And if the new administration – across national and state levels – would not further lead the economy down the slippery slope of perdition, then a substantial reduction in the cost of governance and review of obnoxious benefits should be a priority, and not an afterthought.
Tellingly, politics in Nigeria has become very lucrative to the extent that the primary motivation for seeking public office is the quest to amass wealth as an escape route from poverty; instead of serving the public, which has thus become a secondary consideration. The humongous perks to political office holders exemplify this.
This also applies to the immediate past state governors, who are also having a field day with their largely undisclosed security votes while in office and other perks of power. The latest and generally disturbing trend is the promulgation, across the states, of different laws on pension benefits and allowances to take care of former governors.
And all these are happening despite these states and many others racking up unpaid salaries, and pensions, and wallowing in public debts. This is indeed unconscionable. The immediate past governors handed over to their successors over N3 trillion debts, made up of N2.27 trillion domestic debt and $1.71 billion, according to figures from the Debt Management Office.