TOP 150422 EDITORIAL SNIPPETS

“ … every session of the National Assembly has always taken it upon itself to tinker with the Constitution, yet the major pillars of the nation’s grundnorm – centralised federalism – remain unchanged. At the federal level, the Legislature and Judiciary enjoy relative independence, except in instances where their leaderships voluntarily surrender their independence to the Executive for whatever gain. But at the state level, their independence is hampered by the fact that they depend on the state purse, which is controlled by the Executive, to operate.

Governors have also deprived the grassroots electorate of their right to elect their own local government leadership by ensuring that their parties always win. Local government elections have become the means by which governors plant their surrogates to enable them control local government funds. One of the problems this spawns is the prevalence of the “ungoverned spaces” syndrome and attendant security breaches all over the country.

We are for true federalism, where the federating units determine their local government affairs with inputs from the local communities for effective and accountable governance.

If, however, LG autonomy is the way forward, there must be enough inbuilt checks and balances."

… Vanguard

“ … It is not just farmers that should be specially concerned about the pattern of the oncoming rains.

Everybody, especially government and those who live in areas that are flood-prone, must be alert and take necessary steps to cope.

Lagos appears to be the only state which has issued a consequential advisory on the oncoming rain patterns to its residents. Almost every state has a Ministry of Environment. We expect all state governments to form the habit of alerting their residents about annual rainfall patterns and mobilise them to ensure minimal erosion, flooding and negative impact on farming. We should not wait until climate disasters strike before running helter-skelter.

The old proverb: “whatever a person sows he shall reap” is very apt when it comes to environmental and climatic matters. When you neglect your environment, the rainy season will bring flood into your home, destroy your property and render you homeless."

… Vanguard

"RECKLESSLY, the Senate again advertised its penchant for mediocre interventions with its passage of a bill authorising the establishment of a Federal University of Medical Sciences and Biomedical Technology in each of the country’s six geopolitical zones. How thoughtless! Coming at a time the country is close to bankruptcy and the government borrows to pay salaries, the approval is baffling.

Senators defended the action with the claim of the deficiency of universities to accommodate substantial admission seekers. This does not suggest critical thinking. Law-making bodies in other countries purposely seek to ensure world-class quality in university education; not just numbers.

State governments that can barely pay salaries or fund basic amenities have also established multiple universities. Poorly funded and equipped, no Nigerian university makes the top 500 universities worldwide unlike South Africa that had nine in the 2022 QS World University Rankings.

he Federal Government does not need to run universities just because education is on the concurrent list. In a federal system, the states, charities, faith-based organisations and individuals should be encouraged to establish and run universities. The Federal Government should share regulation with the states and provide funding support for higher institutions under diverse funding programmes in accordance with national education policies and objectives. "

… The Punch

Head of Service, Folashade Yemi-Esan

"THE admission by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Folasade Yemi-Esan, that over 1,500 workers illegally joined the service with fake appointment letters in the last one year has again illustrated the vacuity of the anti-graft posture of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.).

Corruption in a developing economy’s public service, says the World Bank, has a long-term negative effect on growth, investment and human development. The International Journal of Innovation and Research in Education adds; “Corruption is also likely to undermine a country’s regulatory framework and the efficiency of public institutions.” A joint study by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the National Bureau of Statistics found pervasive corruption in Nigeria’s civil service manifesting in “ghost workers” and fraudulent contracts. These result in abysmal public service delivery, poor infrastructure, bad governance, poverty and general underdevelopment.

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, a former Minister of Finance, once revealed how the Federal Government blocked a N208.7 billion ghost workers scam in MDAs after a biometric collection exercise uncovered 62,893 fake names on the payroll.

Payroll fraud and illegal recruitment are criminal offences. The offenders should be identified, tracked down and prosecuted. Their collaborators within the bureaucracy should not be spared either.  Persistent failure to prosecute encourages the criminals."

… The Punch