Travelling light

A state of insignificance

Here we are, over 10 kilometres high in the air, with 5 hours and 40 minutes remaining until landing. The clouds over North Africa look well below our aircraft, and you can see the shadows cast by each cloud formation, whose names I quite easily forget.

However, as recognisable names appear on my flight map, we have begun the cruise over the Northern Nigeria states, including Katsina, Kano, Jigawa, and the many hamlets that have become states for clannish gubernatorial contests.

Before you scoff, Agadez, a province in Niger, is nine times the size of Niger State, the largest state in Nigeria, which is about one twentieth the size of Algeria's Tamanrasset Province, the largest in Africa.

Many lessons aboard

I expected a bit of turbulence as we passed through these high-altitude clouds, but they soon fell behind us. The mystery of air travel is not one of bafflement but great interest.

I rarely watch films; I am more engaged by the stories, the history, the geography, and the culture of the places we fly over. There is much to learn, even on my tenth trip to South Africa.

If you have been flying since the age of five, you realise that no matter how far you are travelling, this case being 9,800 kilometres from Amsterdam to Cape Town, the world has become a smaller place.

What you need is time; the time to travel around it, at least once, and experience what makes our world a wonderful place.

Nigeria: No new states precursor to abolishing them

Asexual cell division

Nigeria in some cases is very much like some organism that undergoes asexual reproduction by cell division and this refers to the state and states of Nigeria [1].

There was a time when Nigeria consisted of just 3 regions, when I was in childhood it had 12 states, by the time I left Nigeria it had 21 and today it has 36 states.

All these states are still within the same land area that has been called Nigeria for about 50 years.

Pools of federal character

I wrote a blog last year on the President’s prerogative in choosing his cabinet and opined that we had too many pools but too few talent pools [2], a point that AfricanLoft [3] showcased to a wider community.

Written into the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria [4] is the concept of Federal Character governed by a Federal Character Commission, the purpose of which it is to promote national unity by seeking uniform representation in federal appointments made under the auspices of the President.

This is defined under Section 318 (1) as “federal character of Nigeria” refers to the distinctive desire of the peoples of Nigeria to promote national unity, foster national loyalty and give every citizen of Nigeria a sense of belonging to the nation as expressed in section 14 (3) and (4) of this constitution;

Those two sub-sections read as follows –

Section 14 (3) The composition of the Government of the Federation or any of its agencies and the conduct of its affairs shall be carried out in such a manner as to reflect the federal character of Nigeria and the need to promote national unity, and also to command national loyalty, thereby ensuring that there shall be no predominance of persons from a few State or from a few ethnic or other sectional groups in that Government or in any of its agencies.

Section 14 (4) The composition of the Government of a State, a local government council, or any of the agencies of such Government or council, and the conduct of the affairs of the Government or council or such agencies shall be carried out in such manner as to recognise the diversity of the people within its area of authority and the need to promote a sense of belonging and loyalty among all the people of the Federation.

Supreme Court Sector Selections

This is fair enough in general sense, but is there a trade-off between representation to fulfil the federal character and the available competent personnel to serve the country?

This became a matter of interest to me when I read that two new justices of the Supreme Court of Nigeria had been sworn in [5], one of them a lady, making two ladies on the highest bench but reading further into the article whilst we were not told where the new justices hailed from we were informed the departing justices came from North-Central and South-West sectors of the country.

There are now 17 judges on the Supreme Court of Nigeria [6], the number must not exceed 21 and it would be difficult to apply a full federal character posture on appointments to this court from 36 states so there is a variation of the federal character paradigm to the selection process which gives one some concern.

I would hope that judges appointed to the Supreme Court of Nigeria are there for their acute legal minds, ability to interpret the constitution with gravitas and level-headedness without necessarily having to fulfil political quotas of tribal, state or regional representation – the courts cannot afford appointments that are not chiefly by merit.

Competing for influence

However, in an excerpted piece from a book by Rotimi Suberu titled Federalism and Ethnic Conflict in Nigeria [7], he states whist supporting the need for the federal character principle that “the “federal character” principles in the Nigerian constitution also serve as a Rorschach test [8] for the national family’s dysfunction.

