How ‘Next Level’ ministers can succeed

President Muhammadu Buhari has sworn-in his ministers. They are expected to resolve the challenges of economic stagnation, unemployment, high inflation and epileptic power supply. Deputy Political Editor RAYMOND MORDI and Assistant Editor LEKE SALAUDEEN sought the view of experts and stakeholders on how the could administration hit the ground running.

THE administration of President Muhammadu Buhari is beset with many challenges. But, it charting a course to restore order in governance. Opinions are divided on what the president has successfully accomplished in the last four years. But, there is a consensus that it is no longer business as usual.

Following the inauguration of the 43 ministers last week, experts and stakeholders expressed divergent views about the prospects of the team meeting the expectations of Nigerians in the next four years.

Nigeria is not bereft of ideas or the manpower for development. The major challenge facing the country is lack of credible leadership, former Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Wealth Creation and Employment, Dr. Olajide Basorun, said.

He said what is required for the President’s ‘Next Level’ cabinet to be impactful is sincerity of purpose and simple and practical programmes, not grandiose schemes. He said people often talk about putting square pegs in square holes as if it is a matter of just putting people in the right place.

Basorun said: “The analogy of square pegs and round holes has become superficial. What we need to have an efficient government are sincere and intelligent people; their certification does not matter. Did Babatunde Fashola study energy or power, given all the achievements he recorded in the power sector? The power sector is now on auto-pilot; whosoever is minister today is just going to follow what is on ground.

“The President has chosen those he considers as people of integrity. All he needs to do is to ensure that they have a master plan and the next thing is to monitor them. He must monitor them closely, so that we can have a transparent government. If they say they will do this, go there and see whether they did it.

The former Chairman of the National Association of Small Scale Industrialists (NASSI), Duro Kuteyi, said he is satisfied with President Buhari’s choice, particularly for the ministries that have one thing or the other to do with small scale industrialists. He said it now depends on what they do with the opportunities they have on their hands.

Industralisation:

Kuteyi said the key thing is for government to come up with strategies to empower small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to contribute meaningfully to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). He said: “The Ministry of Industry, as well as that of Science and Technology, must come up with ideas to ensure that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have access to funding and infrastructural facilities.

“The Ministry of Agriculture should also support farmers to make sure that they produce enough raw materials for SMEs to process. When it comes to exports, restriction should be placed on the export of agricultural products, so that value would be added before they are eventually exported.

“Some of the major challenges facing SMEs are lack of raw materials, lack of funds and lack of space to store raw materials for production for a considerable length of time. Ideally, small scale industrialists ought to stock enough raw materials when such produce are in season against off season. SMEs do not usually have enough funds to stock raw materials in that manner. In this wise, they should be assisted to have access to raw materials for production throughout the year.

“Steps should also be taken to ensure that firms that deal with intermediate products spring up, to process primary products into semi-finished products. Such intermediate products can stay without refrigeration for at least 12 months, so that SMEs can source their raw materials from there. Strategic grain reserves should be made accessible to SMEs as possible raw materials.

“The issue of power is another matter. Since we have been operating without power for a long time, the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) has not increased tremendously. Improving power supply will actually boost our level of production, so it is an area that government needs to focus on.”

Kuteyi, who is also the founder and chief executive officer of Spectra Industries Ltd, an indigenous food processing and packaging company, said one challenge that SMEs face that has not been sufficiently spoken of is that of tele-communications. His words: “Nobody is talking about it. The GSM is only making the operators’ rich at the expense of the subscribers. This is because of the high rate of dropped calls; this is a situation where a conversation is terminated midway, due to technical reasons.

“Do you know how many times subscribers get cut off in the middle of a conversation and he is compelled to reconnect again and perhaps start the conversation all over again. In the process, you spend more money needlessly. And where is all that money going? To the telecom service providers of course at the expense of SMEs.”

Paul Akinola, an engineer based in Calabar, Crosss River State, said the Niger Delta Affairs Minister should brace up for the challenges, because of the importance of the Niger Delta to the Nigerian economy. He said the minister should be ready to face the attitude of some of stakeholders, particularly the youths.

Niger Delta:

Akinola added: “One of the issues that he will have to tackle is Niger Delta roads. This is because the roads in the Niger Delta region need urgent attention. I am in Calabar, so I can talk about Calabar. The state of roads within the Calabar metropolis gives me much cause for concern. For instance, from my end of the town to the city centre, a journey that should not take more than 20 minutes, takes over an hour. Besides, roads from Calabar to Port Harcourt and other parts of the Niger Delta are in terrible shape.

“Power is probably the second problem that would require his attention. Rural power supply is necessary to encourage the people to engage in productive ventures.

“The minister has to come up with empowerment training programmes for the youths of the region. Most of them believe that it is only when you are in politics that you will make money. So, he needs to do something to engage them and channel their energies towards a positive direction. More so, agriculture is not being given prominence any more. The region has good lands that could be used for farming. He only needs to mobilise them, through seminars and intensive training programmes.

