Not how long, but how good…

Public service in Nigeria is supposed to be a “continuous learning process.” The late Sam Mbakwe, first civilian governor of the then Imo State would probably not have come to prominent political limelight if such ranking was considered the criteria to hold public office back then. While Nigerians may be forgiven for their short memory, […]

Public service in Nigeria is supposed to be a “continuous learning process.”

The late Sam Mbakwe, first civilian governor of the then Imo State would probably not have come to prominent political limelight if such ranking was considered the criteria to hold public office back then.

While Nigerians may be forgiven for their short memory, their insatiable quest for good governance remains largely unfulfilled. Therefore, the composition of the next Federal Executive Council, FEC, will be a useful indicator on our national direction – a retreat or an advance in whatever direction expedient to political jobbers sauntering along the corridors of power.

The much taunted need for technocrats by the Jonathan led government, with their intimidating resumes and gilt edged credentials, will be of no consequence if Government leadership teleguides their brilliance and limits their capacity to deliver. The buck therefore still stops at the Aso Rock Villa. The Jonathan/Sambo presidency cannot run away from the principle of ultimate responsibility or else it will fall foul to Pat Utomi’s sweeping generalization of Nigerian leaders’ “obsession with power without purpose”. The country can ill afford to continue navigating through a maze of dashed hopes and serial disappointments. The much sought after technocrats are not arriving from some outer space scenario nor is their touted expertise so sacrosanct. If they will operate under the business as usual style, the story will still be thes ame. Especially if they come from the clique that have always been a permanent fixture in public service right through the various past military regimes and in every civilian administration so far. This group have been accused of grounding government assets yet, still want another ride in the perpetual merry go round which government political appointment have become in this country.

The success rate of technocrats in government, particularly those with business background is not exactly exemplary not just because they are at the end of the day typically Nigerians (just as the rest of us are anyway) but because government most times, suffocate their willingness to perform with the expertise they possess.

In business, you can abandon an activity or Jettison a service that is no longer profitable, in business you can assign an important task at will and monitor same directly devoid of any chain of command (remember the  Harvard trained youth corper that was an over paid personal assistant?) In business you curb overheads and minimize redundancy but in government you adhere to the constitutional provision. As for the government spawn technocrats, they simply play by the rules of federal character and office politics and patiently bid their time. So either way, the bottom line is the focus of the vision of that man who sits on top of the executive arm of government.

The chairman of the defunct Presidential Advisory Council, Gen. TY Danjuma, is a man of brutal frankness who recently sat with stoic indifference and gave a valedictory advice which was incidentally thrown back at him thus signalling that the circus days of bloated government overheads are far from over.

It was in 1979 that Margaret Thatcher said at the formation of her government, “I am not a consensus politician, I am a conviction politician”. Her conviction transformed those isles from a welfare economy besieged by trade unions, waste and inefficiency to partially putting Britain back to greatness. Does Jonathan have the same leadership conviction to take Nigeria to the next level?

March 4, 1933. Franklin Delano Roosevelt at his inauguration told depression era Americans that “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself”. That day, he meticulously outlined a plan of national transformation that included “bank and stock market reforms, public works programs and emergency relief for farms”. This is no doubt consistent with what hapless Nigerians yearned to hear at Jonathan’s inauguration day- a clarion call for a national turnaround, did they hear that?

As the once upon a time little boy with no shoes mounted the dais at Eagle Square stepping up in his exquisite designer shoes, will he feel   the pinch of the fear pervading his compatriots, the fear of galloping cement prices, kerosene scarcity, John Togo, Boko Haram and the noxious generator fumes killing those who wanted to simply sleep under a ceiling fan overnight? Or will be more concerned about the pinch of the probable personal fear of the consequences of a forensic investigation into the very mandate he was sworn-in upon?

The sum of his fears will no doubt determine the direction Nigeria will head to: a withdrawal or advancement.

Joe wrote from 53 France Road, Fagge lga Kano, P.O. Box 9030 Kano.