The principles are interpreted as a mandate for the central government to represent and aid all groups. However laudable and necessary the principles are for a multi-ethnic nation ... efforts to implement them have cultivated resentment between winners and losers competing for slots in governmental institutions”.

Quite an interesting insight he gives to the issue of federal character and how it works or does not work in the context of Nigeria.

Abolish states

However, coming back round to the core of the topic about states and representation in Nigerian, Admiral Mike Akhigbe who was de facto vice President after the death of the despotic General Sani Abacha suggested states be abolished [9] and be subsumed under wider geopolitical zones with the state structures becoming more like larger local government councils.

Suggesting six geo-political zones he states that there are too many resource sapping administrative units in the country that impact of economic development, he opined that states as they are weaken the federal structure of Nigeria.

Saying that there should be more to improve the well being of the Nigerian people rather than creating new political administrative units.

I think those views need to be fleshed out more and given a bigger forum for debate, the creation of new political administrative units creates a divisive “cake sharing” fixation where states and groups are more keen on grabbing a larger slice of federal disbursements than expanding the size of the nation’s output as Mr. Suberu writes.

Thoughts for Nigeria at 50

It no doubt fuels conflict rather than cohesion and it should become part of the agenda for what should Nigeria be doing when it clocks 50.

This whole idea of subsuming states to create broader talent pools of representation to allow for real quality to help in the development of Nigeria cannot be bad, but we have an uphill task against vested self-serving interests who require fiefdoms from where to exercise power and peddle undue influence.

However, this is a seed sown and we shall water it until it germinates, grows and bears fruit, I expect to find much mileage in this – meanwhile – No New States!

Sources

[1] States of Nigeria - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[2] Nigeria: Removing influence from selecting the cabinet [akin.blog-city.com]

[3] Nigeria: “Too many pools very few talent pools” | AfricanLoft

[4] Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria

[5] allAfrica.com: Nigeria: Kutigi Swears in New Female Supreme Court Justice

[6] Supreme Court of Nigeria, Abuja

[7] Federalism and Ethnic Conflict in Nigeria. By Rotimi N. Suberu. Washington, D.C.: Institute of Peace Press, 2001. ISBN-10: 1929223285 ISBN-13: 978-1929223282 - Amazon

[8] Rorschach inkblot test - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[9] The Sun News On-line: States should be abolished — Akhigbe

Nigeria: Removing influence from selecting the cabinet

The President and his cabinet

This is where President Yar’Adua needs to begin to assert authority as the executive President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, that he has the final say about how he runs his cabinet and who he invites into that fold.

It is understandable that we have had to bear the cross of the rottenness of federal character that ensures representation at the federal level is evenly distributed across all states regardless of size, representation or population – in my view it is becoming a nightmare.

One of the problems there is, we end up with space-filling jobbers rather than the best qualified Nigerians for jobs that require competence, initiative, vision, discipline, principles and hopefully, less politics.

Too many pools very few talent pools

In fact, I would rather we had the original 12 States such that the pool of talent can be better gathered, but the tendency to tribalism and unidentifiable clans would almost always get in the way, because there are still some that believe that a job is best filled with sycophants and through nepotism rather than by merit.

Certain thugs who think they are leaders want to be able control the bodies they have put in these posts such that they can exact undue pressure and obtain favours in gratitude for endorsing under-qualified people who by rights should never be in those positions and they, the appointees know it.

But mostly there is this chauvinistic, Barbarian tendency for the power-brokers to wield political influence – there has to be chest-beating that ends with the ultimate putdown – I put you in your position you must respect me. It is a completely corrupt enterprise.

Now, it appears at the beginning of the second year of President Yar’Adua’s tenure, he has the opportunity to reshuffle his cabinet, boot out non-performers, reassign the talents and bring in fresh faces. We might expect a Government of all Talents (GOATs to be unkind).

The political system we have in Nigeria means that selection for ministerial posts would mostly go to card carrying members of the ruling party and a few stellar Nigerians we cannot afford to ignore as state quotas are filled up.

