05 Apr 2009 |
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Since November 12, 2008 when the court of Appeal sitting in Benin declared Adams Oshiomhole as winner of the April 2007 governorship polls in Edo State, the state has featured so much in the media, all for the wrong reasons.From one crisis to another. Edo State is dogged by controversies. So much energy is dissipated on these crisis that one wonders whether the combatants still have any energy left for the very serious art of governance. Sometimes State resources are deployed in the process. For a man who chose to be called Comrade Governor a lot was, of course, is expected of him. He promised to turn stone into bread and to apply his magic wands to make Edo state problems disappear in a jiffy. But these are yet to happen. Instead, the former NLC president is starting wars all over the place. It is as if the blood of militancy runs all over his body. Hardly is one war over than he starts another. With his combativeness and guerrilla tactics he gave his predecessor sleepless moments and even when Osunbor stepped aside in obedience to the court decision, he refused to show the man some respects and instructed his goons to dish out half truths about Osunbor. Now the latest war is on the 2009 budget. The impression being created in the mind of the people is that the House of Assembly ‘butchered’ the budget. This is most untrue. The governor is using the media to maximum effect in this regard. Painfully, however, facts are being distorted and misrepresentations made on issues concerning the budget as passed by the House. First, the governor is busy building structures ahead of 2011 and is not so bothered about performance. In desperation, his body language gives him away as a democratic dictator. Second, coming from a labour background where autocracy reigns supreme, he is not abreast with the politics of governance and consensus building. In any democracy, separation of powers is a cardinal principle. Likewise, there exists interdependence among the three tiers and this subsists on the basis of mutual respect and cordiality as each arm or tier acts as a check and balance on others. This meeting point ensures that the rights of a citizen are adequately protected. Somehow, the governor and his aides since inception have shown so much disdain and disrespect to the other tiers of government. There are catalogue of examples to buttress this fact.Recently, protesters stormed the Edo State House of Assembly to express their grievances on the content of the budget as passed. Protesters mainly okada riders, and miscreants paraded as students and some sprinkle of civil societies moved on the House. Obviously, they had been tutored on what to say. This is certainly not the first time. Since the governor mounted the saddle of leadership, crowd rental has become a lucrative pastime for the executive arm. The protesters claimed the House has no right to slash the budget from N75.2 billion as proposed to N70.2 billion as passed. They also said complained about the omission and the removal of expansion and dualisation of Ugbowo – Lagos Road and Airport Road. Surprisingly, there was no budgetary provisions made for the construction of a six lane road at Ugbowo-Lagos Road and Airport Road and it is unparliamentary to appropriate votes for projects that were not included in the budget proposal from the onset. The expansion of Ugbowo-Lagos Road and Airport Road was only mentioned in the budget speech by the Governor while presenting his budget on February 16, 2009. So who carries the blame? Again, the issue of compensating those whose houses/offices would be give way was not included in the budget. Take Airport road for instance, for six lanes to materialize, the state of Assembly complex, hotels, the revered Oba of Benin palace, commercial banks, Nigeria Observer office, Military and Airforce Base etc have to go. If the state government pull-down these structures without discussing compensation, definitely another protest will take over Benin City. The amount earmarked for deflooding of Benin remains intact. A stitch in time, they say saves nine.Indeed, there was evidence to show that the protesters were largely ignorant and misinformed about budgeting process and the role the House needs to play before its passage. Many of them were probably rented and posted to march on the House without any due regards whatsoever as to the implications of their action. Besides, the state governments propaganda machinery was in full swing. The protesters had a day before the protest, cleverly generated computer-aided designs of the roads which they sheepishly displayed to show how its expansion would greatly enhance the beauty of Benin City. The credence to support the suspicious that government had a hand in the protests soon emerged. To show that it was the hands of Esau and the voice of Jacob, the comrade Governor was to bare his fangs when in an interview said that he will not assent his signature to the Appropriation Bill into law. Whatever may be his misgivings about the budget, the governor seems to be using ambush tactics to blackmail and intimidate the House and also drafting revered institutions into the dispute when he has been given an open-ended communication channel by the House leadership and could have used rapprochement instead of the guerilla warfare methods. For example, the Oba of Benin was deceived and misled into writing a protest letter to the house leadership on the remodeled budget. What happened is that the Benin monarch was cajoled about a version of the budget proposals. Surprisingly, the letter written by the Oba