Our expectations from incoming governors – Nigerians

Nigerians from all walks of life are expressing their thoughts as the governorship election holds next Saturday across the country. The political bigwigs whose parties are in the race hold the opinion that their manifestoes are giving a clear view of what they intend to do when they mount the seat of leadership in their respective states.

The various political parties have also mapped out their various strategies for the attainment of the goals they have set, and believed they have considered all the sides of all the issues affecting the generality of theirs respective states’ electorates.

However, the people themselves, who are the electorate have their ideas of what their expectations are as they go to the polls on Saturday. They have their minds set on who would best meet their aspirations and are believed to have therefore set their targets at voting for such candidates.

As a way to lead the various candidates into the minds of the electorate, Saturday Tribune’s sought their expectations from the incoming governors in the country. The people bared their minds on what they would want to see done when the governors assume office and thus set an agenda for the incoming governors.

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Chief Chekwas Okorie:

Chief Okorie, who is the founder of the United Progressives Party (UPP), said he expects incoming governors to concentrate on their respective states and embark on, as well as extend on their developmental projects. He noted that each state has its own peculiar problems.

Chief Okorie said he also expects the incoming governors not to always abandon their states for Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory,  unnecessarily but try as much as possible to make their states even more viable than the Centre.

Chief Ray Nnaji:

Chief Nnaji, was a one-time National Auditor of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and had also served as Commissioner for Sports in Enugu State. On his expectations, he said he expects the incoming governors to depart from the programmes and policies that were not popular among the people.

He held that incoming regimes should bring new life and hope to the people so as to reduce poverty drastically across their respective states and generally build their people.

Humphrey Nwodo:

Humphrey Nwodo, a former Special Assistant to ex-Governor Chimaroke Nnamani, said what he wants from incoming governors is transparency. He also said he expects and demands efficiency in the management of the state’s resources and overall good governance where people would have gainful employment to reduce their suffering, in all spheres of life. There is hopelessness in the land because of bad polices and programmes. The incoming governors should try to change the trend.

I also want the incoming governors to operate inclusive government and people-oriented programmes and policies so that ordinary man in the street can benefit from democracy dividends.

Mr Olugbenga Leke Oyewole:

Mr Olugbenga Leke Oyewole, a former Senior Special Assistant to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, stressed the need for the new governors to improve on security and living conditions of Lagosians and Nigerians in general.

Oyewole said: “A Lagos State governor that will meet the yearnings of the people must address three challenges that threaten the life of every Lagosian: The traffic situation is horrible. One of the most potent solutions, in addition to the present traffic management system, is to embark on a massive ring road around Lagos with exits at strategic points. Where the road goes under the ocean or lagoon, it should be made to attract tourists.

“Secondly, excruciating taxes on small and medium scale enterprises must be addressed. Most shops, small and medium scale industries alike are not given any lifeline by state task forces. Whether they do well or not; profit or no profit they are made to pay inconvenient taxes.

“Lagos State has the capability to generate enough electricity for its residents. This is actually a propeller to businesses and industrial development. Ultimately, more taxes can be realised.”

Mr Dele Ogunsola

Mr. Ogunsola, a media consultant, said “the next governor in Oyo State must be somebody that has fear of God with which to govern the state with passion and compassion. He or she must be creative towards increasing the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) so as to meet the yearnings of the people.

Ogunsola said: “An opportunity to tour round the state which my recent assignment afforded, me opened my eyes to the fact that a larger percentage of the residents across the state are suffering a great deal of government neglect, resulting in lack of basic social amenities like pipe-borne water, electricity, good roads among others.

“Whoever that will take over governance of Oyo State come 29th May must address the anomalies in order to ensure true sense of belonging on the part of the residents of the affected areas of Oke-Ogun, Ogbomoso, Oyo and Ibarapa zones.

“The state governors in the coming dispensation must ensure maximum cooperation with the Federal Government in every area of governance towards engendering great success for the various programmes of the government at the centre.

