A social crusader and public affairs commentator, Barr. Okey Gideon Agbo has interrogated the Governor Peter Mbah-led administration’s policies, the many development projects, their impact on the average Enugu resident, and their real viability over the past three years.
Addressing what he regarded as a ‘world press conference’ in Enugu at the weekend, on the topic: “Enugu State Government Policies and Programmes: An Interrogation,” Agbo insisted that the government should be accountable and tell the people how it has embarked on projects and the positive impacts such projects have on the people.
He said that it was not proper for all manner of people – the religious leaders, political elites, members of the judiciary, and even the press that should do investigative journalism and ask critical questions about the governance of the state – to engage in praise-singing only.
The social crusader said he was not making the press conference to undermine the government of Governor Mbah but to redirect the mindset of people so they could begin to ask very important, critical questions about the governance of the state.
He maintained that as a concerned citizen and social analyst, he wanted to remind the administration of its social contract with Ndi Enugu; hence he was not out to accuse anyone of corruption or incompetence. He said his intention was not to lampoon or praise the government but to arouse it to its responsibilities for the social contract Governor Mbah has with the people of Enugu so as to deliver good governance.
NewsBits recalls that Agbo had in the past held leaders accountable by questioning why former Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi was appointing local government administrators instead of conducting elections for them. Also, Agbo questioned why INEC did not immediately conduct bye-election for a replacement of late Senator Okey Ezea of Enugu North Senatorial Zone until long after it was conducted. He emphasised that he will not watch and see things go wrong in the governance of his state and remain silent.
Appraising the development agenda of the Mbah-led administration, Agbo, argued that the success of government policies should not be measured merely by the number of projects completed or the billions of naira committed to infrastructure, but by their demonstrable impact on human welfare, economic productivity and institutional development.
While acknowledging that the government has made many development drives, he however insisted that the government must demonstrate that its ambitious projects are translating into measurable improvements in the socioeconomic circumstances of residents.
Agbo said: “The fundamental question is not simply how many projects the government has constructed, but whether these projects are producing proportionate, sustainable and broadly distributed improvements in the welfare, productive capacity and institutional quality of the people of Enugu State.”
Pinpointing projects such as the International Conference Centre (ICC), the Green Smart Schools, roads, bus terminals, and the CNG buses, among others, Agbo questioned how much the projects consumed, what is accruing to the government from such projects, and what the people stand to gain from them. He bemoaned what he tagged as a failure of the people not holding the government accountable.
He said: “I am not accusing Mbah of corruption; I am not accusing Mbah of siphoning money, but I am only asking the Mbah administration to be more transparent and to be more accountable. What is the value? How much of the money has gotten into the projects?”
Agbo said he regretted that even journalists who should embark on investigative journalism, the elite and the clergy as well as the judiciary, have failed to hold the government accountable. He said that rather than ask germane questions of how government is utilising the resources of the state, the people are overwhelmed by government propaganda.
He said that despite gigantic projects embarked upon by the Mbah administration, many people have continued to wallow in poverty. He said: “The government’s endless rhetoric about economic prosperity is questionable when millions of people continue to wallow in poverty.”
The social critic said that there should be a distinction between developmental achievement and government propaganda.
According to him, “Citizens should be able to distinguish between genuine developmental achievements from the government hogwash of propagandism.” He said that was why he embarked on interrogating the government for transparency and accountability. He said: “This is the essence of why I have taken it upon myself as a minister in the temple of justice to interrogate this administration.”
The legal practitioner said that now Nigeria is in this election season, people are preoccupied with what they will eat instead of showing interest in government policies and programmes, lamenting that the “malaise is nationwide, not in Enugu State alone.”
According to him, “This is election season, and there are propagandists everywhere, and this is as a result of stomach infrastructure because of poverty. The painful thing is that it is not peculiar to Enugu State but to the entire Nigeria, where the elites have refused to speak, where the professionals, especially the press that should do investigative journalism, have failed to do so. Most media outfits have been bought over. The clergy, which should defend morality, have also been bought over. It is unfortunate that even the legal profession which should ask questions, take legal actions are singing on your mandate we stand.”
