Idowu Samuel, Abuja - 04.07.2009
The style of governance in Nigeria, especially at the state level, has taken a new dimension as indications are rife now that most of the state governors run governments from outside the state capitals.
A survey conducted by Saturday Tribune across the country has revealed that about two-thirds of the governors in Nigeria are not always on their seats, travelling out for supposedly urgent reasons.
According to investigations, most of the governors have found abode in either Abuja or Lagos, while some preferred to travel out at will to countries like the United Kingdom, United States, Germany, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and France.
However, the unexplained reasons behind the frequent dissapearance of state governors from their respective states as discovered by Saturday Tribune hangs on the economic meltdown, which survey revealed has been causing the shrinking of resources of most states, such that the governors must be frugal in spending.
Against this background, the governors are said to have deviced the means of sneaking out of the states to avoid pressures from their hangers-on, contractors, friends and associates known for their demands for money on all manners of excuses.
An aide to a South South governor told Saturday Tribune that his boss sat down one day and calculated the amount of money he had spent on public relations in a month and discovered he had committed nothing less than N1.2 billion to such.
He stressed that since he made such a discovery, he had learnt the trick of sneaking out of the state.
National Assembly members, officials of the anti-corruption agencies, top party members from either the states or Abuja, journalists, presidential aides, according to the survey, constitute a huge drain pipe for the governors, most of whom are said to be desperate in cutting down their expenses drastically.
Unlike the National Assembly and state Houses of Assembly members who have the number of days that they must sit in the plenary for legislative businesses specified in their rules, there is no rule compelling state governors to remain glued to their seats, a reason the governors have never nursed the fear of possible consequences of their frequent travel out of their states, a source pointed out.
According to findings, a governor from the core North makes frequent visits to Jos, Plateau State.
Another in a South-West state was said to have been used to travelling to Abuja, Lagos and more often outside Nigeria, from where he has reportedly been running the affair of his state.
Investigations also revealed that a governor is currently out of Nigeria on a medical trip to London enroute Germany while he is being expected back in the state next week.
While one of the northern governors who spent eight years in the National Assembly as a member of the House of Representatives has been described as an Abuja man by his aides who spoke with Saturday Tribune, his counterpart in an oil-rich state is said to have been fully engaged with more federal matters, and, hence could not afford to be too sedentary in his state.
Another governor from the oil-rich state is rated as one of the most restless based on his interst to lure international investors to his state, a reason he is said to have been embarking on fequent international travellings.
Further investigations revealed that one of the northern state governors travels frequently to Niger and Chad where he is said to be building large estates and mansions where he was planning to relocate after leaving the office.
http://www.tribune.com.ng/04072009/news/news1.html
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