By Miracle Ogunde
In this report, our correspondent, Miracle Ogunde makes a compilation of 6 present Nigerian governors who govern from outside their respective states.
Some of the governors allegedly govern their states from the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja and other parts of the world.
According to a report, residents of these states, and several residents and stakeholders are complaining about the attitudes of these governors, noting that their absence from the states negates the principle of good governance
The report also revealed that most of these governors do not hand over to their deputies but prefer to make most of the decisions of the state from wherever they are, flouting the constitutional provision that stipulates that a governor has a statutory duty to sit and ensure lives and property are secured and protected. He is not expected to stay outside then state for more than two weeks because he is the Chief Security Officer of his state.
Below is the list of the six governors:
1. Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq (APC)
He doubles as the Chairman, Nigeria Governors’ Forum.
The opposition party in the state, the PDP claims the governor is hardly in the state since he became the NGF chairman.
According to the party’s chairman, Babatunde Mohammed, the governor has been incessantly absent from the state.
Mohammed said, “Since the governor took up the mantle of leadership of NGF, he hardly comes to the state to either oversee projects or spend time with the people,” he said, adding “The continued absence of Mallam Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq led to the illegal conversion of security vehicles procured to enhance local security into private use by the impostors he put in charge of our local government areas as the Transition Implementation Committee chairpersons.
“It should be noted that none of the vehicles have been put into any serious use by the security agents it was meant to serve, as the TIC chairmen still cruise in them as though they are their official cars.’’
2. Gombe State Governor, Mohammed Inuwa Yahaya (APC)
He doubles as the Chairman of the Northern Governors’ Forum, and has barely settled in the state since becoming the chairman of the forum, the governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress during the 2023 poll in Gombe State, Nafiu Bala claims.
“Since Governor Inuwa Yahaya resumed, he had never anointed his deputy to take office as acting governor. This is wrong,” he added.
3. Sokoto State Governor, Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto (APC)
The residents of the state have urged the state governor to “spend more time with his people at home,” instead of spending more days outside the state.
They decried a repeat of the previous administration of Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, who was accused of spending more time in Abuja than in the state.
Mallam Bala Bello, a resident of the state while speaking with our correspondent, described the previous administration of Tambuwal as not too good for the state.
“I am sure you are aware of Tambuwal’s tenure in the state when he spent more of his time outside the state than in the state.
4. Zamfara State Governor, Dr. Dauda Lawal (PDP)
Checks by newsmen indicated that the state governor hardly spent a week in the state since his inauguration on May 29.
The development, it was gathered, is becoming worrisome to the residents as “they are expecting much from the Governor who had during his electioneering campaign promised to rescue the state from total disintegration.”
The situation has also led to public outcry and complaints, especially by the opposition who say they can not imagine that the governor whose state is under the control of bandits, and terrorists and is ravaged by insecurity challenges would still be traveling out of state, leaving the residents to their fate.
5. Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello (APC)
In Kogi, the story is different as our correspondent learnt that the state governor, Yahaya Bello, is more at home in Lokoja “compared to before now.”
Our correspondent observed that the governor who before now had been running the affairs of the state from Abuja has recently been more at home helping his party, the All Progressives Congress candidate, Ahmed Usman Ododo effectively prosecute his campaign strategies so that the ruling party can maintain its dominance in the state.
According findings, since Bello lost the APC presidential ticket, which led to the emergence of President Bola Tinubu, the governor has been more visible in Lokoja.
6. Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu (APC)
The Ondod State Governor has long being governing from outside his state, Ibadan to be precise.
Since he travelled on medical vacation to Germany, Akeredolu has not returned to Ondo state for over 63 days. This has caused uproar from the people of the state, most especially the opposition party who has since been calling for his impeachment citing his incapacity to govern the state.
On September 7, 2023, the Chairman of the South-west Governors’ Forum and Governor of Ondo State, Mr. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu returned to Nigeria from a three-month medical leave in Germany but since his return, he has not been seen either in public or anywhere in the state.
Akeredolu was last seen briefly in public shortly after he returned to the state from his 15 working days annual leave on May 1, but his ill health generated a lot of anxiety.
The governor had embarked on a 21-day medical leave on June 7 and was expected to return home on July 6, 2023 to start performing his duties after he had written to the state House of Assembly in line with the constitutional provisions.
When he proceeded on medical leave, he handed over power to his deputy, Mr. Lucky Ayeditawa to act in his stead, as required by the constitution.
However, on the expiration of the vacation, the state assembly received yet another letter from the governor requesting the extension of his medical leave but this time, a date of return was not included.
A day after his arrival from Germany, the governor at the meeting with his close aides at his residence in Ibadan, according to a statement by his media aide, Richard Olatunde, said: “We are here, and we are back. I am back, and by the grace of God, I will be alive to complete my full tenure in office. I want to tell you that I am back, and I will resume work immediately. This is my letter of resumption.”
However, since his return to Nigeria, he has not visited his state, despite claiming to officially resume duty, and this has greatly affected the political quasi stability in the state, allegedly worsening it greatly.
But capitalising on his long absence from the state and his performing his official duties from outside his state, the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has wondered why Akeredolu is being kept at his residence in Ibadan. The party posited that it is an indication that he is not yet fit to resume work.
Leave a Reply