By Dele Sobowale

‘Buhari signs bill compelling President, Govs to form cabinet within 60 days” – News Report, MARCH 18, 2023.

“A fool if offered eternity will not know what to do with it” – Epicurus, 341-270 BC, VANGUARD BOOK OF QUOTATIONS, VBQ.

It was the third paper I was reading on Saturday. And, right on the top left hand corner, on the front page, was the news report about Buhari signing a bill to compel the President and state Governors, to form their cabinets within 60 days. It was absolutely ridiculous; but the sort of thing Buhari would want to count as one of his “best for Nigeria”.

He and every single elected person, who voted on that bill, have proved to the youths and the world why Nigeria developed very little from 1999 till now under their collective leadership. Obviously, the Nigerian elected official, even in the new millennium, is totally unaware that time is a vital development and economic resource – just like capital, labour and natural resources. So, he is ready to waste as much of it as he cares to without any repercussions.

“A week is a long time in politics”, said ex-British Prime Minister, Harold Wilson, 1916-1995. That was a lesson Buhari failed to learn in 2015 and 2019. On the first occasion, it took him five months to reluctantly form his cabinet. Even then, he regarded them as “noisemakers only after their own interests.” By the time he condescended to appoint them, it was already too late for them to effectively work on the 2016 Budget which ended in the first recession. A more perceptive President would have seen the correlation between the deep recession and the tardiness in appointing those to help him manage government. That was why he repeated almost the same thing in 2019; and a recession followed in 2020.

WHY IS SPEEDY CABINET FORMATION IMPORTANT?

“No one, on his own, is wise enough” – Plautus 200 BC, VBQ

From about the eighteenth century, as democracy matured and party politics became entrenched, candidates for office were called upon to present their manifesto to the electorate. It would generally cover security, economy, social welfare etc. It was quickly realised that nobody could be an expert in everything. To develop their manifesto, the candidates brought into their campaign team people who could help them in those areas in which they were intellectually deficient, as well as lacking requisite experience. Invariably, thousands of people get drawn into the campaign team and hundreds emerge as group leaders whose capabilities are well-known.

Furthermore, quite frequently, power does not shift immediately after election results are announced. The period between election result and inauguration gives the President, Governor or Mayor the opportunity to look at people who may not be political (e.g. Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi), but who could help the elected person to run his government. Without exception, elected Presidents, in more civilised environments, are always ready to send their cabinet list shortly after inauguration.

It is inconceivable that the US Senate or the British Parliament will sit for 60 days waiting for the newly sworn-in leader to send his cabinet list. It is also impossible for the Ohio State House members to wait for that long for the Governor to send the list of his appointees. The reason is very simple. Selection of those to hold important offices is one of the cardinal functions of a President or State Governor.

As you are campaigning and making promises, you are expected to be searching for those who would help you to redeem your promises. Buhari, after five months in office, chose Ms Kemi Adeosun, a Chartered Accountant as Finance Minister; she was followed by Mrs Zainab Ahmed – another Accountant. Unfortunately, none of the two possessed the breadth of knowledge, experience and international exposure to make a good Finance Minister. It is certainly not a Cashier’s job. That was why it was easy for them to go along with the President’s “borrow and spend” approach to economic management. Both of them actually believed, like all the other members of Buhari’s cabinet, that giving N5, 000 free to people per month would lift them out of poverty. They were astonished that it did not; and it never will.

I have singled out these two examples, not to ridicule the young ladies, but to point out that appointing competent people does not require all the time the new law has allotted to it – if the new helmsman/woman has been working with the right people all along. In fact, the new law would strike the average Japanese, Norwegian, French person or American – to name a few, as another example of mental laziness by Africans. They must wonder, as I do, why a Nigerian official needs two months to do what the young lady leading Italy accomplished in three days; and she got better human materials with which to work. But, just in case some of our readers are still wondering why this matter is vital, let me provide another reason.

OUR WORLD JUST GOT SMALLER

Technology, the internet, CNN, smartphones etc have now brought the nations of the world closer. Events happening in Asia or Latin America which, in Wilson’s days, would have taken months to be reported to us in Nigeria, and which may affect us, for good or ill, reach us now within minutes. CNN Breaking News showed us as Russian tanks moved into Ukraine last year February. On the same day, American sanctions against Russian crude was announced. Russia also stopped the export of grains from Ukraine; US replied with an embargo on Russian grains. Within forty-eight hours, measures were taken elsewhere on the globe which would drive the price of bread in Nigeria up by 200 per cent in one year and almost crippled our poultry industry as the price of eggs skyrocketed.

The negative impacts were globally felt. Nations, whose Finance or Economic Planning Ministers and President could read the danger signs last February, suffered less than Nigeria which recorded 21 per cent inflation. Imagine, if you can, if another war or catastrophe occurs in June this year and our President has not appointed cabinet Ministers to help introduce measures to alleviate the negative after-effects. The flood late last year covered at least fifteen states. Several rivers passing through many states, especially Niger and Benue, over-flowed banks; coastal areas feeling the impact of rising water levels were submerged. Many communities remained under water for months.

Such disasters, when they occur, require action by thousands of officials working in different Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, and states. All the actions must flow from directions given by one actor – the President. He/she is the only one who can act across ministries, states, Local Governments or autonomous communities. Woe to the nation whose President is still sitting on the cabinet list when an earthquake occurs. Had the great flood of 2022 occurred in either 2015 or 2019 June, when Buhari had not appointed Ministers, more people would have died. That is a fact to remember.

ADVICE TO INCOMING PRESIDENT, GOVERNORS

“Advice is seldom welcome; and those who want it the most always want it the least” – Earl of Chesterfield, 1694-1773, VBQ.

Like most columnists, I am accustomed to giving advice which officials ignore. It just comes with the territory; especially if you are labeled a critic. But, like Henry Clay, 1777-1852, “I will rather be right than President.”

My first admonition to our next ruler is this: Ignore that law; appoint your cabinet members early. You can always sack any of them you discover does not fit into your team. Even in America, Secretaries [Ministers] have been removed after a month in office for various reasons. You need good people to help you because you can’t do all the work by yourself.

Of all appointments, please remember this. Another flood is coming this year greater than last year’s. Get your Flood Disaster Team ready. Otherwise your condolence messages will mean nothing.

I wish you well.

LOST AND FOUND; READY TO GO FOR SUNDAY

“God loves a cheerful giver.” He will bless you abundantly.

I am back with my fund-raising for Sunday Adesina, the paraplegic athlete and medal winner; who I am assisting to realise his ambition of competing on the global stage. We still need a lot of things – mainly a Keke (tri-cycle) of his own to earn money. I am ready to be the guarantor to soft loan given to him. He also needs good nutrition. Can you donate GOLDEN MORN/ crate of eggs a month? MILO? BOURNVITA? Multivitamins? Or just money? Please try.

Meanwhile, I found a copy of VANGUARD BOOK OF QUOTATIONS – which is for auction. Money goes to Sunday, of course. Join me; send me your bid for the book. Highest bidder wins. Postage/delivery not included. God bless you.