Governors responsible for nation’s socio-economic woes — Arewa leader

By SAXONE AKHAINE, Kaduna

A prominent constitutional lawyer, Yunus Ustaz Usman (SAN), has accused all governors of being responsible for Nigeria’s socio-economic woes.

He said insecurity, economic downturn and other social maladies in many parts of the country were creation of the governors and not President Muhammadu Buhari.

Usman, an Arewa leader, spoke in Kaduna on the state of the nation and democracy. He said governors’ activities “led us into the current challenges,” pointing out that: “if anything happens to this country, they should be held responsible.”

Lamenting over the state of the local council system and legislative houses in Nigeria, Usman said all governors had made them ineffective to the detriment of socio-economic development and growth.

He said President Buhari’s achievements would have been feasible, if not for insincerity, governors’ inability to perform and their behaviour. He said: “Whatever the governors ought to do, they would shift them to the President.

“There is no independence of the legislature and local council in the country again. The council, that is closest to the people, is no longer there.

“Some governors commit impeachable offences. There is no longer independence of the legislature. Legislators have all been pocketed by their governors. Legislative houses are all dead. Lawmakers cannot do anything without first seeking governors’ consent. Is this how to run a democracy?

Usman said the governors’ activities had brought untold hardship on the people, as well as lack of development and growth. He queried the lack of judicious use of security votes, saying: “If anything happens to this country, the governors should be held responsible”.

He lauded President Buhari’s achievements in governance, stressing that “anybody that says Buhari’s government has not achieved anything is not sincere.”

He also admonished those who say Nigeria is a failed state to refrain from such comment, saying:” Characteristics of a failed state is when there is no Army, Navy, Air Force or the Police. Nigeria has all.”

(Text excluding headline from The Guardian)