OF PREENING APPOINTEES AND SERIOUS MATTERS
The ministers must get to work on their crucial tasks, writes Joshua J. Omojuwa
One of the better things I have heard a Nigerian leader say in recent times is, “You and I asked for this [job]. We campaigned for it. We even danced for it. So, we have no reason to complain. Members of this country are behind us. They want reforms and they want it quickly.” This statement gave me hope because it seemed to me that the speaker was aware of the dire straits the country is in and the expectations of Nigerians for the current administration.
Despite the gargantuan challenges he has had to grapple with since his inauguration, President Bola Tinubu has shown a commitment to hitting the ground running and getting the work done. However, the president’s success – as in any presidential system – will always be moderated by the capacity of his appointees to deliver on his mandate.
There is the tendency to think that there is time enough to do whatever needs to be done. This is why procrastination can be seemingly harmless yet debilitating. Perhaps it is the reasoning that informed the insensitive show recently on display by some newly appointed ministers. Last week, we were inundated by videos of some ministers preening for the cameras in photo shoots. The videos were followed in short order by their official portraits. This attitude to the serious business of governance and administration smacks of crass insensitivity and an inability to read the room. The work at hand is urgent; there is a country to be salvaged and lives to be saved. People are desperate, and they understandably have a high expectation of this administration. None of these objectives are aided by government ministers’ official portraits. Preening has its uses, but delivering on the mandate of this administration is not to be counted among them.
When appointed to an exalted office, it is understandable to pat oneself on the back. However, this salutation of self should be sombre and private, especially as it should come with the realisation that the ministers are responsible for implementing the president’s agenda for the country. There are too numerous terrestrial issues begging for attention, for us to be entertained by the celestial heights some ministers believe they have attained by virtue of their appointments. It has been exasperating to say the least, seeing appointees sharing their portraits online with glee before they have bothered to outline a plan of action or shared statements of intent with stakeholders and the public. They have received their marching orders from Mr President and should get to work already. We need to see a replication of the sense of urgency that has been demonstrated by the president himself.
The aesthetics that matter to the Nigerian people are the images of work done, the impact of the work on the lives of ordinary Nigerians and not these otherwise impressive efforts of Nigerian photographers.
Change does not occur when something gets done. It starts with a reorientation; a resolve not to do the same things as previous administrations and expect a different result. Then a vision has to be articulated and agreed. This will then foster a sense of purpose that is necessary if a serious attempt is to be made at meeting agreed goals. No one expects any appointee to get anything done within the first day or week of appointment. But in a nation desperate for hope and any form of its manifestation, we need some substance. Spirits have been lifted and positive market indicators have been recorded, just on account of the right things being said. The early words and actions of a leader matter. You can always tell whether to expect something or nothing based on the early moves of a leader. That is not to say those who say the right things always end up doing the right thing.
Nigeria is under pressure to advance development. There is unanimity, locally and internationally, about the dire straits we are in. What is therefore required is an integrated development agenda which requires a whole-of-government and a whole-of-society approach which will bring together different actors to address the complex challenges besieging our country and achieve interrelated goals. This approach is best for our current situation where multisectoral collaboration is necessary. We saw how effective this approach was in defeating the COVID-19 pandemic where everyone, locally and internationally, private and public sector came together as one. This approach is the only chance we have if we are to rescue our country from the jaws of dysfunction. The approach is not without its drawbacks though as we are only as strong as our weakest link (or ministers). It is necessary that these ministers walk the talk that is required instead of acting as though they were from out of space and unfamiliar with the problems they were appointed to solve.
To get Nigeria working, every player on the president’s team must work with a single agenda. These are turbulent times, and the legacy of this administration will rest squarely on the president. One hopes that the gravity of the situation loomed large in his mind as he selected his team. It is entirely up to him and his team, to decide what Nigerians will remember them for. It is my fervent hope that when the scorecard of this administration is being decided by posterity, it will not be that we will remember with derision that some ministers set the agenda for their tenures by posing suggestively before the cameras. We will remember the strides that were made, or heaven forbid, the failure that should never have been. Our ministers have the power to decide what they want to be remembered for. Nigerians are hoping that it will be for good.
Omojuwa is chief strategist, Alpha Reach and author, Digital Wealth Book
