18th CSOP and the radiance of speaker Abbas

If we did not know the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, and were to judge him by his speech at the just concluded 18th Commonwealth Speakers and Presiding Officers’ Conference (CSCOP) in Yaoundé, Cameroon, we would certainly put a colourful garland on his shoulders.

Presiding over a session on ‘Securing Public Trust: The Role of Parliaments in Strengthening Openness, Transparency and Accountability’, the Speaker noted that there was a huge trust deficit between citizens and governments of African countries, and called for “deliberate efforts” to increase public trust in government.

“The people we represent, our constituents, rely on us to uphold the principles of democracy, to safeguard their interests, and to promote their welfare. Thus, openness, transparency and accountability are not mere buzzwords but essential pillars upon which we can build a resilient democracy that serves the needs and aspirations of our people”, Hon. Abbas admonished his audience made up of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the national parliaments of Commonwealth countries.

He added that public trust was the foundation upon which parliaments stood, and that it was, therefore, the duty of legislators to “protect and nurture this trust through our actions and commitments”. He also explained in the speech that the people legislators represent have entrusted them with the responsibility of ensuring that government remains accountable to them.

“It calls for the promotion of ethical standards, integrity, and the highest levels of probity within our ranks. And it demands that we actively listen to the voices of our constituents, understanding their concerns and aspirations, and ensuring that their interests are at the heart of our decision-making processes”, Speaker Abbas intoned.

It was a beautiful and inspiring speech with all the essential ingredients and sound bites. However, it is difficult to think that the honourable speaker believed any of the words in the speech he delivered. Or how else do we reconcile the profile of the man calling for probity and accountability and asking parliamentarians to listen to the voices of constituents and ensure their interests are at the heart of decision making at all times with that of His Imperial Majesty who recently appointed a large battalion of aides?

His appointment of 33 personal aides, “to assist him in the discharge of his office”, came barely two weeks after the Speaker named Musa Abdullahi Krishi as his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, and Dr Jerry Uhuo as Special Adviser on Policy and Strategy, hence making his aides 35 in total.

They include chief of staff, administration; deputy chief of staff, legislative; special adviser, special duties; special adviser, political matters; special assistant, legal matters; special assistant, legislative matters; special assistant, finance; special assistant, international and interparliamentary affairs; special assistant, youth matters; special assistant, women affairs (perhaps to ensure his wives do not take their supremacy squabbles to the parliament again); special assistant, inter-governmental affairs; principal private secretary and chief press secretary. He also has different special assistants for broadcast media, for print media and for new media. But that is not enough for him as he also appointed senior legislative aide (new media 1); senior legislative aide (new media II); senior legislative aide (visual communication); senior legislative aide (photography) and yet another senior legislative aide for videography!

There are also senior legislative aide (personal assistant); special assistant, executive relations and job creation; special assistant, information; and a special assistant, political matters, for each of the six geopolitical zones!

Could this extraordinary number of appointees be what Hon. Abbas meant when he pledged in his acceptance, speech after emerging speaker on June 13, that “under my watch, the 10th house shall sustain and even surpass the gains of the ninth house?”

Is this what he referred to as the “reforms and innovations for the benefit of Nigerians?” Is this how he would deliver good governance and “uplift the lives of fellow citizens, promote social justice, and drive sustainable development” he promised in the speech?

While the honourable speaker mouthed the need for probity and promotion of public interest at the 18th CSCOP in Cameroon, he and his colleagues at the National Assembly continue to assault Nigerians with their reckless wastage and display of opulence. As more and more Nigerians are pushed into poverty, our leaders keep asking them to continue to make sacrifices. But they themselves refuse to cut down on luxuries and cost of governance.

Instead of practising the moral principles and accountability Hon. Abbas preaches, the present NASS leadership, like the ones before it, is in a contest with the executive on who outdoes the other in provocative expenditure.

Even while many have decried the N228.1 billion NASS allocation in the 2023 budget an described it as unconscionable, given the state of the public treasury and rising poverty in the country, NASS has gone ahead to apportion to itself N70b out of the N819b supplementary budget. The facetious explanation offered was that the money was to “support the working conditions of National Assembly members”. Later, they said it was to refurbish their offices and furniture! When will Nigerian leaders stop taunting hapless citizens with their god mentality and immoderate lifestyle?

All over the world, the primary purpose of government is to promote the welfare and security of the citizens. For the Nigerian government, however, it is the welfare and security of its officials. So, from Abuja to the 36 states of the federation, the story is the same – the president and his cabinet, the governors and the legislators continue to luxuriate themselves while their citizens starve and grieve. At a time millions of Nigerians are buffeted by all kinds of taxes, rising costs of living and even basic education, and are continually being told to make sacrifices, you would expect our leaders to show good faith by running a lean government and trimming the cost of governance.

It does not bother them that Nigeria was rated the third worst governed country in the world in the 2021 Chandler Good Governance Index (CGGI) report. The country placed 102 out of the 104 countries assessed, ahead of only Zimbabwe and Venezuela. Despite our pretentiousness, Nigeria is only giant of Africa “by mouth”. According to the Mo Ibrahim African Governance Index, Nigeria is rated one of the continent’s worst-governed countries. In the 2021 African Governance Index, Nigeria was ranked 37th of 52 countries. Nearer home in West Africa, it placed 12th out of 15 states. The huge cost of governance was said to be partially responsible for Nigeria’s poor rating.

Therefore, for the new regime to continue on the same level of plunder and pillage, like The Punch pointed out in a recent editorial, is galling. It is “not just bad governance; it is treacherous, insensitive, and provocative.”

Anapugars, a communications consultant, wrote from Lagos.