Politics and governance in Nigeria: A tale of woes! – Dr. Muiz Banire

Politics and governance in Nigeria are an interesting spectacle. All over the civilized world, politics and governance are a means to serve, impact on society positively and write one’s name in gold. They are two activities that can be used as a barometer of how developed a society is or aspiring to be. Politics is never an occupation except largely in Nigeria but a means of driving society towards self-preservation and ensuring continuous and sustainable development. It is a means of ensuring that the future is preserved and guaranteed not only for the present but for generations unborn. The case is not so in Nigeria as many politicians produced in this part of the world see politics and political office as means to feather personal nests, enrich themselves beyond their wildest imaginations and oppress the masses. This explains why most Nigerian politicians cannot quit politics for any other engagement.

This is a rampant phenomenon across the country and among the various tiers of government today. The expectation and practice in all civilized countries is to assume governance immediately election is over. In other words, the determination of issues is rather more placed on objectivity rather than politics. By this I mean that after the emergence of public officials, the major consideration becomes the welfare of the people. The question of who voted or did not vote, the political affiliation of a particular group or otherwise, becomes irrelevant in the governance of the country.
Regrettably, Nigerian politicians use the siting of projects to achieve personal or a particular community aggrandizement in the name of politics. Causing crisis in Osun State in the past few days is the relocation of the ninety-something year-old airport from the ancient town of Ido Osun to Ede by the sitting Governor Ademola Adeleke who has been consistently labelled as primitively nepotistic in his choice of favouring his home town, Ede, for choice projects and development. While the former Governors Rauf Aregbesola and Adegboyega Oyetola who hailed from Ilesha and Iragbiji respectively did not make any attempt to relocate the siting of the airport to their respective home towns, the current governor believes that Ede is more deserving of the airport than Ido Osun that had hosted an airstrip since the colonial days and which everyone believes only needs to be upgraded to the status of an airport.
Aside from the above, in virtually all parts of the country, you see location of projects based on politics, and abandonment of other projects for political reasons has become the order of the day. This is prominent when such projects were commenced by the estranged predecessor of the incumbent governor. Our leaders often forget that it is taxpayers’ money that is being abandoned anytime they abandon an on-going project of their predecessor. Apart from the infestation of corruption in this regard, as contractors need to return to negotiation table with the new Governor, not in the States’ interest but personal interest of the Governor; most helmsmen believe that for political reason, such projects must be abandoned as it must not bear the tag of success of their predecessors. Even in the location of projects, rather than put such in a vantage area, political consideration is applied, such as to eventually lead to the abandonment or failure of the projects due to non-viability.
As opined above, such indiscretion is not only harmful but wasteful. The same plague has spread into the educational system with proliferation of tertiary institutions for political reasons, even where not required. I have written on this in the past as establishments of universities and other colleges of higher learning are being promoted with reckless gusto to pacify community interests and not necessarily for the purpose of providing and guaranteeing quality education for the people. One wonders what would become of products of such institutions whose quality of education cannot compete in this highly competitive world. A classic example lies in the proliferation of federal tertiary institutions. Each successful elected official believes institutions must be located in his domain. He cares not about the viability of such nor the impact. Most often than not, such similar institutions already exist in the environment with under-capacity and inefficiency. All in the names of politics another must surface to account for his own stewardship, whereas there is no adequate funding for the extant ones, nor are there competent personnel to man same. No area in this regard is sacred as all institutions are now plagued with the same affliction. Even the judiciary is becoming afflicted in the location of courts and posting of judges. The siting of court buildings/divisions has suddenly now become subject of political interests. That explains why you have under-capacity in some parts of the country while in others, you discover over-burdening of inadequate infrastructure too weak to cope. This is the point to which politics has driven us. In the midst of this confusion, to say the least, is the appreciation of objectivity in the governance of their constituency by some political leaders. Thanks to Babajide Sanwoolu in this regard for continuing projects started by his predecessors like Fashola and Ambode otherwise we would not have seen the completion of the new rail lines that are now massively benefitting the people of Lagos State. That is how governance must be a continuum and not segregated or unrelated coaches. Lagos State has achieved its own pattern of development not only because the same political party has been in power since the inception of this Republic but because of the foresight of some of its leaders whose personal interests are still within the ambit of institutional checks and balances, apparently not perfect but is more desirable. We can also see the example of Shetima/Zulum change of baton and effective synergy in the State of Borno. While the Governor has been delivering massively on dividends of democracy and good governance despite the high level of insecurity that had ravaged many parts of the State in recent times, his predecessor, Vice President Shetima has not allowed over-vaulting ambition to torpedo effective and efficient governance in the State. He served as Senator representing his constituency, which is just one-third of his previous area of operation as Governor, for eight years without unduly poke-nosing into the affairs of the State. The lingering and perennial crisis that almost made Kano State unlivable for close to ten years now is a product of disagreement between erstwhile two jolly friends who have been favoured by fate to be Numbers 1 and 2 in the State for eight solid years. One wonders why humans in the Nigerian political leadership cannot lead with the interest of the masses as their watchword. The section of the constitution on the welfare and security of the people seems meaningless to most of our politicians. In other climes, once election is over, governance resumes. Our own leaders forget that hunger, poverty, insecurity and others have no political affiliation. They respect nobody except those for whom there is adequate provision and just only for as long as the provision lasts. Such is the reason the interests of the people are the cornerstone of any worthy leader. Self-interest is moderated for the purpose of ensuring good governance and quality living for the people. Nigerian leaders need to change their orientation, and place politics behind upon emergence. There is need for the political leaders still rampaging in the euphoria of politics to wake up and refocus on governance. That is the essence of their ‘elections’.