When the Backstop Becomes the Plan

From Doldrums to Hope

The days carry varying degrees of emotional toll, from the palpable to the expectant; the feeling that you may not be pulling your weight gives way to the exhilaration of success, because what was once intractable became resolvable.

We have moved from a week that seemed to present diminishing returns to one that appears to offer appreciating results. While we are not totally out of the doldrums, there is hope on the horizon, and things have been better than expected.

Governance Left Behind

Yet we get embroiled in administrative issues that should have had governance born from contractual obligation, including the clear requirement specifications that would apply to an architectural design, with guidelines for solutions to be crafted on agreed policy.

A backstop activity, meant only to tide us over until automation could take hold, has evolved into the core solution. This is because resources will not be committed first and, evidently, the architectural element is missing altogether.

Shortcuts Over Policy

The project manager, under pressure to deliver, has short-circuited the process, favouring the concept of ease over the policy guidelines that should govern it. The ideas are lifted off a contract statement and put into play, leaving the implementation resting on broad assumptions.

What we hear is that it must be done because the contract demands it; what we do not have is any documentation describing what is actually to be done. The best element of guidance to materialise today came in an email. However, can governance be run from an email, you wonder?

That is why this is being escalated. I am not convinced a proper resolution will be forthcoming before the pressure to act overwhelms the tendency to err on the side of caution; not out of any impossibility to perform, but because of the absence of governance that informs the processes required.

A Google NotebookLM AI Podcast on this blog

Decade Blogs - Blossom Nnodim - The Guardians of the Future

Decade Blogs

Blossom Nnodim, many encounters online of engagement and disagreement come to mind between us, but we have from time to time agreed, or agreed to disagree whilst avoiding a degeneration to the disagreeable.

She is in her own right a Social Media entrepreneur, a compere and one of the conveners of the AdoptATweep brand.

When she offered to write for my #YourBlogOnMyBlog Series commemorating my Decade of Blogging, I was both surprised and elated, I could not refuse the offer and I am honoured to host her opinion on an element of social media expression.

Blog - To Celebrate My Decade of Blogging

In the piece below, Blossom opines about the responsibility that comes with the freedom of expression, when we have the opportunity to face the principals of our online ire. Since we do not have a First Amendment guaranteeing expression as the United States Constitution does, it can sometimes be difficult to appreciate especially in our culture, when valid ideas are conveyed badly. We must err on the side of reason and reasonableness.

As regards the event, she refers to in her write up, the saying goes; He who sups with the devil should have a long spoon. It just so happens that we mostly eat with our hands. The host however is not the devil.

Here goes -

My name is Blossom, and I recently started a project aimed at connecting Social Media and Social Good at www.blcompere.com and usually tweet via @blcompere.

Social Media, the Guardians and the future of Nigeria

It is not uncommon to see folks argue about the merits and demerits of Social Media, its assumed impact on young people and in the long run, its overrated impact on social change.

Recently, a group of young Nigerians who are mostly vocal about their dissatisfaction for the state of governance and lack of accountability by public officials in Nigeria were hosted to a dinner at Aso Rock. The simple minded will immediately posit that eating at the King’s table is a tacit endorsement of the king’s ways and as such, a true patriot should refuse such an entree. An open-minded individual will however posit that such an opportunity should be largely interactive. This will in return afford the young person an opportunity to voice out the seemingly glaring dissatisfaction while standing on existing protocols.

Alas, as is the case with most events like this, interaction and engagement are at most, non-existent. What we see is a linear process in which the speaker speaks and the listener listens.

The highpoint of the event was when the President who was represented by the Vice President of the Country took the podium to highlight some thoughts that are fundamentally correct and timely.

 “The limitless reach afforded by the internet environment requires discipline, circumspection, decorum and the judicious dispensation of time.” ~ Namadi Sambo (Vice President of Nigeria)

“That which is designed to enhance should not be permitted to impair; whether your preferred device is laptop, tablet or smartphone, let us all apply those keypads wisely and productively.” ~ Namadi Sambo (Vice President of Nigeria)

The above thoughts cannot be coincidental lines in the script. The audience at the event were young people who are hugely driven by technology. It will not be unusual to find that a reasonable bulk of these young ones may or may not easily define the thin line between “Freedom of expression” and “hate speech” when a random search is conducted on their Social Media Legacies.

