After President Muhammadu Buhari was sworn in on May 29, alongside other newly-elected governors, Nigerians were bombarded with claims and counter-claims regarding how much was bequeathed to these office-holders by their predecessors. Buhari fired the first salvo when he told a bewildered nation that his predecessor almost wrecked the national economy; because, in his estimation, not much was left in the national treasury. He literally accused the preceding federal administration of looting the entire commonwealth. Consequently, he set up an investigative panel made up of some state governors to unravel the circumstances surrounding the near state of comatose of the country’s savings, particularly the accruals from crude oil exports.

Various state governors in their first term also followed with their own chorus of accusations of meeting empty treasuries. Governor Nasir el-Ruffai of Kaduna State who initially alleged that his predecessor, Mr Ramalan Yero, left the state finances in reds recanted eventually and admitted that, at least, some few hundred millions were left. Bauchi, Katsina and Rivers states, among others, made similar or even worse claims.

But these governors crying over empty treasuries have made ridiculously huge state executive appointments, with some of them approving up to 12 advisers and 24 commissioners in some cases. Cross River State has appointed 12 Special Advisers, while Enugu has just named 24 heavyweight politicians as commissioners, with no single hard core technocrat. This is a state where rural infrastructures are almost non-existent, even as scholarship schemes for young but talented youths are not in place. Yet, the governor who parades a peculiar traditional title of Gburugburu (All-round) has gone on to introduce a huge list of commissioners, as if governance is all about dishing out political patronage to those who supported your campaign and eventual victory at the polls. Some of those in the Enugu State’s massive political list are politicians recycled many times over, including some who have traversed the entire political environment of Nigeria, either as state or federal appointees, and national legislators. This is a huge disappointment from a young man who spent approximately eight years in the Federal House of Representatives and so should be privy to the fact that Nigeria's federally-redistributed revenues and financial assets are shrinking by the day because of a variety of reasons, including the collapse of the global crude oil price.

Reports in the media disclosed that Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has sent a list of 24 commissioner-nominees to the State House of Assembly for screening and confirmation. According to the list read on the floor of the House on Thursday July 9, 2015 by the Speaker, Edward Ubochi, the nominees include three former Reps: Ambassador Fidel Ayogu, Chijioke Edoga and Peace Nnaji. Also in the list are two former local government chairmen, Dr Sam Ugwu and Ozo Vitalis Onuzulike; founding chairman of PDP in Enugu State, Charles Egumbe, and Rita Chinelo Mba who was an adviser to immediate past Governor Sullivan Chime. Other nominees are: Patrick Ezebuilo Ikpenwa, Udeuhele Godwin Ikpechukwu, Mabeke Obinna Benjamin, Greg Nnaji, Chika Smart Ogbe, Ndukwe Charles Chuka, Chidi Aroh and Sam Ogbu Nwobodo.

The list also includes Emeka Okeke, Miletus Ezegwuorie Eze, Prof Uchenna Eze, Charles Ogbonna Asogwa, Solomon Izuchukwu Onah, Mr. Vitus Okechi, Mike C Eneh, Fide Ani and Eucharia Uche Offor.

Shortly after the speaker presented the correspondence from the governor to the House, the leader, Hon Ikechukwu Ezeugwu, urged colleagues to accept the list of nominees for consideration. “I rise to move that the message for 24 nominees be accepted for consideration on a later date,” Ezeugwu said. Speaker of the House, Ubosi, urged the commissioner-nominees to submit 25 copies of their curriculum vitae for screening. Ubosi said that it should be submitted on or before July 13, for the screening on July 14.

In what has been code-named ‘Take a bow and go’ process of the so-called legislative screening, these 24 or so career politicians were asked to go and assume offices. But assuming duty is a different kettle of fish because, first and foremost, their portfolios were not included in the letter nominating them. On their part, the legislators spent no time to thoroughly extract some form of commitment from them regarding the kind of services they would individually render to the good people of Enugu State. If I may ask: How much revenue does Enugu, a typical civil service state, receive monthly from the federally-redistributed assets, and internally generated revenue? In Cross River State, the House of Assembly recently approved a list of 12 advisers for a state that can barely meet the obligation of monthly payment of huge wage bills to the civil servants. These advisers will also have to work alongside another list of commissioners.

Apart from Kano that has cut down the size of her state cabinet, other states are in a race of their lives as if to say they are competing among themselves on which can produce the longest list. Ebonyi State, I learnt, also has up to 12 commissioners and a retinue of advisers. Yobe and Borno are no exceptions, because in Borno alone the governor was reported to have named at least a dozen commissioners and advisers, including four media aides: some in charge of print, new media and the electronic media. In Imo State, Rochas Okorocha redefined nepotism by appointing both his two in-laws as chief of staff and secretary to state government. For God’s sake, a typical state, in this financial bad climate, isn’t supposed to have more than nine commissioners and a sprinkling of hard core technocrats as special advisers. Ministries should be merged to reduce the cost of governance, to enable states conserve funds to provide necessary infrastructures to the rural and urban population, who ought to derive benefits of the taxes they are compelled to part with. Sates in Nigeria must cut their coats according to their clothes/size.

•RIGHTSVIEW appears on Wednesdays and Saturdays, in addition to special appearances. The Columnist, popular activist Emmanuel Onwubiko, is a former Federal Commissioner of Nigeria’s National Human Rights Commission and presently National Coordinator of Human Rights Writers’ Association of Nigeria (HURIWA).

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