An erstwhile Director-General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), Osita Okechukwu, has delivered a scathing assessment of Nigerian governors' performance, stating that the majority have "failed woefully" in discharging their duties throughout Nigeria's current democratic dispensation.
Speaking while reflecting on 26 years of uninterrupted democracy in Nigeria, Okechukwu criticized state executives for underperforming despite receiving substantial federal allocations and increased internally-generated revenue (IGR).
"In distilling the performance of our dear governors, it is safer to say that few in the last two decades had done exceptionally well; whereas majority of them have woefully failed the people," Okechukwu stated.
Governors Acting as 'Emperors'
The founding member of All Progressives Congress (APC) accused many governors of conducting themselves like emperors, a behavior he believes has significantly hindered the delivery of democratic dividends to Nigerians.
"Most of the governors act as emperors and do not make a distinction between their interests and those of their states," he said. "They do not abide by the constitution or respect the balance of power with the other two arms of government – the legislature and the judiciary."
Okechukwu further lamented that "the social contract between them and the people is always in the breach."
The APC chieftain noted that Nigerians often misdirect their frustrations toward the presidency due to what he termed "long fatigue," rather than holding their state governors accountable.
Assessment of Tinubu Administration
On national security matters, the former VON boss commended the Tinubu-led administration for its efforts to contain insecurity across the country. However, he emphasized that more needs to be done, particularly in addressing food security and improving social services such as education and healthcare.
Okechukwu's comments come at a time when many Nigerians are evaluating the progress of democratic governance since the country's return to civilian rule.
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