Merger of agencies and parastatals not enough

By Otuedon Vincent

There is a saying “Powerful Leaders build weak institutions, wise Leaders build strong institutions.” Nations always have to choose between having powerful leaders and wise Leaders. Africa is blessed with “Powerful Leaders,” but weak institutions and President Tinubu is one of the most powerful leaders in Africa currently. Whether he would blend power with wisdom is yet to be fully seen.

President Tinubu should stop traveling and focus on strengthening or revitalizing institutions. Make the institutions work. Nigeria’s problem is not spiritual, geographical, racial  or special but a result of collapsed institutions. Those who separated the institutions intended it for effectiveness; unfortunately, it was far-fetched. Mergers may reduce cost of management but effectiveness will require more.

Our institutions have been victims of continuous crack of successive administrations to the point that they can no longer hold or implement policies. Institutions are the pillar of government; they can help a dummy to succeed and also fail a genius.

Nigeria of today, if you repatriated ten trillion-naira governors loot, within one year, a minimum of eight trillion naira will find its way back to where it was repatriated from under some other headings. Nigeria is like a man with torn pockets; if you arrest a criminal he will either jump bail, find his way through the judiciary or escape from the prison.

Successive administrations have been violating institutions, we bend institutions established by laws made by 109 senators and 360 house members because of the interest of one man. What you have now, is like the loss of the nucleus of a cell. Our institutions have lost grip of their mandate, they cannot clutch, they are wobbling, anything goes. Import the best of ideas working in any nation to Nigeria, at best it will succeed in part when the originating government is in power, but it will fail afterwards.

Institutions of government are the swivel of stability and consistency of the state. The lawlessness in the nation was to be nibbed by the institutions but like the salt that has lost its savor, it cannot clutch anymore. Increase the national budget to as much as hundred trillion naira, Nigeria will still remain poor while individuals get richer, it is like a building without foundation.

I’m afraid while the government is merging institutions, it is also duplicating. If the military and para-military were delivering on their mandate, there would not have been need for the engagement of private securities to secure our natural resources. It is OPERATION NO MORE BUSINESS AS USUAL that is needed now, to make agencies of government deliver on their respective mandates.

Otuedon Vincent, Liberty Harbingers Network