ACID TEST FOR WOULD BE MINISTERIAL APPOINTEES.
by
Since 1979 till date, a period spanning two decades, the same crop of privileged elite class had always been at the helm of affairs in the country be it during the military or civilian democracy. There is the fashionable recycling of same group by different administration except for occasional demise of some members of this clan. . They have permeated from the legislature to even board of parastatals membership. The continuous repetition of same group of people leaves wide open the conjecture in support of late Afro juju maestro assertion of an "army arrangement". It is the same group that have ruled Nigeria from its glorious days to it’s now doom days yet they still hold tenaciously to power hoping for some divine miracle to change the economy and society. The truth is that miracle and manna stopped with Moses in the desert. Modern government is peopled by patriotic citizens who are bent on improving the lives of the generality of the society and are accountable for their actions since they rule based on the mandate and trust of the people whom they hold sacred.
From the days of ex-president Shagari, the same faces that served with him are still parading on the corridors of power. This same group was visible even during the dictatorial regime of late Sani Abacha and we are told all blames should go to Abacha alone! We have not paused a little to review what roles these civilian pseudo-military ministers and politician played in reinforcing a culture of corruption and negativity to national cohesion during these past two decades. Their ever-present role leads to the critical inquiry of what happened to the ebullient youthful population that Nigeria has produced since independence. This older generation have feathered their own nest by promoting discreetly the regionalization of certain ministerial position and their immediate narrow face value to their region instead of the whole country as a whole.
It is appalling to still hear and read in the news media, ministerial appointees seeing themselves first as representing their own states or region or attaching statism or regional usefulness value to any position or ministry they are appointed to head. It leads to the summation that several cases of ministerial appointments have been viewed or used to assuage ethnic feelings or as a compensation for whatever reasons. The proper thing to do, as is the standard worldwide is to appoint those whom the president and the legislatures think would be able to perform and discharge their duties diligently and meritoriously but, with a sense of equity, fairness in making such selections. Largely, no body seem to care to review past views and opinions of appointees as it relates to their new assignment .It would not be proper for someone for example, who has misgivings for the nomadic education program to aspire to head the education ministry or for a religious or ethnic biased individual to be the attorney-general. I know that this may sound utopian to those with fickle mindedness about the clarion call for the emergence of a Nigeria of our dream, but it should form an integral part of our future selection and election criteria .Let us know the views of our so called leaders on certain crucial issues of national cohesion and unity.
The importance attached by Nigerians to "what did or, what has the minister done for his people syndrome" may have fuelled the urge of well-intentioned individual to become parochial in the discharge of the public service duties. The society attaches to much significance to that and this may have informed the refusal of Senator Udoma to reject the post of Minister for Environment in 1999 because his people or his constituency does not see the value or how that position would benefit them. It is pitiable much as it is now hilarious to even think that someone with his educational endowment could cave in to such indigenous Nigerianised perception. Someone needs to remind his likes that, as a minister, his focus should be to the entire country and not Ikot-Abasi. Christine Whitman, former New Jersey governor abandoned her position to take up a call to national duty to serve as environmental adviser/secretary to George Bush. So the argument by the likes of Udoma that the position has no immediate value to his "people" and, or it is not a "core" ministry is misguided and for want of better words following the status –quo of older generations who see Nigeria and public office as just within the confines of their ethnic group.
This importance of a ministerial position has accounted for the acrimonious bickering for who controls such ministry like defense, internal affairs, FCT, education, foreign affairs, finance, mines and power . If there are institutionalized safeguards against abuse of official position, on a watch dog and quarterly basis with options of criminal prosecution without fear or favor law enforcement, then this emphasis would disappear giving rise to national overview by public holders.
The final analysis therefore is that, the time is ripe now more than ever for the emergence of a new breed Nigeria and Nigerians. It calls for a radical overthrow through campaign, education that would appeal to the younger less detribalized Nigerians to vote and elect in newer blood to take the country to the next level. Nigerians want a country devoid of this state of origin and who know man syndrome. There should be the glorification of merit, fairness, equity, justice and above all, a country where rule of law and it respect flows through the veins of all impartially. A country where Nigerian are comfortable to see one another first as a Nigerian other than ethnic affinity. A country where we are able to tolerate our differences, religion, cultures, beliefs, and views and more importantly can still be more united despite all these centrifugal factors.