From: Joe Effiong, Uyo
A member of Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Dr Usoro Akpanusoh has attributed most of the problems experiences the Nigerian polity in recent times to the state governors.
Reacting to the o going strike by the Judiciary workers I er the issue of financial, Akpanusoh who is the house committee Chairman on public utilities and rural development, said some of the governors are power-drunk and would want to dictate the entire political and economic lives of their states while they are in power.
He said there was no reasonable explanation why governors should deny their states’ judiciaries and the houses of assembly financial autonomy even when such had been so expressed by the constitution.
“Somebody said that it is not Buhari that is the problem of this country; it is the governors. If you’re a governor today, at the expiration of your tenure, there’s no way you can continue.
“Let them reduce tension in the country. Let them not because.of selfish interest, or because most them.are power drunk, they increase the existing tension in the country. There should be no.need for the judiciary to go protesting. There should be no need for the state houses of assembly to go on strike It has added to the existing tension in the country.
“We are not talking about memo but implementation of the constitution. I as a member of the house of Assembly will leave, another member will come. Remember when we were agitating for financial independence in the sixth assembly, some of our members kicked against it.
“But those members who rejected the autonomy are saying there must be implementation of the autonomy because they’re now in positions to manage it whereas then, they were not in positions to manage it.” Akpanusoh explained.
He wondered why the governors, acclaimed to be very intelligent people, should approach the same judiciary up to the Supreme Court asking them to.use their mouth to pronounce that they (judiciary) do not want autonomy.
“Sometimes they do this because of positions. Akpabio never wanted independence of the legislature. But immediately he finished his tenure and moved to the Senate, he became a champion of Independence of the legislature. He didn’t want it because by then as governor, he wanted to control everybody.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if this set of governors upon leaving office and moving to the senate they start agitating for the independence of the judiciary.
“Everything the society wants, they will get. The opinion of the masses,the agitation of Nigerians will come to pass whoever long it will take.”
He lamented that political situation in Nigeria is getting worse every and that has resulted in some houses of assembly being dead in the legislative and oversight responsibilities.