By Sulaiman Salawudeen

When a former governor in a South-West state declared at a conference in the region that governors do enjoy perverse liberty to dispense administration simply as they feel like, he was just repeating what many had said pretty earlier.

The only difference is that the statement, having come from him as sitting governor, gained more and instant traction. Indeed, first disaster that befell Nigerians is latitude of politically selected helmsmen at whatever level – local, state, federal – to choose what to do and do as they feel like: construct roads, bridges, or renovate them, establish or refurbish schools, pay salaries and allowances, alongside social welfare packages, facilitate electrification of communities, build, renovate or fortify hospitals, and so on, or look entirely away from all these, even while pretend to be very busy!

What the governor said is that proper or ethical conducts of governance by any state governor is, as yet, optional in Nigeria, quod erat demonstrandum (QED)! Little wonder, tokenist intimations regarding barest easing of living conditions for the masses by state governance commanders have always been overhyped with drums and dances, placards and paeans, a development which has assumed trademark, if rather annoying, fixity within political power matrix, especially in most of southwest geo-zone.

Therefore, in an environment wherein genuine and un-pretended commitment to uplifting people’s living standards has been a rarity – given limitless, seemingly constitutionally supported, nonchalance by the executives, the few ones who choose to be different, rather than camping with greedy herd, at least deserve occasional mention, if not downright routine praise.

One such is Superintendent Babagana Umara Zulum, who has done every bit of his best to stabilise Borno State, despite and amidst the devastations of insurgents. From works of concrete and cement, to various life-enhancing projects, Prof. Zulum, Nigerian educator and engineer, elected in the governorship election of 2019 has today – at nearly seven years of stewardship – delivered well over 2000 projects of class and candour across education, infrastructure, housing/urban renewal, health, roads, bridges/flyovers, rural/urban electrification, alongside heartening list of several other grassroots welfare programmes across entire 27 councils of Bornu.

Mohammed Umar Bago has been equally groundbreaking in transforming Niger State into one of awe and wonder, especially through mind-blowing reversals in roads in Minna, state capital, as in all 25 local government areas of the state. Aside roads, his other achievements range from health, education, social infrastructure and agriculture, wherein he purchased over 1000 heavy duty farming equipment to augment fortunes for farmers.

Governor Ademola Nurudeen Adeleke belongs in same fold, performing literally unprecedented wonders in Osun state, given the scale/quantum, quality and reach of his interventions and pioneering achievements, which extend from general infrastructure, healthcare and community development, to grassroots empowerment programmes.

While Alex Otti is transforming Abia state with the Geometric Power Plant in Aba, which now powers Aba and entire nine other local government areas of the state, Siminalayi Fubara, the fiery governor of Rivers state, is doing wonders with legacy circular N195.3 billion Port Harcourt Ring Road project, which, at completion, will pass through six local government districts in the state, and Peter Mbah, is emplacing superlative wonders across Enugu State. Abba Kabir Yusuf and Monday Okpebholo have equally been admirably revolutionary in their stewardships in Kano and Edo States respectively.

Of the three tiers, the state – midway between councils and federal – has largely been a disappointment. Effectively accounting for about 40 per cent of gross accruals from the federation account, states – which have refused to let go of disbursements to the councils – have significantly complemented the federal arm in foisting the disease of retrogression among Nigerians, and this is why whenever there is any considerable departure from the familiar run of disappointment, it is immediately noticeable!

It is true, the federal layer, having been enjoying well over half of the country’s resources, seems best positioned to reverse fortunes for country and citizens. It is good to build dry ports, expand the waterways and lay superhighways; neither is it bad to expand seaports and emplace mega-airports. Nigeria is increasingly inundated with monuments for the superrich, patricians and parvenus! Never really committing meaningfully on initiatives that will drive genuine growth upon country, or comfort into lives of critical mass of the neglected poor, the FG has clearly not happened on a humane formular to drive grassroots progress over the decades.

Nigeria, out of nearly 240 million which currently populate its borders, is home to almost 200 million individuals who suffer and are deeply ensnared in what the world bodies have captured as multidimensional penury. It is this development void the states should fill as the closest and significantly empowered tier to the people. But unfortunately, majority of these have remained blighted by managers whose conception of governance clearly belongs in benighted eras – always playing up plastic, cosmetic shows that bear tangentially to actual needs and genuine wishes of the people.

If the FG has shirked in dragging the economy away from ultra-elitism in a largely agrarian system, should states be complicit at all? Until such a time when the gods shall intervene to cause an assembly to effect critical constitutional adjustment to enforce occupiers of executive seats across the tiers to grant unto Nigerians minimum, tolerable performance certitude such as everyone will find desirable, Nigerians shall have to continue enduring false governance as is currently the order, false governance as has reduced public administration to mere charade, and throned leaders therein blatant pseuds.

Amidst this lamentable aberrance is the din of politics – politics left, politics right, politics centre, politics up-and-down! To have a sect which chooses not to play politics with lives of the people is the closest to moral miracle. Unfortunately, those who elected to reduce individuals’ lives to mere pawns on the chessboard of politics in few of the now performing states when they had the opportunity to do otherwise, are playing up funny games again, even now that they should rather go entirely silent!

Ever opposed to frank progress, always warring and tugging with the people they pretend to govern, these politicians are up in arms against what they call self-succession. They say dancing-governor Adeleke and stubborn Fubara, among others, must not return for another term. But the common people in the communities – whose votes will determine renewal or non-renewal of mandates – know how best and what to decide with the ballot when time is right and ripe, and these – the electorate now fully aware of who their adversaries are – seem readier than ever for the upcoming game!

Salawudeen, essayist/polemicist, wrote via:
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