The Nigerian government was more competent and efficient during the military administrations.
The most competent and efficient military administrations in the political history of Nigeria since independence were the regimes of Gen. Yakubu Gowon and Gen. Ibrahim Babangida.
Gen. Gowon as the Head of State chaired the Federal Executive Council with Permanent Secretaries and Judges of high calibre, such as Sir Adetokunbo Ademola (Chief Justice of the Federation), Alhaji Sule Katagum (Head of the Federal Civil Service Commission), and the Solicitor General, Biliaminu Oladiran Kassim; others included Mr. Phillip Asiodu, Alhaji Ahmed Joda, Mr. Eneli, Mr. B.N. Okagbue, Mr. Allison Ayida, Mr. Phillip Asiodu, Alhaji Abdul Aziz Atta, Mr. Buba Ardo, Alhaji Musa Daggash and Mr. S.O. Williams. Later in June, 1967, Gen. Gowon appointed the great Chief Ọbáfẹ́mi Awólọ́wọ, GCFR as the Federal Commissioner for Finance, and Vice Chairman of the Federal Executive Council; Clement Nyong Isong, CFR was the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (1967–1975) and others included Chief Joseph Takar, Mallam Aminu Kano, Mr. Wenike Briggs, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, Alhaji Shettima Mongunu, Chief Okoi Arikpo, Chief Anthony Enahoro, Alhaji Femi Okunnu, Chief A.Y. Eke and Chief Edwin Clarke.
Gen. Babangida's administration had highly educated and competent technocrats; including
Prof. Tam David-West as oil minister and later replaced by Dr. Rilwan Lukman; Kalu Idika Kalu, finance minister and later replaced by Dr. Sonny Chu Okongwu.
The appointments of very credible and competent Nigerian statesmen made the government efficient. But since the return to civilian administrations from 1999 to date, the appointments of incompetent federal ministers and director generals have done collateral damage to the Nigerian government. Majority of them should be local government chairmen and chairwomen and not federal administrators.
~ By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima, the author of The Victory of Muhammadu Buhari and the Nigerian Dream and other books.
https://www.amazon.com/author/ekenyerengozimichaelchima
https://www.amazon.com/author/ekenyerengozimichaelchima
No comments:
Post a Comment