Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos state says appointed federal
ministers can never be in the same class with elected governors in the country,
adding that many ministers have been acting in a way to usurp the powers of the
governors.
ministers can never be in the same class with elected governors in the country,
adding that many ministers have been acting in a way to usurp the powers of the
governors.
Fashola spoke while delivering a lecture titled ‘The Essence of
a Patriot and Federalist’, in commemoration of the 80th birthday anniversary of
Alhaji Femi Okunnu at the Nigeria Institute of International Affairs, NIIA,
Victoria Island, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria.
a Patriot and Federalist’, in commemoration of the 80th birthday anniversary of
Alhaji Femi Okunnu at the Nigeria Institute of International Affairs, NIIA,
Victoria Island, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria.
The governor said he was pissed off when many ministers, because
they were at the centre, thought they were equal or have greater power
than the governors in their own state and often sought to take over the
governance of such states from them. “Alhaji Okunnu, when he was a minister
cooperated with his governor. He did not seek to dominate him because he was a
federal minister.
they were at the centre, thought they were equal or have greater power
than the governors in their own state and often sought to take over the
governance of such states from them. “Alhaji Okunnu, when he was a minister
cooperated with his governor. He did not seek to dominate him because he was a
federal minister.
This is unlike some of the things we sadly hear today in some
states where ministers levy war against the governor of the state they represent
or against the state itself.
“These early perspectives are important in order to set things
aright, that there can be only one elected head of a state and that is the
governor. No minister has a higher authority over the affairs of a state in a
democratic structure such as ours based on a federal arrangement because the
governor is not subordinate to the president who is the appointor of a
minister,” he stated.
aright, that there can be only one elected head of a state and that is the
governor. No minister has a higher authority over the affairs of a state in a
democratic structure such as ours based on a federal arrangement because the
governor is not subordinate to the president who is the appointor of a
minister,” he stated.
According to the governor, “we have heard complaints about the
powers that governors of Nigerian states now wield and this seems to worry some
people. I understand some of these complaints seem to emanate from quarters
whose experience was in the time that governors or military administrators were
appointed.”
powers that governors of Nigerian states now wield and this seems to worry some
people. I understand some of these complaints seem to emanate from quarters
whose experience was in the time that governors or military administrators were
appointed.”
He said the current reality was that things had changed and that
ministers must accept it “or if we do not like it, then it is open to us to
change it, so that governors can be appointed instead of being elected.”
ministers must accept it “or if we do not like it, then it is open to us to
change it, so that governors can be appointed instead of being elected.”
Source:
PMNews
PMNews
