The propensity by Nigerian Governors to embark on the construction of white elephant projects that guzzle lots of money with no direct bearing on the common masses that voted them into office beggars belief.
As soon as they settle into office, they waste no time in coming up with bogey projects without stakeholder consultation, due diligence, feasibility studies and environmental impact assessment for sustainability.
The endemic problem has become deep-rooted so much that every state in Nigeria wants to own a University, an Airport and a Stadium even where such facilities are readily available and accessible in adjoining states.states
For goodness sake, what does a state need a university for when the indigenes of such state cannot even fill their allotted quotas in federal universities not to talk of building a capital-intensive airport with no commercial viability when the flying publics from such state are so few that they can easily commute to the nearest airport to fly. Besides, how many citizens can afford to fly.
This reminds me of what late Julius Nyerere, former Tanzanian President said about misplacement of priorities by African leaders. He said, “while the developed countries of the world are trying to go to the moon, African leaders should strive to reach their rural areas”.
His Eminence, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alh. Abubakar Saad III, recently re-echoed the venerable African Elder Statesman when he charged the political leadership in Nigeria particularly State Governors to always strive to address the immediate needs of their people instead of embarking on white elephant projects that do not benefit the common man in Nigeria.
The Sultan broke his silence during the 58th National Council on Health which took place from 7th to 11th March 2016, in Sokoto, where various stakeholders in health sector assembled to discuss the way forward in the management of the citizenry health with particular reference to resuscitation of primary healthcare centres across the country in order to achieve universal health coverage.
Failing short of naming names, his eminence said “there are so many political leaders today who embark on projects that don’t benefit the common man, our problems on leadership is that we have misplaced of priorities, you as Commissioners of Health should tell your Executive Governors the truth about embarking on projects that would benefit common man”.
“For example, I say it very clearly, how can some governors build multi billion naira airports when they can’t afford to build small functional clinics in their states, what have the airports got to do with common man who doesn’t even know how plane looks like, why can’t those governors put the money meant for building the airports to work on all the roads in their political zones so that the common man who uses the roads could be saved from the agonies of road crashes here and there, most of our roads are dead traps”
“Some of those projects that our governors embarked on are frivolous, and it must be stopped; let us have functional healthcare system in the country so that Sultan or President or Governor would not have to go to America or Dubai to treat a common headache which is mostly the case now in Nigeria”.
It is important for people of such states in the country to stand up against such political leaders that would not stop such frivolous projects, let us have projects that will have direct impact on the life of the common man. The Sultan reminded those that Almighty God gives leadership positions that they will account for their stewardship here and in the here-after.
Musa Mato,
Karu, Abuja
08077874503
