Nigerian ‘Governors responsible for nation’s socio-economic woes,’ says SAN

*Yunus Ustaz Usman, a prominent constitutional lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria explains how all the state governors’ activities have resulted in lack of development and growth, besides bringing an untold hardship on Nigerian consumers

Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect

As regards insecurity, economic downturn, and other social maladies currently afflicting the Africa’s largest economy, Yunus Ustaz Usman, a prominent constitutional lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), has accused all state governors of being responsible for them all in the country.

Usman, an Arewa leader who spoke in Kaduna on the state of the nation and democracy, declared that insecurity, economic downturn and other social maladies in several parts of the country were a creation of the governors and not President Muhammadu Buhari, reports The Guardian.

The constitutional lawyer stated that the state governors’ activities “led us into the current challenges.”

He pointed out that “if anything happens to this country, they should be held responsible.”

While lamenting over the state of the Local Council system and Legislative houses in Nigeria, Usman said all governors had made them ineffective to the detriment of socio-economic development and growth.

He contended that President Buhari’s achievements would have been feasible, if not for insincerity, governors’ inability to perform and their behavior in the economy.

“Whatever the governors ought to do, they would shift them to the President.

“There is no independence of the legislature and local council in the country again. The council, that is closest to the people, is no longer there.

“Some governors commit impeachable offences. There is no longer independence of the legislature,” said he.

Usman further noted that “legislators have all been pocketed by their governors. Legislative houses are all dead. Lawmakers cannot do anything without first seeking governors’ consent. Is this how to run a democracy?

He submitted that the governors’ activities had brought untold hardship on the people, as well as lack of development and growth.

The lawyer queried the lack of judicious use of security votes, saying: “If anything happens to this country, the governors should be held responsible.”