manipulating” governors also wait to do what they know how to do best , just to boost their political empires.
