₦airaland Forum

Commentry by Niran Adedokun


Sometimes when in my own company, I wonder what leaders of other countries think about Nigerian leaders. One of those occasions came up last week when pictures of billboards erected in celebration of the "good fortunes" of Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State to have met and shaken hands with the United States' President, Barack Obama, went viral.

Without holding Okorocha in grudge for "celebrating" the rare opportunity of meeting the world's most important leader, I asked myself how disgusted Obama and his people would feel if this exhibition of self-importance came to their knowledge.

But Okorocha was not alone in this display of vainglory. The Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, took his gorgeous brand new wife with him. And she lit up every photo opportunity that the spouse had with her bright countenance. The governor must have been proud of himself for affording the entourage the privilege of the radiance of the presence of his helpmeet.

But it calls to mind the question of what these state governors learnt from the opportunity to travel with the president. Until now, none but Oshiomhole who has information about how much a particular minister stole from Nigeria under the immediate past administration, has told us what their state stands to gain from that trip in which they were on the President's advance party. They only came back to act like excited schoolchildren who got their first opportunity for an excursion.

In the course of the week, I pondered on what could be behind the decision of the President to travel with these governors, all of whom are incidentally from his All Progressives Party. Is it the protocol for heads of government to travel with governors? How many governors were on the entourage of Obama during his recent tour of Africa for example? Why did Buhari have such number of governors embark on this trip which is likely to have cost each of them tens of millions of naira in spite of the economic crunch that states currently face?

I then remembered the following words from Buhari's inaugural speech: "...relations between Abuja and the States have to be clarified if we are to serve the country better. Constitutionally, there are limits to the powers of each of the three tiers of government but that should not mean the Federal Government should fold its arms and close its eyes to what is going on in the states and local governments. As far as the constitution allows me, I will try to ensure that there is responsible and accountable governance at all levels of government in the country..."

Although I always wondered how the President hoped to achieve the level of monitoring that would guarantee the success that he anticipated in this speech, I was happy that he acknowledged the importance of states in the development of the country from the outset. The invitation of these five governors therefore appeared to me like an orientation on how the administration of our states would improve.

To clarify, I hold the position that states are the weakest links to effective governance in Nigeria. Although I accept arguments that the current revenue allocation formula in which the Federal Government receive 52 per cent of revenue accruing to the country detracts from the prospect of development in the rural areas, I am still unable to come to terms with the level of stunted growth in our states.

If we take the argument that the allocation formula is responsible for the situation of our states for example, anyone familiar with the clout of our governors will agree that effecting a review in the allocation sharing formula should not be so herculean.

For starters, most commissioners on the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission which is empowered by Paragraph 32 (b) Part I of the Third Schedule to the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) to review the revenue allocation formula from time to time would have been nominated by the governors. In essence, any chance that governors of the 36 states subscribe to the review of this formula, would see the RMAFC initiate the process

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damosthottest:
CORRUPTION WAR: PROBE YOUR ELECTION SPONSORS FIRST, FAYOSE TELLS BUHARI


The Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to start his anti-corruption fight by probing those that sponsored his election to reveal their sources of income.

Fayose said, “Some of those who sponsored the President’s election have not done any other jobs apart from holding public offices. Yet, they provided private jets and funds with which the President campaigned across the length and breadth of Nigeria. He should let Nigerians know where they got money to buy private jets and the several billions of naira spent on his election.

“No one sits with corruption to fight corruption because as it is today, President Buhari is sitting among corrupt people and he must first extricate himself from the comity of corruption”.

Fayose, who spoke through his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, on Wednesday took a swipe at the Federal Government anti-corruption drive, describing it as mere noise-making, witch-hunt and diversionary tactic to hoodwink the public into overlooking the seeming failure of the government to deliver on its electoral promises.

The governor said, “If President Mohammadu Buhari knows exactly where the stolen funds are kept and who looted the funds, he does not need all these public announcements. Rather, he should make public names of the looters and bring back the purported stolen funds, location of which he has identified. It is when he is able to bring back the money that he should make announcements of recovered funds.

