The Supreme Court, recently, in a series of rulings, affirmed the electoral victories of state governors during the March 9, 2019 Governorship and State House of Assembly polls.
With the apex court’s judgements, the governors have been confirmed as not only qualified for the governorship election, but true winners of the polls. We congratulate them on the feats of achieving victories at the polls and in the law courts.
Their opponents, having exhausted all legal means of resolving the election dispute, have no option but to wait till another election cycle. They too deserve commendation for following the provisions of the constitution to challenge the electoral victories and helping to develop the country’s jurisprudence and democracy.
Now that the governors are free from litigation distractions, they join their colleagues, who did not have the burden of having to test the validity of their mandates in court. They can now concentrate on the business of governance.
Now shielded with all the paraphernalia of office, governors have the challenge of being unable to gauge the feelings of the people and get carried away by praises of their tribe of party supporters at meetings and public gatherings. They are also surrounded by sycophantic aides and associates, who insulate them from reality and only relaying information that would massage the governors’ ego and make them feel fulfilled.
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The governors must devise systems to keep in touch with the people, the ones without partisan leaning, who deserve to be truly served.
Several months into office, some governors still act as if they were not well-acquainted with the responsibility of the position they had sought after. This class of governors has spent valuable time, engaging in pettiness and wasting time, fighting political adversaries and getting recognised for distracting confrontations.
It is the culmination of the rudderless performances of such office holders that had kept Nigeria lagging behind her peers and made Nigerians generally worse off.
Nigeria has been declared as the poverty capital of the world. According to World Data Lab, poverty is rising in Nigeria where about 95 million people, representing 48 per cent of the population live in extreme poverty. The poverty-stricken people identified by statistics live in the states under the governors. Instead of engaging in cosmetic old-fashioned governance, which makes little or no impact on the lives of the people, the governors should present clear measurable strategies to lift their citizens out of penury.
The focus should shift from merely building and renovating schools to revolutionising education to produce graduates, who create jobs rather than being job seekers. The software of education in Nigeria is outmoded and not in tune with the rapidly changing world. Any governor genuinely interested in improving the lot of his people would invest more in quality education.
One of the consequences of poor governance of the past is the rising wave of cultism and banditry in many states. There is hardly any noticeable measure to curb the disturbing malaise beyond law enforcement, which over the years, appears as merely scratching the surface.
Across the country, youths who are victims of failed government policies and programmes gather in street corners early morning and evening smoking marijuana. How are the governors planning to rehabilitate this category of citizens who are a potential security risk and whose destructive habit poses a serious challenge to healthcare?
Governors invest so much in procuring vehicles and equipment to fight crime. The inauguration of the security facilities is usually with fanfare. On the other hand, how many of the governors have specific plans for poor families, widows, orphans and other distressed citizens whose conditions precipitate a resort to criminal behaviours? How many governors invest in programmes to re-orientate the citizens to be patriotic, productive and live meaningful lives?
Our governors must avoid the pitfalls of predecessors, who spent their mandate on cosmetic governance of building or rehabilitating roads, which collapsed not long after. Our governors must see their position less as an opportunity to amass wealth and dispense favours to associates and cronies.
Mr. Governor, four-year tenure does not last forever. Serve the people with the fear of God and strive to live in the hearts of the people forever. A first-term governor should get re-elected easily. Only governors who are unpopular and who have failed to make an impact on the people resort to arming thugs and killing to remain in office.
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Every governor must resist the temptation to steal public funds held in trust by them. Being a governor is a privilege. And there is no one who has emerged governor in this country without having been comfortable and of means.
A governor must be careful about what becomes of him after serving the people. Does he want to end up in shame in correctional centres or remain in the hearts of the people many years after he is gone? Mr. Governor, the choice is yours.
