Buhari flayed state governors over what he described as their unfair treatment of his regime at the grassroots.
The president said this at a parley with members of the Senior Executive Course No. 44 (2022) of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, held at the State House Banquet Hall Abuja.
Veering off of his prepared address, the President cited a personal experience involving a governor he did not name, misappropriating funds meant for local government council development, thereby inhibiting development at the grassroots.
Buhari’s comments followed remarks on the Course 44 presentation, themed ‘Strengthening Local Governance in Nigeria: Challenges, Options and Opportunities’, by some members of the Federal Executive Council, who aired their personal views on enhancing the autonomy of local governments.
A baffled Buhari described as “terrible” how some state governors received monies on behalf of local government councils in their states and would remit half of it to the council chairman, who would eventually pilfer from the remnant, leaving nothing for developmental projects.
He said, “I found it necessary to digress after reading my speech and this digression is a result of my personal experience.
“This is my personal experience. If the money from the Federation Account to the State is about N100m, N50m will be sent to the chairman, but he will sign that he received N100m. The Governor will pocket the balance and share it with whoever he wants to share it with.
“And then the Chairman of the local government must see how much he must pay in salaries and to hell with development. When he pays the salaries of the big man, the balance he will put in his pocket.
“This is what’s happening. This is Nigeria. It’s a terrible thing; you cannot say the person who was doing this is not educated. He was a qualified lawyer, he was experienced, yet he participated in this type of corruption.
“So it’s a matter of conscience, whichever level we find ourselves. As a leader, you sit here, with all the sacrifices the country is making by putting you through institutions and getting you ready to lead. The fundamental thing is personal integrity. May God help us.”
The president also pledged that his government would “painstakingly” consider the recommendations contained in the paper presented by the SEC 44 to implement them.
While claiming that his regime has done a lot to build trust between the government and the people, the President noted that the report would provide direction to deliver good governance to the people at the grassroots and ultimately win back their trust in the government.
“It is obvious that the government cannot afford to pay lip service to the recommendations contained in this report.
“I assure you that the report will be treated with the seriousness and urgency it deserves. The government will study the report with the view to implementing the carefully detailed recommendations,” he said.
He commended the quality of the report and the commitment and dedication that went into it, saying the National Institute could be trusted to deliver on very critical and sensitive assignments of national importance.
“The quality of the presentation, and the confidence with which they were made, strongly attests to the quality of training the participants received during the course. I congratulate you for justifying the confidence and trust reposed in each and every one of you by your respective nominations.
“I am also happy with the knowledge and discipline you have all openly demonstrated. I have been briefed on the rigorous training process you all underwent at Kuru. Your graduation, therefore, is well deserved,” the President told the 89 participants of Senior Executive Course 44.
He challenged them to return to their various establishments, units, posts, beats, departments, directorates, Ministries, parastatals, commissions, commands, and agencies to revitalise, reinvigorate, reform, and rejig their various platforms and spheres of influence, responsibility and leadership.
Hearing some demands from the leadership of the NIPSS, Buhari promised to look into some of the challenges facing the Institute, adding that no government establishment existed without challenges.
He also assured them that his regime is poised to complete the review and passage of the NIPSS establishment act and condition of service before handing over in May 2023.
Therefore, the President directed the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation to take all necessary steps to get it done.
In his remarks, the Director-General of NIPSS, Prof Ayo Omotayo, revealed that the Course participants undertook study tours of 14 States of the Federation, six African countries and six countries outside Africa.
“This enabled them to have both local and international perspectives on local governance, how to overcome challenges in achieving it, identify the available opportunities to strengthen it and develop workable options to be considered by the government in strengthening local governance,” he said.
Speaking after the parley, a directing staff of the NIPSS, Professor Tunji Olaopa, described State Governors as “the elephant in the room,” adding that grassroots governance qas critical to restoring security and safety nationwide.
“The truth of the matter, as it came out in the report, was succinctly captured by the SGF. If the local community and the grassroot is not governed, you have no excuse to complain that bandits have taken over our communities because local governance, the community, and the grassroots is the foundation of a democratic process, that’s where the people belong, and because governance is not effective, people have devised self-help, survival-coping mechanism.
“While the government will take it on, NIPSS should also take up the advocacy dimension because really, from the conversation, you will see that the governors are the elephants in the room and of course, we also recognise that the governors are complaining because of over-centralisation of power in the exclusive functions,” he said.
