Nigerians should expect more from their state govs, not Buhari — Fashola

Nigeria’s Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, has cautioned Nigerians against seeking solutions to problems that are meant to be solved by their state governments.

He said Nigerians are disappointed with the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration because they expect magic from a government that is constitutionally only allowed to do less.

“Looking for the Federal Government or a magic president is why we seem to have been disappointed. We are looking for the results in the wrong place,” Mr Fashola said in an interview with Channels Television on Thursday.

The former Lagos State governor urged Nigerians to read the constitution for a better understanding of what is expected from different levels of government in the country, rather than expecting Mr Buhari to play the functions of their respective state and local government authorities.

“Governance is not magic. It is the act of the possible and our responsibility is to always project hope. Perhaps those who feel that way (disappointed) should be made to realise that what we expect of the Nigerian federal government lies more with the state government and the local government…some of the most basic things.

“What we should do is to focus on the government that is closest to us. I will urge people to go and read the constitution; the powers the president has are about 45, many of them are categorised as power but they are even functions and duties.

“The government that can transform us and give us what we want quickly are the governments closest to us – state and local government,” he explained.

Mr Fashola identified primary education, healthcare, among others as part of the responsibilities people should task their state and local government authorities to deliver.

The ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), in its race to win the 2015 general elections, had promised Nigerians ‘change’ at all levels of government.

The APC controls not less than 19 of the total 36 states in the country while the main opposition PDP and APGA control 16 and one state respectively.