Continued from June 2, 2019

 

By Magnus Eze (Enugu), Rose Ejembi (Makurdi), Obinna Odogwu (Abakaliki), Emmanuel Adeyemi (Lokoja), George Onyejiuwa and Stanley Uzoaru (Owerri), Linus Oota (Lafia), James Ojo Adakole (Lagos), Oluseye Ojo, (Ibadan)

 

Barely 10 days after governors, both new ones and those re-elected, were sworn-in on May 29, activities are fast keeping up across the states with the state chief executives announcing appointments into key strategic positions such as Secretary to State Government (SSG), Chief Of Staff (CoS) and Chief Press Secretary (CPS). Some other vital positions are also being filled even as the governors have been going on initial familiarisation visits to certain places in their state capitals and making some policy statements.

Last week, we began a report on what the people in the various states want from their governors. This week we present the concluding part of the report.

 

LAGOS

For some people in Lagos State, the coming of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu as the new helmsman has brought renewed hope of improvement in certain sectors in the state. Residents of the state, known as the ‘Centre of Excellence’ chronicled for Sunday Sun areas that demand immediate attention.

Comrade James Lukpata, a social critic, drew the attention of the administration to urgent need to halt the activities of some state security officials who have been oppressing helpless citizens going about their daily activities.

He told Sunday Sun: “Illegal arrest and intimidation of innocent citizens has to be checked. Hawkers and even passers-by are being harassed in Lagos on a daily basis by questionable security operatives, seeking to extort money from the people they arrest illegally.

Moreover, the government needs to review the tenancy and agreement laws. Rent in Lagos is rising astronomically. The provision of the law regarding tenancy agreement requires urgent attention. Landlords are taking advantage of it to exploit ordinary people through agency commissions and agreement fees, which are equivalent to the rent paid. This needs to be checked. If the laws are reviewed, the tendency of most landlords to unlawfully evict who are yet to renew their tenancy won’t dare do it.”

For Mr. Ayodele Adeyemi, the worsening traffic situation should be the pristine priority of the new administration, contending that it is the fulcrum around which other activities in the state revolve.

His words: “Traffic is the highest common problem in Lagos for now and it is all encompassing. Several factors are responsible for the traffic gridlock. These include: bad roads, refusal to obey traffic lights, selling by the roadsides in particular areas, commuter buses impeding traffic close to major bus stops, among others. So, the governor should take necessary steps to ensure smooth traffic flow, to reduce man-hours wasted in gridlock.”

Fully agreeing with Adeyemi, another resident, Igiri Israel, urged the governor to tackle the traffic issue headlong: “The issue of transportation has continued to remain a serious challenge. People who go to Lagos Island from the Mainland on daily basis do not find it easy at all because of traffic. The BRT bus scheme was supposed to ease commuting as the buses were meant to run dedicated lanes. But this arrangement has broken down. Besides, the buses were hardly available in the morning rush hours. The new buses acquired by the immediate past governor need to be quickly deployed to the major routes as fast as possible.”

Amanda, a corps member, is disgusted with how articulated trucks block major roads, despoiling the environmental aesthetics of the emerging mega-city. “We need a clean environment. Lagos is presently too dirty, especially with the menace of loaded tankers lurking on various roads. If possible, I want this administration to consider constructing a separate road for these trucks because people are dying every time. It is either that a loaded tanker fell and burst into flames or that a container crushed vehicles. Many people died at the Ojuelegba bridge and in Lagos-Ibadan Expressway fire disaster that involved a loaded tanker. If the government cannot construct separate roads for them, then there should be specified time for their movement,” Amanda suggested.

 

EBONYI

The people of Ebonyi are excited about the return of Governor Dave Umahi, who they said did well in his first term. In this second term, like Oliver Twist, they have drawn up a long list of what they want the governor to do in the next four years.

Factional chairman of the state chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Mr Ikechukwu Nwafor, told Sunday Sun: “There should be fresh recruitment into the civil service. So many people have retired and they have not been replaced. Let there be recruitment to enable the civil service function effectively. We had what is called e-service training. If you go to the Ministry of Works and Transport today, you will see the VIO-trained officers sitting in their offices and if you ask them, they will tell you that their works have been contracted out and that they only come and go.

“This happens in so many other agencies. In the Board of Internal Revenue, most of the jobs that should be done by the trained officers have been contracted out. And these contractors will like to look for benefits for themselves before they will be able to pay to the government. But these civil servants collect their salaries; they cannot be working for their pockets. So, everything they generate goes to the government for the government to continue to develop the state.

