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Prof. Yemi osibanjo: A delicate walk on the south side

By Joseph Edgar…

Is it any news that Nigeria is not working? No sector today is making any meaningful progress and I must state it very clearly at this point that this is not as a result of any government of Buhari or Jonathan. My position here is that we as a people lack what it takes to build an efficient system based on methodical planning and adequate execution with a predicted outcome emerging.

We as a people are just used to the flexibility that allows for a permanent stay within the grey areas of policy formulation. This flexibility allows for the continued condoning of fluid but shallow needs that come with a basic lack of education at the highest levels, ethno-tribal sentiments and the continued influx of crass nepotism and all that comes with it. Corruption is part of it and I dare say cannot be eradicated because it is ingrained in our culture. We are corruption.

On a recent trip to the Cote D’Ivoire, I was singled out for an intense body search simply because I was Nigerian. At the beginning of the ordeal I was told upfront if I needed Legal advice and as the search continued I witnessed the most efficient and professional conduct by the officers. There was no need to negotiate or call somebody. As long as I was on the right side of the law I had nothing to fear. Juxtapose that with Nigeria, at the airport on my way out, I was asked “how was the weather.” I could have been carrying an Atomic Bomb as long as I was willing to grease some palms there would be no problem. If you take a cursory look at the officials there you would see the ethnic, nepotic profligacy that would have led to those postings and off course what you get would be what you see.

It is for this reason that I want to agree with my young friend who called me one early morning and talked passionately about outsourcing very critical positions within our system to international professionals who would not be boggud down by the patronage system. He cited examples of the UK where the Chancellor of Exchequer who is equivalent of our CBN Governor is a Canadian. He further went ahead to cite the United Emirates where almost every strategic position is manned by international experts.

I am beginning to see reasons with him especially if you see the colouration and scheming’s that go into appointments. The federal character, zoning, party affiliations, favouritism and much more go into these appointments and in most cases what do you get, a slew of highly incompetent officials manning very critical sectors of the economy and polity owing their allegiance to the god fathers who made this happen instead of the people, and that is why you can see a gross disrespect of the institutions and a bastardisation of protocol.

So the Customs boss, the IG of Police and the EFCC boss all have shown nothing but disdain to the National Assembly despite the fact that those ones represent the people. They all owe their appointments to the pleasure of some forces outside the people who are custodian of true and real power.

Read also: PDP: A paragon of political menace

So my young friend has canvassed the appointment of international economic managers to take over our economic institutions. His position is that if we got an expert manning the Ministry of Finance, the CBN, Customs and other parastatals in charge of critical economic development we just may begin to have a fighting chance. I tend to want to agree. Take for example in sports, we have achieved all that we have achieved in say football with foreign technical expertise and failed woefully whenever we have Nigerian coaches.

The outsourcing of Nigeria from the Vice President downwards is beginning to look like a more credible path to true national development because for us to hope to feed this teeming population, policy formulation and execution have to rise above this level of mediocrity and sharp practices. This, you will agree with me, at this point of our national development we will really find it very difficult to achieve.

 

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