‘States’ of anomie

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In 13 years of democratic rule, the culture of democracy is still far from taking firm root in Nigeria. Its tenets are breached with sickening regularity, especially in every state of the federation, indicating that serious governance was and still is never a mission for political parties, governors and state legislatures.

Expectations of a life lived in abundance and reasonable security is a mirage today in Nigeria. Healthcare delivery, welfare of citizens, infrastructure, education, employment and all indices of the greatest good for the greatest number remain mere dreams.

Interestingly, governors of all the states in Nigeria spent the last holiday season making vain speeches or mouthing platitudes that are not only meaningless but constitute cynical rehashes of their past exhortations. An examination of states’ budgets over the past 10 years reveals so much short-changing of the people occasioned by poor implementation and recklessness in spending that suggest a collusion between the Legislatures and the Executives to enslave the people.

States’ legislatures, empowered by the Constitution to be the watchdog for the people, appear to have collapsed, brought to their knees by greed and self-aggrandisement. Most crudely, obsequiousness to the state governors is the norm; making it possible for bills that are atrocious in content and intention to be passed with embarrassing speed; and without the informed input of the people they were elected to serve.

Were the Houses of Assembly consistent and faithful in implementing states’ budgets for the past 13 years, positive governance would have taken root in the polity. Sadly, what applies today is no different from the spectacle of a conquered territory with the governors as emperors. This is awful and unlawful.

In the same climate of rot, the process of recall of an odious representative, justified as that could be, has never been allowed to succeed by the beneficial state governor.

Governance in the states is, therefore, exclusively left to the chicanery of the governor, his spouse and a few unelected aides. Vanity is the rule as the destiny of the people is toyed with and their future is mortgaged.

Governors are busy bankrolling and attending thanksgivings. They are funding birthdays, funerals and self-praising books, jamborees or endorsing self-adulatory awards by every manner of men or groups in Ghana, Dubai, and beyond at public expense. This misbehaviour embarrasses not only them but Nigerians too. They even take shamelessness to unimaginable heights by inducing performance awards that belie the reality in their states.

Another outstanding example of unacceptable vanity is a governor’s encouragement of over 300 pages of newspaper laudatory messages on his birthday. Assuming this is not public funds directly or indirectly, the sum could be tidily helpful towards infrastructure development in his state.

Yet, state officials have shown little or no commitment to delivering value and results.

With only a few exceptions, Nigerian public officials use lengthy vehicular convoy, which, to their warped minds, is a measure of their importance and, thereafter, a license to violence and assault on other citizens. This crude show of power and intimidation should have no place in a service-oriented government.

Unlike many who had served the nation before them, and exhibited deep respect for their electors, the conduct of current office holders insults the faith and trust invested in leaders and diminishes the offices into which they were elected. Can they not see the impoverishment of the citizens, the alarming unemployment and crime rate? Certainly, the culture of impunity at the state level is indefensible.

The Nigeria Governors’ Forum, whether as a trade union, administrative body, advocacy or enlightened self-interest group, can serve a better purpose for the good of Nigerians than the alarming pursuit of the political interest of sitting governors. It is remarkable that the self-advertised peer review of the states and the governors which the forum sets so much store of has fallen flat on its face.

As budget implementation begins in this New Year, the states’ executive branches and legislatures should ascend to a better level of accountability and governance.

The people, having suffered unduly from the pilfering of their resources, are losing faith. The only way to regain the people’s trust is for governors and legislators to redeem their pledge of service.

Source: The Guardian.