“But, I must confess that a lot of empowerment programmes have been implemented over the years that failed to make any meaningful impact. This is owing to this entitlement mentality that has crept in over the years, which has made the youth to be lazy and only interested in collecting money. The new minister must be prepared to deal with that sort of attitude, which is prevalent all over the region, not only among the youths but the Niger Delta people generally.”

Former National Vice President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr Monday Ubani, urged the ministers to give priority to infrastructure development to achieve the ‘Next level’ agenda of the administration.

Ubani bemoaned the state of infrastructure, saying no region can boast of good road network. He said: “There is no single international road cutting across the six geo-political zones. Despite the trillions of naira we realize from oil every year, it is unbelievable that our highways are death traps. People like to travel by road, but they don’t do that anymore, because of the terrible condition of the roads, coupled with the activities of kidnappers on the highways.

Power:

“The Buhari administration should tackle the problem of power supply to its logical conclusion in his second term. Though there is marked improvement in power generatio, we still have problem with distribution. The transmission capacity is not there; the distribution companies don’t know what power distribution is all about¡ they are just extorting power consumers through estimated billing. It is high time they are relieved of the job.

“Why must the Federal Government alone be responsible for power generation and distribution? States and private organizations or individuals should be allowed to come in and participate in power business. If they do, we will generate power in excess of our needs, and power distribution would also improve. If the power supply improves, the economic situation in the country will also improve. Foreign and local investors will establish industries and there will be employment opportunities for the youths. Lack of job had driven many youths into crimes such as armed robbery and kidnapping. If the new set of ministers can tackle these problems, this regime will go down as one of the best in the history of this country.”

Industral harmony:

To civil right activist, Mashood Erubami, the re-appointed Labour Minister, Dr Chris Ngige, must ensure industrial harmony by tackling  sensitive labour matters diligently.

Erubami said Nigerians are expecting Ngige to embark on a speedy implementation of the agreed  minimum wage to improve  the quality of life for low-income earners.

The minister, he added, should embark on programmes that will induce  job creation  and increased earnings for workers, as well as promote conditions for better quality of life and reduction of inequality.

He wants the Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, to develop  connectivity in the transport system across the country with better traffic management in towns and establishment of public transport towards improving transport services with lowered fares.

On the fight against corruption, the activist advised the minister in charge “to mobilise resources under his or her control to fight corruption head long,  fight its menace  strenuously and unsparingly in a nonselective manner”.

Erubami added: “The anti-corruption agencies must be reformed to be proactive and more effective,  to respond to corruption issues in line with global best practices.

“All cases of corruption passing through the police or the Justice Department must not be compromised by using wrong charges that are easily knocked out by lawyers who do not necessarily know the law but are familiar with Judges.

“The minister in charge of the law and the justice system must be fair  and he must work with honest  judiciary and an incorruptible Bar, to ensure transparent justice, so that technicalities are not  used most often against substantial justice to win cases.

“The Attorney-General and Minister of Justice should review all court judgments yet to be obeyed by the government and ensure that they are obeyed without further delay within three months of his occupation of office.

“All outstanding cases of alleged corruption against judges must be relisted and charged to court through the appropriate agencies. In the process monies found belonging to states which are laundered from contracts awarded through accomplices must be returned through diligent prosecution.”

Erubami called for prison reform and asked the President to set up a committee to find out how many prisons are overpopulated by awaiting trials.

He said the Interior Minister, Rauf Aregbesola, must put up immediate measures to ensure that prison officers are made responsible and responsive for improving  the harsh conditions of Nigerian prisons for the habitation of  awaiting trial suspects and prisoners, prevent extra- judicial killings, torture, overcrowding, as well as inadequate feeding and shortages of  medical instruments  and drugs.”

Erubami said Nigerian expect to see positive changes in the performance of the ministers, so that the administration  can impact more positively on the lives of Nigerians in the “Next Level”.

He said: “The new ministers should leverage on the good relationship existing between the Executive and the Legislature to raise the bar of governance and put behind them the mistakes of the first term.

“They should avoid distractions that could drag back the vehicle of good governance and renew capacity to drive sustainable economic growth, job creation and ability to enhance good governance via delivery of dividends of democracy.”

A security expert, Isa Dogonyaro, said Nigerians expect President Muhammadu Buhari to make security a major priority in his second term, given the increasing cases of banditry in the Northwest, insurgency in the Northeast and farmers/herders clashes across the country.

Dogonyaro said the President should give the new Minister of Defence a matching order to do something to restore law and order in the country. He added: “The new Minister of Defence must come up with a more lasting solution to the Boko Haram challenge and this will include a solution to the rot and financial malfeasance robbing the Nigerian military. The military is believed to be ill-equipped to tackle the current challenge facing it.

“To enhance internal security, the inter-agency rivalry among  the security agencies should be addressed,  to create more synergy among them. The era of Department of of State Services (DSS) and the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) or the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) being at each others throats or constantly trying to outshine one another must be consigned to the past.”