- Says their action stalled rural development
Deji Elumoye in Abuja
President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday openly accused state governors of misappropriating funds meant for the local government councils in their respective states.
Speaking at the Conference Hall of the State House, Abuja, at an event hosted for members of the Senior Executive Course 44 (2022) of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, the president expressed concern over what he described as governors’ unfair treatment of the administration at the local government level.
Citing the personal experience involving an unnamed governor, Buhari x-rayed the sort of corrupt practices perpetrated by some governors in dispensing resources meant for local councils’ administrations.
According to him, it beats anyone’s imagination how some state governors would collect money on behalf of council areas in their states, only to remit just half of such allocation to the local government council Chairman, who would further deplete the remittance in further pilfering of public resources.
He, however, related the development to the question of lack of integrity in the character of many of those holding such offices like governorship and council chairmanship.
The president added that such actions were rather despicable and spoke of the height of corruption in the country.
His words: “Speaking from personal experience, a chief executive of a state, a qualified lawyer, trained, the treatment of local governments, what they did, this is my personal experience. If the monies from the federal government to state governments is N100 million, N50 million will be sent to the chairman with a letter that he will sign that he received N100 million.
“The governor will pocket the balance and share it with whoever he wants to and then the chairman of the local government will see how much he must pay in salaries, to hell goes development.
“Money for salaries will be given and the balance will put in his pocket. This is what is happening.
“This is Nigeria, it’s a terrible thing, You cannot say the person who was doing these was 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.”
He promised that the recommendations contained in the presentation of SEC 44 would be painstakingly studied by his administration with a view to implementing its recommendations.
Declaring that his government has done so much in building trust between the government and the people, the president noted that the report would largely assist in the provision of good governance to the people at the grassroots levels and by extension win back their trust in government.
According to him: ‘‘It is obvious that 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. Government will study the report with the view to implementing the carefully detailed recommendations.”
Commending the quality of the report, the commitment and dedication that went into it, Buhari said NIPSS could always be trusted to deliver on very critical and sensitive assignments of national importance.
He expressed delight that the Institute has been exceptional in handling several assignments and the current submission was a commendable improvement on the existing standards.
‘‘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 level of knowledge and discipline you have all openly demonstrated. I have been briefed of 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 added that he was convinced that they are all now well equipped for the strategic tasks, increased responsibilities, and positions of authority of trust.
‘‘I challenge you to go back to your various establishments, units, posts, beats, departments, directorates, Ministries, Parastatals, commissions, commands, agencies to revitalize, reinvigorate, reform and rejig your various platforms and spheres of influence, responsibility and leadership,’’ he said.
After listening to some demands by the leadership of NIPSS, Buhari promised to look into some of the challenges facing the Institute, adding that there was no government establishment that exists without challenges.
He assured them that his administration was poised to complete the review and passage of the NIPSS establishment act and condition of service before handover in May 2023.
To this extent, the president directed the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Office of the Head of Service of the Federation to take all necessary steps to its actualisation.
Earlier in his remarks, the Director-General of NIPSS, Prof Ayo Omotayo, said 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 government in strengthening local governance,’’ he said.
Speaking with newsmen after the event, a directing staff of the NIPSS, Prof. Tunji Olaopa, said restructuring of the federation would go a long way in solving most of the issues bedevilling the country, including the universal insecure situation.
He alluded to the report of the Class, presented at the event to President Buhari, which suggested that for Nigeria to manage most of the challenges currently facing the country, governance at the grassroots must be set straight.
He added: “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 complaining that bandits have taken over our communities because local governance, the community, 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.