“Another pertinent area is the issue of the retirees and pensioners. It becomes a problem when somebody, after serving for 35 years at the age of 60, he goes without having something he is supposed to eat. It is not a privilege; it is the right of a retiree. In the same manner, he should look at basic education, which is the foundation of education in Ebonyi. When you go to most public primary schools today, you will be shocked by what you will see. You will begin to wonder where children taught in such schools will end up. So, if basic education can be given to the ordinary Ebonyi indigenes, I think will be a wonderful thing.”

The NLC chairman also wants the government to invest in agriculture. He sheds more light on this, saying:  “Government can go directly into agriculture and be able to bring Ebonyians, who are littered all over other states, back home to do the same agricultural work they are doing in other states. Go to Delta State and some other states you will meet Ebonyi people doing agricultural works for other people. Those people can come home to do the same farm work in an agricultural settlement. So, going into agriculture will be a very wonderful thing in these four years.”

Also speaking, the Chairman of Abakaliki (Abakpa) Main Market Traders Association (AMMTA), Mr Eze Christopher, appealed to the governor to look into the problems of the traders. “I will like him to first and foremost, relocate us from Abakpa market to the international market because we are overcrowded here. Recently, many shops were flooded and goods were damaged.”

NASARAWA

The successful assumption of office by Governor Sule Abdullahi, as the fourth elected chief executive of Nasarawa State has generated heated discussions in the state on policy direction and priority sectors that should be addressed.

Mr Dauda Kigbu, a lawyer and retired federal permanent secretary, who was an All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant in the last primary election, expressed the view that unemployment and insecurity are the major challenges confronting the state.

In this regard, he believes the governor should endeavour to create new job opportunities as well as an enabling environment for small and medium enterprises to thrive. “Apart from the issue of farmers and herdsmen crisis, which constitutes a major threat to the peace of the farmers in the state, and which has spread across the state like wild fire, kidnapping and armed robbery are fast developing and penetrating almost every area in the state. The situation has become so bad and I want the new governor to focus on ensuring that the state is free from banditry,” he said.

He also called on the administration to concentrate on providing infrastructure to some parts of the inner city of Lafia around Ombi 1 and 2, in other to encourage sustainable economic activities.

Managing Director of Oxfit Chemicals in Lafia, Mr Abdulrahman Sambo, urged the new governor to invest in human capital development, in the areas of agriculture, health and education.

He said: “The immediate past governor, Tanko Al-Makura paid little attention to the agricultural sector. The new government should consider the agricultural sector as a top priority as it would provide opportunity for improved food security. People should have access to primary and secondary healthcare services in times of emergency and first aid attention in the event of minor accidents. The Al-Makura administration did a lot in this regard. Therefore, the Abdullahi administration needs to improve on this and take health sector to the next level of development.”

Sambo tasked the new government to give attention towards providing basic and functional education in Nasarawa State, especially in the areas of technical and vocational development, noting that such efforts will compliment the laudable efforts of the immediate past administration in revamping the education sector and take it to the next level.

A businessman and politician, Musa Shutti, generally agreed with the suggestions of Sambo, but added:

“Al-Makura laid the foundation and put the state on the fast lane of monumental growth to be the economic hub of the North-central, with endless landmark achievements in multi-sectoral developments, all we want from the new governor is to try as much as possible to complete the Lafia Cargo Airport and improve on the infrastructural development of the immediate past government,” he said.

He advised the new governor as a detribalized technocrat to be very careful in the way and manner he pilots the affairs of the state if he truly wants to surpass what the immediate past governor did.

 

BENUE

With Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom firmly seated on the saddle for another four-year tenure, people of the state have reeled out what they expect him to do.

Speaking, a traditional ruler and Ter Makurdi, Chief Sule Abenga emphasized the need for the governor to build a solid foundation that would surpass his first term in office.

“We expect solid foundation from the governor and we expect the people of the state to give him the maximum support so that he can do more than what he did before,” Abenga said.

He stated that since there are no more godfathers to derail him, the governor must not betray the confidence the people reposed in him, but strive hard to ensure the development of the state between now and 2023.

A Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stalwart in the state, Chief Adakole Elijah, urged the governor to ensure physical development of the state in his second tenure.

