In Nigeria, unusual, crazy and inexplicable things do happen and because, most times, the perpetrators of such acts do get away with them, they tend to become the norm.
In 2015 President Muhammadu Buhari squandered three whole months to set up his cabinet with colossal loss and damage to the nation’s economy, nothing was done or even said significantly to let him understand that he was toying with the fate and future of 200 million people.
That was why, in his second coming, he took five months (almost equalling his personal best record), to come up with a list of recycled and worn out spare tyres for a brand new vehicle set out for a long, tortuous journey which is meant to recover lost time and makeover self-inflicted pain on both national psyche and the economy.
Unlike Nigeria, Australia held elections on May 18, Scott Morrison won, and on May 26, three days before inauguration, he announced his cabinet that was sworn in on May 29. Narendra Modi of India was sworn in on May 30 and, on May 31, he formed his cabinet, just one day after.
Similarly, South Africa had its election on May 8, 2019; inauguration took place on May 25 and on May 29, just four days after, Cyril Ramaphosa, the new president, formed his cabinet. Senegal held elections on February 24. Macky Sall who won the election was inaugurated on Tuesday, April 2, and the following Monday, April 8, he set up his cabinet.
But President Buhari who was inaugurated on May 29 formed its cabinet just a couple of days ago, August 21.
This inexplicable delay in setting up a cabinet, it seems, has become the norm. And if that was not enough salt on a festering sore, the state governors have copied this lazy habit. Almost six months after their election on March 9 and three months after their inauguration on May 29 most of them are yet to appoint commissioners.
The presidential system of government which Nigeria runs and the enabling constitution provide for an executive council, at federal and state, to assist in the development of the economy and wellbeing of the people.
It smacks of political and economic bankruptcy and administrative naivety and incompetence, therefore, for a governor to seek election, get elected into office and delay the appointment of his commissioners on the pretext or flimsy excuse that the state has no money.
This embarrassing situation can only be likened to an entrepreneur who sets up a school, gets students into the school and turns round to tell their parents that he has no money to pay teachers and, therefore, refuses or delays to hire any. That is an anomaly and it thrives in Nigeria.
If a state governor, like the school proprietor, lacks money to run his state because the more reason he should appoint smart advisers to help him get the money.
It seems to us that these governors don’t really understand the implications or risk of running a government. It’s like a chief executive shirking its responsibility to stakeholders because he lacks a board of directors. It is unfortunate. It underscores the allegation that many Nigerian politicians come into public office without any vision, mission, ideas or programmes to pursue and execute.
There are no excuses for state governors still waiting for manna from heaven in order to set up an executive council and settle down to the real business. Be decisive and get to work. Now.
