A Revenue Generation Specialist, Bayo Adefeegbe, has emphasised that governors that fail to plan ahead will continue to ask the Federal Government for bailout.
His comments are coming just as some state governors have said they would be approaching the Federal Government for more support to ensure they could pay workers’ salaries.
The government at the centre had months ago approved a release of funds to the state Governors as bailout.
Low Economic Competence
But Mr Adefeegbe said that the earlier bailout given to the governors would have cushioned their financial challenges if there was a good plan on ground for the funds received.
“There were no short, medium or long term plans that would have sustained the states,” Mr Adefeegbe stated.
“Believe me there will be a request for more and more again.
“Nigeria being a political economic environment, we find most times that people who are wonderful politicians are not as sound and competent as they should be when it comes to economics,” he said.
He suggested that the competencies of the advisers of the governors must also be looked into to ensure that they would give the governors good advice.
The Revenue Generation Specialist further said that the governors must take a critical look at the states revenue and expenditure and cut costs as much as possible.
He further suggested that the governors must look at other means of generating revenue for the state.
Also giving his opinion on the issue, a lawyer and a public affairs analyst, Dr. Chima Nnaji, said that the bailout request would stop at one point.
“Nothing is ever constant.
“The bailout is coming from a particular source and when the source itself begins to run real dry and the heat is on those who make available the so called bailout, the two will begin to bail themselves out of the situation.
“We are paying the price of negligence. In any situation you have a sequence, there must be a consequence,” Dr Nnaji said.
He expressed worries that the states were not creative and that the process of selecting the people who manage Nigeria’s affairs was based on sentiments.
“Unfortunately, the collateral damage is for both the rich, the poor and the poorer,” he said, stressing that a collective welfare of the people would bring better result.