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Good Governance Advocacy International, a non-Governmental Organisation, (NGO), has asserted that the key to solving Nigeria’s fundamental challenges lies in local governance.
The Director-General of the group, Leonard Ayogo, made the remark during a press conference in Calabar on Wednesday.
Ayogo, who said Nigeria as being over centralised, added that leadership was not just about the President in Abuja but included governors, local government chairmen, councilors, and legislators.
He said that in Nigeria, the over criticism of the President, leaving out other leaders who were closest to the people, did not help for good governance.
According to him, personally, I feel Nigeria is “over-centralised” and maybe, that is why whoever becomes President is often over-criticised.
Ayogo said that searchlight should be beamed at the 36 state governors and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) administration who were closer to the people, oversaw and controlled a lot of money
“They should be practicing good governance as well, which is not rocket science but simply about implementing government policies that resonate with the people,” he said.
He added that issues like insecurity, poor health infrastructures, education, among others could be handled at the local level if governors and LG chairmen did not prefer to travel abroad for these basic services.
Ayogo said that due to bad governance, many bright Nigerians especially the youths were risking their lives through the Mediterranean Sea and deserts just to become slaves again in foreign countries.
He called on leaders at all levels to entrench good governance in their system, saying that it would improve the citizens’ standard of living and by extension, their standard of charity.
Ayogo, however, added that change was not only about leaders but also about the citizens themselves who must inculcate personal discipline while creating awareness on the importance of good governance. (NAN)
