Buhari We Can get You Out of Office - Olátéjú

Never since the civil war has the destiny of
this nation rested on a single person’s shoulder. President Muhammadu Buhari has a unique and historic responsibility to Nigeria as a unified and undivided entity. He must rebuild confidence in our democracy, restore our lost values and lay the foundation for Nigeria to work. After the locust years of Goodluck Jonathan, Nigerians have lost faith in politics and politicians. It is the reason Nigerians voted Buhari. We want change. We want to chart a new course and walk a new path. We want a different way of doing things. It is no longer good enough for Buhari or any other person to seek to make a difference. He must be different, they must be different and this administration must be different. It is your duty to restore our trust and do things differently.

This President must know that he owes us ministers appointed based on the key principles of freedom, fairness, diversity, integrity, accountability and responsibility. He should appoint those who believe in these principles and share his vision of a new Nigeria for which these principles are self-evident. The absence and lack of protection for these core principles are what sunk the Jonathan presidency.

Nigerians the world over invested a lot of expectations in the Buhari victory. We want to know those with whom Buhari will work to restore our lost glory. Understandably we are eagerly waiting for the ministers to be announced. It has been long in coming, and it better be good and futuristic. We can no longer do business as usual, while the whole world advances around us. For us as a collective, it is now business unusual. We know, we must begin to get it right. Nothing else is good enough. It is unacceptable that the President continues to appoint only the people he knows into positions. President Buhari himself has admitted to appointing those who he knows and trust. Unfortunately, the inference that can be made from his judgement is that he thinks only those whom he knows are trustworthy and good for positions.

This President must know that he owes us ministers appointed based on the key principles of freedom, fairness, diversity, integrity, accountability and responsibility. He should appoint those who believe in these principles and share his vision of a new Nigeria for which these principles are self-evident. The absence and lack of protection for these core principles are what sunk the Jonathan presidency. This government and all its appointees must spend each day of the next four years committed to these principles and making good on the promises represented by these principles, and acting in a way that reflects them.

We know how power gets abused by government appointees because our code of conduct is deliberately vague and where defined, it is never enforced.

It is about time we jettison heroics and begin an earnest investment in building institutions. We must set new standards for public behaviour and expect Ministers of this Federal Republic to behave in a principled way that upholds the highest standards of propriety. Having waited this long to appoint ministers, we believe the President understands the role of cabinet members in shaping his vision of Nigeria and his mission of liberating us from the fangs of corruption and maladministration. If not in existence, we expect to have a Ministerial Code that spells out unambiguously the overarching duty of ministers to comply with the law, to uphold the administration of justice and to protect the integrity of public life. Times have changed. We can no longer be taken for a ride and our commonwealth can no longer be yams eaten by errant goats. We know how power gets abused by government appointees because our code of conduct is deliberately vague and where defined, it is never enforced. For effective discharge of their duties to the country:

1. There must be no conflict, or appearance of conflict between a minister’s discharge of public duties and his or her private interests;
2. Ministers must not accept any gift in cash or kind which might, or might reasonably appear to, compromise their judgement or place them under any improper obligation;
3. Ministers must keep separate their roles as minister and member of a constituency;
4. Government resources must not be used by any minister for political purposes;
5. Ministers must give accurate and truthful information to oversight committees in the National Assembly, and inadvertent errors must be promptly corrected. Any minister who is found to have deliberately mislead lawmakers must be made to resign his appointment;
6. Ministers must uphold the political impartiality of the civil service and not ask civil servants to act in any way which would conflicts with the terms of the Civil Service Reforms;
7. Ministers have a duty to account, and be held accountable, for the policies, decisions and actions of their departments and agencies;
8. The principle of collective responsibility applies to all government ministers;
9. Ministers must be open and accessible to the public by providing information when requested in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act, except when disclosure would not be in national interest;
10. Ministers must require civil servants who represents them at any hearing to give accurate, truthful and full information.

I dare remind prospective government appointees that we have sent the masters away and determined to have our servants take charge. The life and times of masters who pushed and shoved us anyhow has passed… We got you there and we can get you out faster than you got in.

Finally, On behalf of long suffering Nigerians, I dare remind prospective government appointees that we have sent the masters away and determined to have our servants take charge. The life and times of masters who pushed and shoved us anyhow has passed. Nigerians expect the highest standards of conduct now and that calls for different thoughts and behaviours. Be careful with our money. We want you to be mindful of your duties, avoid improper influence and always act in the nation’s interest. Be grateful for your chance to serve this country. We got you there and we can get you out faster than you got in. God bless Nigeria!
(culled from premium)