The immediate past governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, SAN, yesterday declared that some Nigerians prefer ‘stomach infrastructure’ to good governance, insisting that the people must be more serious with the task of holding their leaders accountable.
Fashola, while delivering a keynote address at the 16th annual Bishop Mike Okonkwo lecture, tagged: “The Nigerian Political Class and the Citizens’ Quest for Good Governance” held in Lagos, said stomach infrastructure has provided results in the past elections.
While lamenting that individuals and parties at times do not return to office on the basis of good governance, Fashola said: “Some Nigerians voted for party or individual as a result of various gifts received from them, such as money, sponsorship to Jerusalem or Hajj.
“For some people, their own measure of good governance is sponsorship to Hajj and Jerusalem by the government of the day and by current figures revealed recently, sponsorship to Hajj this year will cost about N785, 000 per person. Some have argued that some of these people prefer to have the services monetized.
“The emphasis must be on the majority because not all of the people will be happy with regular power and water supply. Those who import generators or supply water in tankers will not be happy with government that makes power and water regularly available.
“So it is the majority that matters, and this is why the time tested principle for testing the value or benefit of government policy is whether it brings the greatest good to the greatest number and not whether it brings the greatest good to everyone,” he stated.
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