President Muhammadu Buhari has issued a stern warning to newly-elected and returning governors, urging them to fulfil their campaign promises or face the possibility of being voted out in the next elections.
POLITICS NIGERIA reports that the president made this remark during the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) induction ahead of the May 29 inauguration.
The event took place at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Monday and aimed to equip new governors with the necessary skills for democratic governance and to implement pre-election blueprints.
Although Buhari was not physically present at the event, he was represented by his Chief of Staff, Professor Ibrahim Gambari.
The president urged Nigerians to be patient and use the appropriate channels to seek redress. Buhari reminded the governors that they are now solely responsible for their respective states for the next four years.
He said, “From this day, you become wholly responsible for the state as an enterprise. Therefore, you must be prepared to provide leadership that will inspire citizens to support government programs and policies that will make a difference in their lives.”
“You as the governor or state chief executive inherit all its assets and liabilities. The assumption of oflfice is a constitutional process that we must take with utmost dedication, in the light of the trust bestowed on you by those who elected you into office.
“One interesting development that we all saw from the last election is that the electorate is maturing, and people are increasingly finding their voices. Any public officer who fails to either meet up with the expectations of the people or deliver on his campaign promises would be voted out in the next election. That is what democracy is about; deliver or get shown the door out.
“I enjoin the Forum to promote ideals that will address the challenges of democracy and governance in our country today. The role of the sub-nationals is critical in our socio-economic development as a nation.
“As returning or incoming state executives you also must be cognisant of the comparative advantages inherent in each of your states, and how you can form partnerships with each other, by leveraging your various strengths while recognising that there is no one size fits all solutions.
“I also bid you to take this opportunity to unite across party divides to put the country first. Nigerians desire peace, progress and security; country where they have access to quality education, health and social services.
“Your ability to champion these values significantly impacts the atmosphere where in the delivery of social goods and services will be conducted efficiently and harmoniously.
“We have made steady progress since we took office in 2015. The road has been bumpy due to a challenging fiscal climate, but I am proud to state as we leave office in about two weeks that we have built a firm foundation for a prosperous Nigeria. We could not have done everything, but we focused on a number of areas: infrastructure, agriculture and strengthening our Armed Forces.”
