The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has strongly criticized the increasing decline in transparency and responsible governance at both federal and state levels in Nigeria, calling for urgent reforms to address the nation’s governance deficit.
Kolawole Oluwadare, the Deputy Director of SERAP, voiced these concerns during a televised discussion on Channels Television’s Sunrise on Saturday. He expressed worry about the misuse of public resources by Nigerian state governors, describing their conduct as wasteful and symptomatic of a broader issue of poverty in the country.
“The reality on the ground today is that most Nigerians perceive the governors as being profligate. It speaks to the level of poverty in Nigeria,” Oluwadare stated, adding that the President need not wait for international validation before acknowledging this crisis.
He continued, “And the President really doesn’t need the US government to say that before he knows that, and that is why he’s the C-in-C, and that is why he superintends over the governors.”
According to him, the structure of Nigerian federalism places immense influence in the hands of the President, especially regarding economic direction. Oluwadare argued that this influence must be responsibly exercised to curb the ongoing governance crisis.
okay.ng reports that SERAP’s concern stems from the perception that many governors have deviated from the constitutional expectations tied to their offices. Oluwadare accused several state leaders of prioritizing extravagant buildings and personal legacies over basic infrastructure development that would benefit the masses.
“That’s how you see governors will prioritise building big buildings at the expense of building infrastructure that will benefit the people,” he emphasized.
He lamented that impunity remains deeply embedded in Nigeria’s political system, undermining constitutional duties and public trust. He urged that accountability must be restored by ensuring that the power of office lies in the institution, not the individual.
Oluwadare stressed, “Public trust should rest on public office, not the occupier, to make the holder more accountable and promote good governance.”
