I recently saw a campaign poster of a councillorship candidate here in Lagos with the slogan "A
New Era" and one of his manifestoes read "End to Poverty" ...blood of Zebedee!!!! A councillor
wants to end poverty in his domain? Sh'oroniyen? Even a governor, nay a president can boast of such ambition. Rara, ko possible ...at least, not with the present politico-economic structure of
the country.
Add that to our culture of political mediocrity and docility of an average Nigerian to policy and politics as well as comatose state of our educational & vocational systems that have not equipped
our youths with requisite skills to be job creators. By political mediocrity, I am referring to our penchant for choosing a moronic, visionless "omo wa ni, e je o se" (son of the soil syndrome) over a brilliant, competent and prepared "atohunrinwa" (settler) into a political office. Inform people that you want to contest for a political/social position; they (typically) won't ask you to articulate your plans, but your faith, indigineship, and financial chest. And if you have the resources to make media noise, hire thugs and theatrically eat with the commoners by the road side, then "b'oo tie d'ibo, o ti w'ole" (automatic landslide victory). FORGIVE THE DIGRESSION, PLS.
Back to the matter, a situation whereby governors wait for monthly allocation from Abuja before
paying salaries and doing projects while sitting on goldmines is simply NOT sustainable. By law,
mineral resources in the land belong to the Federal Govt and not to the state where it is located. Even if you discover a diamond deposit in your backyard, it belongs to Abuja not you (wait o! it doesn't mean if govt finds marijuana in your yard, it doesn't belong to you o).
My point is governors are handicapped by the (current) constitution from developing their states the same way LGs are crippled without autonomy. However, this does not excuse governors from devising other strategies to boost IGR nor does it forecloses the fact that some governors are simply privileged "ineffectual buffoons". Moreover, mineral resources are the highest earners after Tech and Human resources. However, you still need the money from mineral resources to procure the much needed Tech & Human development.
Until we change the laws to empower the each state to have "resource control" and thereby develop
at her own pace, na joke we dey joke. This faulty structure is evident (for example) in forcing
Lagos and Ekiti States to pay equal minimum wage. This unrealistic and it accounts for why Ekiti
would owe workers for months and Lagos would not ...they are simply not IGR/FAAC allocation mates ... "shoes get size na". In the US, people move from states to states because one state has lower
tax regime, minimum wage, working hours different from. In other words, those states are developing at their own paces based on their resources and IGR. Lumping all states together into a single and common pseudo-federalism vehicle would not work ...and the moto don break down sef since 1979 wey this system don start. Some would call this "restructuring" or devolution of powers. Poverty and other associated ills would continue to stare us in the face until each state (and LG) can look inwards and consider there comparative endowments and develop same through visionary leadership and
sincerity of purpose.
#Backtothetop
My pain is that some uninformed folks would believe that councillorship aspirant's fallacy and
then become disappointed in him (and the system) when eventually Mr Kansilo could not end their
poverty after 4 years in office. Apathy then sets in. Then, resentment against the nation follows
...other unpleasant things then follow. The cycle is never short.
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