Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has blasted governors in the Southwest for their collective failed governance.
He recently accused state governments in the region of abandoning the people for personal enrichment.
Speaking as a panellist at the 2025 National Conference of Egbe Amofin O’dua, held in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Falana emphasised their clear departure from the legacy of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo.
According to him, the wastage of expenditures by Southwest governors is an obvious case of misplaced priorities, and Governor Seyi Makinde is the biggest culprit on that table for allocating N63bn for the rehabilitation of the Government House.
“The governor of Oyo State, who comes to work from his private residence, now wants to rehabilitate the government house with N63bn, an amount that can provide good roads and electricity across the state,” he said.
The SAN further blasted the Lagos State government, alleging that the state House of Assembly spent N45bn on utility vehicles in 4 years and was planning another N20bn allocation for the same purpose, while large parts of the state are still impoverished.
He concluded by saying that the Southwest region will keep regressing until political leaders learn to prioritise good governance and service to the people.
“We are always quick to shout about the misappropriation and reckless spending of public funds in Abuja but in Lagos, after spending N45bn to procure SUVs in the first four years, the state House of Assembly is planning to spend another N20bn on the purchase of utility vehicles, yet the people are wallowing in poverty.
Ikorodu has been submerged in the last three days. If it were to be abroad, they would be using the helicopter to go and drop food for the victims, but what is being done for the people? Nothing.
Similarly, the governor of Oyo State, who comes to work from his house now, wants to rehabilitate the government house with N63bn – the amount that is enough to provide good roads and electricity for the state.
While people in Ikorodu have been submerged for days, no real emergency response has been provided. Abroad, they would deploy helicopters for food drops. But here, nothing.
Education is in bad shape; there is no Southwest today that is up-to-date in accessing the UBEC fund. There are 18.3 million out-of-school children, including children from the Southwest.
Today, the roads in the Southwest are terrible; infrastructurally, we are not there. Unfortunately, when they now want to flag off a road that they will not even complete, you will see them making so much noise, doing a ceremony; there is a need for a rethink.
Our children are now running to miracle centres. Only the children of the privileged few are still in school, while the region’s commonwealth is being privatised before our very eyes,” he added.
Folami David is a dynamic journalist who views the world through an analytical lens, translating complex narratives across multiple industries into compelling stories. With an insatiable appetite for information and a keen eye for emerging trends, Folami specializes in uncovering the interconnections between technology, business, culture, and society.
