By Afolabi Aribigbola
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T he 2023 general elections have been concluded and successful candidates announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). We have now come to the stage which we pejoratively termed ‘season of lobbying’. This is the attitude of politicians after a hotly contested presidential election. The Holy Book, the Bible in several sections acknowledged the unique and indispensability of seasons in the life and affairs of humanity.
The book emphasizes the existence of seasons that mark distinct activities or periods of time in a year in the calendar of mankind and that certain things will happen at specific times of the year. Of course recent happenings in the country especially among politicians revealed that many notable politicians are already crisscrossing the entire Nigerian landscape lobbying to be appointed or elected to one position or the other after the general elections as the usual practice in the country. The most visible and highly sought positions at the moments are the exalted and rewarding positions with huge influence and pecks of office; those of the Principal Officers of the yet to be inaugurated 10th National Assembly and that of the Ministers of the country at the federal level.
No doubt whoever occupy these prestigious but demanding offices enjoy enormous influence within and outside the country and thus many strive to put all their resources to clinch these positions including lobbying relying on mundane issues including ethnicity and religion. The lobbying for the Principal Officers of National Assembly was further intensified with greater zeal when the National Working Committee of the ruling party that won the Presidential election came out with their zoning arrangements. This has not gone down well with some individuals, groups and sections of the country. Consequently, some individuals, groups and sections of the country have come out to vehemently criticise the development and suggested that the arrangement should be dispensed with for equity and fairness.
That of the Ministers seemed to unsettle the President elect and have forced him to travel abroad with his associates to be able to have time to make the best choice that can reverse the mounting challenges of the country. Indeed it is not entirely a bad thing or out of place for people to aspire to occupy responsible positions of influence, but what is amiss or unacceptable is the way and manner it is being undertaken in the country. For it is taking central place and time in national discuss than those issues that really matter when it comes to the welfare and prosperity of the country and her people that have been bastardised over the years.
Instead for politicians to arrange themselves into formidable groups that can get the country out it of its present predicament, their preoccupation have devoted to who occupy what positions and vice versa using retrogressive tendencies and approaches that have not been assisting the country to progress. In other climes, people are elected or appointment based on recommendation that take full cognizance of their past records of service and capacity. The lobbyists so far have hinged their recommendations on mundane issues such as ethnic or zone of individuals they are supporting. Others have relied on the fact that they were campaign coordinators for the incoming President in their zones, state or one group or the other.
Some others have insisted that they have been the followers or supporters or have been loyal to the President over the years and therefore must get certain plum positions at all cost whether they have what it takes to function in such offices or not. They have not brought their curriculum vitae to show the world that they are competent and that they can do the job. Such tendencies of relying on primordial sentiments of religion, ethnic or region and loyalty to individuals have been suggested to be responsible for crisis we are experiencing in virtually all sectors of the national life of Nigeria. Regrettable, the country has a vast pool of individuals, professionals and competent people that can work assiduously to improve the dwindling fortune of the country
Many are not modest or civil in handling the issue. Often, primordial sentiments and sectional issues dominate where essential issues of consideration such as capability and past records of service are most needed. It is in our country that loyalty to individuals is more important than loyalty to the state and people they swore to serve. Over the years, state functionaries that emerged through such processes have become rubber stamps that cannot stand to defend the state and her people’s interest. Unfortunately, same scenario seems to be playing out. We are likely going to witness more episodes of ‘off your mic’ and unending probe without results or crisis ridden parliament.
We may also have as ministers people of questionable characters lacking in required initiative to take the country forward. What the country needs at this point in time are men and women of integrity imbued with the ability or capacity to deliver on promises during electioneering and not those whose judgment will be coloured by their background and sponsors. Of course, while lobbying for appointments and positions is not a detestable exercise, they have not been deployed to serve the interest of the Nigerian society but rather for selfish interest. That has been the bane of Nigeria development.
A situation where those that have contributed to the destruction, backwardness and decimation of the country’s resources are being put forward by lobbyists for important state offices, because they have the financial muscle and connection or posts are zone to their areas, the country will drift and wallow in the sea of abject intellectual poverty, knowledge and right disposition required to direct the affairs of the country.
It is time the country began to do away with Nigerian politics that don’t permit competent and committed people to aspire or get appointed into sensitive and important national offices like that of the Principal Officers of National Assembly and Ministers of the Federal Republic. Lobbying for positions must therefore be discouraged and new methods of getting quality people into position of responsibilities must be instituted in the country. One way to achieve this is to constitute a committee of dispassionate, seasoned committed and tested Nigerians with track record of service at local and national and international levels to screen and recommend people for position of responsibility at all levels. The security screening of candidates by security agencies in the country over the years have not been able to prevent crooks and criminals to get to position of responsibilities because of compromise and the Nigerian factor or culture of settlement. The country must seek to move beyond this if we are to provide solutions to the various problems in the country and reverse the underdevelopment and inability to cater for her citizens.
