Imo State Governor, Chief Rochas Okorocha on Tuesday in Abuja made an atrocious request on behalf of failed Nigerian governors who have consistently failed to meet the rudimentary responsibilities of paying civil servants as and when due and providing basic infrastructure in their states. He wants cash bail out for them from the incoming administration of Muhammadu Buhari in order to clear accumulated unpaid salaries. It is not about APC or PDP. These failed governors cut across both PDP and APC. Okorocha painted a picture of a desperate economic situation that has made it impossible for them to pay workers’ salaries. He told Buhari: “As it stands today, most states of the federation have not been able to pay salaries and even the federal government has not paid April salary and that is very worrisome. By May and June, that (salaries) will be three months. We wonder with the huge expectation from Nigerians and people who have voted us into power, we are hoping that the president-elect will do whatever is humanly possible to bring about a bailout not only in the states but the federal government at least for people to get their salaries and turn around the economy.”
The Imo governor tactically included federal civil servants to weep up more sentiment. The truth is that the federal government does not owe its civil servants. There is no backlog of salaries at the federal level. There was a slight delay in the April salaries of federal workers and this had been sorted. Even if the federal government is yet to resolve April salaries, when Okorocha spoke on Tuesday, it was just 5 days into the new month. So, why was the Imo State governor talking about a few days delay at the federal level when he and his failed colleagues have horrendous salary backlog of between two and eight months? I believe Okorocha dragged federal civil servants into the crisis as part of his campaign of calumny against President Goodluck Jonathan. These failed governors often blame Jonathan for every negative thing in their states. Even when their wives misbehave at home, they will point accusing fingers at Jonathan.

Let’s go back to the main issue. I had said it in previous articles that these governors were not voted into power to give excuses. They should simply resign if they can’t do the job and allow people with good ideas and political will to come in. First, these failed governors are accustomed to just going to Abuja monthly to collect handouts. They lack the slightest idea about how to make their states viable. Most of them are even too lazy to sit down with forward-looking Nigerians to fashion out how to make these states viable. Industries and industrial lay outs are dead in these states. Many state governors have not shown ingenuity in terms of making their states viable and improving their Internally-generated revenue. They have great untapped agricultural potentials that could make them viable, yet, they are struggling to survive. Most of these governors can’t point to a single industry whose emergence they have motivated since becoming governors. So, the industries are not there. Commercial agriculture is in comatose. How then do they intend to make their states viable? The late Obafemi Awolowo built the enviable economy of the defunct Western Nigeria around agriculture and agro-allied industries. There were cocoa industries and plantations all over Western Nigeria. There was nothing like running to the centre for bail outs. Then, this country operated true federalism. The scope of operation of each region was determined by its resources and cash. There was fiscal discipline. Corruption was very low while only people-oriented projects were implemented.

But in this era, governors who can’t pay civil servants because of dwindling handouts from Abuja pocket billions of naira annually in the name of an unconstitutional “Security Vote.” Allocations are dwindling; yet, they operate with a retinue of aides - special advisers, senior special advisers, special assistants, senior special assistants, personal assistants, private secretaries and the rest of them. Okorocha operates with 16 commissioners in Imo State. For God’s sake, what is he doing with 16 commissioners and a retinue of aides in a supposedly poor state like Imo? Okorocha and his colleagues have just spent billions of Naira on their re-election, yet, they can’t pay salaries. So, where did all the billions spent on election come from? The answer is obvious. When they complain about dwindling allocation to the states, they often leave out the allocations to the local governments which most of them also pocket.
Irregular payments of salaries by these governors have impoverished civil servants, forcing some of them to resort to begging in order to survive the hardship foisted on them while the governors and their cronies live big. You will find them travelling around the world with a large entourage in the name of looking for foreign investors. Most of these ‘governors from hell’ have mortgaged their states. I can authoritatively tell you that this is mainly responsible for their inability to pay salaries as at when due. They have taken huge loans beyond their repayment capacity and the monthly direct deductions from their shares of the federation account to service the loans are now impacting negatively on their finances. A critical analysis of the contractual obligations/other deductions from the February allocations of the 36 states by the Federal Account and Allocation Committee showed that virtually all the states are deep in debt with very little to show for it. For just February alone, some states had over N1 billion deducted for debt servicing. About N1.1 billion was deducted from Osun State’s allocation; Bayelsa State was about N1.5 billion; Plateau = N653 million; Zamfara = N692 million; Ebonyi State = N790 million; Edo State = N745 million; Imo State = N419 million.
These governors, amidst dwindling revenue still implement populist policies. Yearly, they spend huge amount of money sending pilgrims to Jerusalem and Mecca. Last year, one South-west state spent over N500 million on such pilgrimages. These governors often implement programmes not in tune with the financial realities of their states. Imagine a state like Osun implementing free education when it can’t pay salaries of the teachers in the schools. Imagine what just N1000 per pupil (per term) in public schools will do to Osun State’s revenue and teachers’ salaries? Late Awolowo had the financial implications of his free education programme in the defunct Western Region properly worked out before implementation. These days, these governors just introduce all sorts of free things - free education, free health, free books, free marriage, and the rest of them, without considering the financial implications in the short, medium and long term.
Some of them have even introduced free lunch in public schools without thorough financial plans. Osun State started this, and had to quickly dump it.


