BY BABA AHMED, LAFIA – Former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice of Nasarawa State, Barrister Innocent Lagi has alleged that the present system of government being practiced Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura is not in line with democratic norms as it is purely a monarchical system run by a single individual.
In an interview with Forefront, Lagi said Governor Al-makura should be solely blamed for the woes in the state saying that the governor’s style of governance is parochial and lacks inclusiveness.
He said Al-Makura runs a one man show and rules like a king without input and advise from other stakeholders not even his family but only his personal interest.
The former commissioner explained that what the people of the state are experiencing is that of a
selfish government where a single individual takes decisions without recourse to the community or the people of the state.
Lagi further said; “Governor Al-Makura is selfish and inconsiderate to the plight of the majority of the people of the state who voted him into power. He is inconsiderate, and unpatriotic to community development.”
He advised the people of the state to stop, avoid dragging and blaming the family of Al-Makura for his misconduct but rather blame him as an individual.
In his words; “The government is just about him. Nasarawa is much more diverse than any of the states in North-central, and so if you are running a
government like that you need to be more inclusive.”
He alleged that projects are carried out in places where Al-Makura has personal interest without taking into cognizance of the majority interest.
Lagi insist that the governor needs to run an inclusive government in which the people are carried along governance, adding that the citizens of Nasarawa state want to see the development of the state not for their material gain.
“Not inclusive in terms of bringing in people who support what you are doing, because of their material and moral poverty, but people who
want to see the development for the common good of the community. But, that is not what is happening.
“I can say that it is almost like we don’t have a government but a King, we pay salaries, we do roads in places that we have interest and we conclude that we are running a government”
