Many Nigerians have wondered why those appointed into public offices in Nigeria hardly resign even when they find out that the reason for their appointment, or what attracted them to the assignment, may have been compromised by the same people that gave them the job.
Over the years, Nigerians have watched as governments and administrations come and go without positively impacting the masses; oftentimes, excuses are being advanced that “we were not allowed to implement our good plans.”
In the first tenure of President Muhammadu Buhari for instance, there were insinuations that some of the ministers who were expected to “perform” could not “deliver” because “they were not allowed to implement their good ideas.” But the argument was, why did they not throw in the towel as a show of protest?
Recall that in a matter of weeks, there have been reports of massive resignation of African National Congress (ANC) Members of Parliament (MPs) in South Africa. About eight of them are said to have resigned.
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The AFP reports that “the weeks since President Cyril Ramaphosa announced his Cabinet has seen a steady flow of former ministers resigning as MPs.”
There is the belief that Nigerians never resign from appointments, particularly, political appointments, no matter the frustration. They prefer to hang-in there.
Several reasons have been adduced as being responsible for this. They include, but not limited to, job security, pressure from kinsmen, pleasure and royalty of high office, unwillingness to quickly abandon ostentatious leaving and public fund and relative lack of integrity.
These and more are some of the reasons linked to the stiff-necked and stubborn wish to resign from positions even when found culpable or when the good policies that attracted one to the office are being compromised by the institution, putting a question mark on the main reason of accepting an appointment in the first place.
Bolaji Abimbola, CEO of Indigo marketing agency, said Africans are not quick to leave the immediate comfort zone to look for another. “In other climes, an official can resign for inability to execute certain jobs, but reasons can be adduced for such failures in Africa.”
Abimbola, who blamed officials who sacrifice integrity to please the community, believed that there is too much expectation on high office holders which force them to stay put in office, under any circumstance. “When highly-placed individuals begin to live on the truth about their capability to deliver certain things, then, expectations will lower and integrity will set in”, he said.
Non-resignation over issues both in public and private sectors also does not have a deep-rooted history in Nigeria. Since the culture does not really exist, officials are emboldened in the face of issues. Today, for instance, Nigerians are yet to hear voluntary resignation over 2017 alleged diversion of pension funds, Ikoyigate scandal and many similar issues in Nigeria. Those who are responsible for the above-listed saga may still be in the system.
In his reflection, John Ehiguese, CEO of Media Craft, said that people’s refusal to resign from appointments even when they are obviously guilty of offences is a reflection of general integrity deficit in society.
This is compounded as the society does not put pressure on them to vacate office. Sometimes, the society itself is divided as people see such officials from ethnic and tribal lines.
Ehiguese said Nigeria is an ethically challenged environment as “we hardly challenge and punish wrongdoers, and therefore, people do things with impunity.”
Public office holders also are unwilling to resign appointments in the face of accusations and frustrations because they want to fight their own case from within. They feel that they will be at a disadvantage fighting from outside, says another analyst.
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Kingsley Awuru, a budding politician, told BD SUNDAY that part of the reason is fear of the unknown and desire to remain relevant in a society that worships money without asking the source.
“Voluntary resignation or relinquishing power naturally does not exist in Nigerian lexis. Even when high or low-placed officials are accused or indicted for malfeasance, it is either they feel less concerned or stay put to challenge their case. People are shameless here. We read and hear stories about how people from other climes resign for the mere allegation of corruption, rape and others we may call minor offences in Nigeria,” Awuru said.
According to him, “What would a minister, for instance, be doing in a government that he has discovered is not living true to its manifestos? But such things do not bother our people; they sit still and feel satisfied with the perks of office because we do not think about the future; we do not think beyond our stomachs.”
Awuru pooh-poohed the insinuation that it is an anathema for an appointed political officer to resign and that doing so could endanger such an appointee.
“I have heard that people don’t resign, but that is far from the truth. There is no law forbidding people from leaving when you no longer see the purpose of staying,” he said.
Daniel Obi
