It reminded of a news story I read a while ago. I can’t remember the headline, but it was something like “World Bank Indicts Jonathan over Poverty and Unemployment in Nigeria”. I read through the story several times and did not find Jonathan’s name mentioned anywhere in the World Bank report. So I kept asking myself: how did the writers come to the conclusion that Jonathan was solely responsible for poverty and employment in Nigeria? Then it dawned on me: mentally, many Nigerians harbour this idea that the Federal Government is responsible for everything good and bad in Nigeria. I was sad.
Simply put, we think it is only the Federal Government that should be blamed when there is unemployment or poverty, even when we know that we run a federation where every tier of government has duties and responsibilities. The road in front of the house is bad? The hospitals are not working? The schools are in bad shape? There are beggars on the streets? Refuse has piled up? There is corruption? It must all be blamed on the Federal Government. With this mentality, states and councils are getting away with murder. (To be clear, when I say Federal Government, I am not referring to the government of President Goodluck Jonathan. I refer to any government in Aso Rock – past, present and future.)
Now, let us reason together. There are four major things that states and councils are not allowed to touch: monetary policies, defence, security and foreign affairs. Many of us don’t seem to know that states and councils are empowered by the much-maligned 1999 Constitution to make life better for Nigerians. States and councils are allowed to build roads, equip hospitals, create jobs, tackle poverty, fight corruption, and put policies in place to attract investment. States and councils are also permitted by the derided constitution to make as much money as they can make without having to rush to Abuja every month for federal allocation.
We keep proposing or opposing the motion for “true federalism” simply on the basis of federal allocation. Yet, with thinking governors, good policies can attract private investment and drive up economic activities that will generate tax revenue. A state can be collecting N2 billion federal allocation and making N10 billion internal revenue. Go through this our “bad” constitution again. It does not put a limit. It is a pre-programmed mentality, fuelled by laziness of mind, that is damaging us. We have been programmed to put every blame at the door of the Federal Government.
I know somebody is reading this and saying: No, you are wrong; the Federal Government takes the Lion’s Share of the revenue; the Federal Government holds the lever of power; the Federal Government makes the economic policies; the Federal Government controls the regulatory institutions; therefore, Simon, the Federal Government should take the blame for Nigeria’s stunted development. Oh yes, I have no objections to that. In fact, I hold the Federal Government, or Aso Rock, responsible for Nigeria’s underdevelopment. If it has been giving the right direction all along, our country would have been a far better place by now. I agree.
But I disagree. Every state and council collects its own share of the federal allocation every month. The Federal Government does not help them spend the money. They decide what to spend the money on. For whatever reason, though, we think it is only the Federal Government that should be held accountable. We complain about the recurrent budget in Abuja but say little about the recurrent budgets of states. We highlight the jumbo pay of the National Assembly but never bother to scrutinise how much state lawmakers allocate to themselves. We focus on how much has been budgeted for food in Aso Rock, but what about state governments? How much do they spend on phone bills? How much do they spend on chartered jets?
Habitually, the blame for corruption in Nigeria is often heaped on Aso Rock. If Transparency International rates Nigeria as one of the most corrupt countries in the world, automatically it is the Federal Government (or Obasanjo/Yar’Adua/Jonathan government) that has been indicted! Yet, how many commissioners have been fired and put on trial for corruption by the states? The State House of Assembly is empowered by the “bad” 1999 Constitution to impeach a governor for corruption without the help of the EFCC, but how often does that happen? Aso Rock has to take the blame for every act of corruption in Nigeria.
States are allowed to come up with policies that will create jobs and alleviate poverty. There is no law against it. If not for our federal allocation-based federalism, states should be thinking up policies to attract investment. For instance, there are over 120 million mobile phones in Nigeria. We import every handset. A thinking state government could create a large industrial area and give incentives to companies to set up phone assembly plants on its soil. Imagine what that will do in terms of jobs and poverty alleviation. Imagine the impact on local economic activities, the multiplier effects. Imagine the tax revenue from economic activities to be generated around that.
