Governor Amaechi needs a little education on democracy

Many people in Nigeria, particularly the enlightened and educated class know the man called, Professor Jibril Aminu. Those who know him can still say that he is a man of little words. Although versatile in the Nigerian political process, he has been the Vice Chancellor of Federal University of Yola, former Minister of Petroleum and former Minister of Education, and a distinguished Senator. These high premium positions, no doubt had placed him in position to accumulate a lot of experience about Nigerian politics. Since he is a man of little words, when last he spoke for the public consumption, he drew a lot of attention.

He quickly reminded me of what great philosopher, Edmond Burke once said: “All it takes for evil to thrive in a society is for good men to do nothing.” Thus, Jibiril Aminu must has been sufficiently disturbed of the wholesome recklessness of some governors for him to say, “governors will ruin our democracy.”

Because he is one of those highly respected Nigerians who simply do not believe in joining political frays. Many took notice and many more reacted positively to his remarks.

There is no doubt that many Nigerians have expressed deep resentment of some activities of some governors under the umbrella of Governors Forum. Under this umbrella, some of the governors have virtually left the responsibilities of governance in pursuit of the achievement of powers which they want to use by manipulating and influencing every decision which has a national political impact. They have gradually but steadily tried to erode the powers of the President whom they see as one of their own from whom they could get anything they want. It started when there was the need to appoint a Vice President after the death of Umaru Yar’Adua. Many of them supported that Goodluck Jonathan should be confirmed the President. They were supported by both the Constitution and well meaning Nigerians who believe in the rule of law.

They equally demanded that one of their own, Namadi Sambo was made the Vic President.   Since the tenure of Jonathan, the governors have been taken undue advantage.

The most annoying was the crisis in PDP which was a party affair but in which the Governors Forum collectively wielded into the issue in order to support Governor Muritla Nyako of Adamawa State, who due to some personal differences between him and Bamanga Tukur, threw their support behind Nyako.

Fortunately, the President used his administrative dexterity to settle the matter. The governors saw the President’s magnanimity as a victory for themselves. Hence, they accompanied Nyako to return to Yola, in a triumphant mood. Many sponsored political hooligans taunting the personality of Tukur in a jest. Yes, Nyako might have won the battle, what of the war?

What has recently incensed many Nigerians was a most puerile statement credited to Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, who is invariably, the current chairman of Governors Forum. In more than two occasions now he had boasted with all amount of authority that the governors would never allow the Local Government autonomy. The most laughable aspect of Amaechi’s statement was when he said that there was nowhere in the world were Local Governments have autonomy. He demonstrated what one may describe as political naivety if not outright timidity. He was quoted to have said that even in America, which is the mother of Presidential System, Local Governments do not have autonomy.

In fact, Amaechi is one of those few governors in Nigeria that I have come to admire because of the cumulative achievements he has recorded in Rivers State. Besides, among all the 36 governors, I have thought that he has a quality education which must go with enlightenment. However, I was amused with many Nigerians disappointed that although he has good education, but he is too limited in the scope of world politics processes hence he should not have exposed himself by making the type of statements he has been making.

It is for this reason that I believe that he needs a bit of political education. For example, in United States, their Local Governments known as City Councils have influential Mayors such as Houston, New York, Dallas, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Atlanta and many others. There are some small cities so small with a population of between five and ten thousand but they still have Mayors.

These Mayors from both big and small cities constitute Conference of Mayors. Numbering about 30,000 Mayors, each one of them is absolutely autonomous in administration, finance, budgeting, resource control, health, education, etc. They plan and generate their own income. They do not depend on monthly handouts from either States or Federal Government. Although there may be statutory allocation to them, this depends on overlapping services which they render on behalf of state or Federal Government. Yet no state governor interferes with the authorities of the Mayors. However, the Mayors are often consulted when some national policies are affected, particularly on issues such as environment, urban development, sanitations, etc. City governments in America are well structured and independent in terms of administration.

Anybody who has good knowledge and not raw knowledge of American presidential System knows that no State Governor, including those powerful States such as California, New York, Texas etc directs or dictates to any city Mayor.  Mayors are elected as well as their Councilors and they have a lot of powers.

Even in the United Kingdom which runs a unitary system, City of London Council has such a side scope of power and the Mayor of the city, one of the most powerful Mayors in the world as that of Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, is never disturbed or controlled by the Prime Minister.

Back home, the Constitution has established the framework for the existence of Federal, State and Local Governments. Each has assigned roles as specified in Section 7 (1) of the Constitution of Nigeria and Fourth Schedule of the Constitution. The unfortunate thing is that governors became too greedy, power drunk, reckless, in some cases they abandoned their roles for good governance. Painfully, they have with few exception come to regard LGAs as their oasis of plenty in their back yard from where they net in billions of naira allocated to the LGAs for rural developments. Today, with exception, just fewer than four, there is no where in the seven hundred and seventy four (774) LGAs in Nigeria where there is any type of development going on. Yet so much money is allocated to these LGAs which some governors ingeniously contrived to their use.

Nigerians are alarmed at this colossal financial and reckless abuses. And they can’t tolerate it further. That is why there is huge support for the Local Government autonomy.

Painfully enough, many Nigerians have complained that of all the governors that have emerged since 1999, 2003, 2007 and 2011, the current bunch of governors have demonstrated lack of seriousness in governance. Today, many of them have virtually abandoned the core value of governance preferring to be making regular visits to the nation’s capital as their number one priority.

Some live in Abuja from where they operate, some rarely stay in offices to attend to government business, many prefer to honour personal social invitations such as weddings of colleague’s sons or daughters, birthday of their colleagues, burial ceremonies of their colleague’s relations etc. Government business has been reduced to a microscopic position of back sit. Some now conduct business of the government on   private jets, hence today, there are more governors owning private jets than anytime in the history of this country. The situation is so bad that many Nigerians have resorted to calling some governors “emperors” I may add “Imperial Governors.” Of course not all of them. No wonder their Chairman, Governor Rotimi Amaechi, boldly and of course shamelessly boasted “Governors will never accept Autonomy for Local Governments.” Soon, he will find in fact that political power comes from the people and not from governors.

Therefore, Amaechi and his bunch of greedy governors must be told in the very simple language that no amount of threat from the Governors Forum can thwart the people’s wish to see that Local Governments are given Autonomy. Even if the governors do what they know how to do best, bribe members of the National Assembly to drop the autonomy of LGAs, the people would resist it and would resist it and would impose it on the National Assembly.

In ending this little piece, Amaechi should be reminded of what John Kennedy said: “Those who make peaceful resolution difficult make violent change inevitable.”

Or more succinctly put, what Clifford Haas said: “When the people’s general will is suppressed, it is bound to explode to the consequences of those who suppressed such a will. Because the people are the source of all political powers and their supremacy cannot be suppressed.” Is this not a enough political lesson for Governor Amaechi?