"We Have Governors Who Are Not Thinking": Liborous Oshoma Blasts State Executives Over Knowledge Gaps and Structural Failures
Appearing on Arise News The Morning Show, prominent legal practitioner and policy analyst Liborous Oshoma delivered a searing critique of Nigeria's subnational leadership, accusing state governors of suffering from a profound "knowledge gap."
Oshoma argued that while the Federal Government continues to highlight increased Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) disbursements to states following macroeconomic reforms, these windfalls are not translating into actual public utility or industrial growth.
Drawing a sharp contrast with Nigeria's First and Second Republics—where visionary leaders built enduring revenue engines like the Cocoa House and local factories—he criticized modern governors for mistaking basic road construction and buying luxury SUVs for sustainable governance.
The Danger of "Half Education": Debunking Flawed Quality-of-Life Surveys
Oshoma directed intense skepticism toward a recent data-driven report published by a rating agency—referencing SBM Intelligence’s May 2026 Quality of Life Survey, which sampled 442 respondents across eight states and unexpectedly ranked Kano as the most livable family city.
He warned that relying on micro-samples (like interviewing only 55 people in Calabar) to generalize entire states is a dangerous exercise in "half education." He likened this statistical malpractice to presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga claiming there is no hunger in Nigeria simply because the staff inside his immediate office are well-fed.
"That is akin to using Bayo Onanuga's statements to draw the conclusion that because people in his office are okay, then everybody is okay," Oshoma remarked, targeting institutional blind spots. "There is need for us—and that's why I said education is very key—there's need for governors to commission data-driven reports. Go on the street, find out where people really need intervention. Today, we no longer discuss pipe-borne water; we just believe people can buy pure water or bottled water. Nobody is discussing public utilities."
You Cannot Plan Without Figures: The 20-Year Census Void
The crux of the crisis, Oshoma and the hosts agreed, stems from a complete lack of accurate national planning data. The panel pointed out that Nigeria has not executed a comprehensive national population census since 2006—marking a staggering two-decade gap.
Oshoma urged state governments to stop waiting passively on the National Population Commission (NPC) and legally treat population mapping as a concurrent constitutional issue, allowing local and state authorities to capture localized metrics independently.
"A country has not done a census in 20 years and you think they will do national planning? You can't plan without figures," Oshoma warned. "In the absence of statistics, verifiable statistics, rating agencies can come up with figures and people who are seeking half education can rely on them. We shouldn't be scared... state governors should also look at this and make it a concurrent issue so that local governments can actually plan for the people in their local areas."
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