THE PRODIGAL GOVERNORS AND OUR BANQUET STYLE FEDERALISM.

“In every caricature there’s always an element of truth”

According Oxford dictionary Federalism is define as having a type of government in which the individual states of a country have control over their own affairs, but are controlled by a central government for national decisions.

But in our own case it’s like the federal governments controls as a result of states over dependence on federal government for the smooth running of the various states.

OVER DEPENDENCE ON FEDERAL ALLOCATION BY STATE GOVERNMENTS

The way our federalism is styled in Nigeria is majorly responsible for the economy and financial woes of our country. In a situation where state government have to wait for allocation from the federal pulse in order to carry out her functions and bring good governance to the state and eventually when this funds are made available to the states by the federal government it’s always like “ yes party time let’s go bogey in government circle” as the governor and his/her comrades instead of disbursing the money for projects and salaries of civil servants line their pockets with the funds and then fly all over the world with their families to enjoy the commonwealth of the state.

In Nigeria today we see state government embarking on white elephant projects just to create an avenue to siphon money and keep fleecing the state just please his/her cronies and godfather at the expense of those who labour day and night for governance and economy to thrive in the state. How do we explain a state government owing her workers 7 months salaries and arrears, how will this workers and their families survive. Let’s take for instance a family where the both father and mother are civil servants and they had two or three kids in the higher institution of learning where school fee is between fifty thousand Naira and a hundred thousand Naira, how on earth will they  be able to pay. This and many more are the questions we need to ask these megalomaniacs.

We need a brand new orientation and a way to empower state to generate more internally and harness the various resources in their states for the benefit of the state. 

STATE GOVERNMENT SPENDING'S

What will be the rationale behind a state government whose internally generated revenue is not up to five hundred million naira a month buying a Helicopter or Jet to fly over the heads of those who elected him into office; yes I do agree if a state is generating much internally and had harness some of the natural resources to get more money such state can buy choppers and Jets. We have a near not functioning airport in Ibadan and Akure, while build another one in Osun when those we have on ground cannot be said to be of international standard, I was at the Ibadan airport recently and believe me they have only two canopies serving as departure and arrival terminal and this is 2015, and there you have a governor who cannot pay workers for seven months saying he had spend money on projects like Airport and the likes of what economy importance will the airport be to a state like Osun. This people live lavishly, flying all over the world in private jets and enjoying all the luxuries money can buy, when the people who work to make this possible suffer back home.

After emptying the treasury this charlatans will now device another means to get more money from the federal government by renovating or completing a federal government project in their state and then inflate figures they present to the federal government to reimburse them i.e. 1klm road will cost 7 billion naira to fix and painting a government building will cost 4 billion naira.

If President Buhari is serious about fighting corruption he should start with those who championed the CHANGE slogan, they all have skeletons in their cupboards

A NATION BUILT ON THE NIGER/DELTA WEALTH.

One thing I loved about the manifesto of President Buhari happens to be his plan to diversify our economy and change this over-dependence on oil income. Nigeria is a country blessed in both human and natural resources, we do have capable hands that will get this country from the wilderness and take us to the path of greatness.

Before the oil boom in the 70’s our founding fathers built a lot of institutions that stood to this day with no oil money, the Cocoa house in Ibadan is one of this great institutions and many other too numerous to mention but since the oil start flowing our beloved country had been on reverse gear and I believe with President Buhari at the helms of affair in the coming months we will be looking away from oil to other sources that will create more employment and truly impose our great nation as the giant of Africa.

OUR SO CALLED REPRESENTATIVES

Our elected representative from State to federal level earn so much and give so little to the community and constituencies they represent, like state governors they live like kings, sleep in the best hotels around the globe while those who elected them suffer. These representatives are only out there for their selfish interest and are like rubber stand to government.

We want true and real policy making representative not those who will buy tricycles, motorcycles, grinding machine etc with constituency allowance given to him and share to 10 people in 4 years in the name of constituency project. We need true leadership not a sleeping rep in the chambers or one that attend plenary just to get paid.

When they were campaigning they canvassed for votes in their local language and move freely with the citizens but once elected they become demigods and their local language becomes a taboo and those who elected them are now seen as peasants, why don’t states house of assembly use local language on selected days of sitting so the pepper seller and butchers will understand what policy is coming into place and in doing so it will help our dying language.

THE NEED TO IMPLEMENT THE OUTCOME OF THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE.

Finally, I will love to advise President Buhari to work on the implementation of the outcome of the last national conference convened by Former President Goodluck Jonathan administration. A group of think thank which should be headed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo should be put together to look into the critical outcome of the conference. With our collective effort as a nation, I believe Nigeria will be great again.

God Bless the federal republic of Nigeria.