Govs are emperors, Modibbo says – Dauily Trust
November 16, 2009 by Bunmi Awolusi
State governors in Nigeria are ruling their states like emperors because the various state Houses of Assembly are unable to provide proper checks and balances as provided for by the Constitution, former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory [FCT] Dr. Aliyu Modibbo Umar said in Abuja at the weekend. He spoke while receiving an award from the World Health Organisation (W.H.O) as its Man of the Year on Tobacco Control.
Modibbo urged Nigerians to ensure that they elect educated and experienced persons to the state Houses of Assembly in order to check the excesses of some of the governors. He said, “We must reposition the state assemblies. That is why some of us are thinking we should have a movement this coming election. The best people should be in the state assemblies because governors have become emperors.”
He also said, “If we want good governance, it should start at the lower level, not at the Federal Government level. More experienced people that had been endowed should go back to their states and run for the state assemblies where you can look your governor in the face and tell him no, it is not going to be done. This money will not be spent this way or that way, it should be spent this way.”
