Former Bauchi governor’s N1.2 billion on funerals reflects a big sore in our body politic
The news report was more than a little shocking. The governor of Bauchi State, Alhaji Bala Mohammed, alleged that his predecessor spent N2.3 billion on funeral materials within five years. But it is not the denial of the former governor that matters, but the fact that all over the country, governors and many other elected officers turn the treasury into welfare platforms for unnecessary favours.
The former governor, Abdullahi Abubakar, denied the allegation. He did not deny that he spent money on burial materials but that his successor exaggerated the amount. He said his government spent N1.2 billion, and not N2.3 billion. This amounts to splitting hairs, as either N2.3 billion or N1.2 billion is a humongous amount to devote to burials.
Such amount of money could be used for a lot of good things from tarring roads, to restoring or building schools to acquiring medical supplies and equipment.
Governor Mohammed’s spokesman, Ladan Salihu, alleged that N900 million was disbursed on Muslim shrouds, a white cloth used for wrapping dead bodies, while N1.4 billion was allotted for wood for decking graves during burials.
“The monies which ought to have been appropriated by the assembly before expenditure, all of a sudden emanated from our treasury,” noted Salihu. He asserted also that it was exclusive to the Muslims and “what have you done for the Christians?”
However, former Governor Abubakar did not deny the details of the materials bought. He only disputed the sum and added that the expenditure passed through due process.
While we condemn outright the use of taxpayers’ money for such tangential inanities, it only reflects the liberties that elected officers have turned government coffers into. If the governor was guilty of being called out for funeral financial error, it also shows how our culture has come to see the concept of welfare.
We have seen, for instance, how various governments have seen themselves as financiers of pilgrimages, whether to Mecca and Jerusalem, for decades. This is supposed to be a private affair, especially since it has to be about worship. It turns government into a welfare place where all sorts of favors are dispensed.
Some state governments have come to the wisdom that a secular state cannot fund a religious activity or belief. There are some states that also turn the state operation into a welfare for social causes like the financing of mass weddings. This had been done in such states as Kano and Jigawa in the past.
It is seen by some analysts as cultural imperatives. The argument is that individuals cannot do some of these things on their own, citing the extreme poverty of the benefiting citizens. Some other governments employ hordes of people to non-existent jobs.
For instance, in the name of appointments, governors ply their offices with tens of special advisers and assistants, which would attract perks and allowances that run to hundreds of millions of Naira in one month. These same persons will look for activities, many of which are unnecessary that will involve capital outlay. They would also have accommodation expenses as well as cars attached to their offices. This is welfare in the name of routine government business.
We also know of governors who have persons on their payrolls, especially so-called party men and women, some of them operate as foot soldiers. In the end, what suffer are the major tasks of government. Roads remain in abeyance, hospitals need equipment, and the educational sector falters.
That is why we cannot defend governors and governments that take affection over dividends of democracy, or mistaking affection as dividends of democracy.
