By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Ahead of the May 29 inauguration of recently-elected state governors in Nigeria, the United Nations has called on the state chief executives to deliver on their campaign promises as they take up the task of governance.
About 28 out of 36 states in the country participated in the March 18 governorship election, where some new governors were elected and others re-elected for a second and final term.
Politicians in Nigeria at the local, state and federal levels have been accused of not making real, their promises during campaigns of raising the bar of good governance through enhancing the security and economic environment in their various domains.
At an induction ceremony organized by the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) for new and returning state governors held May 14-17, 2023 in Abuja, UN Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed said under the constitution of Nigeria, state governors have the authority and the responsibility to deliver on critical foundations which border on infrastructure and basic services leading to social and economic development.
A statement by the UN Information Centre on Thursday quoted Mohammed as saying, “The first term goes very fast, and the second term even faster. Campaign promises made must be delivered, and that’s hard. It requires an effective team, one that can deliver on those promises that have been made.
“The only way to build a more cohesive nation and a more harmonious world is to deliver better for people: Better services, better opportunities, better safety, better government, and a healthier environment.”
She called on the governors to learn how to prioritize, phase their projects, as well as leveraging on other partnerships as a result of the financial challenges many states are facing.
The UN Deputy Secretary-General highlighted four common areas where action and attention are urgently needed.
She said “First, you will need institutional capacity. Secondly, you will need trusted partnerships. Thirdly, financing the means of implementation; and fourthly, the area that is most in your hands: leadership.”
Mohammed assured that “Our Resident Coordinators and our UN Country Teams are here in Nigeria at your service but also across borders in the continent. And the new Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework between the United Nations and the Government of Nigeria, which is the bedrock of our collaboration and shared pursuit of the SDGs but also of the African Union’s 2063 Agenda.”
The Chairman of the Forum, and Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal, said the induction seminar was organized to support the new governors in developing the essential skills for democratic governance.
