Post by Phebe Obong (@PhebeObong)

President Tinubu is not the only person we should be holding accountable.

Let me explain.

In Nigeria, the President does not have absolute power over everything. That’s not the system we operate. We have state governments and local governments, each with responsibilities to the people.

So why do we always channel our debate energy on the President while paying far less attention to our governors?

The governor of your state is closer to your daily reality than the President in many aspects of governance.

So, we need to start monitoring our governors with the same seriousness we bring to monitoring the President.

How much money is your state receiving monthly? What is the money being used for? How many projects were budgeted for, and how many have actually been completed?

In fact, we need to pay even closer attention to the things happening in our immediate communities.

And you sef wey dey monitor, make sure your own life is in order. Don’t allow anybody to use your personal shortcomings to silence you when you ask legitimate questions about public funds.

Also, local government chairmen, who is monitoring their projects? Who is asking them questions? Who is checking what they do with the money allocated to their councils?

Even though they are supposed to be one of the closest levels of government to the people, we pay little attention to them as well.

We cannot keep demanding accountability from the top while ignoring what happens at the state and grassroots levels.

According to reports, under the Tinubu administration the state governments are receiving substantially more money than they did a few years ago, so what measurable improvements are Nigerians seeing in their communities different from past years?

And please, delivery should not be about roads alone!

What about our public schools? Hospitals? Employment opportunities? Rural communities? Clean environments? Social welfare? The general quality of life of the people?

We must stop treating political accountability as a conversation reserved for the President alone.

Your governor must answer questions.
Your local government chairman must answer questions.
Every public official must account for the responsibilities entrusted to them.

President Tinubu is not the only person we should be holding accountable. Let me explain. In Nige...

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The Insight Desk with Ismail Auwal: Accountability should reach every level of government. Publish allocations, contracts and project progress so residents can compare spending with what their communities receive. Asking those questions is a citizen’s right.
The Insight Desk with Ismail Auwal: Accountability has no exemption for governors or council chairmen. What came in? What was spent? What was delivered? Citizens deserve clear answers at every level.