Wednesday, January 11, 2012

If I Were State Governors...in 2012

Listening to the various budgets proposals of state governments for 2012, it comforts to see some clear movement towards capital projects. The devil of course is in both the details and implementation. Over the next 12 months, there is time enough.

The mood of the nation today asks for good governance and sustainable development. The surest way to attain both is for governors and local council chairmen to deliver the dividends of democracy in utmost transparency and full accountability. Not a tall order at all. The starting point of course is to be the people's hand - take away their pains, this excruciating penury, this burgeoning spectre of pauperization of the masses. And to do so with the people's money, the people's resources. Chikena.

If I were Nigerian State Governors, I will pitch with the people. I will pick attainable goals and target areas of most-needs. Why will it not be in my interest to create the infrastructure for life and livelihood? Why will it not be fun to build houses - mass housing - with burnt brisks and other local building materials? Why will foods and drinks not be available and affordable when we can farm all-year-round, and we have hordes of capable but idle hands? Why won't I go for solar energy: to power street lights, boreholes, primary health centres and schools, to liberalize and decentralize domestic consumption, and make things happen in 2012?

If I were Nigerian Governors, I will build one world class health-care complex per senatorial zone in my state - complete with diagnostic, surgical and recovery facilities; complete with human and material resources, including foreign experts where needed.

If I were a State Governor in 2012, I will cut down on the bloated bureaucracy and right-size political and technocratic appointees as well as the wasteful official delegations and government convoys.

From now on, I will look at my worthy peers (ahem... *Babatunde Fashola, Peter Obi, Jonah Jang, Godswill Akpabio, Sule Lamido, Rotimi Amaechi*, I'm eyeing you) and aim to match or surpass them --- pro-rata, of course.

Four years, dear Governor, be not forever!

No comments: