It’s no celebration time for ministers

Ruminating over the chances that Nigeria’s new ministers will make an impact, a story, which illustrates the depth of the rot in Nigeria came to mind. This is a true story that shocked the lawyer involved despite the person’s understanding of how Nigeria works.

Some months back, the lawyer got a call from an agitated client. The client said that a barrage of policemen swooped on his relative’s home and whisked him to a police formation after putting him in handcuffs.

The legal practitioner later traced the man to a police station where the head of the unit presented a petition accusing the client of internet fraud and the like. The suspect admitted to the crimes in his statement, but the police said investigations were still on, so they must detain the guy. The lawyer tried to discuss his bail. 

While at it, a prominent Nigerian attended by the paraphernalia of his office walked in with another lawyer. At the end of their discussion with the head of the unit, they got a promise that the suspect would be released after 24 hours. So, they left.

Then, the first lawyer returned to the unit head, who instructed him to “discuss with “my boys.” He looked around for the investigating police officer and the other “boys” until someone told him that they were sitting around one corner on the premises. Upon approach, the lawyer sighted the now-handcuff-free suspect sitting with police officers over bottles of beer!

This good lawyer explained: “I couldn’t believe my eyes. They were drinking beer rather than working and in the company of a suspect without any care in the world. But the greatest shocker was when the client walked up to me and explained that he had settled the matter with them. They had agreed to release him on bail for a sum running into millions of naira while investigations continued. I couldn’t believe it, especially when, on getting back to the unit head, he confirmed the settlement.” This suspect bought himself freedom in the same place where two lawyers and even high-ranking Nigerians who wanted to follow the correct processes failed. The moral of this story is that money currently trumps institutions and their processes in Nigeria. Anyone interested in change must come to terms with this reality and bring respect for processes to the top of his agenda, this is my admonition for the new ministers. 

For instance, while awaiting the plans of the new minister of police affairs, a default mindset to improving policing in Nigeria is recruitment. Acting Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun indicated as much when he spoke at a retreat for the Committee of Retired Inspectors General of Police, on Tuesday.

The Nigeria Police Force indeed needs to increase its number; however, there are more fundamental ways to actualise the revolution Nigerians desire in their police. These relate to the conduct, presentation, and engagement strategy of every single member of the force. So, to restore citizens’ confidence, the ministry must prioritise the re-orientation of personnel from the mercantile, inhumane, and venal disposition of many in its workforce. Rebuilding that thoroughly abused institution where processes are trampled upon is paramount to achieving significant change. A police force where money solves all problems can never deliver an egalitarian Nigeria.

It is the same across the spectrum in Nigeria. From the economy to education to health, solid minerals, and what have you, the decadence is alarming, and things can only change when leaders are deliberate about going beyond the surface.

The 45 ministers who took the oath of office on Monday must understand that these are dire times wherein there’s nothing to celebrate. It is not the time to throw parties or dance around in flowing babaringa, as government officials are wont to in Nigeria. These ladies and gentlemen must realise that we are at a juncture where public officers must roll up their sleeves, dig deep, plan and work to reverse the pervasive institutional decay that has turned Nigeria into a joke.

Every minister has serious work to do on this front. Aside from mismanagement triggered by a lack of know-how, a significant part of Nigeria’s economic woe is perpetrated by the circumvention of procedures by vested interests. Therefore, those who run the economy must start by ensuring that all institutions, including the Central Bank of Nigeria, operate according to the laws. 

The Ministry of Agriculture is one with enormous capacity and responsibility now that Nigeria is battling a food security problem. Without enough food on the table for Nigerians, the Renewed Hope agenda of the administration will flop. 

So, the minister here must be circumspect and save Nigeria past corrupt practices. The administration should collaborate with the private sector to build the capacity as well as provide incentives and funding for youths to invest in the sector. The same should apply to the creative arts and tourism. Nigeria is far too endowed to be this poor.

The last minister of education confessed that his tenure was a waste. He sat in office, fed fat on the country’s resources, and left things for the worse from the elementary to the tertiary levels. This era cannot be business as usual.

Nigeria must define its educational objective. The education ministry has an emergency on its hands. Without tackling the burden of 20 million out-of-school children immediately, we will be breeding insurgents and criminals who will soon turn the country upside down. There is no two-way about this.

We must review our curriculum, prioritise the country’s areas of need, and pay attention to teacher and vocational education. We must be practical about our needs on this front.

The reality in our health sector is no less dire. Primary healthcare is in such a parlous state that people have resorted to all counterproductive alternatives. That sector requires unusual creativity to improve access and service delivery to the people, upgrade infrastructure and prioritise the welfare and dignity of health workers. Like education, health is one area where all tiers of government must work together for maximum impact. The two world-class superintendents of this ministry must be ready to dig beyond the surface to change things.

The situation is similar in Aviation, Solid Minerals, Works, Housing, Transportation, and wherever individual ministers find themselves. Each minister must understand that it’s no time to make merry or lord it over the people. It is, in fact, a call that goes beyond an invitation to serve; this is a request for sacrifice, one that demands outright commitment and total conquest of the self. I understand this is counter-intuitive for Nigerian politicians, but this is the essence of public office. 

This is why some of these ministers’ spontaneous huffing and puffing, threats, and premature judgements are improper. Any minister who comes to the job with assumptions and premeditated opinions is already laying a foundation for failure.

Even though we expect them to communicate with Nigerians, our ministers should listen, study, and reflect on situations before making public statements. Threats, media interviews, and pronouncements in these first few days are hasty and indicative of the temperamental and non-contemplative leadership that brought Nigeria to this sorry pass.

Ministers should not also choose this unique opportunity to enrich themselves, their communities, or other affiliates. Good enough, President Bola Tinubu declared to them that Nigeria must put the national interest first. However, if any of them fails to do right by Nigerians, the President must be ready to replace them promptly. Nigeria cannot condone the permissiveness of the immediate past.

Finally, a memo to all Nigerians! Help these ministers succeed. 

There are two things that citizens must do to make the work of our leaders easier. One is to moderate our expectations from family, friends, and associates who hold political offices. Hopefully, they would shun the temptation to rob the country without this extra pressure.

But most importantly, we must keep these men and women on their toes. We must ask them hard questions and demand performance and accountability. Active citizenship is one requirement of functional representative democracy that Nigerians have previously lagged on. We must refrain from allowing elected people to take advantage of us, jeopardising the future. As Charles de Gaulle once said, “Politics is too serious a matter to be left to politicians.” Nigerians must now be alert.

Adedokun can be reached via Twitter@niranadedokun