The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has expressed apprehension over the relocation of some state governors to the nation’s capital, Abuja, stressing such an act is adversely affecting governance and cast a bleak prospects in resolving the problems confronting some of the states. Lamenting on the avoidable option of governors’ migration to Abuja in the face of mounting challenges plaguing citizens, the NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, who addressed workers last month in Lokoja, the Kogi state capital, said there was need for governors to live in their states in order to feel the pulse of the people they are governing.

According to Comrade Ajero, “Most governors now live permanently in Abuja. Out of five zones we visited, we only met one governor in his state. Each time we visit, we are told they are in Abuja. This trend is adversely affecting governance.”

Describing the deliberate act of governors hibernating in the nation’s capital, some analysts have explained that relocation to Abuja by some of the state executives is hinged on attempts at avoiding contractors that are being owed by the states. A relocation to Abuja, according to an insider, thus offers them an opportunity to breathe an air of freedom far away from the madding crowd of party chieftains that are now mostly leeches in the corridors of power who continuously pester these governors with a deluge of requests for financial favours.

The current spate of economic hardship shredding Nigerians has made it overbearing for states to evolve measures at ameliorating the suffering being faced by citizens. Following the tripling of the monthly revenues by the Federal Allocation Account Committee (FAAC) to the three tiers of government, states are now expected to show how they have improved the lives of their citizens, following a substantial increase in revenue allocation as a result of the removal of petroleum subsidy by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The act of governors absconding from their duty posts did not start today; it has its origin in the first four years when this unbroken democracy was inaugurated in May 1999. Some of the governors, including the then President Olusegun Obasanjo, engaged in the search of foreign investors that eventually turned out to be a ruse. Even after the Obasanjo tenure, subsequent administrations at both the state and federal levels were nit wary of telling citizens of subsequent trips in search of foreign investment.

Despite the constant practice by some governors to embrace indolence and moon away in the nation’s capital on flimsy excuses, there are still some state executives who have rejected the option of migrating to Abuja. Instead, they have chosen to remain in their states and squarely face the myriad of problems confronting their people. In doing so, they have evolved a template in creating synergies to advance and improve the quality of lives for their people.

In a situation where state houses of assembly have been turned into rubber stamps of the executive, governors are now lords and can’t be checkmated by state lawmakers. Due to the collapse of the checks and balance principle among the three arms of government in some of the states, the legislative arm is merely an extension of the governor’s living rooms, with governors having the power to summon the leadership of the legislature at their whims and caprices.

For democracy to work for the common good of all, democratic organs should be allowed to practice what they is intended for. When the arms of government in a democracy are not allowed to operate independently, there is always a tendency for one arm to override the order. In this case, the legislative body suffers irretrievably and democracy is threatened.

There’s a need for governors to stay put in their states in order to come up with resolutions that can solve some of the challenges in their states. Governors’ constant visits to Abuja is an endorsement of indolence and irresponsibility. Some of these governors engaged in constant visits to Abuja should note that they were elected to solve problems plaguing their states. This task has been made easier through the increase in revenue profile as seen in the tripling of their monthly federation allocations.

We call on these absentee governors to have a rethink and stop henceforth these preventable trips to the nation’s capital. They should concentrate their energies in resolving some of the mounting problems haranguing their people. Members of the state houses of assembly should muster enough courage to call these governors to order in order to save the states some funds that are often paid to these abdicating state executives who have found it expedient to rule their states from the nation’s capital. (Blueprint Editorial)