But our obsession is forever with Aso Rock. That is part of what is fuelling the tension and discord in the land. Nigerians have been so brainwashed – or have so brainwashed themselves – to think that the world starts and ends with Aso Rock. For emphasis, I will say again that I am by no means absolving the Federal Government of blame in the underdevelopment of Nigeria. In fact, I allocate at least 60 per cent of the blame to Aso Rock. But I object to our refusal to hold states and councils responsible for poverty alleviation, job creation and infrastructural development. You won’t believe it, ladies and gentlemen, but this “bad” constitution also allows states to fight corruption.
by MAYOWA AKINSOLA
This post was generated by Governor Fashola’s MUST READ inspiring speech.
Tangential to the issues fashola raised and shouldn’t be termed a rejoinder. Fashola raised many issues (security and economic policies plus the art of statemanship by not pitching one side of the country against another). Fashola had already said that APC governors deliver more for every naira gotten (whether allocated or generated)
Thanks Ajalayemi
Mayowa is partly correct. However what he has not realised is that the federal government is so corrupt that it stands against states that are trying to develop. The battle for development will not be ultimately won without getting rid of a corrupt and inept centre
Teju, Well made points. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. What I find irritating though is the ‘government is corrupt’ line. yes we all think so, but what are we doing about it? Should we fold our hands and continue to read stories of glaring corrupt practices? Let us enforce the change with the power many Nigerians do not believe they possess. The power of VOTE. Do your bit. It is the only way you and I and other Nigerians can win the battle for development for development that will ultimately rid of a corrupt and inept centre.
Final point, and the most important one I have been making is for each of us, especially, the many thousands of enlightened Nigerians and friends of Nigeria that have read this inspiring speech to EDUCATE the vulnerable Nigerians amongst us – the hawkers, the washer man and woman, our drivers and house help, market women, hoodlums, police officers, traders…I can go on and on….these are the group of Nigerians that ultimately decide elections. They are also the ones that are desperate to sell their votes. It is us, desperate for change that are at the mercy of Nigerians desperate to survive. Thanks once again Teju.
I don’t know what Muyiwa is thinking. But surely, he’s a bunch of contradiction. The Federal Govt according to him has 60% of the blame, yet he sees no reason why we hold it responsible for our underdevelopment. But one thing he failed to acknowledge is that our security initiatives, foreign policy decisions as well as our monetary policies which are on the exclusive list, have been the bane of our development. Look at this example, even if the lagos state govt has the best state of the heart hospitals, it does not control the operations at the borders. The FG does. Now a diseased Liberian-American was negligently allowed into Lagos by federal Agents at the airport thereby exerting pressure on lagos and resulting in the death of innocent Nigerians,especially well trained health workers. FG is the beginning and end to our underdevelopment and the earlier we seek a focused and courageous leader at the centre, the better for all us.
How long shall we continue with mere show of intellectuality ? Thank God you allotted 60% blame to he F.G. Obviously, the head is rotten, forget about the body…
Haba mayowa if U̶̲̥̅̊ one of d guilty party at least βε̲̣ brave enough to face d truth because of ur children’s future even if U̶̲̥̅̊ av money to send them abroad they will come home one & if we don’t do d right thing now home will βε̲̣ unsafe for them to come. Jonathan has messed up dis country
We don’t want him anymore. We want courageous leader who can stand his for his people even I̶̲̥̅̊n̶̲̥̅̊ d eye of storm.
Yemi, thanks for your comments. I will encourage you to read between the lines though. Personally I believe Mayowa made so much sense. We must ask these questions of our leaders. We must challenge the status quo. We must desist from hiding behind religion and culture. Its a mean combination that can only promote fear, slavery and under development. It has become the bane of Nigeria I am not proud to write.
With this write-up Mayowa I am sure you are targeting Nigerians who are do not know their left from right. People who have no knowledge of the structure of Government vis-a-vis what we have on ground at the moment.
I dare you state clearly what the people want from the Government and then juxtapose that with what the current Government is offering and then break those down to who should do what between Federal, State and Local Governments, taking into account the current structure.
Wake up call to the Nigerian youths.