"Local government chairmen cannot do streetlights," Sabinus says in Instagram video

Popular comedian Emmanuel Chukwuemeka Ejekwu, known as Sabinus, has stepped into the debate on grassroots governance, asking publicly what happens to the money allocated to local governments every month. According to Daily Post Nigeria, he made the remarks in a video posted on his Instagram page on Thursday.

The report says Sabinus urged Nigerians to watch more closely what their elected officials do at the community level. He described himself as a Port Harcourt indigene and said he was bothered by the poor state of infrastructure in some South-South communities, even though local governments receive funds.

What he said

Speaking partly in Pidgin, Sabinus put his question to a wide range of office holders. In the video, as quoted by Daily Post Nigeria, he said:

“Make we talk something the way e suppose dey. I thought about something. Abeg, how many of una don ask our local government chairmen, councillors, House of Assembly members, House of Representatives members and governors, wetin dey happen to the money dem dey give them every month?”

NDDC comparison

Using Rivers State as his example, the comedian claimed the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, was achieving more in parts of the South-South than some state governments. He said:

“The NDDC is even doing more than some state governments in this South-South. Local government chairmen cannot do streetlights in some streets in their own local government,” he added.

The report names no particular chairman, council or state government, and offers no figures on allocations. Sabinus's comparison with the NDDC is his own claim and was not backed with data in the source. There was no response from any local government or state official in the report.