•Their failings •Their antics
Mid-way through their mandatory four-year term in office,Nigerian Pilot’s survey reveals that some state governors are yet to deliver on their electoral promises to the people thereby increasing their hopelessness. Second term governors are not left out in this national embarrassment staring the electorate in the face.
Cross River
Six years into his tenure, Governor Liyel Imoke’s administration is seen by many as only marking time.
On assumption of office in 2007, Imoke said rural development would be the focus of his administration. The administration embarked on rural transformation programmes, constructing roads in rural communities across the state. The government also embarked on massive renovation of schools and health facilities in the state.
Governor Imoke had then disclosed that the state embarked on development of the hitherto neglected rural communities in the state as the policies and programmes of his administration were “tailored to suit the needs of communities across the state.”
Most of the projects are now stalled for what officials claim is due to lack of funds.
But only handful of residents of the state buys into the excuse.
They claim that “inadequate prioritisation and politics” bedevilled the developmental plans of the governor for the state.
For instance, Nigeria’s foremost tourist destination, Obudu Resort standing at more than 6000 feet above sea level is now a sorry site with dwindling clientele.
The erstwhile windy road that leads up the mountain is now non-motorable while the electric cable car used by tourists to access the mountain top from the base is hardly available for reason of administrative bottlenecks.
The same applies to roads the administration claimed it had reconstructed with many of them collapsing soon after completion.
Reacting to complaints that the roads were substandard, the Commissioner for Works, Legor Idagbor said the roads were not designed for heavy traffic, adding that some categories of vehicles were banned from plying the roads.
A major reason why many people disbelieve whatever excuse Cross River government officials give for non-performance is the five-star hotel project being built by the same government, even when it has not found it important to inject needed support to a similar one built by his predecessor, Donald Duke.
At press time at the weekend, Tinapa with all its multi-purpose facilities struggles to remain afloat while Imoke’s project designed to accommodate 200 bedrooms, an international conference centre among others, is being built just across the artificial lake beside Tinapa.
Despite the challenges, Imoke assures the people of Cross River that “there this still light at the end of the tunnel. In line with our vision to make Cross River a model of service delivery in Nigeria, we are geared towards creating a progressive business and economic climate which will habour investment opportunities for wealth creation and the eventual prosperity that our state deserves.”
Nasarawa
If there is one state governor who is yet to deliver on his electoral promises to his people two years after, it is the Nasarawa State governor, Tanko Al-Makura.
On assumption of office May 29, 2011, he made a lot of promises to the people of the state. But two years after, the governor is yet to work his talk on the following fronts:
-Youth empowerment, no school for the physically challenged as promised; no access roads from rural areas to link communities and provision of other social amenities.
His attempt to create chiefdoms in line with his electoral promises has since been spiked by the state’s lawmakers who see no reason for that.
Also, the provision of soft loans for farmers to boost food production and the extension of railway operations from Abuja to Karu to enhance economic activities remain a pipe dream; same with his promise to construct a cargo airport in Lafia, the state capital.
Niger
Governor Muazu Babangida Aliyu’s Niger State may have been effecting the life and development of the state, but his politics and antics are beginning to take the state back to unbelievable standstill in terms of grassroots development.
The governor, who is into his second term, is yet to make any appreciable impact since May 29, 2011.
The novel Ward Development Programme designed to positively impact on the grassroots in many ramifications was lauded right from its conceptualisation.
However lately, the project aimed at bringing governance to the grassroots, had been dogged by series of lampooning ranging from neglect to inadequate funding, and above all, a drain pipe through which politicians siphon the meagre resources of the state.
“May be it is his role as chairman of Northern Governors’ Forum or some other politicking that has slowed him down here on the home front. But trust me, since 2011 nothing has happened to the life of the people here compared to his first term in office,” said Musa Maikayam in Bida at the weekend.
Adamawa
Governor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State has made the once positively vibrant state dull and largely underdeveloped. Residents in Yola hold the governor’s peculiar style of politics responsible for not being able to deliver even on his second inauguration promises.
The many battles of supremacy against former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and chairman of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Bamanga Tukur and the resultant apathy in the state have combined to stall development there.
The state of insecurity in Adamawa too has not helped matters. Some residents of Yola add that had Nyako administered the state well, the insecurity there that led to the imposition of state of emergency in the first instance would not have arisen
The recent talk about the governor’s move to decamp to opposition ANPP may well spoil for underdevelopment for the state.
Enugu
Enugu State governor, Barrister Sullivan Chime will be completing his service as governor of Enugu State in 2015. By then, he would have occupied the seat of government for eight uninterrupted years.
Political analysts hold the view that eight years of an uninterrupted service for an elected civilian administration is enough time for such an executive government to impact positively on the socio economic and infrastructural development of a state hinged on the policy thrust and ideals of that government.
But the present administration in Enugu State under governor Chime in the past six years is yet to find a practical and viable solution to the problem of revitalising state owned industries that would have helped to create viable employment for thousands of unemployed youths, especially the graduates that have continued to roam the streets endlessly in search of white collar jobs that hardly exist.
The Sun Rise Flour Mills located at Emene; the vegetable oil company, AVOP located at Nachi, in Udi Local Government Area; the Ohebedim Aluminum Company along Enugu to Nsukka Road, etc. are most of the state owned industries that have remained comatose against expectations that the civilian administration of Governor Chime would have found a solution to bring them back into production in view of their potentials of employment generation, adding to source of internal revenue generation of the state government and other economic scales.
Indigenes of the state consider it also very painful that the famous government-owned Presidential Hotel in the state capital of Enugu located at the heart of the metropolis has long been abandoned.
The workers were finally sacked in 2010 and the Chime administration enrolled it as one of the parastatals of the state government billed for privatisation. But action has been taken yet on it.
Oyo
Oyo state governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi belongs to the opposition Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN. But despite his populist stance, the governor is said not to have delivered in the following areas:
Education: The governor is said not to have done much.. In most cases, more than 50 students are housed in classes meant for 30 students.
Health: Majority of government hospitals face the problem of shortage of medical staff, including doctors. Citizens still prefer patronising private hospitals due to poor medical services in government-owned hospitals.
Employment: Apart from the youth empowerment scheme designed by government to provide jobs for 20,000 youths in the state, there has never been concrete arrangement to assist thousands of jobless employable youths in the state.
Economy: Oyo State government is yet to resettle many displaced traders affected by the government’s urban renewal project.
Kebbi
Governor Saidu Dakingari of Kebbi State is on the same page with his Niger State counterpart. Not many believe that the state will see development till he quits office in 2015.
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