A chieftain of the All-Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State and Commissioner for Water and Sanitation, Dr. Washington Osa-Osifo, has called for a constitutional amendment to clearly define the roles of the Vice President and State Deputy Governors. This move aims to prevent constant friction and disaffection that often lead to governance instability.
Dr Osa-Osifo gave the recommendation in Benin City while on a flagship live news and current affairs programme This morning on ITV ,TMI which airs on Independent Television, ITV Network where he opined that good governance impact can be engendered when there is a cordial relationship between the president and his vice and state executives and their deputies devoid of mutual suspicion .
Dr Osifo posits that the source of the constant friction between executives and their deputies is in the provisions section 9 of the constitution said, “Most times the witches and wizards surrounding Vice presidents and state deputy governors influence them to pursue their personal ambition of taking over the seat of their bosses, fasting and praying for them to die , be sick or outrightly incapacitated so they can take over as outlined in section 9 of the constitution”.
“This is the reason why most Presidents and Governors are usually weary of their Vice and deputies and this not healthy, this portion of the constitution needs to expunged “
According to Dr. Osa-Osifo, the ambiguity in the roles of vice vice presidents and state deputies positions has led to power struggles, undermining the effectiveness of government adding that by specifying the responsibilities of the Vice President and State Deputy Governors, the government can promote stability, cooperation, and accountability .He identified undue influence and pressure from family members and close associates of vice presidents and state deputies as major factors that breed animosity every now and then.
‘’the vice president or Deputy Governor may be a very cool headed, humble and unassuming person who is even grateful for the new position but what about his wife , mother, family members ,friends and close associates who maybe surreptitiously putting undue pressure on a vice president and deputy just like the witches did to Macbeth in the novel by Williams Shakespeare to start nursing inordinate ambition which often results to governance instability and distractions’’
This call for constitutional amendment is not new, as previous efforts have been made to review the 1999 Constitution to address similar issues. Some governors have also advocated for more power devolution to states, including control over resources and revenues, to promote true federalism.
