One time Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu had a piece of advice for the Federal Government yesterday. It should deepen citizen engagement and step up communication rather than exerting energies on political narratives.
Dr. Aliu, who spoke on a cable television, monitored in Lagos by this reporter, reflected on two major concerns – widespread perception of government under-performance and weak public communication
His reflection followed a high-level policy dialogue held in Kaduna on the state of governance, two years into the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Administration. The two-day dialogue was organized by the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation (SABMF).
Aliyu is the Chairman of the Foundation’s Board of Trustees (BoT).
The forum, which brought together North’s political elite, business leaders and royal fathers among others, offered a platform to x-ray the performance of Tinubu government.
The former governor, who admitted submissions by several ministers and top officials that the government has recorded landmarks, noted that the absence of direct and transparent communication has left many Nigerians in the dark, thus fueling disillusionment.
He said: “Every minister, every head of parastatal must engage citizens directly. You cannot rely solely on the Ministry of Information. If people don’t know what government is doing, they assume nothing is being done. This is particularly dangerous given the pressing challenges of insecurity, poverty, and unemployment.”
Responding to claims of the perceived marginalization of the North, Aliyu acknowledged that such perceptions vary, depending on political access and visibility.
He, however, stressed that the region currently occupies key positions in security, agriculture and infrastructure.
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“Ministries that matter most to the North are headed by northerners. What’s lacking is visibility and community engagement from those officials,” he said.
He also faulted the communication gap between federal appointees and their constituencies.
“Many ministers and lawmakers don’t return home to give feedback or hold town halls. People feel abandoned after elections,” he said.
Addressing the widespread sense of unmet expectations, Dr. Aliyu noted that while inflation and economic hardship are real, more responsive and transparent governance at all levels federal, state, and local can reduce tension.
“If the local governments work and states do their part, the pressure on the center would reduce,” he noted, even as he advocated for a review of the revenue allocation formula to empower subnational units.
He pointed out that governors also have a responsibility to prioritize citizen welfare amid inflationary pressures. “Even with reduced purchasing power, leadership is about consultation, inclusion, and prudent planning not just blaming macroeconomic conditions.”
On the political front, the SABMF BoT chair lamented the erosion of party discipline and ideology, describing defectors from the PDP to opposition coalitions as “nomadic politicians” driven by personal ambition rather than principles.
“Loyalty has become individualistic. People use political parties like vehicles to get into power and then abandon them.”
The former governor also criticized the existing federal revenue-sharing structure, calling for a reassessment to strengthen governance at the grassroots.
He said: “The federal takes about 54 per cent of revenue, while states get 26 per cent and local governments 20 per cent, these must be reviewed to empower local administrations and reduce pressure on the center.”
On governance and planning, Aliyu warned of a systemic failure stemming from poor budgeting processes and weak implementation across all levels.
“Budgets have become almost useless poorly conceived, skewed in process, and barely implemented,” he noted, adding that even the 2024 federal budget remains largely unexecuted, raising concerns about the 2025 fiscal cycle,” he said.