of Benin was dated March 23, 2009. Ironically, that was the same day the Appropriation Bill was presented to the governor for assent. This shows how far the Oshiomhole administration can go in its deception game. The target is to portray the House and its leadership as a clog in the wheel of progress. Invariably, the whole brouhaha about the budget and other crisis is self-induced as the administration of Oshimhole is gradually losing focus and seems incapable of delivering on its promises. Therefore, the things to do is to ruffle the polity and buy time. The budget ritual is enshrined in the constitution. In it, it is clearly specified what role the legislature is to play. Not a single kobo can be spent without appropriating. Unlike during the military era, the executive branch must send its budget expenditures and income for appropriation before implementation. Therefore the legislature has powers to delete, reduce or add to the estimates as proposed by the executive where there is shortfall, the executive is therefore expected to avail itself of the opportunity of a supplementary budget. So far, the comrade Governor, aside of being combative in nature, probably as a result of his labour background and has suddenly become paranoid with power to the extent that he sees other power centres as a challenge to his dominance and absoluteness. This, in all sincerity, poses a serious threat to the concept of separation of powers as well as the need for harmonious relationship among the three tiers of government. Otherwise, why should someone like the Comrade Governor threaten not to implement the budget simply because the House slashed his budget estimates from N75.2 billion to N70.2 billion? In most interviews, he had granted the press, the governor attempted to batter the image of the House and the integrity of its leadership simply because they have refused to lose their heads and go dancing naked in the market as had become the stock in trade of the principal and his aides. With due respect, the House had held its own and is rated very high in comparison to others across the federation. This pedestal would not have been achieved if the house and its leadership had not chosen the path of transparency, decency and integrity. Definitely, the body language and utterances of the principal and those of his aides is clearly unbecoming of an elected Governor. Is it possible to give what you do not possess? Recent happenings has proven that true democrats are few in our midst. What’s more obvious is that the comrade sees himself as the headmaster who must brow beat others into submission and subjugation. One even expected the Governor to have been grateful to the House when his budget enjoyed accelerated passage. Instead he became combative as the Lord of the Manor.For more than two months, the polity has been heated up due to the failure of government to attend to critical issues of governance. Insecurity rules the wave while the government is busy leading demonstrators on the street. Since when did public demonstrations become an integral part of governance? Besides, one must hasten to ask also that since when did the size of the budget become the sole criteria for performance? If the comrade governor were to be prudent, he would surely achieve almost the same level of performance irrespective of whether the budget was slashed or not. Except there are other hidden facts which the rest of us are unaware of. Should there be any need for extra budgetary expenses on priority projects, the option of a supplementary budget exists. Budget slashing is not new. In fact, the man Oshiomhole succeeded had his budget slashed too but he did not draw the battle line. Similar things happened in other states. Why is the action of the Edo State House of Assembly causing ripples? Did the House contravene any constitutional provisions in performing its role? Is it the power of the executive to propose, appropriate and spend public funds? Indeed, there are several posers deserving urgent answers which the actions of the comrade governor raises. Most importantly, why should the House be held responsible for the failures of the executive. Without doubt, there are several factors which determine the final figures stamped by the legislative body. In the process of configuring the budget into shape, commissioners were invited to defend the votes of their ministries and agencies. If in the end, subtractions and additions are made, it is in exercise of the powers bestowed on the House. Frankly, there was noticeable lazy attitude on the part of executive members in defending appropriation and therefore, it is wrong to blame the House on any lapses. Anyway, the comrade needs to visit Lagos and consult Governor Fashola on the meticulous planning that goes into the execution of major projects and some lessons on good governance. Obviously, these are lacking in Edo State. In six months, the mountain of refuse are still standing; the floods are giving signs, and the roads remain a death traps and so on. Kidnapping which hitherto has been alien to Edo State is now with us. Thanks but no thanks to Oshiomhole and his government in Edo State. Yet, the comrade is busy mobilizing and demonstrating when there is work to be done. Or, is he still fighting against fuel price increase? In a nutshell, what Edo people need is action and not plenty talks. The time to work is now. A former governor once said: “Talk, na do” Oshiomole must imbibe the philosophy and the wheel of governance in motion. Our people have suffered enough all in the name of democracy. Enough is enough!
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