Subsidy removal has engendered certain discourses which hitherto were an open secret, but were somehow forbidden, never received due attention, or conveniently swept under the carpet because people never had the platform, opportunity or cohesiveness to push them.
The debate over Fuel subsidy removal and the attendant wide spread protest however has provided a platform and opportunity to speak.
For me, these are issues that have been nagging, and fuel subsidy removal pales into insignificance. If the Nigerian Labor congress would bring these to the table as a bargaining chip, and demand change, it would have achieved much.
What are the issues?
1. Operation of a constitution bequeathed to us by the military. Until now, the people of Nigeria have not sat at a table, freely of themselves, in a democratic dispensation to discuss the basis of their existence, cohabitation, and nationhood. An article of faith, stating that “we the people of Nigeria declare….” freely debated, freely entered into, and freely enforced has not been made. Fundamental and significant changes need to be made which the 1999 constitution does not adequately address. Parliamentary or presidential government? Regional governments or states? 50% derivation formula? Confederacy or federalism? Community policing? Immunity from prosecution for governors? Remuneration structure for public officers etc.
2. An over bloated, predatory Presidential form of government consisting of a bi cameral house of 109 senators, 360 plus representatives; the judiciary and the executive. It also consists at the state level, a replication of the executive, legislature and judiciary. Each of these include a huge retinue of ministers, ministers of state, executive aids, special assistants, advisers, commissioners, secretaries, legislators, chairmen, vice chairmen, counselors etc.
Constituency allowance- Besides the huge retinue of aids each legislator is entitled to, they all receive large constituency allowances totaling in the hundreds of billions of naira annually. To what end? Isn’t this a duplication of function already provided for, being the duty of states, and local governments? Where else in the world do we legislators execute “projects”? Does it not amount to a distraction for legislator to be the executors of capital projects? Do their primary duties of legislation not suffer?
Security votes- Similarly, governors receive a yearly allocation of funds to with no account of its disbursement or utilization is provided to anyone. It is labeled security vote, and totals billions. We got a glance into the figure recently when Mr Rochas Okorocha, governor of Imo state re-appropriated 4 billion of the 6 billion naira provided for him under this subheading to education. This is the amount of money that would have disappeared into one governor’s hands in one year. How unfair!
Town hall meetings- Besides being unwieldy, over bloated, and expensive, it does not provide the much needed representation of the people or adequately cater to their needs. Government officials are impossible to see. They are domiciled in Abuja, state capitols and overseas. There are no fora for meeting the public, no town hall meetings where everyone and anyone is welcomed and free to air their view -lay men and women, market women, tomato sellers, unemployed youths, masons, cobblers, professionals, civil servants etc. Why? These remind them of their failures in providing social amenities and growth opportunities for the people, and the antithesis to what they represent-opulence, ostentation, affluence, and ill got wealth. The reality is that this form of government is wicked and unsustainable. It is predatory and feudalistic.
Examples- I know that President Obama of the United States pay for his meals, cooks, clothes and other personal effects. What, after all is the purpose of a salary? British Members of parliament board regular transportation as commoners and retire their expenditures later on for reimbursement. The British monarch or Prime minister has no private planes. What about that?
Corruption & redundancy- The unwieldy nature of government also fosters corruption. With a large bureaucratic civil service, multiple government agencies often with overlapping functions, it becomes impossible to hold individuals responsible for acts of omission or commission. Similarly it is next to impossible to track continuous training and development of personnel, as well as continuous improvement of the system etc. For instance, Enterprise resource programs, ERPs, Just-in-time, JIT procedures, project management procedures and E-government initiatives etc are not yet standard in the ministries, department and agencies.
The redundancy in government provides various avenues to milk the system of valuable resource, naira and kobo. The 2012 budget makes these provisions for the presidency; maintenance of vehicles-382 million, purchase of scanners-150million naira, purchase of computers-265million,, photocopying machines-23million, residential furnitures-295 million, medical equipment-93 million, provision of infrastructure-324million, hospital/health centres-265 million, drug and medical supplies-314 million, provision of electricity-203 million, provision of residential buildings-300 million, provision of office buildings-3 billion, rehabilitation of office buildings-419 million, rehabilitation of hospital/health centre-122million, all in Naira.
What in the world….? Say, must computers, scanners, photocopiers and furniture be changed every year? Must health centers, hospitals, office and residential complexes be built yearly in the precinct of the state house? At this rate, I probably should take heart because Aso rock will soon extend to my village in kogi state. What a shame! What paradox! Small wonder the angst in the land!
3. Antiquated Judiciary-An antiquated, outmoded, slow, and corrupt judicial system which fosters more injustice than it curbs. The evidence Act remains that of the 1950’s, legal technicalities exonerate murderers and justice is delayed in perpetuity. Justice is expensive to procure. It is also inaccessible. A court is no more powerful than its enforcement of judgments. Where are the bites? It bites only the weak, poor felon; felon no doubt! The igbenidions, ibrus and Baloguns are given soft landing-plea bargain! While the Kalu’s, turaki’s, and sarakis walk the streets in their majesties. What a world!
4. Social security/welfare- I have always asked the question, “what, do i have to show for being Nigerians?” What benefits or privileges accrue to me over and above foreigners who dwell here? Any social benefits? Any for education? Unemployment benefits? Social housing? Welfare benefits? What if I get in trouble on foreign soil? The grim answer is none. No wonder the anger of people at the suggestion of subsidy removal from PMS, being their only benefit from government. What country has no safety nets for its vulnerable population? How do you inspire a sense of citizenship, patriotism and nationalism without these? Isn’t this why it seems there’s so much money flowing around redundant, availing kleptomaniacs to help themselves to some when it could otherwise be used for social security? An average Nigerian lives….and dies alone.
