The states are not different too

The popular topic in our country today is the indolence of our sybaritic senators. We have seen Nigerians literally up in arms against those who treat us as vermin worthy of no respect whatsoever. With discussions on the 2016 budget in abeyance, our senators in total disrespect of citizens could only buy 36 SUVs for twice the market price even after collecting car allowance.

It’s good that what this column advocated as back as August 17 last year is attracting Nigerians’ attention now. I had written then that we should scrap the national assembly or at best make it a part-time job devoid of the appurtenances and ostentatious lifestyle. But beyond the palpable anger visible mostly on social media, we need to focus on our state governments too. An average Nigerian politician has consistently demonstrated his contempt for citizens and so it is not surprising that our states are asphyxiating under the cretins governing them. So, before we crucify the senators, let’s remember that our governors and state legislators deserve to be on the way to their own Golgotha as well.

Vanguard newspaper on Saturday, April 23, published a story on how states frittered away the bailout money collected last year from the Federal Government. Titled “How states squandered FG bailout funds” it detailed an analysis by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in conjunction with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), never knew the NLC still has such fire in her belly.

“Most of the 23 states that got bail out cash from the federal government for the settlement of arrears of workers’ salaries and emoluments, diverted the funds for other purposes, thereby defeating the purpose of the government’s effort to provide succour for the workers,” the story said in the first sentence. What else could be more enervating and painful than the fact that families of civil servants and pensioners are left uncared for even after collecting money to pay whatever they are owed? Or the fact that some governors lied that they owe money but actually did not owe? The story further revealed the amount each state got and what they did with the money so far and it will make you weep for our country. But beyond weeping, what are we going to do about it?

Three states are of particular interest to me and solely because the Vanguard story provided further detail of what happened in the states but also because this column has consistently called attention to the rot going on under the megalomaniac governor of my home state, Osun. Recently, the propaganda machinery of Mr. Rauf Aregbesola (pictured) has been on an overdrive justifying the farce he presides over under the guise of governance in that state. Nearly two years now in a second term, he still operates without commissioners while civil servants and pensioners are left without their full entitlements. Retirees are so confused that they don’t know how much they are owed and yet we have professors and journalists who do not live in the state or have any connection whatsoever with it, justifying the “financial engineering” under Aregbesola in hagiographies they pass off as factual reports. The ICPC and NLC investigation affirmed that Osun collected N34.98 billion as the Central Bank too said last year as bail out fund while as at November 2015, it has disbursed N18.67 billion leaving a balance of N16 billion. The early signal that the state was not out of the woods was when the Osun APC issued a release asking for another bail out about two weeks ago and pronto the National Economic Council last week approved a debt deferral for the states to enable them pay their workers.

While it is not yet proven that there was a nexus between the Osun APC call and the deferral granted the states, I just wonder whether there is no justification for oversight on how the money will be disbursed, as this is outside the states official entitlement in the normal allocation. But, I forgot, who will perform the oversight? The compromised national assembly or the largely ineffectual state assemblies?

Zamfara and Imo offer more pathetic stories. Apart from the fact that Zamfara lied when applying for the bailout as she was not owing the workers then, she spent the money on stuff like outstanding payment for fertilizer for 2014 farming season, cost of vehicles supplied and cost of construction at Emir’s palace, Gusau. The Imo State folks were more brazen: from the N26.8 billion collected, N2 billion went to a Government House account, another N2 billion to “Imo State Project account” and N2 billion to a microfinance bank with N21 million as “management fee” paid to an unspecified account.

So while we pursue the senate president and deservedly so, take a pause and look at what’s happening in your state, the level of rot will shock you.