One new system of government most governors seem to have surreptitiously introduced into governance in Nigeria is what observers have described as the culture of one-man show in the administration of their respective states.
As a result, the governors have deliberately delayed the appointments of their commissioners and chairmen of agencies whose responsibilities are to assist them in the implementation of good policies for robust service delivery.
Before the governors took oath of office on May 29, 2015, they had promised effective health care delivery system, sound and purposeful education, job creation for youths and security of lives and property among others, thus raising the hope of their people to expect implementation of effective and healthy policies which observers say could only be achieved if the governors constitute their cabinets on time.
But three months after the governors were sworn in, observers are wondering why the state chief executives have yet to show semblance of fulfilling their promises. They are of the opinion that the governors can only achieve remarkable success in terms of poverty eradication and promotion of serious economic activities among the people with the constitution of their full cabinets.
To the observers, majority of those appointed are meant to serve the immediate interests of the governors.
While noting that they might be construed as sole administrators instead of elected governors with a mission, one of the observers, Mr. Sunday Adegbamila, expressed doubt the governors would record significant success should they continue to ignore the need to constitute the executive councils which role he said was critical to the development of any state.
According to him, governance goes beyond visiting scenes of accidents or fire outbreaks to sympathise with the victims in order to impress people .
“Governance entails constitution of competent executive council with a clear mandate to impact the lives of the people by ensuring transparency in the award and execution of contracts,” Adegbamila said.
Though the governors had appointed their chief press secretaries, secretaries to the state government and other personal aides shortly after they were inaugurated, they nevertheless attributed the delay in appointing their commissioners to various reasons ranging from the need to be careful in selecting competent and reliable individuals who can assist them to deliver their vision for the social and economic development of the people; a need to rationalise ministries, paucity of fund and restructuring governments’ agencies to save money for development purposes.
The governors have, therefore, been relying on permanent secretaries and few special advisers to run the affairs of their respective states.
For example, since Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, appointed the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Tunji Bello; the Chief of Staff, Mr. Olukunle Samuel; his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Habib Aruna, and heads of a few agencies, he has yet to select his would-be commissioners let alone send their names to the state House of Assembly for screening and confirmation.
Some members of the Lagos State House of Assembly, including a lawmaker representing Alimosho Constituency 1 and his Somolu Constituency 1 counterpart, Mr. Rotimi Olowo, had said that the delay by Ambode in appointing members of the executive council was for the general interest of the state, but the Peoples Democratic Party thought otherwise. The party said that the delay in the constitution of the cabinet was deliberate and therefore accused Ambode of “turning the state into a kangaroo republic where norms of good governance are violated.”
Adegbamila also believes that the Lagos State governor has no reason to delay the constitution of the executive council given the abundant economic opportunities in the state. He said such opportunities could only be harnessed in a situation where executive council was fully constituted.
The current Osun State Governor, Alhaji Rauf Aregbesola, could be credited for introducing the culture of delay in the constitution of cabinet in the country before his colleagues embraced the “doctrine” and popularised it.
In spite of the criticism by stakeholders, including the PDP in the state which accused him of running a one-man show, Aregbesola did not constitute his executive council until seven months after in his first tenure. He had blamed the delay to constitute the cabinet then on the PDP-controlled House of Assembly which he said might corrupt the executive council.
Ten months after he was sworn in for a second term, Aregbesola has yet to constitute his cabinet, a development observers noted might soon gain acceptability in the country if nothing concrete was done to address the trend.
A political scientist, Mr. Kehinde Oguntehinse, while noting that nothing was absolutely wrong in delaying the constitution of a state executive council, said governance might be slowed down if full cabinet was not in place to push governmental policies.
He was not surprised that Aregbesola re-introduced the delay in the composition of members of his cabinet after his re-election for a very long time even when majority of the members of the state House of Assembly are supporters of the governor’s party, the All Progressives Congress.
Oguntehinse said, “The culture of one-man show being introduced by state governors and which has been gradually gaining acceptability may not do us any good eventually because commissioners are supposed to be appointed to assist governors in carrying out their responsibilities.
“Yes, commissioners are not elected; they are appointed by governors to assist them. One fact the governors need to realise is that they are elected to be in office for four years of which they need three years to do serious work that will impact on the people and use the fourth year for preparation for the next general elections.
The Kwara State Governor, Dr. Abdulfatah Ahmed, has only made five appointments, including the Secretary to the State Government, Chief of Staff, two media aides and a personal assistant since the inauguration of his administration for second term on May 29.
Some stakeholders have said that Ahmed deliberately delayed the composition of the cabinet because he had yet to get clearance from his benefactor, who is the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki.
But the Special Assistant on Media and Communications to the Governor, Dr. Muideen Akorede, had dismissed the claim that the governor was being hampered by Saraki to appoint members of the state executive council.
Also, the new Katsina State Governor, Alhaji Bello Masari, only appointed SSG, Chief of Staff and media aide alongside seven other senior special assistants.
In Yobe State, Governor Ibrahim Gaidam appointed two of the former commissioners who served in his first tenure as special assistants while the acting Secretary to the State Government was confirmed substantive on July 13, 2015.
It was said that paucity of fund was the major reason why Governor Abiola Ajimobi has not appointed his commissioners since he took the oath of office after his re-election.
Like his colleagues, he has been running the affairs of the state with his deputy, Otunba Moses Adeyemo and the permanent secretaries.
Though, the state House of Assembly approved the appointment of 10 special advisers for him, the governor has yet to make public the list of the would-be SAs.
Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, appears comfortably working alone with the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Taiwo Adeoluwa, who he re-appointed.
Even over 100 days after he was inaugurated as a governor for second term in office, Amosun has yet to appoint media aides and special assistants let alone constituting executive team to facilitate the completion of the ongoing capital projects spread in the three senatorial district of the state.
Some of the projects Ayetoro -Rounder Road, Iyana Mortuary Road, Sagamu overhead bridge, Ijebu-Igbo overhead bridge and Ilo-Awela overhead bridge, among others.
Other governors who have not constituted their executive councils are Mr. Darius Ishaku (Taraba State), Alhaji Ibrahim Dankwambo (Gombe State), Prof. Ben Ayade (Cross River State), Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto State), Mr. Simon Lalong (Plateau State), Alhaji Muhammad Badaru (Jigawa State) and Alhaji Abdullahi Abubakar (Bauchi State), among others.
A lawyer, Mr. Malachi Ugwummadu, said those who had yet to constitute their cabinets might have been constrained by the dwindling economy, but added that it was desirable that they appoint their commissioners because the functions of a state are enormous and governors could not singlehandedly discharge them.
He said, “ The 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria makes provision for the composition of the executive arm of government. The provision enjoins the President and governors or their equivalents to discharge the functions of their offices either by themselves or through their ministers or commissioners and heads of agencies of government.
“The constitution does not say they must constitute the executive arms within a given time; there is no express requirement regarding the time the President or the governors should appoint the executive councils, but it is desirable that ministers and commissioners should be appointed because the function of a state is an enormous responsibility which the President and the governors cannot single-handedly discharge.”
While singling out the position of the Attorney-General and Minister/Commissioner of Justice as key to the function of government, Ugwummadu said other agencies recognised by the constitution, such as the council of privatisation, could not effectively operate without substantive minister or commissioner.
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