“You don’t announce a process to the public; rather, you announce the results because that is what is of interest to the people. It is like you are announcing that you know where armed robbers reside, won’t they change their location?

“What the All Progressives Congress spin-doctors and their collaborators in the Presidency are doing is simple. It is such that when there is nothing to tell the people as per the rising Boko Haram attacks, dollar and other foreign currencies exchange rates, petrol pump price and other seeming failed promises of the APC Federal Government, they will accuse former President Goodluck Jonathan and his men of corruption, insult Peoples Democratic Party and make noise about fighting corruption.”

He said President Buhari and his men should know that Nigeria of today is different from that of 1983 and that unlike 1983, nothing could prevent them from asking questions.

“Mr. President and his men should know that these planned efforts to brand PDP as a party of corrupt people and suppress the giant strides of the Jonathan administration won’t work because Nigerians know that APC is peopled with more corrupt people and the President must treat the issue of corruption without looking at political parties.”


Source; http://www.gossipmill.com/2015/08/corruption-war-probe-your-election-sponsors-first-fayose-tells-buhari/

This man called fayose has finally won my admiration. Well said. Its now his move. We will see who is deceiving who.

omicron:
Makes some sense.

But what if a man's wife A gives birth in Jan, wife B in May and wife C n Sept That is one year parternity leave oo

Hope it wont backfire o

the rule is that the man is entitled to a stipulated amount of time in a year. That amount of time is left to him to share it as he wants. So if he decides to have 3 wives just cos he is looking for leave he is on his own cos he only gets the same sipulated amount of time that his colleagues gets who have just one wife.

kennygee:
E done die, e done die.

whether them announce am or not.

He cannot die twice.

true talk but they are looking 4 heads to bury with the man thats why they havent annouced yet. Pls anyone going to Ife should be careful.

otijah:
WTF , as we immediately started romancing after long period of disagreement and struggling, her phone rang, and it was her friend asking for her location, she told her to come to our hotel. I was shocked and asked her were is she gonna stay if eventually she comes and she said in the same room. I asked her if she was in her right senses and she said yes that she is her best friend and can't keep her outside.

I kept quiet and was trying to rush and do the thing before her friend reaches but all hope was lost wen she called that she was at the hotel gate.

she went outside brought her inside the room and her foolish friend on seeing me made no attempt to resist entering rather she came in and sat there and both started gisting and laughing. I was soo mad that i had to put on my clothes and shoes, with my laptop and i headed for the bar making sure that non of my belongings was left in that room.

i was in the bar drinking when she called my phone and requested for food, i asked if her friend also needed and she said yes. i required for the price of the food and a plate was 1500 (3000 for both), that was when i knew i was in for some shiit.

But to cut everything short, I just picked up my laptop and phones and went straight to my car and headed home.

She later called after an hour to know whats holding the food and i told her i don't know that am at my house maybe she should call the kitchen and ask whats the problem, she banged the call and since hasn't called me again. Me wetin concern me, At least the only expenses i did was just the room payment, i know that they must have trekked to their houses that day .

Thats the thing about nigerian girls but then who knows, if u had been patient u may have had a three.some.

bravesoul247:
Drnoel, for the fact that I removed my contact details does it still show I'm deceiving anybody? Let's assume its actually my story, how is that a crime? Are they no more stories like mine? I asked for an advice which in turn I got insults but I took it as an advice, I remove my details due to the advices and bbm messages I got but you are the only one talking about deceiving. I follow your stories on sexuality section and I respect you well so I'm sure you'll want me not to lose that respect.

Respect is reciprocal bros. I respect u, u respect me. If u noticed, I didn't insult u cos insults is not my thing. It's left for u to tell us u are not deceiving us then the issue would be left as it is. My comments was not to insult u but to prick ur conscience so u know people do read what u write. That's all. By the way, dancing Azonto that u read my stores on NL. Am glad we go to communicate so u clear the air bros. No insults meant.