Our political leaders have manipulated us to accept mediocrity and praise them for performing their fiduciary duties and responsibilities.
If a state performs excellently well, it has no reason to come to Abuja for Federal Allocation. No state in Nigeria can boast of a University that would turn its economy around, provide employment for the people, and make the state richer than the Federal Government. But this is what citadels of learning are known for.
California is a state in the United States of America without any oil and gas resources. Yet, it runs an economy bigger than Brazil, France, and all African countries combined. California’s economy is woven around education, and the institution’s name is ‘Stanford University.’ According to a tweet by businesstech.co.za news ‘the state’s GDP was US$2.9 trillion, and Africa’s $2.33 trillion. More than this, California had a bigger economy than the UK, France, India, Brazil, and Russia.’
So, Governors who showcase ring roads and bridges as their achievements should know that their primary duty is to provide those services to the people. Some even boast of building first-class ecumenical centers, Mosques, and sponsorship of people on pilgrimages as part of their significant achievements. In workplace performance evaluation, what the Governors call an achievement is a ‘met criteria.’ It will not earn them a promotion, which is the second term.
In most of our states, the citizens have no drinking water. We have jerry can carrying carts by children all over the place. These children are supposed to be in school. If that is not child abuse, what is it called?
Except for a few cities in Nigeria, many of our citizens have no access to qualitative education and Healthcare. Students learn science without functional laboratories, are taught abstract and theoretical technologies without computers, and agriculture without farms.
Some schools have no roofs and they dot the landscapes across the country. Some learn under very harsh conditions by combining three or four streams into one. Some states do not pay teachers regularly and, therefore, go to their stations twice a week. Did they or their children attend such schools? If not, why do we promote these so-called achievements, which are equivalent to you working for your salaries?
Nigerians should ask prospective Governors and Presidential hopefuls how they intend to turn any of the states into Silicon valley developed out of nothing. When we ask this question, we indirectly ask them about resource control and proper fiscal federalism—enough of the charades.
Grace and peace!!!
