By Innocent Okon
It is hackneyed to posit that Nigeria is a dysfunctional Federal system of government. Equally trite is the knowledge that the central government controls and (mis)manages more than a fair share of the commonwealth derivable from the charitably so-called Federating units (states). This may be the reason many Nigerians blame the central government in Abuja for everything and anything. And this may also be the reason the central government in Nigeria is Federal in nomenclature, but Unitary in character.
It owns and runs educational institutions at Secondary and Tertiary levels, owns roads in all states and even stoops to fund Primary healthcare system at local government level.
Few structures of governance could be this behemoth and ubiquitous without corresponding high expectations from the governed.
Once again, the ongoing national protest against “bad governance” has exposed the collective amnesia that has malignantly plagued constituents of the Federating political units since political Independence in 1960.
In many states, the protest has failed not because of noticeable dividends from altruistic governance at that level but arguably due to erroneous notion that all issues in contention are byproducts of inept and vampirous Tinubunomics! Whether on face value or visceral examination, this deduction can receive a rational high score.
But isn’t it hightime we interrogated the other layers of governance on service delivery against available resources? President Tinubu’s government has reportedly disclosed that more than N500 Billion has been disbursed to States since the withdrawal of subsidy on petrol! This is in addition to other financial and material interventions extended to states to attenuate multi – dimensional poverty unleashed on the people as a result of subsidy withdrawal. Against this disclosure, which is yet to be contradicted, how many state governments put up an above average score card justifying the humongous financial windfall from the central government? Even in states that the national protest enjoyed “massive participation”, how many protesters interrogated the state governments on how this extra budgetary funds were/are expended? States and local governments are enjoying astronomical increases in their monthly allocations from Abuja, but are still posting below average performances in the human capital development, and provision of critical public infrastructure! From Obasanjo years till now, the Federal government, due to its distance of influence, has always been the whipping boy when policies of government turns haywire. In such moments, contributions of other tiers of government to our afflictions are often swept under the carpet only to be exhumed during electioneering
campaigns. And possibly, when political patronage withers in size and velocity! It’s more convenient to call for termination of appointment of the Minister of Finance and the Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Edu from Tinubu’s cabinet than question the role of a sitting state Governor in preventing his predecessor from being brought to justice for kleptomania! The leadership of the National Assembly can be derisively taunted as rubber stamp of the Executive arm when only a few or no state legislature would condone such labelling ?
If we are desirous to reap dividends of good governance, this is not the time to institutionalise selective interrogation of the offerings from leadership at all tiers of government. After all, we all belong to political Wards, local governments and States before the geographical expression called Nigeria!
Okon, a lawyer and journalist, Iives in Uyo
