I have said this before, and I will say it again: governance is not one person’s responsibility; it is a collective one. That is the essence of a democratic system. We have elected leaders at every level, from the federal to the ward, each with defined responsibilities and limitations. While the President has his role to play, the Governor, members of the National Assembly, State Assembly members, Local Government Chairmen, and Councillors all have theirs.
No elected leader can singlehandedly solve all the problems in a country, state, or local government. However, it is the Governor’s duty to ensure that the State Assembly and Local Government Chairmen are active and responsive to their mandates. True development happens when every elected representative contributes to the common goal of improving the lives of the people.
A clear example of this collective approach to governance recently played out in Kogi State. A few days ago, the state government distributed 30 transformers across the state to address power challenges. However, the number allocated to the Kogi Central could not cover the entire need, as the damaged transformers outnumbered the ones shared to Okene/Ogori-Magongo Federal Constituency.
In response, Hon. Tijani Muhammed Ozigi, the member representing the constituency, demonstrated what responsible leadership means. Understanding that the development of any constituency is a shared task, he immediately provided additional transformers to areas not captured in the state government’s distribution.
This is how real development is achieved, through collaboration and responsibility, not blame or passiveness. When leaders at different levels complement each other’s efforts, the people benefit, and the party earns lasting trust and loyalty.
Had Hon. Ozigi chosen to fold his arms and assume that it was solely the Governor’s duty, those communities would have remained in darkness. Such neglect would have fueled frustration and caused resentment toward the ruling party that shared the transformers. But today, those same people now have every reason to reaffirm their support for the APC because they can see tangible results that improve their daily lives.
Hon. Ozigi does not need to make noise or flood the streets with flyers on streetlight poles. His achievements speak louder than any flyer or slogan ever could. This is the best way to give back to the people who entrusted you with their mandate at the polls.
Governance is teamwork. Those who cannot access help from the Governor should be able to get it from their Senator, House of Representatives member, State Assembly member, or Council Chairman. That is the beauty of collective leadership.
Leaders must stop investing on flyers or stickers and instead focus on impactful actions that truly better the lives of their constituents. Development is not achieved by words, but by works.
Thank you, Hon TAO.
– Engr. Ira Habib writes from Kogi state.
