Hold states, LGs accountable – Ex NBC boss tasks journalists

Dr Danladi Bako, former Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission, has called on Journalists to pay attention, monitor allocations and hold states and local governments accountable.

Bako made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Sunday in Abuja. Bako said democracy in the last 24 years in Nigeria had witnessed some level of improvement in the electoral laws and minor changes done to the country’s constitution by the 8th and 9th Assemblies.
He further explained that some states used to receive peanuts, adding that with the removal of fuel subsidy, most of them now get more money.

“Although prices and cost of living have risen so much, the governors now have money, the challenge is for the governors to utilise the funds well.
“State Governors are the ones to be held responsible for lack of infrastructure and development. The immediate past governors of Rivers and Kaduna did well; Malam Sule Lamido during his tenure also did well too.

“Also, Babajide Fashola, and Ambode all from Lagos, did well and Sanwo-Olu is also doing very well. But some governors are not doing well at all.
“As Journalists, we need to keep an eye on financial allocations given to state and local governments and what they are doing with it.

“I want to encourage journalists to pay attention to what states are using the monies for.

“Unfortunately, there was a judgment that says EFCC cannot probe state governments on how they use their funds; that they can only probe Federal Government funds,” Bako said.

The former NBC boss reiterated that there is the need for somebody to check the state and local governments on how and what they use their funds for.
Bako expressed concern that some corruption cases had been lingering since 2007.

“Unfortunately, Nigerian Journalists are not following up; 80 per cent of those cases are still pending.

“More than 16 years later and nobody is following on those cases; unless you punish crimes like that, they will continue.

“80 per cent of problems we are having manifested because monies are being stolen and people are not saying anything about that.

“The moment the story comes out on the front pages of Newspapers or Bulletin, people start talking, but after three weeks, everybody forgets it and nobody follows up.

“We need to have a culture where there is an investigation desk in all media organisations where you follow up stories,” he added.