Afeez Odunoye
When individuals and organizations hit milestones in their respective enclaves, appraisal and reflection race towards them with warm handshakes. The reception of such gestures opens a conversation from two perspectives: the hits and the flops. Nigeria has a date to honour with the realities of the system of government pedalling the country’s affairs. Two decades of unbroken democracy bears much significance. The significance pumps energy into a commentary of this form as we open a fresh page for discussions on the prerequisites for purpose-driven leadership and good governance.
As oath of allegiance was being administered on President Muhammadu Buhari and 29 state governors last Wednesday,pertinent questions hit the public arena: Will this dispensation drive prosperity? Will these set of elected representatives learn from the past and work for common good? PMB and the 29 governors – 12 first-timers and 17 re-elected Chief Executive Officers – must come to terms with the job to be done.
Often, public office holders slip into the euphoria and intoxicating nature of power. They help themselves to ‘generous’ servings from meals prepared from the collective will of the people. When protests, discussions are spearheaded to jolt them to the demands of the offices they occupy, irresponsible comments shut out their senses. And the ‘enjoyment galore’ continues. This tragedy cuts through the country’s formations. Kogi readily comes to mind. The state has a chief executive who is ‘at war’ with the plights of his people. He has indeed shown he is a victim of circumstance. I predict his defeat as he seeks the ticket of his party, All Progressives Congress to contest the state’s gubernatorial poll scheduled for November 16.
Before the tragedy of Kogi subverts this intervention, I suspend the talk to pitch the understandingof time as an important resource for the new class of elected representatives – members of the legislature and executive arms of government. Deep understanding of time management will effectively drive the vehicle of good governance. The demands of occupying elective posts require preparing the mind, body and soul and resisting the intoxications of power and playing two demeaning games. These games include; apportioning blame to past administrations and the right-versus-wrong game. Both games steal quality time from the purses of elected representatives and derail the train of governance.
There are priceless learnings in handover ceremonies for the executive arm. Perhaps, members of this arm (governors and the president) care less about the irony of life after occupying positions of responsibilities. In The Flipside of Power, Olukorede Yishau brings this to bear. Once they are out of power, the doors of specific privileges and freebies are shut to them, forever. A colleague recently narrated how former governor of Lagos, BabatundeFashola dealt with reality when he handed the reins of power to then governor-elect, Akinwunmi Ambode. Swiftly, people queued behind the man of the moment and left the former governor to walk away with the memories of fulfilment and scars of what could have been. When Lagos politics is being discussed in circles henceforth, both men will assume the same title: Ex-Governor.
When elected representatives make it a point of duty to reflect often on posterity and life after serving out their terms in office, leading with compassion and restraint becomes a habit. Music journalist, Joey Akan captures the mental view of some of our representatives in his piece, Nothing About Nigeria Ever Changes, Even Our Music. He wrote: “Our economy loves to dance. It shakes and sways to music played from mismanagement, bad policies and the insistence of our leadership to embrace their selves before the needs of the people. “ The needs of the people should come first. We witnessed the rise and rise of bad governance in the days leading to May 29. In Lagos, projects were rushed to fulfil self-interest. Needless effigies were constructed in contrast to people-driven needs in Imo. Injury-time appointments and employment offers in Oyo and Ogun made it to the front pages of newspaper publications.
In meeting the needs of citizens, can we overemphasize the interconnection and relationship between synergy and the governance process? Permit me to take you through a few instances in key economic sectors for a proper view: road infrastructure, commerce, health and security. Harmonious relationships among occupants of elective positions are capable of addressing some, if not all of the needs of citizens.
In March 2016, the governors of Lagos and Kebbi states signed the green revolution memorandum of understanding (MoU) to enhance food security and sustain partnership. Three years down the line, the partnership has endured with both states affecting each other positively. Ex-Governor of Lagos, Akinwunmi Ambode made valid points in his speech at the MoU signing ceremony. He offered: “The people are traditionally rice farmers with average land holding of about 10 Hectares. Presently, Kebbi has over 50,000 metric tonnes of paddy in store produced from the last two planting seasons. With these considerations in mind, Lagos State and Kebbi State have decided to collaborate and exploit our areas of comparative advantage to create value for both states. This alliance will ensure food security, job creation, increase in farmers’ income and the overall improvement in the living conditions of the residents of both states through wealth creation and poverty reduction.”
The foregoing statement contrasts what Lagos and Ogun states could have achieved with the administrations of Akinwunmi Ambode and Ibikunle Amosun respectively. Amosun effectively disregarded Ambode’s efforts to link both states together through road infrastructure. Do you remember the 21 Lagos-Ogun boundary roads inaugurated by Ambode in April, 2018? The roads and accompanying bridges were aimed at easing vehicular traffic and interconnectivity among both states. The fact here is: Ogun and Lagos states share an age-long history in commerce and socialization with tales of citizens working in one and residing in the other. But power-drunk Amosun wouldn’t be bothered.
The only exception to the absence of mutual understanding between both states was the recent collaboration on health: polio eradication.
Odunoye is a social commentator.