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From: Scholastic Hir, Makurdi; Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin and Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri
The disputes arising from the last governorship elections have been finally settled by the Supreme Court. For the governors, there are no more distractions, and are therefore expected to roll up their sleeves and go to work.
Against this background, some Nigerians have offered suggestions on things that should be the priority of the state governors.
No more reasons to complain – Bassey Bassey, Journalist, Edo
Now that the dust has been settled by the Supreme Court, I expected the governors to settle down for the businesses of the day. No more excuses. Let the citizens of those states whose governors were having a running legal battle now begin to feel the impact of good governance. They have no reason to complain for their inability to perform and deliver the dividends of democracy to their people anymore.
Time to deliver on their electoral promises – Sunday Olise, businessman, Asaba
Now, the governors need to sit down and work. There is nothing more to fear. Like in Delta State, my state, there was a great apprehension over the situation on ground a day to the delivery of the Supreme Court judgement. But now, there is nothing to fear. They have to go and deliver the dividends of democracy to their electorate. All the electioneering promises they made during their campaigns, it is now for the governors to bring them to fruition.
They should hit the ground running to fulfil promises – Isaac Olamikan, journalist, Benin
As we speak now, they don’t have much time, having spent eight months out of their four years in pursuing their court cases up to the Supreme Court. Now, they have three years and four months remaining and four years is not even enough let alone three years and four months.
So, they should hit the ground running. They should start working on all the promises they made to the people that endeared them to the people, to get their votes in the first place.
Build economy of their states – Chilos Godsent, President, Igbo National Council (INC), Owerri
I expect that the state governors should concentrate on building the economy of their respective states as a short term intervention measures to address youth unemployment and insecurity in their states.
They should do reconciliation – Prince Benedict Oyenwuenyi, politician, Owerri
The tasks before them are consolidation and reconciliation, which are the bedrock to speedy achievement and delivery of services. I urge the governors after the victory to be fully prepared to work, rally all parties and involve qualified citizens to work and also create all inclusive parties into their governments.
They should do projects to restore electorate’s confidence – Elizabeth Achagh, journalist, Makurdi
The focus of the governors now should be on providing good governance and ensuring that the confidence reposed in them by the electorate who voted them into power is not in vain. I urge them to provide developmental projects and programmes that would address the huge deficit in infrastructure, education, provide employment for the teeming unemployed youth, address insecurity, empower women and address the economic challenges bedevilling the country.
They should begin to formulate people oriented policies – Kene Kenneth, media practitioner, Makurdi
The elections and legal battles have come to an end and so this is the time for them to face governance and give people the promised dividends of democracy. Their priority should be on formulating people oriented policies that will impact on everyone in the state, especially the rural people, the last person in that place.
In Benue and Plateau states for instance, as well as the other states in the North Central, the people have suffered insecurity in the forms of attacks on rural communities and on farmers, kidnapping and other forms of criminality. The governors in these states should focus on addressing insecurity. Without security, they cannot do any development.
In Benue, areas like Sankara and Gwer West, where people are being attacked, killed and kidnapped, Governor Hyacinth Alia should rise to the occasion. His Plateau State counterpart should also rise to his responsibilities and protect lives and property. This should be their priority because once security is assured, the welfare of the people can be guaranteed.
