Nigerians are questioning why state governors continue to prioritize appearances at airports while their people face deepening hardship. At a time when hunger, poor health facilities, and rising insecurity trouble citizens, many governors are seen leaving their responsibilities behind to stand at the tarmac clapping for presidential departures and arrivals.
The tradition of leaders who once carried themselves with dignity appears lost. In past decades, governors in the First and Second Republics, and even those elected in 1999, were known for building schools, reviving industries, and working to strengthen their states. They earned respect through service, not through symbolic gestures at airports.
Today, that pride and independence seem absent. Governors who are supposed to be heads of federating units act instead like attendants waiting for approval from the presidency. While millions of children remain out of school, hospitals lack medicine, and farms suffer from insecurity, governors appear more concerned with being seen on camera at the runway.
The result is a collapse in standards of leadership. Governors now measure loyalty by their presence at the airport rather than service to their citizens. Their actions have created an image of sycophancy at a time when Nigeria needs strong, independent leaders to address urgent challenges.
Many Nigerians now ask if the country can progress under governors who abandon their duties to polish agbadas and chase photo opportunities while their states sink deeper into poverty and neglect. Until the people demand a return to service-driven leadership, Nigeria risks remaining trapped in a cycle where leaders desert their responsibilities to serve personal ambition instead of public good.