06/06/2026
Public Opinion!
ACCOUNTABILITY MUST NOT STOP AT A*O ROCK: GOVERNORS MUST ANSWER TOO
By Dr. Elisa Ehinmilorin
Musa Bakare's article, "The Dishonesty of Blaming A*o Rock for Every Problem in Nigeria,"raises a critical issue that many Nigerians have deliberately ignored for far too long. While citizens have every constitutional and moral right to hold the President accountable for national affairs, it is both intellectually dishonest and politically convenient to attribute every governance failure in Nigeria solely to the occupant of A*o Rock.
Nigeria operates a federal system of government, not a unitary one. The Constitution clearly assigns responsibilities to the Federal Government, State Governments, and Local Government Councils. Unfortunately, many Nigerians have become conditioned to see Abuja as both the source and solution to every problem while governors and local government chairmen continue to operate under a shield of limited public scrutiny.
The reality is that governors are among the most powerful political office holders in the country. They control enormous budgets, receive monthly federal allocations, generate substantial internally generated revenue, access intervention funds, ecological funds, derivation allocations, and various federal grants. Beyond this, they are recognized as the Chief Security Officers of their respective states, despite the constitutional limitations surrounding operational command of security agencies.
The pertinent question therefore remains: What have many governors done with these vast resources entrusted to them?
When roads become death traps, primary healthcare centres are abandoned, public schools deteriorate, rural communities lack potable water, and insecurity flourishes within states, citizens must look beyond Abuja and demand explanations from those constitutionally and financially empowered to address these challenges.
One of the greatest tragedies of Nigeria's democracy is the absence of effective accountability mechanisms at the state and local government levels. While federal government activities attract constant media attention and public criticism, many governors operate with minimal scrutiny despite controlling budgets running into hundreds of billions of naira annually.
The issue becomes even more troubling when one considers the huge security votes received monthly by state governments. These funds are largely exempt from detailed public accountability requirements. If insecurity continues to worsen despite these massive expenditures, Nigerians deserve to know how such funds are being utilized. Transparency should not be demanded only from the Federal Government; it must equally apply to state governments.
Furthermore, local government councils have historically been the closest tier of government to the people. Yet, in many parts of Nigeria, local governments have become administrative shadows of themselves. Markets are neglected, rural roads remain impassable, healthcare facilities are non-functional, and grassroots development is practically nonexistent. Despite this reality, public anger is frequently redirected solely towards Abuja while local authorities escape responsibility.
This culture of selective accountability has encouraged poor governance. It has allowed some state governments to prioritize political propaganda over developmental projects. It has enabled the proliferation of white elephant projects, wasteful spending, misplaced priorities, and poor planning without corresponding consequences.
Indeed, one cannot reasonably blame the President for every failed state road, every abandoned hospital project, every unpaid teacher, every dysfunctional primary healthcare centre, every rural community without electricity, or every local government that has become ineffective. Such an argument ignores the constitutional distribution of powers and responsibilities within the federation.
This is not an attempt to absolve the Federal Government of its obligations. Far from it. Every level of government must be held accountable. The President must answer for federal policies and national outcomes. Governors must answer for state governance. Local government chairmen must answer for grassroots development. Accountability must be comprehensive, not selective.
What Nigerians need today is a new culture of governance assessment, one that evaluates performance based on constitutional responsibilities rather than political sentiments. Citizens must begin asking governors difficult questions about budget implementation, security votes, internally generated revenue, healthcare delivery, educational outcomes, infrastructure development, and rural transformation.
The era of hiding behind Abuja must come to an end. A governor who receives billions of naira monthly but fails to improve the welfare of his people should face the same level of public scrutiny directed at the Federal Government. Likewise, local government officials must no longer be allowed to evade responsibility for grassroots failures. Nigeria's developmental challenges cannot be solved through blame-shifting. They can only be addressed through transparency, accountability, prudent resource management, and responsible leadership at all levels of government.
The time has come for Nigerians to demand answers not only from A*o Rock but also from every Government House, every State Assembly, and every Local Government Secretariat across the federation. Only when accountability becomes universal rather than selective can Nigeria truly begin the journey toward good governance, sustainable development, and national progress.
Dr. Elisa Ehinmilorin
Public Affairs Analyst and Advocate for Transparency, Accountability, and Good Governance
Writes from California, United States.
NB: Opinions expressed are that of the author
