Governors Under Pressure To Name Cabinet, Deliver Democratic Dividends

Ganiyu Obaaro

Still savouring the euphoria of their electoral victories, governors across the 36 states of the federation, are currently under pressure to name their cabinets and deliver democratic dividends to their people.

Their current situation, it was learnt, comes on the heels of some pressure being mounted on them by various layers of interest groups in their states and even beyond their jurisdiction.

For now, many of them are yet to put in place their cabinet members to assist them to run the affairs of their states due to such pressures, which are not unusual in the Nigerian system of doing things. Already, many of the governors are said to have grown goose pimples as a result of the development.

This, it was alleged, has forced them to recourse to adopting different tactics to avoid the lobbyists and rather concentrate on picking quality people who would    do the jobs they will assign to them. The challenge of doing so, is said to be Herculean, especially for the new governors, who are still learning the ropes.

Some of the challenges involve, how they would constitute their cabinets and run their states effectively, especially without any distraction from godfathers. Although, few of the states have so far inaugurated their cabinets, many are yet to comply.

This unsavoury situation is believed to be giving their constituents and other Nigerians, worries as to when they would settle down and bring succour to them. It should be noted that, the constitution and composition of the cabinets, as it is the tradition, is expected to enhance governance at all levels.

Now, few weeks to the Constitutional mandate required of the chief executives of the states to put in place their cabinets, there appears not to be any significant move by some of the governors to inaugurated their cabinets.

Regrettably though, this is a far cry from public expectation who wants the wheels of government to be in full throttle, about two months after taking over the leadership of their respective states.

The Nigerian 1999 Constitution, as amended, mandates the governors to name and assign portfolios to members of their cabinet within 60 days after being sworn-in. It was gathered that the governors are under intense pressures by lobbyists and other interest groups who want to make the list as commissioners.

Some powerful individual’s, including traditional rulers, party bigwigs are also said to be putting pressures on the governors to appoint their  anointed candidates as commissioners. So far, less than 15 governors have appointed commissioners to assist them to run their states. Last Tuesday, Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori joined this list when he named 25 nominees, one each from each local government area. The list has some commissioners from his predecessor’s administration, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa’s Government.

Although some have named other aides like Secretaries to the State Governments, Chief Press Secretaries, Chiefs of Staff, among others, many of the governors are still playing a hide-and-seek game over the matter of commissioners.

Interestingly, more than three quarters of the state governors are yet to form their cabinet. The implication is that there is a lull in governance, and, indeed, lack of proper direction in the management of the states affected.

However, we learnt that to show that governance is in place, some of the governors are engaged in several other activities. For example, the governors of Imo, Eboyin (Francis Nwifuru), have promised their workers N10, 000 salary increase, just as governors of Kwara (Abdulrazaq) and Edo (Godwin Obaseki), have reduced the official working days for their civil servants to three days in a week.

They say the reason is to help cushion the effects of petrol subsidy removal, which has affected the general price level in the economy, including hike in transport costs.

On why his boss has not nominated commissioners, Gboyega Akosile, Chief Press Secretary to Lagos State Governor Jide Sanwo-olu, said in a press statement he issued weeks ago, that the governor was focused on delivering good governance; and was still consulting on who to bring on board as his cabinet members.

Akosile said the engine of governance of the state was running well, adding that the governor has since appointed principal officers like Chief of Staff, Secretary to the State Government and others, to assist him to effectively run his state.

Interestingly too, two governors who took office months have only now named their cabinet. In Ekiti state, the APC government of Mr. Biodun Oyebanji has just named his cabinet and has appointed key members into his administration. Oyebanji took over as the governor, from Dr. Kayode Fayemi last October. Some of the appointees cut across portfolios like, SSG, CPS and Head of Service.

Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has also announced his cabinet several months after he was sworn in last year. Both governors were lucky not to have the amended constitution to contend with. The law, giving a latitude of just 60 days to appoint the cabinet after inauguration, was signed by President Buhari early this year.

However, Professor Jide Timothy-Asobele, a former lecturer at the University of Lagos, in a chat, urged the states to face governance with seriousness. He said, “The people are hungry for good roads, food on their tables, jobs, decent housing, good education, security of lives and property, and other good things.”

He said Nigerians have since resorted to fate over their predicament, adding:  “When last did they get good drinking public water, good income, better farm harvests, free tuition and affordable cars?” Aside these, they are said, to be ready to go by implementing the governors/ party’s agenda and bring Democratic dividends to the people who elected them.