The Aviation Minister, Stella Oduah who has been on the QWERTY lips of young Nigerians in the past month was present and actively participating at the same event. Would it be out of place for the major youth headliners of the event to have stood on existing protocols to subtly push the online messages home?

A moment came that ultimately displayed the attitude of most young persons in moment of offline engagement. Mr. Chude Jideonwo got an opportunity as a speaker to speak; apparently grateful for the magnanimous entrée offered by the Federal Government made a statement that was not in harmony with his usual online candour;

“Mr. President, you are perhaps the first President in my lifetime to take young people seriously.”~ Chude Jideonwo

[Text of the speech by Chude Jideonwo courtesy of YNaija.com]

The above statement is not unique to the speaker; it is the usual attitude of most young Nigerians, including Blossom. How can online utterances of frustration by young Nigerians, which are generally classified as rants, find an expression in such events? How can we claim as a demographic that we are the guardians and custodians of an uncertain future when we do not embrace opportunities that can shape that future?

It is not rocket science to point out that the societal insistence on acquiescence may have a role to play. I will however differ by stating the obvious. A large number of our young people do not follow the acquiescence rule online and as such should shed the assumed attitude offline.

In conclusion, I will recommend that even as we outwardly nod our heads to the earlier caution given by the Vice President, it is equally important that same discipline, circumspection, decorum and the judicious dispensation of time should be embraced to voice out our dissatisfaction, offline. What we really need is a future, not an entree about the future.

I conclude by congratulating every one of the 100 Guardians of the future who truly deserved the honour.

God bless Nigeria!

Editorial: Delegating the advice of laughter

Delegated out of sight

When Rupert and James Murdoch appeared before the House of Commons Select Committee yesterday for all the commentary about how well they acquitted themselves with their responses, what stuck out for me was that the father and son were running a hydra-headed organisation over which they have decidedly delegated the minutiae whilst plotting the complex strategies for growing the News Corp. empire and the succession plan.

One honestly felt many of the questions that pertained to deplorable and atrocious phone-hacking scandal leading to the closure of the 168-year old News of the World newspaper tried to lay the responsibility at their feet but for the fact that it constituted 1% of the global conglomerate and hardly 250 of the total global staff of 53,000.

There was every likelihood that the people at the very top just left it run like clockwork in the background but the minuscule gangrenous social opprobrium of the offence with the societal revulsion that ensued took with it a good few senior heads in the News Corp. stable and the most senior police officers in the United Kingdom.

It shows how the delegation of power and responsibility in an organisation can introduce many layers of managerial structure that the essential oversight of making the vision, mission and principles of the leaders pervasive can lose its influence as they fall prey to being accused of neglect.

Many pools with few talents

Taking that template to another setting, one sees an unhealthy development within the bureaucracies of Nigerian governance. Besides the appointment of about 40 ministers at the federal level with the immediate assessment of the brains called to service suggesting only a handful have any prospect of performing, one is left crestfallen and forlorn about Nigeria daring to attain any of its potential over the next 4 years.

What is of even greater concern is the number of Special Assistants and Advisors that the president and the state governors are appointing to their mediaeval courts with interesting, overlapping and amusing titles, it is as if there is a person per thought that the conflict of ideas might well lead to lead to a mad house king oblivious of what to do to run the kingdom.

A comedy troupe

Nowhere is this big party at the public expense so exemplified than in Imo State where Rochas Okorocha as governor has appointed 15 Senior Special Assistants, 32 Special Assistants and 47 members of various committees to help in his government and this does not touch the matter of holders of portfolios – the commissioners.

It is one thing to be elected to office; there probably is need to payback those who helped by inviting their snouts to the trough, that extended relation that never could make it anywhere can muster all the mediocrity to satisfying some advisory role as long as he is out of earshot and why not invite whole families for the gubernatorial four year sleep-over?

If anyone thought this whole arrangement was a joke, Uche Ogbuagu, the Chief Comedian of the state might never live this down as the court jester but we are laughing at the governor.

