The All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant in Ondo State, Mr. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, has called for the reduction of the controversial security vote as part of strategies to manage fiscal crisis, which many states were facing.
Akeredolu, former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), stated the governors should halt reckless spending, lamenting that they “spend too much on frivolity.”
In a statement, he stated managing a state at a turbulent time “requires the service of a man, who has vision and who can see beyond today.”
The aspirant acknowledged that 27 states could no longer pay salaries, adding that governors should be creative and make sacrifices.
Akeredolu stated governors should “to manage the affairs of the state within the resources it has and cut some spending to stabilise the economy.”
He said: “There are many things in terms of security vote. There are many things in terms of reckless spending. Some governors still go out with a number of entourage. What do you need it for when we are in a state of crisis? The problem we have is that we spend too much on frivolity.”
But he stated the chief executives of most states of the federation “have refused to cut their spending. If this crisis gets worse, what stops a governor from buying his food in the Government House?
“At least, you are able to feed yourself in your house. Why can you not feed yourself in Government House? Till tomorrow, President Barack Obama pays for his food in the White House? The one the United States Government takes care of is the state banquet,” he stated.
Akeredolu urged the governors “to cut off all these excesses”, adding: “It does not have to continue this way. If it is a crisis period, you must call your people to prepare to make sacrifice so that we can move forward.”
He added: “We have not prioritise in respect of what we need to do. We are not looking at agriculture properly.
“There must be a way that if anybody that comes to the Government House, the only rice you can eat there is ofada. We get to point we eat pounded yam or amala.”
.....The Nation