The tall order of good governance in Nigeria (1)

The cost of governance for the Nigerian state, arguably, has the most significant impact on the country’s economic growth and progress. No doubt, Nigeria, as the world’s most populous black nation, has great potentials in all aspects of human endeavours and great opportunities by virtue of her natural resource endowments but, the nation unfortunately has not been too lucky, or lacks the crop of leadership personnel to constantly deliver good governance in its on-going democratic dispensation. The current economic challenges facing the country demand that the leadership and the very rich (affluent Nigerians privileged to be occupying influential positions in the society) should not be so insensitive as to not feel the pulse and pains of the ordinary man and woman in the economy. Such expected attention for the led demands compassionate, people-centred attention for fellow citizens who are passing through diverse economic hardship/experiences, and are in dire straits. It demands working towards a strategic arrangement to lessen identified economic burdens on the shoulders of the innocent, law-abiding common people, who directly bear the brunt as a result of poor economic management plans that have consistently been implemented without consideration of the poor masses of the country.

Nigeria is an amalgamation of numerous ethnic nationalities, with diverse tongues, spiritual beliefs and traditions. The strength of the nation ought to lie in our numerical strengths and diversity (with respect to harmonised economic and commercial activities) but, the political leaders rather sow seeds of discord amongst the peoples for their selfish political gains, thereby creating divisiveness amongst the good people of this nation called Nigeria. This is wickedness; and the country is currently more divided than ever, with “dog eat dog” attitude and relationship amongst fellow Nigerians drawn along tribal lines, religious or ethnic divide. This situation is worse during electioneering campaign periods and during vote casting for political candidates seeking elective positions. All forms of illegalities, atrocities and crimes are therefore introduced and perpetrated just for these power-mongering politicians to be declared winners by the election umpires at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). It is on the back of this that the political economy of the nation continues to be dragged down by the inherent corrupt practices therein as the leadership is tuned more to favouritism than meritocracy in governance structure. This invariably carries along its heavy financial burden resulting from bills to sustain their cronies, political assistants, aides, and numerous other positions created out of patronage, to compensate every political jobber that may have participated during the elections. These lieutenants eventually constitute a very heavy financial cost around every single political office holder, to maintain them by means of salaries and wages in every administration.

This costly and defective structural framework for the nation’s electoral process needs to be drastically rearranged along party lines, and by the means the electoral umpires conduct the voting process (preferably by electronic voting and counting). It should be such that the mode of selection for aspirants/prospective candidates to contest on party platforms would be by transparent democratic procedures, on merit (void of god-fatherism, money politics or any other means of cutting corners during party primaries). This idea may sound controversial (after previous elections already conducted in the country) but, it works peacefully for so many other countries. This unconventional and unpatriotic means of going to the polls to rig elections, creates the complexity in actualizing good governance for the country because, in most cases, the wrong candidates who do not have the right administrative capacity and content emerge as winners. They also lack the capability to fix things that otherwise, a more qualified and capable administrator would effectively and efficiently handle, for the overall interest and benefits of all concerned within the state. The much talked about reforms would reasonably reduce inefficiency in governance presently slowing down the economic progress of the country, and adequately take care of the challenges facing good governance for the sake of the entire electorate. Situations in the economy earnestly need to improve, and it is only by having serious-minded, compassionate, dedicated, patriotic, god-fearing and empathic personnel in leadership positions that it could be possible to make the necessary change in governance.

Economic challenges critically bother on finance. Financial performance of any economy is the function of its economic activities tied to productivity. This task solely lies in the hands of policy drivers, and the daily administrators within the economy. If you look at the 2024 national budget (already signed into law by the president), for instance, the priorities attached to certain/critical economic sectors like Education (N48 billion to cater for over 200 million people) and Health (N46 billion to cater for over 200 million Nigerians), when compared with the cost of maintaining legislature (political office holders, 465 of them with a budgeted figure of N125 billion), it leaves much room for discussion (food for thought). This makes good governance a tall order for this economy unless a drastic reverse approach is applied. If all political office holders would agree at this critical moment of our national life, they are urged and implored to emulate the legacy of Malam Aminu Kano when he served as a minister under General Yakubu Gowon by demonstrating that “good name is better than money” in this story of an incident involving him. 

He is said to have patriotically annulled a plot of financial blackmail against him by his colleagues in the then council of ministers with a share of 25 thousand pounds sterling (£25,000). It was aimed, out of jealousy and displeasure at Gowon’s behaviour of always asking Malam his own opinion before taking a final decision on crucial matters, just to strain his trusted relationship with Gowon. But to their greatest disappointment, Malam Aminu Kano (even after asking what the money was meant for and being told it was his to keep) duly and instantly paid back the sleaze money into the Federal Government’s bank account (duly receipted with time and date), which he tendered when at the council he was confronted by Gowon. Gowon instantly stood in awe of the man and hugged him, dropping tears to express his elation, followed with a standing ovation that rancorously filled the air in his praises and eulogy for the saintly politician. (As related in the book, The Biography of Malam Aminu Kano. At this critical time, the Nigerian leadership across all strata has a responsibility, and it is demanded of them, to render sacrificial services, and stop being insensitive of the general economic situation being faced by several millions of their fellow countrymen.

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