Acknowledgements

Al Jazeera English offers a graphic of the Murdoch media empire, Reuters offers a sad analysis of Nigeria's dull cabinet reflecting a compromise culture giving serious cause for concern and the Imo State Blog brings to light the debutantes to the Court of Rochas I.

Nigeria: FOI Bill languishes in myopic ignorance

Breakfast at Café Beaubourg

It is quite strange that anytime I am in Paris I have my breakfast at Café Beaubourg [1] which is just beside Georges Pompidou Centre [2]. It is a bit expensive, but I take a table on the 1^st floor with a view overlooking the grounds in front of front of the centre and watch the world go by as I tuck into the grande brunch, half watching, half meditating.

I have never been in the centre ever but I bring an interest quote from Georges Pompidou who was the president of the Republic of France from 1969 to 1974 and in what smacks of republican mirth the President of French Republic is also holds the title Co-Prince of Andorra [3].

Pompidou on politicians

From the Collins Dictionary of Quotations (1995) because somehow the web had failed to document and attribute this to the man, he says, “A statesman is a politician who places himself at the service of a nation. A politician is a statesman who places the nation at his service.”

I must observe than when applied universally to the context of statesmanship in Nigeria, there is none of the former; all our politicians place the nation at their service.

FOI Bill going nowhere

This is exemplified in the non-passage of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill which has languished in the legislative and executive annals for the best part of 10 years. It was passed by the National Assembly in 2003 but the then President refused to grant his assent to the bill.

So, recently, at a World Bank Training Forum for Journalists a representative of the National Assembly Ahman Pategi (PDP/Kwara State) suggested the bill may not pass in this parliamentary term [4] which ends in 2011.

Interestingly, the chairperson of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, Farida Waziri has urged the National Assembly to speadily (sic) pass the NOI bill [5] {Come on NeXT do some proof-reading and spell-checking} suggesting the “need to put in place a conscientious system for the gathering and dissemination of information.”

She almost misses the point just as the politicians are utterly myopic if not ignorant of what an FOI bill provides. They have concentrated on the premise that the bill will give journalists untrammelled access to all sort of information most of which would expose their personal nefarious activities rather than hold them accountable to public scrutiny for the supposed service they are being paid to offer as a dividend of democracy.

Not just about journalism

Indeed, the bill was originally sponsored by representatives who were once journalists but that should hardly be the core of the bill or the root of the fears of the politicians, we already have guerrilla new agencies as Sahara Reporters [6]and PointBlankNews (Caution: Gruesome graphical content) [7] who get all that information anyhow.

People do read mainstream news channels and also review the guerrilla sites to get a general feel of what is going on, the non-passage of the bill will not stop the outrageous, sensational and downright deplorable from being published.

Editors have condemned non passage of information bill [8] with a whole range of statements expressing disappointment, but the issue is very simple.

Dummies guide to an FOI Bill

A FOI Bill requires that all official and government business be properly documented and archived in some generally accessible manner. When documented, each branch of government starting with the legislature which enacts laws of archiving and access, the executive should have a set of security classes for the documented information and levels of privilege necessary to gain access whilst the judiciary can adjudicate as to whether a request is legitimate or not.

This extends the remit of democracy where any legal citizen or interest group can request information regarding the working of our democracy which sometimes might involve activities deemed to be inimical to good governance or corrupt activities which need to be brought to light. It is definitely not a Freedom of Press Bill, which has completely different objectives.

Fear Not!

Like we are always told by our politicians when debating privacy bills, they who have nothing to hide should have nothing to fear, it goes without saying that politicians who have nothing to hide should really fear nothing of the FOI Bill, rather they should see it as another channel for making democracy more accessible to the electorate.

It would be remiss of me not to mention the Re-Branding Nigeria exercise in this context and inform the Minister of Information that if she really wants a laudable cause to bolster she ever decreasing stature and respectability, this is one bill she should latch onto and push through the National Assembly before 2011.

But, if politicians think the nation is at their service, well, we might well continue to pay them to feather their beds and self-interests as they have so successfully done all the time.

