It has long been identified that one of the major challenges the nation is grappling with is that of bad governance which is propelled by bad leadership. This has been aptly captured in Chinua Achebe’s book ‘Trouble with Nigeria’. Leadership issues come in myriads of ways and the present decadent situation is clearly a fall out from this malaise.
It is baffling most of the times the manner the leaders have failed to understand the urgency that underline some policy actions which they treat with levity. They carry on as if the public interests do not matter or as if governance and its outcome is their personal prerogative which must not be questioned by anybody.
President Buhari it seems has the record of the leader with the highest delayed period before appointing his cabinet. That appears a precedent copied by two South East governors who were not to reconstitute their cabinet. Governors Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State and Hope Uzodimma of Imo State had since 5 months and 2 months respectively failed to reconstitute their dissolved executive committee meeting.
Even though that there may not be any breach of time line known to any law it must be observed that the quality of the administration may be impaired by the long delay. It was not for nothing that the constitution of the land provided for an executive committee and the non existence of this committee means that a gap has been deliberately created.
What is difficult to comprehend is the reason for the delay. It gives out the governors as executives who are not thoughtful enough in their actions. It is inconceivable that one would set out to create a gap without thinking of how to close it. It symptomatic of the rudderless dispositions that characterize our state of governance. It is even more disturbing when the state legislatures that are supposed to play oversight functions on these governors have gone to sleep.
One of the interpretations from the failure to reconstitute their cabinet is that the executive governors have the preference to run as sole administrators rather than function with a team. The implications are clearly obvious in certain respects. The position of attorney-general in the state is very critical because of ensuing legal matters which arise every minute and which cannot ordinarily be dragged or delayed for so long given the crime nature of our environment as well as political and legal tussles.
It is not out of place to ask how the governors have continued to drive their vision in the absence of a coordinated team. For Gov Ikpeazu who may have beaten Buhari to his record it would appear may have jettisoned the constitution or do not find it necessary to work with an executive committee.
News Echo is alarmed at this development and urges the governors to reconstitute their cabinet immediately. It is never for lack of competent hands that they have failed to do this. Their argument may not find conviction in the light of capable hands that are yearning to serve their people. We advise that the governors should open their eyes very well to pick credible people who know their onions to deliver the much desired dividends of democracy.
This should go beyond party lines to accommodate those who can deliver value but not aligned or affiliated to any political group. Good governance is easier to secure outside political patronage. We also caution that before any cabinet reshuffle ready successors should be standing by to avoid this vacuum.