“The next set of governors that would work with President Muhammadu Buhari must ensure the domestication of all the Acts like FoI among others, in their respective states. They should play minimal party politics, rather, national politics that would bring democratic dividends to every citizen.”

Reverend Gboyega Abifarin:

Rev. Abifarin is the pastor in charge of Cornerstone Baptist Church, Gbopa, Ologuneru, Ibadan, Oyo State. He listed welfarism, employment-creation, youth and women empowerment and promotion of investment through building of lasting infrastructure, as major needs.

Abifarin said: “The masses are suffering. The governor should think of what to do to help in this regard. The welfare of the people should be of great concern. Also the provision of jobs for the unemployed youths and security of lives and properties are crucial.”

Oba Sunday Oyediran, the Onpetu of Ijeruland, Ogbomoso, Oyo State

Oyo State at present is good but as a stakeholder, I believe that there are rooms for improvement. And as the government changes, I think there are ways that the state could be better in the coming dispensation.

Areas of improvement should include education, agriculture, rural integration, transportation, local government administration, traditional institution, environment, housing and the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomosho (LAUTECH).

The traditional ruler noted that “today, LAUTECH is struggling for breath, the travail of that institution is unfortunate. The incoming government has to take pragmatic steps to save the institution and get it transferred to Oyo State under a gentleman’s agreement.

The housing deficit in the state is alarming going by the 2003 population census, government should engage the private sector in order to make use of expanse areas of land acquired in the 80s by the administration of the late Chief Bola Ige, to stop further encroachment of such lands.

Oba Oyediran also noted that “the state of traditional institution in Oyo State is an artifact of the British colonial rule which government has maintained and is one of the factors responsible for non-development as no society can develop outside its cultural values. Efforts should be made to integrate the traditional institution into the modern government rather than leave it at the whims and caprices of chairmen and career officers at the local government, which is not integration but subjection.”

Rural areas have to be opened up got development by provision of social amenities to harness the human and material resources for the development of the state.

On education, recruitment of teachers should be more on merit and less on party loyalty as done over the years. Budget for education should be increased, education has to be invigorated with equipment and expertise to be able to impact technical knowledge in students and there should be training and retraining of teachers.

Local governments no longer perform their duties because they are now mere appendages to the state and democracy at the grassroots have been destroyed by non-conduction of council polls as at when due and local governments have become strangulated and lame, financial autonomy should be returned to local governments.

Mrs Bolatito Joseph, broadcaster:

Our next set of governors must provide the people with needed health facilities, quality education, take care of the aged and ensure the provision of employment. The country turns out millions of graduates annually, it is important that they are employed.

Our farmers should be empowered so as to ensure that the food needs of the country are met. There should also be empowerment in terms of the loan, provision of fertilizers, good road network to connect the cities with major farms where agricultural activities are taking place. The new government is expected to ensure the provision of energy (power) for the benefit of all and to attract investors.

Hon. Babs Oduyoye, a former member of the House of Representatives:

The new governor must be a radical departure from this aura of arrogance. The new governor must have a human face and must not be taking instructions from people of Oyo State, he or she must not be a puppet on a string of anybody. The new governor must demonstrate enough understanding of the goings-on in Oyo State, because Oyo State is very complex. The state requires a lot of vision and a lot of commitment as well as the currents and the undercurrents of the dynamics if the state.

Whoever emerges should be able to harness the resources of the state, block loopholes in the finances of the state and work more on internally-generated revenue. The governor should be able to diversify the economy of the state by laying emphasis on agriculture and ensuring that the roads to the food basket of the state are in good shape. It should not be a governor that would be building a road from Iseyin to Iseyin, but it should be a governor that would build roads from, say Moniya to Iseyin. It is important that the new governor must be somebody that should be able to unlock the potentials of the state and block waste and ensure transparency in governance.

The benefits of government must not be limited to the family and friends and relatives of whoever would be governor alone. The new governor must also patronize contractors in the state so as to stimulate the state’s economy.