Professor Fage Criticizes G-5 Governors Over Abroad Trips

The aggrieved governors of the Peoples Democratic Party, also known as G-5 have been criticised for holding regular meetings abroad.

A former vice president of the Nigerian Political Science Association, Professor Sani Fage, commented while speaking in an interview with Saturday PUNCH. He noted that such funds should have been channeled toward the development of their states.

If the money utilized for their present visits for political meetings came from their various state treasuries, according to political science professor Fage, that would amount to an abuse of office and breach of public trust.

Fage stated He said, “This is simply wasting of state resources on political jamboree and it’s wrong. They (G-5 governors) are trying to pursue their interests and in doing this, they use the state resources at their disposal.

“This is a betrayal of trust that the public entrusted to them; it’s an abuse of office. This is an issue that will not augur well for the system. When you create such conflictual situations, you are overheating the polity unnecessarily.

“Even though they want to pursue their interest, they can settle amicably and not hop into a plane and fly overseas for meetings. They are wasting resources.”

He stated that the governors, in their bid to serve the personal interest in becoming politically relevant after their tenure, are not considering the implications that such will have on their state.

Fage, however, urged the anti-graft agencies to shine their spotlight on the G-5 governors and look into them after they had left office.

“Yes, People should be made accountable even after their office, especially given the loophole or the lacuna that the constitution has, which put in place executive immunity. But after they are out of office, they should be investigated to establish whether somebody has wasted the state resources or has abused his office.

“Except they are not using state resources, but if they are, then surely, there are consequences and people may not see the consequences in a short time. Those expenditures may cost the states the resources that should have been used for development.

“The way they are bringing personal issues into office is something that will not help the system because what they are trying to do now is to make sure that they remain politically relevant.

“That is why they keep on moving from one place to the other so that some other parties can buy them over and when they are out of office, they will still be relevant politically. It is either they get an appointment or they place their people up for an appointment so that they will be the one calling the shot for a long time.”