To say that Nigerians are demoralised over the spendthrift attitude of their governors, at a time the ordinary Nigerian is finding it difficult to survive is a gross understatement. Nigeria is going through critical economic misfortune, and the populace is faced with increasing poverty; yet the governors are carrying on with business as usual, and seemingly without a care of the effect on the people. This much can be gleaned from the budgetary provisions they are currently presenting, which shows their sharp hypocrisy against the people.

Way back to the accountability reforms instituted by the Olusegun Obasanjo administration between 1999 and 2007, it was realised that the major means by which the political class roguishly drain public resources was through procurement. Inflated contracts, duplicated budgetary line items, frivolous and unrestrained lust for luxury were conduits through which governors, civil servants, lawmakers and other public officials steal from the people.

Ordinarily, strengthening existing practices and policies on public procurement could serve as checks against wasteful spending. Thus, the Public Procurement Act 2007, was signed into law and its principles entail having all contracting parties follow due processes, fairness, transparency, efficiency and impartiality. That means the bidding process shall encourage competitiveness in the interest of the country.

In addition, there is the Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007, which provides for prudent management and enhanced accountability and transparency in fiscal operations. Together with the monitoring of public finance by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Offences Commission (ICPC), it was envisaged that public expenditure and procurement would experience a turnaround. But the politicians still found ways to compromise the laws; circumvent and politicize the processes.

At the end of the day, despite trillions of revenues accruing from sale of crude oil, over-priced charges and tariffs at the ports and borders, plus multiple taxes from multiple sources, there are not many resources left to spend on infrastructure, education, public health and general well-being of citizens. Governments spend larger part of earnings to service interests on borrowed loans, maintain bloated and inefficient bureaucracies and pad recurrent budgets with frivolous items. This is the story across the country, beginning from the center, Abuja. Today, there is excruciating poverty and hopelessness among the people. Hunger and misery stalk the land.

According to data from the Debt Management Office (DMO), the total public debt portfolio for the country’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory is N9.7 trillion and that of the Federal Government is put at N78.2 trillion. If Nigerians had expected this fact-sheet to serve a cautionary note against unreasonable budgeting, they are certainly being disappointed.

Despite the economic pains inflicted by shiftless government policies and while tasking the populace to brace up for more hardship, reports of government budgets from the states are confounding in their disconnect with the reality and level of the adversity in the land.

There was outrage in Lagos, when Funsho Doherty, candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the 2023 governorship election, drew attention to what appeared to be injudicious spending of taxpayers’ money on the website of the Lagos Public Procurement Agency. Mr. Doherty queried how a big sum was approved for the “provision of supply of items such as rechargeable fans, rechargeable lights and fridge in the office of the deputy governor.”

Although the government had disputed and sought to correct the figure, there are still many items on the state’s budget that show undue ostentations and do not reflect current economic realities. An example is the outrageous amount approved for the office of the chief of staff to the governor to “supply and distribute 2,000 noiler chicken”, among other items that appeared questionable against the background of current poverty levels in the country.

Other states are also reported to be in the habit of acting irresponsibly in the application of state resources. The government of Osun State in its third quarter budget performance record displayed on the state’s website spent N2billion on meals, welfare packages and another N6 billion to run the state house in three months. Also, N209 million was spent on personal expenditure in the governor’s office. Abia State was reported to have spent N927 million on meals, refreshment and welfare from July to September 2023.

Altogether, the 36 states are reported to have spent N1.7 trillion on recurrent expenditures, including chartered plane, foreign trips, aircraft maintenance and sundry allowances between January and September 2023. They are reported to have borrowed N46.17 billion to pay salaries between January and June 2023.

While states and governors have contested the reports, it is clear that many do not follow the due processes outlined in their respective procurement laws. Nearly all thirty-six states of the Federation have passed the Procurement Law, but not all are applying the open contract bidding system that allows for transparency and accountability. Many road and housing projects in states are done according to the whims of governors in collusion with their lawmakers, without subjecting such to the strict openness the law recommends.

The excess ‘profits’ public officials make from contracts and other undeclared sources deny citizens of access to better life while the officials live in affluence and obscene ostentation. They benefit themselves and their cronies while the people become poorer. Nigeria cannot make progress when leaders become rulers who lord it over the people and mismanage their resources.

This is the time to show character in leadership and a time to be sensitive to the plight of the people. Nigerians cannot be living in hunger and penury while public officers continue to live large. Cost of living has gone out of reach for many; with an inflation rate at 28.20 per cent, only few families can afford basic food items in the market. Cost of health services and drugs have gone up and many Nigerians have become depressed, waking up and not knowing from where and how their next meal will come.

The Public Accounts Committees of the legislatures should wake up and demand probity in their respective public space. The legislatures should stop colluding with their executives and serve as the true representatives of the people, in the exercise of their appropriation power over the resources of the people. Those who man the offices of auditor general are reminded to scrutinize their accounting officers and receivers of revenue and all those entrusted with public monies within their jurisdictions for the good of all.

Civil societies and accountability bodies, along with the media, should double their scrutiny of what goes on across the states of the federation and make the government accountable to Nigerians. This is not time to be docile, let all hands be on deck to rescue the nation from ostentatious rulers.

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