“To whom much is given, much is expected. We are lacking in several areas in terms of physical development. Many areas of the state still lack potable drinking water, good roads and good housing, among others. Also, attention should be given to the educational and health sectors.

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“Even if he decides to focus on just three sectors such as agriculture, education and health, he should ensure he performs very well in those areas so that at the end of his tenure, people can see the legacies he will leave behind in those sectors.  And of course, he should continue defending the people of Benue State. I believe his second term will be better than the first,” Adakole said.

Also commenting, a veteran journalist and former House of Representatives member, Chief Goddy Ikereve, urged the governor to work like the father of the state and bring everyone together irrespective of religion or party affiliation.

“He (the governor) must have learnt from his past experience and I believe he will do better this second term. He should make sure he works like a father of Benue and brings everyone on board no matter party affiliation.”

First female Speaker in West Africa and a PDP chieftain, Mrs. Margaret Icheen, said the people of the state are highly expectant that the governor would impact positively on their lives in his second tenure.

“Our expectation on the governor is high. We believe he must have learnt from his past mistakes. We expect that he will stand by his word and fulfill all the promises he made so that the trust of the people will not be betrayed,” Icheen said.

Hajia Hauwa Isah, State Coordinator of Federation of Muslim Women Association, urged the governor to ensure that salaries are paid at due date to workers in the state.

“We have a lot of expectation. We want him to sit up in the area of salary because we need to feed and look good. And we believe that if salaries of workers are paid, other sectors would be affected positively,” Isah said.

Similarly, Mrs. Ameh Alache, Director ECWA/ TEKAN, Women Wing of Christian Association of Nigeria (WOWICAN) urged Governor Ortom to ensure the prompt payment of salaries to state civil servants.

Her words: “Governor Ortom’s second coming is divine. We believe that if salaries are paid, all sectors of the economy will be affected. Thank God he has paid as when due as he promised in the last one year, but there is still a backlog of arrears to be paid. He should seek ways to pay off the backlog.

“We also look forward to some amenities such as roads especially in rural areas so that our farmers can bring their goods for sale and get good reward for their labour. We pray that the Lord will continue to give him the wisdom to pilot the affairs of the state.”

On her part, a teacher, Mrs Victoria Adegbiyi, advised the governor to consider opening up streets especially in major towns of the state as according to her, there are many areas across the state that are not accessible because there are no roads.

She also urged him to ensure job creation as a way of checking the high rate of unemployment, which had made many youths dabble into crimes.

 

ENUGU

One major problem people in Enugu State want Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi to address is the water situation in the state capital. They also want him to tackle attacks by armed Fulani herdsmen, look into some abandoned rural roads, chieftaincy disputes and other wanton killings plaguing the state.

Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Enugu, Callistus Onaga, who applauded the governor for what he described as his sterling performance in the first tenure tasked him to tackle insecurity in the state.

“The little issue of security is what he is handling.

He is doing his best to really tackle insecurity, because the issue of security is nationwide, it has gone viral and there is nobody you can blame solely on the issue of security and from every indication he is doing everything possible to meet up with that very challenge. It’s a big challenge, about assassination and what have you but he is doing all he could to liaise with the people.

You know the governor has his own system of governance; he would like to meet people on their grounds and discuss with them. He will go to the Hausa and discuss with them, he will go to the police and discuss with them while this will be happening; he will come to the church people and discuss with us on how to do it.

“He is already tackling this security issue, to make sure that Enugu continues to be a place of peace which it has always been. He has to do something about it. Then he has to look into the area of electricity. In the area of education, I will appeal to him to improve on the infrastructure in schools.

Also, an Enugu-based youth activist, Chukwuma Okenwa as well as the House of Representatives candidate of the African Peoples Alliance (APA) for Enugu North and South Federal Constituency in the last election, Chukwunonso Ogbe, would want the governor to pay attention to youth participation in governance and job creation.

“Governor Ugwuanyi needs to tap into the innovativeness and dynamism of young minds in Enugu State in this second term. One may assume that since in his first term many youths were involved as special assistants and executive assistants, which may be loud enough to validate youth participation in his government. However, the truth of the matter is that when the state executive gathers for their meeting, what percentage of the youth is represented?”  Okenwa queried.

The activist asked the governor to put young people in charge of the youth and sports, tourism as well as science and technology sectors of the state.

However, in appointing youths to head such ministries, the governor needs to appoint young people with proven track of youth development.