Sources

[1] Café Beaubourg

[2] Centre Pompidou - Art culture musée expositions cinémas conférences débats spectacles concerts

[3] List of Co-Princes of Andorra - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[4] N-Assembly won’t pass FOI Bill, says Rep | Vanguard

[5] Waziri urges speady passage of FOI Bill | 234Next.com

[6] SR Headlines – Sahara Reporters

[7] Pointblanknews, just the news

[8] Editors condemn non passage of information bill | 234Next.com

Nigeria: Our claims to responsible government at independence 48

Left, right, left, right

For almost a week we were selected and put through our paces, nothing particularly fancy, we were going to march in the name of the school.

Everyone was excited even my parents who were to ensure that I was at the venue to participate.

Our uniforms were well pressed, I was in white canvas shoes and my socks were gleaming white – literally all primary schools had been invited to the event.

When we finally did our bit, as we marched past Governor J. D. Gomwalk of Plateau State someone shouted out, “Eyes Right”, and like mannequins in remote control we were marching forward and facing sideways as spectators waved flags in jollity, we were celebrating the Nigerian Independence Day.

That was 34 years ago; I never had another opportunity to celebrate our independence day in that manner again.

Beyond self-government

I cannot remember any one time in my Nigerian educational experience where the issue of independence went beyond the fact that we had formally divorced ourselves from colonial rule and nothing more.

We have for 48 years today held the reins of power for ourselves as Nigerians, taken decisions trivial and critical as Nigerians, gone to war and survived as Nigerians, but I do wonder if we have counted 48 years as days with the impression that we still have the euphoria of liberation but have failed to grasp the mantle of responsibility.

The promise of Nigeria

In all, this should not be a day for Nigeria-bashing, it is not a day for great celebration either, because whilst there might be cakes and candles for birthday celebrations the national cake of Nigeria is still being gouged by the few gluttons who have lead the country well away from the ideals that were the beacons of hope on that day in 1960.

There is a promise in Nigeria; there is a hope for Nigeria but only when we begin to exercise ourselves in the responsibility of the independence that we gained over a generation ago.

Real independence

We need the independence of thought where the knowledge, expertise, intellect, passion, commitment and abilities of all Nigerians regardless of ethnicity, origin, allegiance or religious affiliation is brought to the service and development of the country in all spheres of life.

We need an independence in purpose where acknowledging that we have our destiny in our hands compels leadership to rule with probity, manage our resources with fairness, respect the rule of law, uplift the oppressed and address the critical issues of corruption in public life, healthcare for the majority, education for the masses, potable water supply and the crisis of power generation and supply.

Recapturing the spirit of independence

We need to capture the spirit of independence when on the night that ushered in the 1^st of October 1960, Prime Minister Abubakar Tafawa Balewa [1] said [2] – “At last our great day has arrived, and Nigeria is now indeed an independent sovereign nation”.

Quoting liberally from his speech, which I have obtained from Dawodu.com, with my comments in parenthesis, we see a vision and a clear idea of the responsibility that our founding fathers recognised when they took on the mantle of leadership, the observations then are still true today.

Excerpts from the speech - in normal type

Nigeria now stands well built upon firm foundations.

(Indeed, Nigeria was built in firm foundations; the process leading to independence took a long 15 years of negotiations and agreements.)

We, the elected representatives of the people of Nigeria, concentrated on proving that we were fully capable of managing our own affairs both internally and as a nation. However, we were not to be allowed the selfish luxury of focusing our own interest on our own homes.

(The elections were as good as could be possible in the circumstances at that time, the duties and responsibilities were clear, we still have to prove we are capable of managing our own affairs and still be relevant in the context of Africa and the world at large.)

In these days of rapid communications we cannot live in isolation, apart from the rest of the world, even if we wished to do so. All too soon it has become evident that for us Independence implies a great deal more than self-government.

(The great man could not have been more perceptive, our independence was more than just self-governance, it remains the goal to prove that our independence has been worthwhile.)

Our claims to responsible government

This great country, which has now emerged without bitterness or bloodshed, finds that she must at once be ready to deal with grave international issues.

When this day in October 1960 was chosen for our independence it seemed that we were destined to move with quiet dignity to our place on the world stage. Recent events have changed the scene beyond recognition.

So that we find ourselves today being tested to the utmost, we are called upon immediately to show that our claims to responsible government are well-founded, and having been accepted as an independent state we must at once play an active part in maintaining the peace of the world and in preserving civilisation. I promise you, we shall not fail for want of determination.

