In whose interest do governors hold local government funds?

Two recent events in Nigeria demonstrate state governors’ overlordship and self-absorbed nature. And with what we saw in Edo and Ogun States, it is also clear that the totalitarian tendencies of governors transcend party affiliations.

The governor of Edo state, Godwin Obaseki, momentarily turned his deputy, Philip Shuaibu, into a destitute, even though they were elected on the same ticket. Obaseki won elections on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). His Ogun state counterpart, Dapo Abiodun, who sat like an emperor while people’s fathers prostrated before him for their subsistence, is of the All Progressive Congress (APC). The men of authority in Nigeria are united in their misuse of power and state resources, even against the people’s interest.

In Edo State, the first two citizens fell out because the deputy governor reportedly aspired for the party’s gubernatorial ticket. Like most governors, Obaseki seemed to have other plans, so all hell broke loose.

Before the intervention of some respected citizens of the state this week, Shuaibu had filed a court action against the state house of assembly, which allegedly had the governor’s push to impeach him. That audacity infuriated Obaseki, so he went all out against his deputy without any care about the optics.

His security detail at a recent state function stopped the deputy governor from speaking with his boss! Obaseki’s aides later came up with the ridiculous excuse that their principal was oblivious to his deputy’s move, even though pictures from the event showed the proximity between the parties.

Not just that. Obaseki ordered the withdrawal of his deputy’s press crew and directed that the latter must, subsequently, write to request for coverage from the governor’s office. You can only imagine the humiliation awaiting Shuaibu in the event of such requests. That is not to speak of other actions targeted at diminishing his influence and rubbishing his office, but for external intervention that led to the withdrawal of the court case.

So, what are the issues here? The desperate scramble for power, the unbridled deployment of state resources against political opponents, and the total disregard for the welfare of the people while this is going on.

The situation in Ogun state is more explicit. Chairman of the Ijebu East local government of the state, Wale Adedayo, had accused the governor of withholding funds belonging to the local government for the second year running.

In addition to sending petitions to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), Adedayo also sought the intervention of a former governor of the state and party elder, Chief Segun Osoba. He indicated that local government chairmen got no allocations since their election in 2021 and attributed the lack of development in the rural areas to the governor’s actions.

On the surface, his petition, which has gone viral, appears altruistic and motivated by nothing else but the welfare and well-being of citizens. For instance, a part of it read: “Revenue sources, which the local governments should benefit from, have mostly been taken over by the state government. Motor parks and attendant dues, which should go to each local government, are centrally managed by the state government. Primary school administration and control have been taken over, too… In Ijebu East local government area, we are a complete rural section. Our people need roads, especially in the interior. They need water. The health centres are nothing to write home about. The primary schools are something else. It is a crying shame that, in 2023, some of our people still depend on water from the stream to drink!”

This part of the petition presents a grim picture that should worry everyone, especially a governor who swore to improve the people’s condition. Suppose Adedayo’s plea is untrue or presumptuous in any respect; the man accused should show due regard for the electorate, clarify, and then start to address the developmental issues raised in the petition. But that is not the way of the Nigerian governor.

First, considering himself a tin god and justifiably so, the average state governor would rather than address issues dissipating energy on crushing anyone who dares confront him. His irritation is more when the “offender” is a member of his party or someone he profiles as a beneficiary of his grace.

Now, this is what almost all elected representatives are to governors. From the wards to the national assembly, most governors decide who contests for what position, striking out and replacing names without regard to the people’s preference. From party officials to councillors, local government presiding officers, house of assembly members, members of the house of representatives, and senators (except when the senatorial candidate is an outgoing governor), state governors decide who gets what and enforce the same without mercy or consideration for any other factor.

Although they deploy state resources for the execution of this venture, their main aim is self-preservation. This is how state governors got members of state houses of assembly to reject their autonomy for so many years! The role that governors play in appointing judges in their states is also why many Nigerians cannot be sure of getting justice against the state government. The absolute tendency of governors is unending.

Adedayo’s colleagues’ decision to beg the governor stemmed from this realisation. Although he claims that all chairmen agreed to write the petition, his colleagues preferred throwing him under the bus, siding with the governor to protect their offices and livelihood. Politics and political offices are like business for many people, so they would sacrifice the general good for survival.

The fate awaiting them otherwise is evident in Adedayo’s travails in the last few days. First was the attempt to impeach him by members of his legislative council. Ultimately, he was suspended for six months based on accusations of maladministration and financial mismanagement. We do not know whether there is any substance in these accusations, but why did the legislators wait until the current crisis ensued before bringing up the charges?

It is also noteworthy that governors take all their arsenals to war when matters get to this head. As a state correspondent for The PUNCH years back,  a state governor went as far as instigating armed robbery and gun-running charges against a council chairman just to remove him from office. The extent to which these people go is confounding.

So, at junctures like this, it should not surprise you that policemen and “political thugs” will collaborate to achieve one purpose. Hence, reading about a similar scenario in the matter under discussion was not surprising.

However, it is worrisome that state institutions would lend themselves to the oppression of ordinary Nigerians in these circumstances.

Reports indicate that the Department of State Services (DSS) detained Adedayo for three days. His detention was reportedly based on allegations of defamation and planning a protest by the governor. One wonders why the chairman was not released immediately after his interrogation. Why deny him his freedom for three days? But it isn’t out of the character of many state agencies whose loyalty is with the government of the day instead of the country and its people!

Avoiding the consequences (which are still ongoing) that Adedayo faced is the reason local government chairmen across the country (most of whom have the same fate) are too frightened to complain about their governors. After all, most of them aspired for the office for what they could gain; why should they jeopardise that by confronting the conquering lion that their governor is? But will Nigeria ever attain sustainable development without paying attention to local governments?

There is a temptation to attribute the problems that local government administrators face to the creation of the state joint local government account by S.162 (6) of the 1999 Constitution, and there may be a point there. But wouldn’t things be better if governors had more fidelity to their oaths? Wouldn’t Nigeria be better if everyone elected to public office were more committed to the people’s welfare and a legacy of achievement?