Activist urges Nigerians to hold govs responsible for development failures
The convener of Make Ogun State Great Again (MOGA), Pastor Kayode Olawoye, has called on Nigerians to hold state governors accountable for development failures rather than blaming the Federal Government.
The convener of Make Ogun State Great Again (MOGA), Pastor Kayode Olawoye, has called on Nigerians to hold state governors accountable for development failures rather than blaming the Federal Government.
Olawoye made the call at the unveiling of the group in the Ogba Ayo area of Sango, Ogun State.
Olawoye noted that it was important for Nigerians to recognise the powers that their governors wield in ensuring development at the grassroots level.
He noted that blaming the Federal Government for all development lapses would not yield results at the grassroots level.
“When the roads are bad, when the economy is down, when the electricity supply is poor, we blame whoever the President is, and that is the greatest error we are making as Nigerians.
“The people who are meant to be held responsible and accountable for whatever happens at the state level are the governors. If Nigeria must get better, we must hold the governors accountable,” he said.
He noted that despite the powers that governors wield in ensuring development, Nigerians often ignore them and instead blame the President for failures.
Olawoye added that the remark by President Bola Tinubu urging that governors should be held accountable cannot be overemphasised.
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Olawoye also stressed that it was important for Nigerians to make the right choices of leaders as the 2027 elections approach, adding that the group was formed to ensure leadership accountability.
“The grassroots people who elected senators, House of Assembly members, and governors are often forgotten, so the purpose of this programme is to peacefully demand the dividends of democracy.
“In the history of Nigeria, the current governors are receiving the highest allocations today, and yet there is little to show for it.
“Part of our mission is to educate and sensitise the people at the grassroots on why they should not sell their votes for N5, 000 and cups of rice,” he added.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Coalition of Civil Society Organisations in Ogun State, Solomon Bankole, urged members of the group on the importance of demanding accountability from the government.
Bankole expressed disappointment in the role played by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) during the travails of Pastor Olawoye in the custody of the Department of State Security (DSS).
He stressed the need to be our brother's keeper in all situations because "an injury to one is an injury to others."
Ogun CSO's Chairman noted that people should be wary of simple actions that could land them in prison, which include allowing visitors to sleep overnight in one's room, allowing other people to use one's personal phone, throwing away used airtime cards without destroying it and rendering unsolicited assistance to people.
He noted that Nigeria would not improve if citizens remain passive on development issues, adding that demanding their rights is constitutional.
He also sensitised participants on legal frameworks in human rights and activism.
The unveiling drew participants from civil society organisations, Muslim groups, and members of the Christian Association of Nigeria.
Dignitaries at the event included a former Chairman of the Nigerian Union of Journalists in Ogun State, Comrade Wole Shokunbi, a CAN leader in the state, Jeremiah Johnson, and the President of Peoples Against Corruption and Injustice, Comrade Fakeye, among others.
