Funke Aboyade
7 January 2009
column
Some rays of hope here and there in the President's new cabinet. And what is man, after all, without hope? Perhaps the composition of the new Federal Executive Council, in time for the New Year will be what we need to give impetus to our hopes and aspirations as a nation.
The power sector and who would fill that position was of particular interest to me. The new Minister, Lanre Babalola, comes highly recommended and spoken of in professional circles; here's hoping he doesn't let the side down. If the provision of constant, uninterrupted power supply nationwide is the only thing the President can swing before the end of his tenure then he would have accomplished a lot. That's why it's gladdening that considerable thought was apparently given to the appointee for the position of Minister of Power.
Considerable effort should also be made to create an enabling environment to help him succeed. There are so many entrenched interests within and outside the Ministry which thrive on the misery that our constant power failures inflict on the rest of the country. They will not go down without a good fight. I would hate for the President to end up throwing up his hands in mock frustration and declaring a la Babangida (who, playing to the gallery, once famously said during his reign that the economic situation in the country had defied all economic theories, or was it economic experts, or words to that effect) that the power problem in the country defies all solution.
Dora Akunyili? Her new posting is a major let down; a real puzzle that one. The passion and zeal she brought into NAFDAQ could have been better utilised for the entire country by putting her in a position which would allow her to directly impact the lives and welfare of Nigerians. I feel sorry for her in her new position; I hope she will not eventually rubbish herself and hard-built reputation by the yarn and spin the position of Information and Communication Minister would of necessity require occasionally
Other professionals like new Aviation Minister, Tunde Omotoba, highly spoken of as well, also signal a ray of hope. I think however that the Minister missed the point when last week, he reportedly read the riot act to British Airways and ordered them to revert to their previous schedule which ensures passengers land in Nigeria before dusk. The reason given is the security and safety of passengers who may fall prey to armed robbers and the like due to late arrival. All well and good, but shouldn't the larger point be that the country be made safe for all citizens and at all hours? After all, in other countries in the civilised world, planes take off and land round the clock. Those countries have tackled security concerns such that it's is a non-issue. If we hope to be the economic powerhouse of sub-Saharan Africa, not to mention a major aviation hub in the sub-region, decreeing that international flights come in only during the day surely stifles those aspirations.
So, whilst in the short term it is good to by all means, protect arriving passengers from the risks which late arrival in Nigeria currently pose, it is better in the long term that the security situation in the country be address holistically. The spate of armed robberies and unresolved crime is unacceptable. I have said before, and I will say again, that I hope it isn't when the daughter, son, husband or wife of a high ranking government official is killed by armed robbers that things will finally turn around. The little experiment in Lagos State of public private sector partnership in security (hence the Rapid Response Squad, even with their imperfections) shows that where the political will is there crime can be successfully combated.
Between the President, Minister of Police Affairs and Inspector-General of Police, they should, if the will is there, be able to put in place a first class Police Force. It shouldn't be the duty of the Aviation Minister to be running around ensuring passengers are safe long after they have left the airport and his jurisdiction.
The new Finance Minister, Mansur Muhtar, also comes in with a lot of high regard from professional circles. Some fiscal discipline finally? With less than 23% of the 2008 budget for capital votes unutilised and ordered returned to the treasury, the Nigerian public end up the losers for this oddity. Service deliverables are at an all time low; little wonder then that government's performance in the fiscal year was cheerless and the economy depressed.
With those Ministers and some of those carried over from the last cabinet shake-up, yes maybe there's cause for hope after all. Maybe the President isn't doing too badly after all Maybe.
Quick question for former Works Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke: What was the point of all the tears she shed earlier on in her tenure when she staged a road show on the Shagamu-Benin-Ore Expressway and apologised to Nigerians for the state of that road and many others like it? She certainly didn't leave them in a better state until her re-deployment last week to Mines and Steel, did she? Perhaps the politics of the office overwhelmed her, perhaps she was frustrated by entrenched interests or perhaps she just didn't give a hoot, I don't know. But it should be a good lesson for the incoming Ministers to resist the temptation of playing to the gallery and making empty promises and boasts that may come back to haunt them. Less noise on the pages of newspapers and more action is what we desire and deserve.
As you may have noticed from our cover this week, we are in full Christmas mode here at LAWYER. Added to which, as the year draws to a close and things wind down, we decided on something on a lighter note hence our cover, Yuletide as an Absolute Defence. Well, enjoy.
And Merry Christmas!
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