Make governors implement LG autonomy, Showunmi tells Tinubu

A former governorship aspirant of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State, Otunba Segun Showunmi, has asked President Bola Tinubu, to bully state governors into implementing the Local Government financial autonomy. He described governors as “clowns” stampeding the implementation of the LG autonomy already declared by the Supreme Court. Speaking with newsmen in Abeokuta, […]

A former governorship aspirant of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State, Otunba Segun Showunmi, has asked President Bola Tinubu, to bully state governors into implementing the Local Government financial autonomy.

He described governors as “clowns” stampeding the implementation of the LG autonomy already declared by the Supreme Court.

Speaking with newsmen in Abeokuta, the PDP Chieftain said “I am not happy with the Federal Government of President Bola Tinubu on the essence that they have gone all the way to the Supreme Court to say that LGs should have their monies directly and full autonomy and you are sitting down there and allowing some clowns calling themselves governors to be playing with that.

“If you just bullied them into implementing that LG thing, do you know the amount of jobs you would generate in the country because the LGs will be so boisterous and there’s a way to do it.

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“In the days when General Babangida was here, he was Military Head of Staff and they started this democracy, the democracy of NRC and SDP, you know what they did? Local Government didn’t collect their money through the state. They went to the Federal Ministry of Finance in the state and picked their LG cheques. That’s what they did. The state would go and collect wherever it collects its own.

“The point I’m making is that – the reason why we are needing so many laws, rules; why we need EFCC, still need ICPC, Nigerian Police, all these things is just simply because our people don’t have the culture of doing the right thing. And the reason why the culture of not doing the right thing is pervasive is because they don’t see the consequence.”

He insisted that there must be commensurate consequences to the rights and privileges that Nigerian leaders enjoy.

“Can somebody be a governor in China and they will catch him with those things they are catching people with here? Can you be a major in China, then you go and buy Rolls -Royce? You know they are going to bloody cut off your head,” Showunmi said.
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The PDP Chieftain rated Tinubu administration’s performance high in the last two years, saying “they have done well.”

Showunmi applauded the government for what he called “systematic thinking in solving challenges,” just as he disagreed with some policies and ‘lifestyle’ of the administration.

“In terms of their lifestyle, that’s where I have some serious issues. I have very serious issues with their lifestyle.

“Anybody who wants to manage change in a country as large as ours that will impact the citizens a bit negatively in terms of cost of living and what have you, must of necessity project and adopt more frugal attitude to governance because it is very hard for people to see those that are leading living in plenty when as a result of the policies of the government they have to leave in austerity,” he said.

Showunmi expressed worry no one has taken responsibility for the two major policies of the administration, subsidy removal and floating of the currency.

He admitted that there’s no point “burning funds” in the name of subsidy, but the government “can’t publish the citizens for the irresponsible behaviour of the business people who abused the subsidy regime.”

Showunmi said if the citizens have to suffer for the loss of subsidy, there must be a commensurate punishment to those who messed up the fuel subsidy regime.