NASS, Governors Crocodile Tears; My Position

It’s amusing even in the face of national calamities that our highest paid, least performing lawmakers in the world would still be deceiving already impoverished battered citizens.

In all sincerity, can the NASS boldly look us in the eyes and tell Nigerians what their oversight Committees on security, economy and infrastructure has been doing before we get to where we are now? No matter how we subscribe to conspiracy theories of external manipulations and political opponents gerrymandering, the basic truth remains that ordinary Nigerians are hungry and despondent; and a hungry man is an angry man period. 

In the face of dwindling national income, why can’t our ‘distinguish and honorable’ members sacrifice a percentage of their humongous salaries and emoluments to be dedicated to fight insecurity and hunger. I bet you, with such ideal humane sacrifice, Nigerians will be on same page with them to redress the anomalies abound within the executives and Judiciaries (Federal and States). 

All Governors in Nigeria are more of emperors than public servants; they have deliberately strangulated the Local Governments and made that arm of Government non functional. 

All politics is local and governance is local therefore, the essence of creating an autonomous Local Government is simply to bring Government closer to the grassroots. These Governors have made Local Governments a mere appendages of the State Governments. 

Please note that effective security in any society is local and without you governors allowing the local governments to independently function effectively, your crocodile tears and wailings remains what it is. How can you collect huge monthly security votes(funds) and still turn around to tell us that you’re helpless and incapacitated in providing security to your citizens? Stop the ostrich approach, instruct your NASS and State Assembly members to enact laws that will release you from the perceived stranglehold of the federal government and have State Police for effective policing of your states that you solemnly sworn to protect. There’s nothing like ungoverned spaces Mr governors, all spaces including forests are under your authorities as enshrined in our Constitution.

Reduce costs of governance including but not limited to private jets, multiple convoys of exotic cars, retinue of needless executive assistants, imbibe the fear of GOD in your stewardship, pay living wages to your workers, make basic education and primary health care affordable to your citizens if you cannot make them free and finally, create a database of your unemployed and unemployable youths in your state and work on ameliorating their situations as a priority. Apply these simple unambiguous recommendations and see normalcy restored in your states. 

©Carl Agbaih