By Abubakar Ibrahim
Those looking for devolution of powers to make the states more powerful than the centre had forgotten about history.
The Soviet Union (USSSR) collapsed when it gave more powers to its states.
Nigeria government has given Governors’ clubs (governors forum; southern governors forum, northern Governors forum, etc.) leverage to the extent that they are now flaunting executive orders.
No governor obeyed the executive order to give monthly allocation directly to local government councils, legislature and judiciary in their respective states.
The antics of southern governors, especially of Rivers, Lagos and Ogun, will send Nigeria to its waterloo.
Governors forums have made them act as devils instead of angels. They have frustrated the inflow of funds to LGAs, state legislatures and judiciary. They have refused to pay the correct minimum wage.
Governors forums have done more harm than good. They are only good at wasting state resources in crisis, crossing the skies in charted flights attending their meetings at various locations. The worst scenario is they will leave their states at the mercy of nobody. Hence, this stagnates work until they are back.
It is time for these unproductive governors forums to be abolished. We like to see state governors behaving like former governors with integrity, people like late Governor Jakande, who had never travelled outside Nigeria and never run away from his state responsibilities throughout his tenure.
Governors like Audu Bako, through under a military regime, would only travel out to bring back goodies for the ordinary person, such as “irrigation schemes” that Kano people are still benefiting from after all these long years. It is a legacy he left behind.
Nigerians should come back from supporting politicians who are only good at building themselves and championing the course of disintegration.
Abubakar Ibrahim can be contacted via ai869802@gmail.com.