Governance and squabbles

If there is one thing that could be said the Buhari-led administration is never short of, then it will be a knack for delivering blockbuster power plays. For much of its almost 6-years in power, there have been quite a number of high powered political episodes that have kept Nigerians on the edge of their […]

If there is one thing that could be said the Buhari-led administration is never short of, then it will be a knack for delivering blockbuster power plays.

For much of its almost 6-years in power, there have been quite a number of high powered political episodes that have kept Nigerians on the edge of their seats, dominating both traditional and social media spaces, newspaper stand discussions, barber-shop chit-chats, providing unending parody content and virtually the favorite topics for the ever grinding insatiable gossip mills and conspiracy theorists.

Were the success of an administration measured by the number of drama featured, this, in my estimation, would be a hall of famer.

Right out of the gate, the administration was poised to deliver on this front.

The country got its first major taste of drama when the First lady publicly revealed that her husband had lost control of his government to a tiny but very powerful cabal.

She did not just stop there but went ahead to name some of them.

Amongst those named, was the late Chief of Staff to the President, Mallam Abba kyari and the President’s nephew, Mamman Daura. The duo suffered the bulk of her verbal attacks and lamentations.

It was the first sign of a crack within the inner recess of the presidential household. More of such were to follow suit.

How can we forget the “suicide bomber” leaked audio episode that occurred in London?

Or the spat with Daura’s daughter, which also got a Presidential spokesperson chided in a statement, questioning his effectiveness?

Similarly, the trend reached a crescendo when on the 11th of June, 2020, the country was entertained by yet another episode involving a president’s personal assistant and allegations of gunshots by security aides attached to the first lady within the premises of the Villa.

In all of this, the man, whose attention was courted and clashed over for, President Buhari, remained unbothered, at least in the public domain.

While these episodes could simply be dismissed as the usual power tussle amongst varying interests within the corridor of power, focus should be on how these rumpuses are effectively tampered in order to avoid them overshadowing the business of governance.

This is the reason why it is important to quell such the moment they begin to manifest in a swift and decisive manner.

Failure to do so, will only further allow the situation degenerate and permeate within the formal machinery of governance itself, thereby creating an atmosphere devoid of necessary and required synergy critical in ensuring efficiency in achieving and delivering coordinated results.

In 2015, When President Buhari tapped Ibrahim Magu to head the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, he was a marked man with a huge X on his back, and of course, by default.

Especially, considering the caliber and sheer number of potential “customers” he had his eyes set on.

Some of whom, he had already clashed with in the past and had come full circle, occupying powerful positions in the same Government.

But in a surprise twist, it was members of his community (intelligence) who were all-out to get him.

This culminated in the embarrassing drama that occurred during his confirmation episode.

The DSS, then headed by Lawal Daura, sent a damning report on him to the 8th senate which resulted in his non confirmation. Not once, but twice.

Whether the content of the report sent were true or false is still an open debate but the intrigues that played out afterward within the kitchen cabinet, proved that Magu was a victim of a high-stakes power play.

And just like it happened with the First lady episodes, the man whose attention was courted, was still unbothered. No swift and decisive action was taken.

At that moment, Nigerians became fully aware that cracks not only existed in the inner recess of the villa, but it had begun to permeate even further and this would go on to cause serious and unnecessary embarrassment for the government.

Last week Monday, in Gestapo style, Magu was arrested and hauled to the villa where he faced and was grilled for six hours by a presidential panel set up to investigate several allegations ranging from insubordination to financial infractions.

He would be suspended, detained for 9-days, and later released.

Despite still being a developing story, it is alleged that the Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, is behind his travails.

And while the panel is still yet to conclude its investigations and submit a report to determine his guilt or otherwise, the allegations, at least those within the public domain, seem to be falling flat and bolstering the narrative of this also being another episode of the usual power play.

How different will this be from the others?

Clashes between political appointees especially at the highest level of government are not unusual.

Moreover, it is a domain ruled by interests. But the type of frequency at which they do within this government, should not be usual and certainly not to the detriment of an entire institution.

It is high time we had a discussion on how we really need to build our institutions.

Not around individuals, but upon sound and strong governance frameworks.

Only when we do so, would we realize that we do not need to drag or rubbish an entire institution simply because another official dislikes the head of that organization. Most importantly, swift and decisive action to halt such squabbles at an early stage, is paramount.

Aliyu Hassan Aminu writes from Abuja Email: [email protected]