NIGERIA IN A TIME OF AUSTERITY In the affairs of men, leadership is everything. In the family, church, mosque, non-governmental organisation, the corporate world and even socio-cultural association, progress depends largely on the right leadership. But by far the most critical part of human existence where leadership failing could be catastrophic even to the future generation is in public service. Yet, studies have shown that man makes a lesser performance in government than in any other aspect of human endeavour. Barbra Tuchman, American journalist and Pulitzer Prize winner provides immeasurable insight in An Inquiry Into the Persistence of Unwisdom in Government. The sum total of this highly decisive work is that for varying reasons, drivers of government business most often than not, perform below average. And this, it is believed forms the basis for mass failure in government particularly in developing countries. Nigeria is today in austerity. It is still not clear to all of us, how many times the budget will still be reviewed by the government. For the purposes of this discussion, austerity is a condition characterised by harsh policies of government. Naturally, the people suffer under such inclement conditions but the federal government is struggling to justify this emerging reality. The coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said the decision to trim down revenue projection was part of measures to maintain economic stability, boost oil revenues, reduce waste and plug loopholes. So, the government will introduce Luxury Good tax and restrict foreign travels and training for civil servants, among other measures. Therefore from official quarters, this new austerity measures are meant to insulate the economy from the falling crude oil prices which is a global issue. In the open, particularly among players in the financial sector, these measures are suspicious and panicky. There is strong belief that bad times lie ahead and it is important for people to make preparations, after all no government sounds alarm bells directly. There are also those that say the Central Bank Nigeria is very weak and that it does not have the wherewithal to defend the naira, so our nation’s currency will continue to fall. The sad truth is that Most of the Nigerian leader since independence ever made any effort to diversify the economy by looking beyond oil. To be fair, this obvious lack of vision predates the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan. What is happening is the cumulative effect of leadership failure and lack of creativity. However, without a doubt, this lack of vision also got worse under the present administration. There is a total disconnect between economic statistics and the quality of life of our people, and between planning and execution on the other hand. It is widely acknowledged that individuals and nations fail primarily because they forget their history. Once upon a time, Nigeria ran an agro-based economy, then petrol dollar came and everybody forgot cocoa, palm produce, rubber, groundnut, hides and skin, sugar cane and kola nut. Today, these agro-allied products are history and Nigeria is paying dearly for her intransigence. Among some forward-looking Nigerians, the thought of austerity in the first place is even an aberration at this period of our nationhood. But the question is: how can a country be so rich in both human and natural resources and yet imposes harsh economic conditions on its people. Nigeria is also a country blessed with abundant solid minerals that are unfortunately, largely unaccounted for. The tragic part of our story is that almost all the lessons are lost. Rather than face our challenges, we delight in emotions, flat thinking and fixed notions. Again, the citizens are requested to make more sacrifice but for what and for how long? Austerity if I remember very well entered our lexicon under the President Shehu Shagari led Second Republic many years ago. I doubt very strongly if the lessons of that era ever came to the attention of our leaders. That is if there were lessons in the first instance. The truth however is that ordinary Nigerian citizen can no longer continue to subsidise glaring leadership deficits of their leaders. This is why some people are placing this new problem at the doorsteps of past and present leaders. They argue that it would be criminal for anybody to speak of austerity measures when private jets litter our skies, expenditure is uncontrolled and corruption is walking with two legs. Dubai, a city in the United Arab Emirates is a modern spectacle. This Arab city is a product of good thinking and creativity driven by innovative and forward-thinking leadership. In the early 1980s, their leaders came to terms with the fact that if it did not refocus its economy from oil, it may not survive the emerging world of competition and strife. So it invested heavily in industries, real estate, airlines and ports. Today, the region is better for it. The power of vision is a critical building block of an economy albeit a country that will endure. There are other examples of countries that have made progress on account of solid leadership and power of vision. Some of these countries in developing world are standing tall even as others like Nigeria groan under avoidable uncertainties and harsh economic conditions. But there could not have been a better time to reflect on the myriad of challenges facing our country, not just on the economy but on every sphere. Leadership is therefore critical and we cannot overemphasise its central role in human activities. This is why in the coming months, politicians who want to be taken seriously by the electorate must show capacity. Ability to lead and change situations for the better will guarantee votes in the coming elections, not emotions, chance or primeval considerations. Sadly, this realisation of an emerging voting order is already creating panic and unnecessary agitation in many camps. But a hail of surprises lie ahead and the earlier we come to terms with the new reality, the better for us. What is happening today in our country particularly with regard to the desecration of the legislature from Ekiti State to Abuja and even beyond is a warning signal that must worry every Nigerian. Without any doubt, the legislature in every democracy is the first line of defence, which is why its independence and optimal performance must be of importance to us as a people. Therefore those who look the other way in this season of grave national crisis because they hold the longer stick must be reminded of change. We are again passing through a familiar road but like the past, I can see freedom in the horizon despite the dark cloud. No nation can make any meaningful progress under the burden of impunity and gross abuse of the rights of its people. To say the least, it is reprehensible that one arm of government would encourage the defilement of another arm purely for political reasons. If citizen Aminu Waziri Tambuwal and his colleagues could be subjected to the kind of anguish they faced last week when agents of state invaded the National Assembly, then no one can say with certainty the shape of things to come. What is however certain is that Nigerians must pray hard and be vigilant as they watch. We must pray for leaders who can inspire hope. If we must tell the truth, our country is in desperate need of leaders with the wisdom and wherewithal to change our narrative. But as citizens, we must also help ourselves by getting involved. Politics is the highest form of public service, therefore we cannot afford to be lukewarm. As we move into election year, we must all resolve to break down all manmade barriers of exclusion and leadership failings that are evident from the collection of Permanent Voters Card, PVC, insecurity and hopelessness to discriminatory practices, intimidations, name-calling and abuse of power. Dr. Peterside who represents Andoni-Opobo/Nkoro Federal Constituency is Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Resources, Downstream.
Posted on: Thu, 27 Nov 2014 07:12:23 +0000
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