The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Mr. Joe Ajaero, last week raised the alarm that most governors have abandoned their states and permanently reside in Abuja at the detriment of the people of their states.
Ajaero, who spoke in Abuja, accused the state chief executive officers of abandoning the people they are supposed to govern who are feeling the heat of harsh economic realities with the high cost of living.
There have been growing indications that some governors in the country are governing their people from outside of their states. The frequent absence of governors from their states has been a point of contention, with critics arguing that it hampers effective governance and development.In 2023, a media outfit had listed mainly northern governors who had turned Abuja to their permanent residence and left their people to suffer the challenges of insecurity, hunger and lack of basic amenities to make life meaningful. The frequent travels by these governors, no doubt, gulp huge resources in terms of private jets, hotel accommodations, allowances and other expenses.
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.
This is a violation of 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.Recently, it was reported that President Bola Tinubu expressed worries that most northern governors had relocated to Abuja instead of staying in their respective states to work for their people. Former senator, Shehu Sani, who made the revelation, noted the significance of such a comment coming from the nation’s highest office.
At a time when Nigerians are facing myriads of challenges, their leaders are supposed to be on ground to give them hope.The question is: What are the governors really doing in Abuja?
