States have Failed the Federal Government in Taking Nigeria to the Next Level
Editorial
The story of Nigeria so far has been one of defeatism; failed government. In other words, the argument is that what is on ground in Nigeria in terms of human and infrastructural developments are not commensurate with the financial resources dispensed in that regard from 1960 to date. In this period, Nigeria has succeeded in empowering individuals who have got the PASS to share in the “national cake.”
But these are wide assumptions. In reality, Nigeria has failed because her states or sub-regional structures never help matters. It is a truism that every one of us comes from a particular state, before we are Nigerians. For instance, one is fundamentally from Bayelsa, Benue or Borno State before he or she is a Nigerian.
The federal government (has overtime) rolled out structures to advance the progress and development of Nigeria through power, health, road and agricultural infrastructures. The state governments (that are closer to the grassroots in terms of touching the lives of the populace) have failed to complement such efforts.
For instance, from the Goodluck Jonathan era to the present Buhari administration, the federal government has rolled out viable social investments programmes meant to alleviate poverty. Some of these are the Subsidy re-investment Programme (SURE-P) under Jonathan, the N-Power, school feeding programme and the Conditional Cash Transfer as well as the agricultural incentives of the Buhari administration.
It is disgusting, disgraceful, disappointing and deplorable how the state governors handled the SURE-P programme. Candidates were recruited across the states, but that was the end. Subsequently these candidates, except for very few who had LEGS in government benefited from the programme. Tersoo Kampala was one of the recruits in Benue State, he collected 8,000 once, which was meant to be salary for two months, in the rest of the period that the programme lasted, no dime was paid again, though the federal government continued to fund it. Thousands of Tersoos laboured for free, while some other persons enjoyed the fruit of their labour. I challenge anyone who doubt this postulation to probe the bank statements of the so called “beneficiaries” of the programme in the period under review.
We live in times when the world is termed a global village; whatever goes around comes around. We all witnessed how appointees and cohorts of a certain Bureau of Local and Chieftaincy Affairs lived in elegance courtesy of the SURE-P funds meant for the vulnerable Nigerians who wasted their strengths. As a matter of fact, one of the henchmen in the Bureau gave gifts of cars of over ten million to his unmarried daughters. This was the talk of the town. In the end, the programme meant for poverty alleviation ended up enriching a few government “CRIMINALS.” This ought not be so. It was a deliberate plan by the Federal government to enhance human capacity development. This was jettisoned or sabotaged by the state governments that converted SURE-P funds to their personal use and shared same with their conspirators. Some of these conspirators are still facing litigations against the state for financial fraud. The rest is story!
In the Buhari era, some of the ongoing social investment programmes are facing similar challenges. Of particular note is the school feeding programme. Mrs. Linda Mba is a widow whose name was taken out of the programme for no reasons. Before then, she complained of continuous deductions from Sterling Bank which was the index bank for the programme in Benue State. According to her, the deductions were permitted by authorities at the state level. These were unequalled deductions which affected all the beneficiaries ranging from 10, 000, 15,000, 20,000, 30,000, 40,000, and 50,000, name it. The argument was that the monies were sent into beneficiary accounts, but the authorities connived with the bank for a dirty deal. In the end, the beneficiaries got short of what was meant for them, while they were pressured to do the needful, with less than half of the financial allocation.
In the crisis that ensued, there was continuous delisting and enlisting of beneficiaries which almost made the programme useless in Benue State. There is no impact whatsoever to lift people from poverty as well as encourage school enrolment as was designed. It is regrettable that to date, many names existing as food vendors are senior civil servants who have no history of food vending. If you doubt me, request for the bank statements of all civil servants in states like Benue. This is another good intention of the federal government sabotaged by the state governments.
Meanwhile, we all live in the same society and know where our monies go, but they want us to believe cooked stories; conspiracy theories meant to enrich a few at the expense of the masses. In the agribusiness incentives sent by the federal government to states, only a few have managed to provide their counter-part funds and make-work the programme, for the benefits of their residents. In many cases, the counter-funds have been propaganda pronouncements, without an iota of physical implementation. In some, political gladiators have borrowed monies in the guise of agribusiness, for political contest and participation.
What states governments do is wait for the Federal Government to roll out programmes so they can key into and defraud their very own people. Where does the IGR go? Most states do not talk about this, because citizens are not even aware. But I am worried, because appointees and senior civil servants with their elective masters have failed to practice governance as should be in a democratic setup. It will be better if the state government help drive the social investment policies of the Federal government as well as introduce more to take the teaming populace out of poverty.
It is painful that many state governments in Nigeria have nothing to offer to their people in terms of democracy dividends. But it is worst where they become saboteurs in the efforts of the central or federal government.
