WHY THE STATES MATTER (2)

Peter l. Vincent contends time has come to begin serious conversations on the states

Fundamentally, the problems of the states did not start today. It began with the haphazard manner the states were created by successive military regimes without any consideration to their economic viability or sustainability. The Gowon 12-state structure was simply to break the backbone of the secessionist resistance. Subsequently after, states were created based on the influence of the men in power and their cohorts and to secure continued support for military rule. As far as the military boys could see, oil would sustain the nation for years to come. As a result based on this shortsightedness, governors began the journey, first to Lagos and later Abuja to collect their monthly allowances which were barely enough to pay civil servants. You would think that a serious minded political class would see through the mirror and resist further balkanisation of Nigeria as a result of the harm it has done to national unity and cohesion, but no, they now want more states created. What madness! There is also the issue of leadership especially since 1999 when the military unleashed on the nation, a bunch of crocked characters as governors. Many of them lacked the basic qualities of leadership, vision, experience or the fundamental knowledge of how to advance or re-order a society for positive good. With perhaps no exception, they raped the states at will, and began this ego trip in which they saw themselves as lords of the minor. Last week at the conference organised by the newly established lbadan School of Government and Public Policy, former President Olusegun Obasanjo lamented that the state governors have become emperors, but failed to narrate his role in creating the monsters. Often times, lip service was paid to development policies but the bulk of the budgets went to looking after the governors, from large security votes, construction of large grandiose government houses most far larger than 10 Downing Street, the official residence of the British prime minister, to purchase of aircraft or chartering of aircraft for their frequent travels. A governor in one of the South east states for his eight years in office, probably spent collectively three years out of his state. Some governors spend more time in Abuja than in their state capitals. Most embarked on poorly conceived infrastructural projects without transparency and due process. Not only did they fail to complete the projects, their successors find no reasons to complete them. Finally, there is the issue of capacity. While the military virtually destroyed all institutions of state before their departure in 1999, state governors since 1999

THE CHALLENGE IS HOW TO EFFECT LEADERSHIP CHANGES AND BRING ON BOARD LEADERS WITH THE VISION, CAPACITY AND KNOWLEDGE TO TRANSFORM THE STATES INTO STRONG ECONOMIC ZONES

seems bent on destroying the civil service. The consequence of this is that in comparison to the post-colonial regions or the federal government, there is a dangerous lack of capacity at all levels in the states.

I honestly cannot claim to have all the solutions to the problems of the states which are legion. But what l do know is that we can no longer afford to ignore the states and time has come to begin serious conversations on the states. We know the states except for three or four are failing and we do not have to wait until they finally collapsed before we act. That is why it is regrettable that President Buhari did not do enough homework before granting some bailout fund to the states. Worst still the bailout was unconditional, thus rewarding irresponsibility and encouraging the states to continue with their bad ways. This is not the way to effect change and true to type, the governors have continued with their bad ways. They still have large cabinets and large aides and some have created more ministries when they should be reducing. They still charter plans and travel abroad at every opportunity while teachers, doctors and civil servants salaries remain unpaid. Their motorcades remain as long as ever if not longer. It will be scandalous to find a governor in America with the kind of state paraphernalia surrounding our governors.

Any conversation on the future of the states must include whether the current state structure should remain or be replaced with the current zonal structure and how this can be accomplished. If we lack the will to undertake any political engineering, then we must embark on some serious reforms that would among others, determine whether the local governments should stay, be abolished or reformed for effective service delivery, whether the state Houses of of Assembly should operate on part time basis. Discussion must focus on how to rebuild the civil service and other institutions of states which are getting weaker by the day. The final challenge is how to effect leadership changes and bring on board leaders with the vision, capacity and knowledge to transform the states into strong economic zones. In order words, regional economic cooperation and integration must be part and parcel of the new structure as no state today has the resources to act alone. What we must not do, at least for now in the name of true federalism is to grant the states more resources or more responsibility. Vincent, Public Analyst, wrote from Port Harcourt