At the Centre for Values in Leadership (CVL) Annual Lecture and International Leadership Symposium held on Tuesday, Feb. 6, in Lagos state, some former governors of Nigeria expressed their views on the need for more powers for state governors to deal with the security challenges in their respective states.
The symposium, with the theme titled “Democracy, Governance and National Performance: The Mutual Relationship.’’ which coincided with the 68th birthday of CVL founder Prof. Pat Utomi, also witnessed the launch of his new book titled “Power, Politics, Public Policy Process and Performance.”
Among the panelists were Mr Peter Obi, a former governor of Anambra and 2023 Presidential candidate of the Labour Party; Senator Aminu Tambuwal, a former governor of Sokoto State; and Obong Victor Attah, a former governor of Akwa Ibom.
Mr Obi, who spoke on the powers of governors in the current political dispensation, said he had more authority to make security decisions when he was in office, with the backing of the President at the time.
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He said: “There is always between one president and another. We cannot compare President Olusegun Obasanjo presidency, Umaru Yar’Adua presidency to what we have after. Under Obasanjo, the governors were in charge of security. I requested that every DPOs (Divisional Police Officers) be removed and I had it.
“I took decisions on security with the authority of the President during the late President Umaru Yar’adua, and every month, there was a conversation between the President and the governors. The governors have to be in charge of the state and be responsible. So, we need a President who is determined to give the governors authority to do something.”
He also stressed that the country’s problems were not only about the system, but also about the leadership and the people who practise democracy.
He said: “We need to change our ways, we as a people practising this democracy, we need to imbibe the values of those practising democracy in the United States of America.”