The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has revealed that there are skeletons in the cupboards of some of Nigeria’s state governors.
The group therefore urged Nigerians to turn their searchlights to the states if they are genuinely interested in knowing where bad governance exists instead of focusing on the center alone.
MURIC insisted that what some Nigerians are doing presently amounts to scapegoating President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima.
The revelation came in a statement issued on Wednesday 7th August, 2024 by the Founder and Executive Director of the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC).
The full statement reads: “We have noted for quite some time now how Nigerians dissipate so much energy on confrontation with the Federal Government (FG) at the center while they ignore the state governments thereby leaving the latter to do as they wish.
“A good example of lackadaisical approach to governance in the states is the way federal allocation to the states have tripled without anything to show for the increase. It was recently revealed that state governors have collected more than N40 trillion local government allocations and efforts of a civil society group to make the governors render account is being thwarted by the governors (https://serap-nigeria.org/2024/01/28/account-for-over-n40-trillion-lga-allocations-or-face-legal-action-serap-tells-36-governors-wike/).
“After collecting monthly allocations of their states and doing little or nothing with it, these same governors still go ahead to seize money meant for the local government councils and sit on it. The governors are amassing wealth at the expense of the hoi polloi while the citizenry blame FG. This is still going on in spite of the ruling of the Supreme Court that FG should be paying the local government councils directly.
“Even at that, the governor of Oyo State has reportedly requested that FG should pay money meant for the local government councils into a joint account to be operated by both the state and local government councils as if the two are into some kind of statutory marriage.
“Instead of commending FG for taking the case to court when the governors refused to obey FG’s directive that the governor’s should not touch money belonging to the local government councils, Nigerians demonise FG.
“It is well known everywhere in the world that there can be no meaningful development without tangible input at the grassroot level and that is where local government autonomy comes in. It is therefore paradoxical that Nigerians blame FG that is actively promoting local government autonomy while they ignore state governors who are strangulating the local government councils.
“Another example of bad governance is the way governors treat traditional rulers. Most governors persuade traditional rulers to canvass for votes for them among their subjects when elections are near. Woe betides any monarch who fails to please the governor. He may be suspended or dethroned.
“Yet it is trouble for the king whether or not he supports the governor because the next governor may belong to another party and he will come for a pound of flesh by deposing that king. So, head or tail, traditional rulers lose. They are being punished for no fault of theirs.
“Most of our state governors cannot stomach perceived opposition, particularly from traditional rulers. We affirm that it is totalitarian for governors to seek to control both the political structure and the traditional system. In particular, it is wicked to sack a traditional ruler sitting on the throne of his forefathers. A king is installed to rule for life while the governor has a minimum of four years and a maximum of eight. Why ruin the whole life of a royal father for a temporary political career? This is intolerance and tyranny. Interestingly, political intolerance and tyranny are major milestones of bad governance.
“Some state governors deliberately undermine efforts made by FG to ameliorate the suffering of the jamaahiir (poor masses). While FG recently revealed that 20 trucks of rice had been sent to each state government as palliative for the people, thousands of bags of rice were recently discovered and looted in Edo State after they had allegedly been hidden away for obvious reasons (https://punchng.com/anxiety-as-edo-residents-loot-truckload-of-rice/).
“A few lawmakers also fall into this category. We all remember the Christmas palliative given to lawmakers in December 2023. Only a few of them accounted for it till today. No wonder the citizens remained hungry. But they always blame FG.
“We must also remember that some state governors are yet to pay the minimum wage of N30,000 while some are owing salary arrears up to five months, including pensions. Why didn’t hunger protesters go there to shout ‘Hungry Dey’?
“We, therefore, assert clearly, categorically and emphatically that real bad governance is to be found in abundance in many of the states. Nigerians must stop beating around the bush.
“Of course some state governors can beat their chests regarding performance and they do not fall into this category of bad rulers. The numero uno in this class of performing governors is Babagana Umara Zulum of Borno State who has been showcasing constant distribution of palliatives to his people. He is closely followed by Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos with his dazzling city rail revolution. It is also on record that Lagos does not owe its workers a dime.
“Those who assume that MURIC is just singing the praise of President Tinubu or FG and the Lagos State Government (LASG) to attract attention should remember that we are still at loggerheads with them over certain differences. We disagreed with Tinubu for favouring Christians over Muslims in his ministerial appointments and we told him so. He is yet to make amends.
“Ditto for Governor Sanwo-Olu for giving Muslims 14 commissioners only but he gave the Christians 43 commissioners and also for failing to accept responsibility after a government caterpillar accidentally pulled down a mosque in Mushin, Lagos, killing two worshippers and injuring 15 others. Yet this must not becloud our sense of objectivity. We complain when necessary and objectively appraise as at when due.
“MURIC will speak the truth even when we have been wronged by those being criticized by others. That is maturity. It is also a matter of conscience. Ours may be powerless conscience but it is still functional. Shaykh Uthman bin Fudi (Uthman Dan Fodio) early remarked that conscience is an open wound, only truth can heal it.
“We beseech Nigerians to shift their attention to the states and local government councils in their search for bad governance and to stop concentrating on Abuja. It is high time we stopped pressuring the center. We should stop scapegoating President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima. There are so many skeletons in the cupboards of state governors.”
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