President Muhammadu Buhari and the Federal Government he leads, get a lot of flak.
Most times, the criticism is deserved. At other times, it’s an over-reach. Getting pilloried now and again as the leader of a nation this diverse and pluralistic, comes with the territory, it has to be said. It is what you ask for when you campaign for votes.
With his time in office hurtling to an inevitable end, President Buhari did something we’ve got to consider out of character. He threw powerful State Governors–especially those from the oil rich Niger Delta region–under the bus, and aired them out to dry.
“I have approved payments totalling 1.7 Trillion Naira to 9 oil-producing States, as refunds owed them by the Nigerian government. As a matter of honour, all debts owed States must be paid, regardless of political affiliation. N625B has been paid so far; the balance will be paid in due course,” the president announced.
“The benefiting States are Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Imo, Ondo, Rivers; and the payments are refunds for 13 percent oil derivation, Subsidy and SURE-P, covering the period between 1999 and 2021,” he added.
It was exactly the kind of name-calling, or naming and shaming, the doctor would have recommended.
This was the president essentially asking citizens and residents of the aforementioned states to ask their governors what they have done with the oil largesse from the center, otherwise called derivation arrears.
This was the president essentially saying state governors also have to share in the blame for the suffering in the land.
All of this began in November when card-carrying PDP member, Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers, who has suddenly become a friend of the APC, disclosed that most of the funds for the infrastructure projects he’s embarked upon, came from Abuja.
Wike’s words were: “The truth is that, and let me say it for the first time, and many people have been asking me, ‘where do you get money for all these projects?’. Let me say it, and I want the Attorney General to thank Mr. President, for monies that were not paid to the Niger Delta States, from 1999, the 13% derivation money that was not paid, Mr President approved and paid all of us in the Niger Delta States. And for me, it would be unfair not to tell the public.
“It is not money from FAAC. It is money paid to Rivers State, Akwa Ibom State, Edo State, Bayelsa State, Delta State and I thank God. That is why since 2019 till now, we have been commissioning projects in the state. Yesterday, we commissioned the 10th flyover; in December, we will commission the 11th flyover and in February, we will commission the 12th.
“The other day, we commissioned a cancer center which we named after our leader, Dr. Odili. Julius Berger built it and charged us N25.9 billion; it is equipped by GE (General Electric). We paid, and no one Naira is being owed. So, I want to sincerely from the bottom of my heart, and on behalf of the government and people of Rivers State, thank the President for this.”
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It is not very often that Wike hands Buhari his flowers. But on November 18, 2022, at the commissioning of a purpose-built campus of the Nigeria Law School in Port Harcourt, he did. It may have been a politically motivated disclosure unravelled for maximum impact in public, but it did have the desired effect.
Wike’s disclosure led to searing and probing questions from residents of the oil producing states; and a plethora of articles and news pieces on what exactly state governors do with badly needed funds in their coffers; and how these funds are utilised for the public good.
Almost immediately, Governors Ifeanyi Okowa, Udom Emmanuel, Ben Ayade and Godwin Obaseki of Delta, Akwa Ibom, Cross River and Edo States respectively, were hauled into the spotlight and coerced to give an account of the derivation fund that was kept away from them by PDP administrations but handed to them by an APC government.
And some of these governors, following criticisms and pressure from the public, have been coming clean. Governor Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom has confirmed the receipt of N186 billion as derivation arrears between 2021 and the third quarter of 2022. Delta State Governor Okowa said he only received N14.7 billion.
With President Buhari’s recent subtle dig at these governors from oil-rich states, you can expect the inquisition from the public to get even more rancorous and piercing in a season of intense politicking across the nation.
And that’s a good thing.
ALSO READ: Buhari’s minister blames governors for high rate of poverty in Nigeria
In our pseudo federalist system of governance, state and local governments are often spared much of the blame for rising poverty levels, decrepit infrastructure, dwindling school enrollment, insecurity and a lack of development at the grassroots; more so because the lines between the concurrent and exclusive legislative lists have been blurred over time.
Yet, real governance should begin at the grassroots where state governors hold most of the aces and almost all of the resources.
Some of these state governors have starved local governments of funds due to them; and these local governments are content with not doing anything as long as they receive peanuts from the governors for politicking.
And on and on the cycle continues at the detriment of the populace.
ALSO READ: Buhari responsible for high poverty rate, nation’s woes, not Govs – NGF tells FG
President Buhari’s intervention this month is timely and long overdue. Nigerians must realise that all elected representatives across all tiers of governance should be held accountable for floundering development indices and inability to meet set goals.
For far too long, there’s been too much attention on the center as other tiers of governance continue to literally get away with murder.
Accountability is at the core of governance. State governors should always come clean with what has been received and how that has been dispensed.
And we’ve got Wike and Buhari to thank for a conversation that can only deepen our nascent democracy.