Many of these states operate with a bloated work force with huge ghost workers running riot. These put a lot of pressure on the handouts from Abuja. Many of these failed governors can’t even carry out a thorough staff audit. Again, many of the state governors complaining about financial crunch are able to squeeze out money for absolutely useless projects. They delve into all sorts of things that ought to be private sector-driven. For example, what is the business of these governors with building stadia and running football clubs amidst supposed financial crisis? Okorocha’s Imo runs Heathland Football Club. Former Ekit Stae governor, Kayode Fayemi spent millions of Naira building a new Government House when Ekiti civil servants were battling for their salaries.
Just as Finance Minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala stated on Wednesday, if these governors put payment of salaries of their civil servants on their priority list, there won’t be a backlog. Civil servants in Ekiti State are now being paid as and when due because Ayodele Fayose has priotised payment of salaries. These failed governors should learn from Fayose and Ibrahim Dankwambo of Gombe State.

Twaci:
Hmmm, ok

Kindly vote me for Miss. Nairaland 2015. Thanks .

TheOnlyWiseMan:

How I go take vote na.

Twaci:
I'll let you know when its on dear. Thanks a lot. How's ur day going?

FitnessNigeria:


My lost cousin.

Twaci:
Hmmm, ok

Kindly vote me for Miss. Nairaland 2015. Thanks .

Twaci:
I'll let you know when its on dear. Thanks a lot. How's ur day going?

MzJackBaueress:
Phockphockman now believes Yemi Adebowale a yoruba man to criticize his governor just because he hates him?

If Yemi Adebowale a yoruba man criticized Jonathan,phockphockman wouldn't have created this topic.


Hmmm! I smell hypocrisy!

TheOnlyWiseMan:
[/b]

COOOOOOOL.

Let’s go back to the main issue. I had said it in previous articles that these governors were not voted into power to give excuses. They should simply resign if they can’t do the job and allow people with good ideas and political will to come in.

Imagine a state like Osun implementing free education when it can’t pay salaries of the teachers in the schools. Imagine what just N1000 per pupil (per term) in public schools will do to Osun State’s revenue and teachers’ salaries? Late Awolowo had the financial implications of his free education programme in the defunct Western Region properly worked out before implementation. These days, these governors just introduce all sorts of free things - free education, free health, free books, free marriage, and the rest of them, without considering the financial implications in the short, medium and long term.

Twaci:
Hey Uncle . How's ur day going?

Twaci:
Hmmm, ok

Kindly vote me for Miss. Nairaland 2015. Thanks .

MzJackBaueress:
Phockphockman now believes Yemi Adebowale a yoruba man to criticize his governor just because he hates him?

If Yemi Adebowale a yoruba man criticized Jonathan,phockphockman wouldn't have created this topic.


Hmmm! I smell hypocrisy!

MzJackBaueress:
Phockphockman now believes Yemi Adebowale a yoruba man to criticize his governor just because he hates him?

If Yemi Adebowale a yoruba man criticized Jonathan,phockphockman wouldn't have created this topic.


Hmmm! I smell hypocrisy!