Governors who run their States from Abuja do not mean us well

When bandits attacked a Zamfara community, killing some 41 persons as they charged along, Governor Abdulaziz Yari was nowhere near the State he pledged to protect and secure. Instead, Yari was attending an economic gathering in Abuja; grinning and pumping fists as his State burned.

“The attack happened on Wednesday. This is the front page of today's Thisday newspaper showing the Governor of Zamfara at the National Economic Council Meeting yesterday, Thursday in Abuja. Like nobody could whisper to him, dude, you shouldn't be here”, Sam Hart who is spokesperson of Abia Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, flared in a tweet.

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“And best believe that is the same Zamfara State Governor beaming in Daura today at a partisan gathering, three days after slaughter of citizens. My money says he has not been home since this crisis broke. Can't confirm if his information Commissioner has reached him”, Hart added.

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When Yari eventually made it home, he did all he could to deflect responsibility.

Buck passing

According to Yari; “Whatever humanly possible that needed to be done, we as a government have done to mitigate this disaster. But it does appear that security agencies are failing in their responsibilities.

“I feel let down facing the people of this state whenever I remember the promise I made to them that when they elect President Muhammadu Buhari into power, these killings will end. But unfortunately, things are now getting worse.

“As such, I urge you security agencies to up the ante so as not to lose this war. If you let us take issues on our hands, anarchy will reign which is not what we hope for.

“On this particular incidence, we had intelligence reports 24 hours before it happened that the bandits were grouping and ready to attack. I alerted the security agencies but unfortunately they sent inadequate personnel to confront these people from where they came from,” he said.

Tone deaf politicians

Hours after the Zamfara attack APC Governors converged on Daura to commiserate with President Buhari over the loss of two of his family members.

The governing party also went ahead to make such a show of some 35,000 PDP faithful defecting to their fold as though all was fine in the land.

Abuja Governors

Yari’s latest irresponsibility brings to the fore the worrying fad among Governors these days. Most Governors are running their States from Nigeria’s capital city of Abuja.

This writer has been told that Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello spends most of his waking hours in Abuja. Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai is in Abuja every other day these days. Several State Governors have moved office and home to Abuja.

This writer was told how a particular Governor of one of Nigeria’s Northwest States, never goes anywhere near his State for weeks on end.

Some Governors now order for files to be transported to Abuja for their signing pleasure.

It is little wonder that Governors who have relocated to Abuja can’t tell what ails their States; can’t fix what ails their States because they are as far removed from reality as one can be.

Abuja’s roads are wide and smooth. The air smells clean and green. State Governors who have moved wares to Abuja could be tempted to think that the rest of the country is just as pristine and serene.

However, it is the height of irresponsibility to be running your State from the federal capital because doing so keeps you in a bubble. Governors who do this aren’t helping the States they were elected to fix. They shortchange their States. It's a dereliction of duty. You need to be on the ground to run a State, technology be damned!

These Governors need to sit back in their States and do some real work. Someone really needs to let them know.