Mama Taraba: Of politics, governance and loyalty

It baffles me to note that in Nigeria everything is about the next “election” rather than the governance issues. Let’s insist on good governance for the existing mandate. In my understanding, there is difference between “politics” and “governance”. According to the section 99 Sub-section one of the Electoral Act 2010 as amended the period for […]

It baffles me to note that in Nigeria everything is about the next “election” rather than the governance issues. Let’s insist on good governance for the existing mandate. In my understanding, there is difference between “politics” and “governance”. According to the section 99 Sub-section one of the Electoral Act 2010 as amended the period for electioneering campaigns is 90 days before polling day. As law abiding people not power- mongers we have good one year from now to kick- start campaigns. This also means that “political campaigns have only 90 days while the rest Is for governance. But unfortunately for my country the campaign for 2019 has since begun. Both the leaders and the followers talk too much about the next elections. Let’s always give more emphasis on governance which is the surest way of bettering our lots.

There is nothing strange to say that Senator Jummai Aisha Alhassan, the Minister of Women Affairs has the right to be loyal to whomever she wants to but I doubt if she can effectively serve any government with divided loyalty. In my view, among the major factors to be considered in determining political appointments are “competence” and “loyalty”. Having loyalty alone without competency will not yield a better result so also competency alone without loyalty in an appointee is a catastrophic to any administration. For me loyalty is very essential. Loyalty is devotion and faithfulness to a cause.

With the Minister’s utterances during her Sallah visit to the former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, Wazirin Adamawa and her BBC’s Hausa Service interview it has clearly indicated that she has a “divided loyalty”. The Minister is having a divided loyalty perhaps she is not the only one in the cabinet, but at least hers is now obvious. Can she serve two masters at a time? Although the Minister has said that the former vice president has not told her that he is going to contest for the presidency in 2019, but she would have sensed something through his body language. 

I want the Minister to resign or be asked to go not because she has no right to be loyal to whomever she wants to but simply because it is now time for governance not politics. In my understanding, the role of a Minister in a Presidential system of government is to assist the President to fulfill his campaign promises through the implementation of his policies and programmes. The vision and mission of the government are supposed to be implemented by all its Ministries and Agencies. As a Minister she is supposed to mobilize and motivate all public servants under her Ministry towards the implementation of government policies and programmes. 

Nurudeen Dauda, Abuja