He further asked that the management of the Rangers International Football Club be made independent of the Ministry of Sports, so that whoever comes in as the commissioner should concentrate on grassroots sports development beyond football.

On his part, Ogbe enjoined the governor to also accord attention to the economy of the state in order to address the problem of unemployment that has become a national burden.

“The governor should embark on agrarian and industrial revolution to help diversify the economy of Enugu State. Serious attention should be accorded to sports, especially the game of football in order to keep our youth busy in a meaningful way.

“Governor Ugwuanyi should delve into the power sector as the government of Enugu State is constitutionally empowered to generate electricity. This, of course, will be a long term project, but will help see to it that the challenge of epileptic power supply which has become a national embarrassment is addressed in the state in the nearest future,” the legal practitioner advised.

A resident of Alulu Nike in Enugu East Local Government Area, Mr Nwoha Ahube is angry over the state of the road linking the community to the popular Nike Lake road. According to him, despite claims that Ugwuanyi is doing rural roads, the Alulu Road has been impassable for over three years now, a situation that worsens during the rainy season.  He, therefore,  appealed to the governor to remember the people who are usually locked up in the community anytime it rained.

OYO

Right from the day of inauguration, Governor Seyi Makinde hit the ground running, having realized that the task before him is enormous. This disposition of the governor is music to the ears of the people of the state, who have also set an agenda for him.

For instance, former governor of Oyo State, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, is eager to see Makinde deliver good governance as every aspect of the state needs improvement.

He said: “I expect him to do better in all aspects, starting from education. He should bring us back to the unit, not 26th position in Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE). He should make Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) the first state university again, if it cannot be the first university in Nigeria.

On health, Ladoja advised Makinde to put more emphasis on primary healthcare system, where everybody can access healthcare within his ward.

He spoke further: “In agriculture, he should create more jobs. This is where we have a relative advantage. We should strive for self-sufficiency. We should use new technology and particularly find a way of containing these herdsmen. If possible, we should be the first state to create ranches so that they will not continue to destroy crops, and may be we will teach other states how to do the same thing. So, there is no area where we don’t expect improvement.”

In the same vein, former Commissioner for Agriculture in the state, Kunle Ishola, who is also a son of the third civilian governor of the state, the late Chief Kolapo Ishola, enjoined Makinde to work on revamping the education sector, saying many children are out of school, either because their parents could not afford to pay the fees, or because of the policy of the past administration that probably did not provide infrastructure in many schools and left many things undone.

Ishola said: “The economy in Oyo State has been comatose since 2011. It is comatose in respect of the fact that the money is not circulating. You would find out that most of the contractors are foreign contractors that were imported to Oyo State from 2011, and most of them came from Lagos. The money paid to them was taken out of Oyo State to Lagos.

“If the carpenter, the hairdresser, or the market woman had been able to get a part of the money spent within the local economy, that is, the money the state paid to all these contractors, it would have reflected in the state as the money would have trickled down to everybody. But now people are just walking around aimlessly, without any direction.

I want the government to look at contractors that are based in Oyo State. If you pay them money, they would go to a local market to buy their materials; not a contractor from Lagos that would bring all his materials – iron rod and other materials from Lagos. By getting contractors from Lagos to carry out construction work in Oyo State, you are improving the economy of Lagos, and making it more profitable than the one in Oyo State.

If you go to the market and you start talking to them, they will tell you that they have never had it so bad. Everybody is complaining. Something should be done on that aspect.”

“Another thing we should look at is the electricity problem we have. In the state, we have more than 26 dams that are wasting away. There was a study conducted in 2008 that suggested that those dams could be used to generate electricity.  There is one in Sanusi in Oluyole Local Government Area. The design was that turbines should be put in those dams to generate electricity. You can generate electricity around Oluyole along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, and on Ijaiye-Iseyin Road. What brings small scale industries into this city? Is it not because of electricity?

By the time we are doing that, you are creating a vortex of employment within those areas and those farmers can have value addition to the raw materials they are harvesting. They don’t need to rush to the city to process those raw materials, where a middleman will take a profit from them. But they can do a small addition such as in drying of fish that can be ‘exported’ to other states. You can make cassava and plantain chips. All these can be done on the site or the farm, thereby creating additional employment opportunities,” Ishola said. He commended Makinde for proscribing the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), noting that not doing so would have caused an implosion of the group. However, he advised the governor to balance the decision..

● Concluded