(After 48 years, are our claims to responsible government well founded?)

We are grateful to the British officers whom we have known, first as masters, and then as leaders, and finally as partners, but always as friends.

(Where does this idea of the effect of colonialism come from when at independence the colonialists had moved from masters to the role of partners and friends? One wonders if our leaders went for independence leaving their people behind in servile dependence.)

Nigeria today

Beyond the speeches we hear today and the issues that would be discussed by many on the independence of Nigeria, our claims to responsible government that governs for the safety, security, prosperity and emancipation of the Nigerian peoples are still claims that are probably left unproven.

Today, on the 48^th Independence anniversary of Nigeria, the voice of Sir Abubukar Tafawa Balewa reiterates what he said with great joy and pride – we have a lot more to do with the responsibility of self-government.

We have a new opportunity to dedicate ourselves to proving our claims without dispute to responsible government – a tall order, but not beyond us.

Happy Birthday! Nigeria

Source

[1] Abubakar Tafawa Balewa - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[2] Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa Independe day's speech - October 1, 1960

History of Nigeria - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Gratitude

I particularly want to thank Dawodu.com that has archived such an important speech commemorating the day of independence of Nigeria – we no doubt need a globally accessible archive of important speeches of Nigerian leaders – Obasanjo’s library can assume a more altruistic service in this respect.

Read the whole speech on the link at [2]

Sustaining bad reports from Africa

The international shame of it all

One must now begin to wonder if there is anymore pride to be had in being African.

Somehow we have been bestowed with ignominious leadership and representatives who heap opprobrium, ridicule and embarrassment on Africans; it is now unashamed bravado to proclaim African-ness in public and keep a straight face.

Last month we endured with derision the shameful debacle of the Nigerian (S)elections so comprehensively rigged there was almost no just recourse apart from new elections by unbiased organisations, but this did not happen.

A bit earlier, the grandfather of African despotism had his hoodlums beat up his political opponents as his country set records for hyperinflation.

Other African governments have tacitly allowed for Zimbabwe to become a basket-case, it is an utter disgrace.

Death on horseback

The only comfort in Darfur is death visiting people as horse-backed black Nazis called the Janjaweed. The incredible fact being they are equipped for their death mission by the Sudanese government and this has been going on for at least three years.

I am no fan of John Howard, the Prime Minister of Australia, but his decision to stop the Australian cricket team from touring Zimbabwe is laudable, nothing should be done to let the brigands in that government savour any ounce of credibility; unfortunately the British government could not muster the guts to take that kind of decision 2 years ago.

It appears we still have to learn of ways to ensure Africans do not get a raw deal from our leaders from the West. Where is our humanity, civility or even civilisation?

Sustainable disgrace

To crown it all, the UN Commission on Sustainable Development had a vacant chairmanship position available to be filled by an African and the Africans put forward the Zimbabwean Environment Minister of all qualified Africans we can find for such a role. It is laughable and risible if it were not a complete letdown of Africa and Africans.

Sustained destruction of a once great, resourceful and self-sufficient nation is what this man brings to the job following his service to Mugabe's megalomania.

Someone must be acting out irony or playing a bad joke. It leaves me unwilling to continue to identify as African and one is just not impressed.

We cannot continue to sustain this kind of report from Africa, it is primitive, ignorant, savage and backward, it must stop.

The Oscar for Best Leader in an Actor's Role?

The mobile benefactor

And so, some mobile phone business mogul who has made it big in the growing communications market of Africa is offering a prize for best leadership and governance in Africa - $5 million – that is a tidy sum.

The way things are, if people in leadership seek a legacy of integrity, honour and visionary ideas that bring progress to their people, it is a worthy cause.

It would probably excite the head of some Bantustan to vie for prestige, in other places where the leaders already have their hands deep in the tiller and have converted the treasury into a personal bank or milked aid for beautifying their homes and beatifying their personalities – this would be a lost cause.

An Oscar for global leadership?

It is, all the same, a noble cause and though more than the Nobel Prize not to say cheap publicity for somebody called Mo Ibrahim – my cynicism could almost state that this could mean favourable contract terms for a mobile phone business.

