‘Why EFCC Should Probe G-5 Governors After Their Term In Office’

A Professor of Political Science, Sani Fage, has called on Nigeria’s anti-graft agencies to investigate the aggrieved governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), also known as G-5 governors, after their tenures expire.

Members of the G-5 include, Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), and Seyi Makinde (Oyo).

Fage stated this on Friday while reacting to the governors’ frequent trips to London, and Spain to hold political meetings ahead of the 2023 elections.

In a chat with The Punch, the political analyst said the governors should be made accountable for alleged spending of state resources on foreign trips.

He asserted that it would amount to abuse of office and betrayal of public trust if the money used for their current trips for political meetings was from their various state coffers.

He said: “Yes, People should be made accountable even after their office, especially giving 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 actually 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.”

Fage berated Wike and his allies for bringing personal issues into governance, saying that the governors are trying to make sure that they remain politically relevant.

He added: “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 own people up for appointment so that they will be the one calling the shot for a long time.”

Fage also cautioned the governors against wasting state funds on foreign trips, adding that their frequent trips to foreign countries to hold meetings are uncalled for.

He stated that funds used to facilitate their frequent trips abroad should have been channeled toward the development of their respective states.

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 own personal interest 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.”

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

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