I am not trying to hold brief for the VCs in Nigeria, but I think that Nigerian students and their parents are also unreasonable with regards to their expectations from the University Management. A Nigerian student is ready to pay ten thousand pound sterling to a university in UK but will riot when asked to pay about 40 thousand naira wihch is about or less than 200 pounds sterling a session. After visiting Universities in Europe especially UK , I came to the conclusion that we are actually walking a tight rope in Nigeria. The facilities are below standard.. Sometimes I wonder how we have been able to cope all these years. Let us be frank, education is not cheap. Some one must fund it. If the government is not ready to , then parents have to. Many VCs and council members (including their Abuja friends) have squandered the resources for development in the universities, but even if corruption is removed, the funds available cannot scratch the challenges in Nigerian Universities. As for the question of employment of locals, so called landlords of the university, the problem is turning Nigerian universities into communal institutions. I sympathize with the Vcs in that regard. The pressure is enormous but they must find intelligent ways to handle such.
Nkolika
From: Okey Iheduru <okeyiheduru@gmail.com>
To: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com
Cc: "RNjoku@aol.com" <rnjoku@aol.com>; "Iwuanyanwu, Romanus" <rci1584@lausd.net>
Sent: Sunday, September 21, 2014 12:41 PM
Subject: USA Africa Dialogue Series - 'Our VC Is a Thief': A Perspective on University and General Public Administration in Nigeria
'Our VC Is a Thief': A Perspective on University and General Public Administration in Nigeria
by Okey C. Iheduru
The recent events (precisely September 4, 2014) at the Federal University and the massive deployment of the public relations skills of the university's Vice Chancellor, Professor Bolaji Aluko "to set the records straight" provide an opportunity for a deeper reflection on the general culture of public administration in universities (and other tertiary institutions) and Nigeria as a whole. I've tried to do so here. I focus on two issues: allegations of thievery and the trouble with adhering to the "federal character" principle in employment. Please bear with me if you find my thoughts a bit haphazard.
Our VC (and Every Other Head of Government Institution) Is a Thief: While Professor Aluko was accused of thievery by irate youth of Otuoke, they did not provide proof, and the VC has flatly denied the allegation. Anyone who lives in Nigeria or who follows recent treads in the country's higher education system and the wider public management in the country would easily attest that this kind of allegation has become a national pass time. While the allegations (and the demonstrations often staged by rent-a-crowd youth bused in from other communities or campuses at N1,000 per outing) are often the handwork of "my enemies" or "detractors", in many cases there's always some truth to the allegations, even if they're difficult to prove. The truth is that public offices, especially the ones that control budgets or provide "services charges" to the public, have been largely "privatized" in Nigeria. Your friends and godfathers will always advise/warn you NOT to accept any appointments/positions where you will not be controlling the budget. Otherwise, how are you supposed to make "returns" to these professional sponsors or intermediaries? Remember, many of them do not have any shop or factory anywhere in the country.
In many cases, public administration in Nigeria today entails operating behind the mask of legality and/or the constitution to commit Zuma Rock-size theft and pillaging of the treasury. Non-renewable or term appointments (such as VC-ships with a 5-year term) are the worst because most occupants see them as their own "settlement"; the last chance to load up on the "national cake" before proceeding on their "deserved retirement." No one expects a VC (and "those who gave me the job" a la Aluko) to go home poor after five years, especially a founding VC who almost single-handed must spend N2 billion start-up pot of money (in collaboration with a feeble Implementation Committee who equally see this as their "settlement" opportunity and thus can be bought off easily by a willy VC) BEFORE a Governing Council is appointed. From all the records Aluko has freely shared with so many publics, it's highly unlikely that this orishirishi is going on in his neck of the woods. The truth, however, is that there is so much discretionary funds (including "security votes") available to most heads of Ministries, Departments, Agencies (MDAs)—especially towards the end of the financial year—that you'd be a saint not to be tempted to haul most of it home. Even if you don't want to, your professional accounting officers (bursar) will advise/show you how to "retire" the funds—an advice that could get you into serious trouble with Federal Auditors later, if you're unlucky. VC Aluko can attest to FU Otuoke's recent friendly encounters with these auditors.
In one federal agency in Abuja, the Director-General purchased four Toyota Coaster buses one week after the staff complained about the traffic hold-ups in Nyanya that accounted for the erstwhile chronic lateness of among the staff. "So, what have all the previous D-Gs been doing with our money all these years?", the staff asked, but they already know the answer. "Ah, our new D-G na really good oga o o. Confirmed! God go bless am!", they will all tell you the first time you meet them. Similarly, the Commandant of a defense-related institution saved enough money from overseas tours in one year and used it to purchase two "delectable" luxury buses and five Toyota Coaster buses for the institution. When some of his "enemies" complained that the two luxury buses were "second new", he and some of his defenders were perplexed and argued, unassailably, that the man could have pocketed "the change' if he so desired, and no one (except the finance officer) would have known about it. Besides, did these detractors not think that the Oga's predecessors were equally saving some change from these tours (which must be done every year) and carting them home with them at the end of their terms?