As Bill Clinton and Kofi Annan have expressed support for this contest, I do wonder if for now, there is any leader in the West that would qualify for a real leadership prize, whatever the means and terms of determining the winner.

Low expectation complex

In fact, Wikipedia appears to suggest that the bar is quite low; the leader only does not have to plunder the resources of their country and should hold free and fair elections – for a basic award and lifetime pension after their term in office – sounds rather persuasive. Human rights? Not a mention.

If this is the standard required, not only is it a complex of low expectations, it exemplifies a crisis of good leadership in Africa, first steps, this might be, but I am far from excited by it all.

So, the Oscar for Best Actor in a Leadership Role goes to …

If you have ideas for contenders, please tell.

References

The Mail and Guardian fleshes out the whole thing better

The indulgence of incumbency

What is not a right

First of all, references are alluded to without prejudice.

Leadership confers on leaders to the opportunity guide, direct, instruct, advice and represent the people represented or being lead.

Leadership can come by heredity as in monarchies, by conquest or usurpation usually exemplified in coups, by conferment through democratic channels or even inexplicable circumstance - to broad an issue to discuss in detail.

However, understanding the function of leadership an how to exercise it justly is an aspect of knowledge, wisdom and prudence that escapes many leaders who in turn create self-serving and self-propagating structures to maintain their status without due regard for the people they lead.

Leadership is not a right, even if you are the incumbent.

One illustrates a number of instances of abuse of process and equity in maintaining a status of leadership.

African and Ex-Soviet Republic Leaders - Dictators to you and me

One particular trait one has observed is the tendency for elected leaders elected on a constitutional term of a number of years for a fixed length of time, manipulating the legislative process to modify the term duration and creating a "till death do us part" leadership pact very similar to a monarchy.

Examples of where this kind of leadership has benefited the people at large are exceptions rather than the rule - Azerbaijan.

Rather, these docile democratic fig-leaves metamorphosed into despotic tyrants, dictators, plundering their countries natural resources, polarising ethnic and religious differences for their own ends and suppressing every kind of dissent and illegally siphoning stolen moneys to foreign accounts.

Electing dictators

A Member of the Dictators' Club Speaks Up

List of African Dictators

Saddam Hussein is not the Scariest Dictator

The Dictatorship Game

Compendium of dictators and tyrants

American Gerrymandering - An electoral fraud long before elections

One horrible aspect of American democracy is the ability of legislature to redraw constituency boundaries to favour either party in power.

If the constituency boundaries were reconstructed to reasonable shapes and demographic factors, the process would have been above board.

Unlike the scrutiny foreign elections get subjected to during the polling and counting process. Gerrymandering or redistricting happens between elections, sanctioned by incumbent politicians stealing the vote long before it is cast.

Gerrymander

Another Gerrymander definition

A treatise on gerrymandering

Texan Democrats flee state

Corporate Governance

The last two decades has seen the rise and fall of the cult of the CEO - IBM's Watson, GE's Welch, Chrysler's Iacocca, Enron's Lay, the list is almost endless. However, another interesting drift to this is exemplified in Disney.

A Michael Eisner has been the head of Disney since 1984 and is credited with turning Disney into a major Fortune 500 company.

When he first started losing lieutenants, we almost always concurred that they were impatient in waiting for the prize. These lieutenants have moved on to greater things.

However, Mr Eisner seems to have the knack for losing these helpers, it is no more careless but catastrophic. In one week, two senior executives including a nephew of Walt Disney resigned and called for Eisner's resignation.

The danger is Mr Eisner might just have run out of Disney magic dust.

Disney's Eisner

The Not-So-Wonderful World of Disney

A Mickey Mouse Organisation

Unchallenged Incumbency would end eventually

Incumbency when ingratiated takes away the challenge of competing forces that compel the incumbents to perform and owe proper and due allegiance to the framework that placed them in that position of leadership.

The many examples of incumbency stifling innovation, resistant to change and reform exist in all aspects of human endeavour. It offers a negative but effective resistance to irrelevance by cutting off any objective assessment of its existence.

However, history shows that all sorts of incumbency have a shelf life due to expire at the behest of circumstance or a natural course of events.