Isn’t about time?
The debate over Fuel subsidy removal and the attendant wide spread protest however has provided a platform and opportunity to speak.
For me, these are issues that have been nagging, and fuel subsidy removal pales into insignificance. If the Nigerian Labor congress would bring these to the table as a bargaining chip, and demand change, it would have achieved much.
What are the issues?
1. Operation of a constitution bequeathed to us by the military. Until now, the people of Nigeria have not sat at a table, freely of themselves, in a democratic dispensation to discuss the basis of their existence, cohabitation, and nationhood. An article of faith, stating that “we the people of Nigeria declare….” freely debated, freely entered into, and freely enforced has not been made. Fundamental and significant changes need to be made which the 1999 constitution does not adequately address. Parliamentary or presidential government? Regional governments or states? 50% derivation formula? Confederacy or federalism? Community policing? Immunity from prosecution for governors? Remuneration structure for public officers etc.
2. An over bloated, predatory Presidential form of government consisting of a bi cameral house of 109 senators, 360 plus representatives; the judiciary and the executive. It also consists at the state level, a replication of the executive, legislature and judiciary. Each of these include a huge retinue of ministers, ministers of state, executive aids, special assistants, advisers, commissioners, secretaries, legislators, chairmen, vice chairmen, counselors etc.
Constituency allowance- Besides the huge retinue of aids each legislator is entitled to, they all receive large constituency allowances totaling in the hundreds of billions of naira annually. To what end? Isn’t this a duplication of function already provided for, being the duty of states, and local governments? Where else in the world do we legislators execute “projects”? Does it not amount to a distraction for legislator to be the executors of capital projects? Do their primary duties of legislation not suffer?
Security votes- Similarly, governors receive a yearly allocation of funds to with no account of its disbursement or utilization is provided to anyone. It is labeled security vote, and totals billions. We got a glance into the figure recently when Mr Rochas Okorocha, governor of Imo state re-appropriated 4 billion of the 6 billion naira provided for him under this subheading to education. This is the amount of money that would have disappeared into one governor’s hands in one year. How unfair!
Town hall meetings- Besides being unwieldy, over bloated, and expensive, it does not provide the much needed representation of the people or adequately cater to their needs. Government officials are impossible to see. They are domiciled in Abuja, state capitols and overseas. There are no fora for meeting the public, no town hall meetings where everyone and anyone is welcomed and free to air their view -lay men and women, market women, tomato sellers, unemployed youths, masons, cobblers, professionals, civil servants etc. Why? These remind them of their failures in providing social amenities and growth opportunities for the people, and the antithesis to what they represent-opulence, ostentation, affluence, and ill got wealth. The reality is that this form of government is wicked and unsustainable. It is predatory and feudalistic.
Examples- I know that President Obama of the United States pay for his meals, cooks, clothes and other personal effects. What, after all is the purpose of a salary? British Members of parliament board regular transportation as commoners and retire their expenditures later on for reimbursement. The British monarch or Prime minister has no private planes. What about that?
Corruption & redundancy- The unwieldy nature of government also fosters corruption. With a large bureaucratic civil service, multiple government agencies often with overlapping functions, it becomes impossible to hold individuals responsible for acts of omission or commission. Similarly it is next to impossible to track continuous training and development of personnel, as well as continuous improvement of the system etc. For instance, Enterprise resource programs, ERPs, Just-in-time, JIT procedures, project management procedures and E-government initiatives etc are not yet standard in the ministries, department and agencies.
The redundancy in government provides various avenues to milk the system of valuable resource, naira and kobo. The 2012 budget makes these provisions for the presidency; maintenance of vehicles-382 million, purchase of scanners-150million naira, purchase of computers-265million,, photocopying machines-23million, residential furnitures-295 million, medical equipment-93 million, provision of infrastructure-324million, hospital/health centres-265 million, drug and medical supplies-314 million, provision of electricity-203 million, provision of residential buildings-300 million, provision of office buildings-3 billion, rehabilitation of office buildings-419 million, rehabilitation of hospital/health centre-122million, all in Naira.
What in the world….? Say, must computers, scanners, photocopiers and furniture be changed every year? Must health centers, hospitals, office and residential complexes be built yearly in the precinct of the state house? At this rate, I probably should take heart because Aso rock will soon extend to my village in kogi state. What a shame! What paradox! Small wonder the angst in the land!
3. Antiquated Judiciary-An antiquated, outmoded, slow, and corrupt judicial system which fosters more injustice than it curbs. The evidence Act remains that of the 1950’s, legal technicalities exonerate murderers and justice is delayed in perpetuity. Justice is expensive to procure. It is also inaccessible. A court is no more powerful than its enforcement of judgments. Where are the bites? It bites only the weak, poor felon; felon no doubt! The igbenidions, ibrus and Baloguns are given soft landing-plea bargain! While the Kalu’s, turaki’s, and sarakis walk the streets in their majesties. What a world!
4. Social security/welfare- I have always asked the question, “what, do i have to show for being Nigerians?” What benefits or privileges accrue to me over and above foreigners who dwell here? Any social benefits? Any for education? Unemployment benefits? Social housing? Welfare benefits? What if I get in trouble on foreign soil? The grim answer is none. No wonder the anger of people at the suggestion of subsidy removal from PMS, being their only benefit from government. What country has no safety nets for its vulnerable population? How do you inspire a sense of citizenship, patriotism and nationalism without these? Isn’t this why it seems there’s so much money flowing around redundant, availing kleptomaniacs to help themselves to some when it could otherwise be used for social security? An average Nigerian lives….and dies alone.
Isn’t about time?
Comments
Post a Comment