Who will guard the guards? –
Ancient Roman saying
GOVERNORS are more powerful
than most people realise. There
are 36 of them and the President
makes a point of kowtowing to
them on most matters.
If he does not, he would have
more troubles than he could
anticipate.
Nigeria will not change without
the governors changing their
attitude to governance and the
way they treat the people.
Most of the complaints about
governance are about how
governors are competing among
themselves to be the richest,
most powerful and most
influential people in Nigeria,
without a thought on how these
will affect their people, the same
people they swear to protect
without fear or favour.
As Nigerians queue up today to
elect their governors in most
states of the country, they have
a dual responsibility of electing
those who watch over the
activities of governors.
We have complained about the
governors. We have talked about
the irresponsibility of some who
have billions of Naira as security
votes while they govern states
with the worst security situations
imaginable.
How do the people feel when
they and their children see the
bleak future that the governors
post before them?
We are inundated with
complaints about legislators who
are in league with their
governors as they despoil their
states. The people also have a
chance to decide on those
legislators today.
There are too many
disappointments. The politicians
have prospered, the people have
been pulverised by policies that
have resulted in more poverty,
more illnesses, less education
and a dying trust in any belief
that politicians— this set of
politicians — have any interest in
the welfare of other Nigerians.
It is up to Nigerians to elect
those who will fulfil their dreams.
The decisions have to be made
wisely, courageously and without
doubts about the consequences
of the actions. If they think that
continuity means the
continuation of regimes that
took the people for granted,
then continuity has no value.
Do we need governors who
abhor education? How do they
show it? They ignore their shut
universities, they do nothing
about the poor state of
educatuon which has seen less
than 35 per cent of students
passing their WAEC and NECO
examinations.
When a governor claims to be
trusted, should we not ask him
in what ways? Let the people not
be deceived. The decisions that
are made today can help or
damage the interest of the
people decades from today.
In all parts of the country the
demands are the same—
Nigerians need governors who
are responsible enough that the
only thing that matters to them
is the people who elected them.
To ensure this, the legislators
must be the guards, who will
guide the governors to act on
behalf of the people.
We ask Nigerians to be peaceful
as they elect their governors and
legislators.