President, Gowon, Anyaoku, others chart path to rebirth
Ministers can't stay in office beyond May 29, says Yayale
AT two different fora, President Goodluck Jonathan, former Head of State General Yakubu Gowon and erstwhile Secretary –General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, yesterday called for a new orientation among Nigerians if the country was to witness growth.
Speaking at the "2011 Presidential Inauguration Lecture" with the theme, "A Transformation Agenda for Accelerating National Development," Jonathan in his remarks noted that a four-year tenure was too short for a President and governors to make significant impact just as he contended that for Nigeria to transform rapidly within the next four years, there was the need for a well developed national planning. Besides, he stated that there was need to stabilize the polity and reduce the frequent reshuffling of the cabinet.
Reacting to the guest lecturer, Prof. Ladipo Adamolekun's posers on leadership, Jonathan remarked: "I will not talk about the tenure of the Government, the constitution has said four years, though some believe that four years is too short to make any change, which I also believe. I believe because if you are a new person and you are elected as a governor today, it will take one to one and half years for you to really stabilize. And you also know that some members of your cabinet are not good and that is why in most cases, after one year or two Mr. president reshuffles the cabinet and by the time you want to go for another two and half years, it is another election and you are all busy about winning election. That is a constitutional problem.
"In terms of people we appoint as ministers, if you look across why we have not transformed significantly, if you count from Tafawa Balewa to Ajumogobia as foreign ministers, we have 24 foreign ministers, in the space of 50 years that means an average of two years per minister, then how would a country drive its foreign policy?
"It will take more than two years for you to understand the policy, vis-à-vis the national interest, some politicians will come to you with soft tongue. If care is not taken, you commit the future of your country to them and that is the problem that we are having. I am not saying that a minister should serve for like 30-40 years, but if we must transform, if the Minister is performing beyond 60 per cent average, you will expect that such a minister should be retained. In some developed countries, you have people staying in ministerial position for five-six years and when they go and represent their president, they are home on any issues raised. To be a minister, one needs to be confident."
The President went on: "For there to be meaningful transformation in the country, there is need for planning and stop the changing of ministers frequently. We are working with the National Assembly, and I believe as we progress in the transformation agenda we will close up this gap and whenever we take up a particular change we will follow it up.
He submitted that ministers who have performed above the average of 60 per cent would be retained, for there to be stability in the country, adding that though he would not suggest that ministers remain in office for period of 20-30 years like what is obtained in some countries, but at least if the minister is performing well, he or she should be in the office for 5-6 years to ensure consistency in policies.
He noted that corruption was in every facet of human life, stating that greatest problem Nigeria is having is not corruption, but greed, "when one person alone wants to amass the money that their entire generation cannot spend."
Also at the lecture, Gowon said that poor national planning in terms of Nigeria's growth has been the bane of the nation.
The elder statesman added that the development of the country was hinged on the level of planning done at the initial stage of any government.
He said: "If the nation's development has been planned from the beginning, it would be different for Nigeria of today, but we are experiencing this problem today because we have refused to plan".
He added, "to become a great country, is dependent on the road we travel, we are the ones that will determine the change we want".
While congratulating Jonathan on his victory at the 2011 polls, Gowon urged him to improve on the energy situation of the country, guarantee the security of lives and property and also attack vigorously the problem of corruption in the country.
Meanwhile, Anyaoku has cautioned the Federal Government against high-cost of governance, saying it leads to endless indebtedness to foreign countries which would consequently seek to run the country.
Anyaoku who lamented Nigeria's poor development and growth since 1960, advised that the country should go back to the regional government concept while recommending "a one term of six years for the President and five years for governors."
Anyaoku spoke at the Third Eminent Persons' Lecture organized by Bells University of Technology, Ota, Ogun State.
The event was attended by prominent Nigerians including former President Olusegun Obasanjo, the University's Pro-chancellor, Prof. Emmanuel Edozien, Chancellor, Prof. Akin Mabogunje, the Vice- Chancellor, Prof. Isaac Adeyemi, among others.
Anyaoku who delivered the lecture on, "Nigeria in a Globalizing World," stressed the need for the country to reform its governance strategy in order to tap the benefits offered by globalization.
"Globalization has become an inexorable reality that cannot be wished away. Hence Nigeria must retool itself to confront the challenges posed by globalization in all ramifications. There is an urgent need to improve on Nigeria's infrastructural situation," he said.
"Without modern infrastructure, the country cannot make the most of globalisation. The poor power situation must continue to be addressed because it is on power that most other development rest."
He blamed the government for the mass exodus of manufacturing companies to neighbouring countries, adding: "It is a bad testimonial for our country's political and economic leaders that industries are folding up in Nigeria and relocating to neighboring countries."
A former Judge of the World Court, Prince Bola Ajibola, also said Nigeria was being enslaved due to endless financial borrowing from other countries.
His words: "We need to reduce the cost of governance, which is too much but the government has continued to increase it and we kept going into debt. We are too expensive, too extravagant in the running of our government, let things change. That is not good for this nation. Let us have a better government. We kept throwing this country into debt. When we do that, we are getting ourselves enslaved into the other nations that have something to give us for consideration and their consideration is to put us under subjugation. It is not right. It is better to review what we are doing because it leads to excessive utilization of the little
resources we have."
On his part, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Secretary to the Federal Executive Council Alhaji Yayale Ahmed, has clarified the complications and ambiguity that attended last Wednesday's announcement by some ministers that have been variously interpreted in the media to the extent that ministers can stay in the office beyond May 29 inauguration.
Besides, there was yet another complicated interpretation that the Executive Council of the Federation, the Federal Cabinet would not be dissolved as announced by the president.
Specifically, Information and Communications Minister Labaran Maku had after the FEC meeting on Wednesday, told State House reporters that the President had said the cabinet would not be dissolved until a new one is constituted.
The development was reported in the news media that the ministers could function in their various portfolios even after May 29.
But in a telephone interview with Yayale Ahmed yesterday after the inauguration lecture in Abuja, the head of the cabinet secretariat told The Guardian that the media did not report the issue accurately according to the law and convention that govern tenure of government. He said:
"No, no minister can function in any capacity after May 29 2011. Even the president who is the Chairman of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) will be sworn in to begin a new government. The fact that the president said that the ministers could be with him at the Eagle Square on May 29 does not mean that they could continue legally as ministers of the republic."
Yayale, a former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation who took over from the First SGF, Alhaji Babagana Kingibe in the outgoing dispensation clarified that it is conventional to assume that when a new government is sworn in, the old cabinet expires...No, there is no such thing that the ministers can work in their various capacity until a new cabinet is appointed...None can work beyond Sunday, May 29, 2011."
After the last FEC meeting (from May 29 2007 to May 29 2011) on Wednesday, the president had valedictory dinners with all his personal staff including the Chief of Staff and their spouses. After that, he had another dinner with all the ministers and their spouses where he thanked them for their service to the nation and they all thanked him.
In 2007, President Olusegun Obasanjo did not dissolve his cabinet until after the swearing in of President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua at the Eagle Square and the Vice President, then Dr. Goodluck Jonathan.
Source: Four-year term short, says Jonathan (http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=49402:four-year-term-short-says-jonathan-&catid=1:national&Itemid=559)