In recent times, there has appeared to be strong indications that some State governors in Nigeria have resorted to governing their people from outside of their states.
Some of them allegedly govern their states from the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja and other parts of the world.
According to a report by The PUNCH, residents of these states, and several residents and stakeholders are complaining about the attitudes of these governors, noting that their absence from the states negates the principle of good governance
The report also revealed that most of these governors do not hand over to their deputies but prefer to make most of the decisions of the state from wherever they are, flouting the constitutional provision that stipulates that a governor has a statutory duty to sit and ensure lives and property are secured and protected. He is not expected to stay outside then state for more than two weeks because he is the Chief Security Officer of his state.
In this report, The PUNCH highlighted the five governors fingered as the worst culprits.
1. Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq (APC)
He doubles as the Chairman, Nigeria Governors’ Forum.
The opposition party in the state, the PDP claims the governor is hardly in the state since he became the NGF chairman.
According to the party’s chairman, Babatunde Mohammed, the governor has been incessantly absent from the state.
Mohammed said, “Since the governor took up the mantle of leadership of NGF, he hardly comes to the state to either oversee projects or spend time with the people,” he said, adding “The continued absence of Mallam Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq led to the illegal conversion of security vehicles procured to enhance local security into private use by the impostors he put in charge of our local government areas as the Transition Implementation Committee chairpersons.
“It should be noted that none of the vehicles have been put into any serious use by the security agents it was meant to serve, as the TIC chairmen still cruise in them as though they are their official cars.’’
2. Gombe State Governor, Mohammed Inuwa Yahaya (APC)
He doubles as the Chairman of the Northern Governors’ Forum, and has barely settled in the state since becoming the chairman of the forum, the governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress during the 2023 poll in Gombe State, Nafiu Bala claims.
“Since Governor Inuwa Yahaya resumed, he had never anointed his deputy to take office as acting governor. This is wrong,” he added.
3. Sokoto State Governor, Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto (APC)
The residents of the state have urged the state governor to “spend more time with his people at home,” instead of spending more days outside the state.
They decried a repeat of the previous administration of Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, who was accused of spending more time in Abuja than in the state.
Mallam Bala Bello, a resident of the state while speaking with our correspondent, described the previous administration of Tambuwal as not too good for the state.
“I am sure you are aware of Tambuwal’s tenure in the state when he spent more of his time outside the state than in the state.
4. Zamfara State Governor, Dr. Dauda Lawal (PDP)
Checks by The PUNCH indicated that the state governor hardly spent a week in the state since his inauguration on May 29.
The development, it was gathered, is becoming worrisome to the residents as “they are expecting much from the Governor who had during his electioneering campaign promised to rescue the state from total disintegration.”
The situation has also led to public outcry and complaints, especially by the opposition who say they can not imagine that the governor whose state is under the control of bandits, and terrorists and is ravaged by insecurity challenges would still be traveling out of state, leaving the residents to their fate.
5. Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello (APC)
In Kogi, the story is different as our correspondent learnt that the state governor, Yahaya Bello, is more at home in Lokoja “compared to before now.”
Our correspondent observed that the governor who before now had been running the affairs of the state from Abuja has recently been more at home helping his party, the All Progressives Congress candidate, Ahmed Usman Ododo effectively prosecute his campaign strategies so that the ruling party can maintain its dominance in the state.
According to The PUNCH findings, since Bello lost the APC presidential ticket, which led to the emergence of President Bola Tinubu, the governor has been more visible in Lokoja.
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Source: The PUNCH
