By Fenny Fwa
We are a country of absurdities and always doing things not in tandem with acceptable universal standards.
I read in thisday newspaper of Thursday of 7th December 2017 that the presidency has ordered the minister of state of petroleum resources Dr Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu to restore normalcy in oil distribution. Recently the nation is experiencing fuel scarcity. I also on the same thisday of Friday, 8th December 2017 read that Kachikwu has rolled out emergency plan to end petroleum scarcity. As usual with his charecter he has gladly taken up the challenge despite being disgraced and rendered a redundant minister recently.
It will be recalled the same Kachikwu was saddled with the task of restoring our oil production which went down from about 2.3m barrels per day to as low as 900, 000 barrel per day. He took the job with all the seriousness it deserved. He risked his life by reaching out to the militants in their dangerous hide out in the creeks. He was able to stop the bombing of oil installations and ensured the damage ones were put back to work. Thus achieving production level of 1.8m barrel per day. He similarly turned the fortunes of NNPC from an inefficient, corrupt and debt ridden company to a efficient, transparent and profit making organization. He also put our refineries back to work.
But when it came to award of contract, appointments and recruitment, the power that be said he had no role. When he complained all Arsenal were unleashed on him. When they have now gotten into crisis, his managerial acumen has again been sought. Why why are we like this? Must we continue to be doing things at variance with best practices. Do we realize how we are being laughed at and mocked at in the comity of Nations because of our absurdities.
Wanted: a country with a leadership that will enthrone meritocracy over mediocrity, transparency and honesty over corruption, competence over incompetence, fairness over nepotism, religious and ethnic bigotries, sentiments over objectivity. We are on autopilot, a country without well defined principles that will be adhered to. Little wonder that we move from one crisis to another, rudderless. A country where anything goes.
Folks we should note that all nationalities harbour all these vices. It is level by level. In my federal constituency, it’s practically impossible to be elected to that office unless you are from a particular ethnic group. In Benue state, it will be a mirage if you don’t belong to the majority ethnic group to be the governor of the state. It’s a disease that has permeated our body polity. We are all collectively guilty. But those in leadership at national level, must purge themselves of this cankerworm and when that is done other levels of leadership will borrow a leaf.
