For Buhari, History Beckons…

It has been more than a week since the March 28 election that saw the emergence of General Muhammadu Buhari as the next President of Nigeria. With this victory, Nigerians are earnestly waiting for the swearing in ceremony on May 29 to allow him settle down to the business of governance. There is no denying that many Nigerians expect that he would bring his moral credentials to confront the many ills plaguing the country. These ills include corruption, lack of power supply and the ballooning cost of governance.
Definitely, a lot has been said about the sky high cost of governance in Nigeria, especially in the federal bureaucracy. We are not oblivious that the task of slaying this dragon is very daunting, especially given the country’s political milieu that encourages all manner of heists by corrupt and parasitic officials. However, that is not to say it cannot be achieved. All it requires is a focused and determined political will on the part of the new administration.
We have had cause in the past to lament the obscene cost of governance and the need to cut it down. But rather than abate, government officials have continued to pilfer state resources meant for the people’s welfare towards perpetuating their lavish lifestyles including those of their numerous cronies. Our concern is informed by the fact that in 2012, the Steve Oronsaye Committee which was commissioned by outgoing President Goodluck Jonathan to investigate the issue of bloated and overlapping government ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) recommended the efficient down-sizing and/or consolidation of several MDAs to check wasteful duplicity of government functions.
Incidentally, there are several reasons the cost of governance is increasing in Nigeria. The first is corruption, and the second is inefficiency and waste. Many of the government agencies have areas of overlap and duplication of functions, while many of the institutions are over-bloated. The number of staff, departments, units and committees are just too many. A comparison of the legislature in Nigeria and the United States of America amply demonstrates this. The National Assembly in Nigeria with 109-member Senate has 54 committees and the 360-member House of Representatives has 84 committees. In contrast, the US Senate with 100 members and the House of Representatives with 435 members have 21 committees each with four joint committees.
More galling is the fact that the vast majority of Nigerians do not know the actual remunerations and maintenance costs of their legislators, which are shrouded in secrecy.
It is therefore pertinent that the President-elect drastically trim the over-bloated bureaucracy. He should do so by eliminating the pomp and glitter around his office and setting an example in moderation. Buhari should also enforce the policy that mandates all top government functionaries to ride in locally manufactured cars, as was a rule some years back. Moreover, he should dispose of most of the 11 aircraft in the presidential fleet as Nigerians are yet to understand why the country should maintain such number of airplanes that is more than what many Third World countries have as national carriers.