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The result of the research carried out by Economic Confidentiality as contained in its recently released Annual States Viability Index (ASVI), stating that 17 states in Nigeria were insolvent, did not come to many people as a surprise.
Before now, many credible Nigerians had made the same statements, with warning of an impending doom if necessary steps were not taken.
Within two years of its occupation of the power stool, the Muhammadu Buhari administration has released bailout funds twice to most states to enable them pay salaries of their workers.
Over the years, it has been established that all the states are blessed with resources that can liberate them from the clutches of poverty if properly tapped, but the problem has always been the unwillingness of successive political leadership of many states to look inwards. They rather look to Abuja for the monthly handouts.
The report in reference noted that Lagos State’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) is more than those of 30 states put together. Over the years, Lagos has made a conscious effort to harness the resources in its domain. The state has always engaged in aggressive drive for rewardable business. Where they see opportunities, others see insurmountable challenges.
The ready excuse many of the slothful and sluggard political actors in the insolvent states give is that Lagos has many tappable resources and that the huge concentration of businesses in the state make the difference. Although there is no argument about that, it takes hard work for a man to cultivate a large expanse of land to feed his family. There are those who have arable lands that can produce wealth for them if cultivated, but they will sell such land to others and collect money which they blow away.
We see a situation in some states where the monthly allocation from the Federation Allocation Committee (FAAC) is practically shared among political godfathers, aides, influential monarchs and a few individuals that are close to the corridors of power. After the sharing, everybody returns to his house for merriment to congregate again when the next allocation comes.
Some governors are lazy and do not want to “suffer before pleasure”, so they depend wholly on what comes from Abuja and from where they take care of themselves and their families. Development of the state is none of their business. They are those who believe in the doctrine of “kicking the can” down the street.
Little wonder a state governor in South East geo-political zone is vehemently against the call for restructuring of the country. He came up with a castrated excuse that his state is poor and cannot survive without FAAC, whereas the state is rich in many natural resources and arable land.
Just sheer laziness. I think it is high time these unviable states are taken to the stock exchange and put on offer for whoever can offer to buy them at One Penny!
N250
For this amount which her daughter, Aishat Sheriff, could not account for, Ayo Sheriff burnt the girl’s upper and lower limbs with a hot electric iron. What a perilous time!
Righteous indignation
Last Sunday, Christians staged nationwide protests in obedience to the directive of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN). The protests were to express their displeasure over the unending killing and bloodshed in the country.
In the last two years, herdsmen have continued to carry out uninhibited killing of Christians across the country. From Adamawa to Zamfara, Nasarawa, Taraba, Plateau and to Benue, the story is the same.
Benue has become a slaughter slab where mindless herdsmen slash the throats of innocent people, rip open tummies of pregnant women and kill feotuses. They took their satanic acts too far by invading churches and killing priests and other people of God. And the church is shocked and outraged. I foresee an Armageddon in Nigeria!