Busybody state governors

I am not surprised that state governors in some ways would want to have some say in the selection but really what they should be doing is offering a list of names and allowing the President to make his choices – they should not be promoting particular affiliations or associations – in fact, my fear is that they might have promised to guarantee posts for representatives of their state – that kind of attitude has to stop.

The cabinet is the President’s means of ensuring that his vision and the programmes of his party are executed by people he can trust, who have the competence to carry through their brief and excel in delivering results for the people of Nigeria without guile or dissimulation.

I cannot understand how the performance of a minister can be measured by the pork that has been delivered to their home states rather than what has been done for Nigeria as a whole.

Delivering pork is the work of the legislature, they are the direct representatives of their states and constituencies – ministers have a broader brief and state representation is the least significant of those.

The President’s prerogative

In fact, I do not see why the state governors should have to get on with the ministers from their states, the relationship should be benign and of no influence if any – state governors have enough on their plates to govern their states and bring results closer to the people with their commissioners than to be nosing around in the federal cabinet.

It should be the exclusive remit of the President and his advisers to determine which minister has not held their brief with competence or not performed, regardless of the state the minister represents or the concerns of the nosily idle governors.

He should put his foot down on this matter and the governors that feel so slighted because they cannot get their way should get busy with their day jobs, else the rule of law and the protection of the essence of our federalism should be the book thrown at them and the matter.

We have greater matters to deal with about Nigeria and we have to begin to accept that not every kinsman is the best qualified to perform if we are to build Nigeria into the great nation we all believe that it is.

Reference

Nigerian Tribune – The cabinet reshuffle rumours

The Coalition of the Unviable

An appallingly truthful report

“We are pleased to present…” they said, I am utterly appalled I thought as I read the BBC headlines.

I have just been reading the Failed States Index 2006 produced by US Foreign Policy magazine and the US-based Fund for Peace think-tank, it does make interesting reading as it rates states or nations according to their viability.

Weep for the Rotten Criteria

Twelve criteria feature in this index as follows:

1.      Mounting demographic pressures

2.      Massive movement of refugees and internally displaced peoples

3.      Legacy of vengeance - seeking group grievance

4.      Chronic and sustained human flight

5.      Uneven economic development along group lines

6.      Sharp and/or severe economic decline

7.      Criminalisation and delegitimisation of the state

8.      Progressive deterioration of public services

9.      Widespread violation of human rights

10.  Security apparatus as "state within a state"

11.  Rise of factionalised elites

12.  Intervention of other states or external actors

United in mischief and more

The United States is ensconced in 128^th position being less viable than France, The United Kingdom and even Chile.

They reckon this must be due to the fact that there are mounting demographic pressures; probably the politics, the oil, the environment and all that is between creates significant discord.

Hurricane Katrina has definitely dealt a blow in this matter, since they score a 6 with regards to the massive movement or it was the massive immobility of internally displaced people who probably would never return to New Orleans sadly.

In our era of great American efficiencies and globalisation that is being force-fed to anyone who has an ear, the American Dream is turning into an nightmare for those caught on the negative side of uneven economic development.

It excludes people from opportunity, good health, rigorous justice and the enforcement of their constitutional rights.

Then the widespread violation of human rights where a score of 5 might include the abuse of the executive prerogative in the surveillance of Americans and the presence of the Guantanamo Aberration.

The Coalition of the Unviable

Besides these American failings, strong American allies or piles of mess feature in the Top 10 with Iraq (4), Afghanistan (9) and Nuclear Pakistan (10), barely Nuclear Iran comes in at 53 excelling by not being in sharp or severe economic decline.

I would contend if there were way of measuring viability also in relation to the havoc the primary country wreaks elsewhere, America should feature closer to its allies in the coalition of the unviable.

Nigeria as the most populous African country is where the debate about an at-present unconstitutional third term quest by the President flies in at number 22.

Having paid off most of their debt, they are host to many issues in the criteria that the government has done little to ameliorate.

Players, not Doers

As it were, many are big international players and poor internal doers.

It is however poignant to note that only 10 states do not have the influence of some intervention of other states or actors – Welcome to Earth – Chaos Reigns where people fail.

Views on Think Tanks