NIGERIA AT 63: RETHINKING GOVERNANCE
There is urgent need to trim the cost of governance
Despite recent measures that have pauperised majority of Nigerians, it is unconscionable that profligacy remains the name of the game for public officials at all levels of government. With the long convoys of vehicles that accompany government functionaries around town, the jumbo expenditure on consumption in various government houses and a plethora of political appointees, most of them with no clear or meaningful schedules, there are groans about the expensive nature of our democracy. Therefore, as Nigeria marks its 63rd independence anniversary today, albeit with a sense of foreboding, people in leadership positions must reflect on some of the things that are keeping the country down.
We make these observations against the background of the ‘shared sacrifice’ mantra, following the recent fuel price hike, and merging of the exchange rates. We see, instead, an ever-growing number of idle public officials being appointed by the president and governors purely for political reasons. Indeed, the insensitivity of public officials seems to be growing starting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu who has appointed 47 ministers into his cabinet aside from countless other aides. The same indiscipline is being replicated by governors. Just two days ago, the Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf appointed 116 more special assistants, senior special assistants and personal assistants, 48 hours after appointing 94, bringing the list to 406 aides. Some governors have more than a thousand such aides.
This huge drain on public resources has been taken to another height in Cross River State, where the main priority of Governor Bassey Otu is to spend billions of Naira refurbishing his office. “I will not stop to spend money to make the governor’s office very befitting. It ought to be the signpost of the state. I will do the same in all our liaison offices. It’s when you make your abode or office befitting that will add value and appeal to investors,” Otu said to justify his decision to expend huge public resources for his personal comfort. “The renovations will be done with transparency. It is estimated that the costs of the renovations will be between N3 and N5 billion.” Instructively, the entire state is sharing N2 billion as palliative to cushion the effect of fuel subsidy removal!
As home to about one out of every four black persons on earth, the abundance of human resources in the country is not in doubt. Even the enemies of Nigeria do not deny its social and economic potential, despite the generations of waste and abuse it has so far experienced. But there is a structural challenge that holds us back. The counter-veiling mechanisms that ensure some level of accountability at the centre are either non-existent or too weak in the fragmented units. The logical result is that the promise of good governance is delivered almost always in the breach.
Over the years, revenues from oil have stifled innovation and continue to limit accountability. While states and local governments seek oil-rents and jeopardise internally generated revenue, successive national governments have also not adequately used oil revenue to lift the ordinary Nigerian out of poverty. Rather, and in addition to rent-seeking, these revenues have served as slush funds and continue to enrich a few individuals. In the process, Nigerians continue to be ranked among the poorest people in the world.
We therefore call on the federal government and the 36 states to begin to cut down on the waste that is now associated with government. We suggest a review of government spending and, even more importantly, a rethink of the cost of maintaining our public office holders. Most of the resources being wasted can be deployed to areas of pressing challenges both at the federal level and in the states. Meanwhile, whatever may be the misgivings of some citizens over certain issues, Nigeria has come a long way as a nation. All our citizens must now look beyond primordial considerations and artificial differences to collectively fight poverty, ignorance and underdevelopment. There is a lot to gain from harmonious living.
We wish Nigeria Happy 63rd Independence Anniversary.
