HURIWA Asks Peter Obi to Disclose what Governors Earn

HURIWA Tasks Peter Obi to reveal what Governors earn:

*Condemns primitive nepotism amongst governors/presidency



A leading pro-democracy and non-governmental organization – HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) has challenged the former governor of Anambra State Mr. Peter Obi to disclose to Nigerians what governors earn as emoluments and allowances.

HURIWA which applauded the recent revelation of the unpardonably juicy earnings of senators as made by the senator representing central Kaduna, Comrade Shehu Sani, however urged the Anambra born political statesman and erstwhile two terms governor Mr. Peter Obi to make good his threat to make the disclosure on salaries of governors.

HURIWA said the extraordinary emoluments of senators including N200 million each as yearly constituency projects which are never accounted for is one of the reasons why the election periods are characterized by bloody violence by different political power hungry selfish Nigerians.

The group however stated that both the offices of governor and the Presidency are also administered like money guzzling machines which is why recurrent expenditures takes over 75% of annual budget leaving only an infinitesimal percentage for capital projects which are never executed qualitatively and timeously.

In a media statement issued jointly by the National Coordinator Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko and the National Media Affairs Director Miss Zainab Yusuf, HURIWA also lambasted governors of Imo and Niger states for exhibiting what the group calls primitive nepotism and the conversion of government resources to their families as alleged by critics.

HURIWA applauded the Etsu Nupe Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar Kusodu(Ph.D)for courageously condemning the practice of serial nepotism in Niger state by the governor Alhaji Sani Bello just as the group carpeted the Imo State governor Mr Rochas Okorocha for mismanaging the resources of Imo state, turning governance into family business and for threatening the sanctity of next year's govermorship election by forcing his son-in-law as his possible successor even when this is a violation of his constitutional oath of office not to allow his private interest to override the public interests.

The Rights group also challenged President Muhammadu Buhari to adhere strictly to the constitutionally guaranteed federal character principle in appointments and stop the nepotism that has trailed his style of administration including the involvement of his Uncles, Nieces and Nephews in running key administrative duties in the presidency. HURIWA calls for the investigation of the allegation by former Representative from Kano state Dr Junaid Muhammed that a Nephew of President Muhammadu Buhari who is a Personal Assistant to the President has suddenly become a billionaire within three years of holding unmerited Presidential appointment.

Speaking on the threat by the Anambra former governor to reveal the expenditures of offices of governors in Nigeria, HURIWA told Mr. Peter obi that posterity and indeed history will be harsh towards him should he fail to publicly reveal how much the governors spend from public treasuries including the illegal security votes running into billions of Naira.

HURIWA stated that: “we are delighted to read from the erudite erstwhile Anambra state governor that he is ready to disclose how much each governor of the 36 states of the federation pick up each month. Our challenge to this gentleman is to please without further delay, disclose to Nigerians how much of public fund are spent by governors.”

“We believe that the public and transparent disclosure of these exact figures of public cash spent by governors will promote in a very fundamental way, the principles of open government, transparency and accountability and would result in systematic clamour for immediate reforms to cut down on the costs of governance so as to promote good governance.”

HURIWA recalled that Mr. Peter Obi, a former governor of