Until the recent introduction of the "Envelop System" by Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance, (whereby you're given X amount per year from which you must pay for all your capital and recurrent expenditure for the year—exceed what's in your envelop and you're on your own!), these MDAs always got at least a 10 percent increase on the previous year's budget. And, you wonder why they call her "Okonjo Wahala (Trouble)"!
2. "Youth Employment" and Federal Character: This must be the biggest nightmare of any public administrator in Nigeria today. There is simply very little job creation going on in Nigeria today, despite fantastic economic growth and 'sound macroeconomic fundamental." Whether or not you like it, every government and private sector operator in Nigeria today must purchase a social license in order to operate. This ranges from spending your "security votes" to hiring members of the host-community whether or not you're bursting your "Envelope" from Madam Ngozi. This is the legacy of militancy in the Niger Delta and OPC/Area Boys exports to the rest of the country (NOTE: Very soon those of you in the Diaspora or "Abroadians" in other parts of the country will be "settling" local youth before they allow you to sleep in the mansion you built in the village and where lizards have been holding their Ofala in your absence!!!).
If you are wondering why the MDAs need "security votes," just ask people like VC Aluko how many times they must "carry along their host communities" or risk causing so much drama for the authorities that they're asked to step down. Now, unless you've not tasted power AND powerlessness in Nigeria, you'd be insane to not "make use of the righteous Mammon" a la Oluwa Jesu Christi.
While we should condemn all attempts to hold heads of MDAs to ransom, it's also true that many of them don't care about the constitutional requirements of the "Federal Character" principle. Recently, some heads of these agencies were outed for stuffing their agencies with mostly people from their own states or "tribe"—some as much as half of recent hires. Just go to Customs, Immigration, Civil Defense, let alone federal MDAs in the respective State capitals. Sadly, many MDAs call the bluff of the Federal Character Commission staff with great alacrity and impunity. However, there are also allegations that the Federal Character Commission has also been privatized, just like every other regulatory agency in the land. You may violate the law, provided you hire one of my candidates—and every real or acting Big Man or Madam in Nigeria has dozens of candidates for any kind of job opening.
In one military academic institution, a former Commandant brazenly made sure that about two-thirds of civilian staff came from his state in central Nigeria. Any attempts by subsequent commandants to "rationalize" staff always drew rapid-fire phone calls and text messages from scores of traditional rulers (many of them former "force men") and serving officers some of whom may be godfathers to the Oga at the Top. A few years later, 39 civilian vacancies suddenly opened up and were duly advertised. The 4,000 applications were pared down to 250 who were invited for interview. Despite written and oral exams intended to help the Oga to fend off pressure from the sponsors of those who performed badly, the man ended up offering employment to 109 people! Only after these new staff had resumed work did the institution try to develop job descriptions/specifications for each of them. Remarkably, many of the interviewees (many of whom spent the entire day on the premises) were pleasantly surprised that the institution provided them lunch. No employer ever does that in Nigeria, let alone Nigeria's human rights-violating armed forces! Even candidates for VC-ships and professorships do not expect to be—and are generally not—fed during interviews, and "only the candidate selected for the position will be contacted."
Note: As an aside, may be VC Aluko could find out from his VCs colleagues why they still require applicants for positions—from professors to cleaners—to submit anywhere from 15 to 30 bound copies of their application packets. Other universities elsewhere where "global best practices" which Aluko and his colleagues always claim to be following simply ask you to apply and submit your supporting documents online or by e-mail.
Yet, you must pity the heads of MDAs like VC Aluko, because the challenges are enormous. It would, indeed, be interesting to see how long he will hold the line on new hires "without CVs and identities of their wards or communities", etc. The trouble is that even if he employs highly credentialled staff (I'm sure he's aware of Oluwole Transcripts, diplomas and NYSC discharge certificates, and local government identity docs), if he needs a good Memo or a policy document, he may still have to hire from the army of outside consultants in the country many of whom are quite good and live very well and can deliver for a handsome fee. After all, there's always a "Miscellaneous" sub-head in the budget, Madam's "Envelope System" notwithstanding.
Whether it's stealing or youth employment/unemployment, or social license, what you see is not always how things really are—and the faults can easily be assigned to as many actors as possible, including the "General" with academic gown and the real thing. In Bayelsa State, you know you're in trouble if any "king" or one of his Executive Militants accuses you of "disrespecting the elders" which you can interpret any way you want. Bayelsa, Nigeria's second richest state and one of its less populated states with less than 3 million people (2006 census), has the second highest payroll bill after the Federal Government! Yet, its citizens are among the poorest in Nigeria. It's not uncommon for many of the "unemployed youths" that tried to shake down VC Aluko to be on the payroll of a Local Council, the State Government, and a Federal Agency in the state, simultaneously. Gov. Seriake Dickson can attest to this; he has since given up fishing out the army of "ghost workers" on the state's and its Local Council payrolls. A task Force (led by an army Lt. Col.) beat a quick retreat from one of the riverine Local Councils some years back when they went on a "personnel verification" duty there. Upon arrival, they were advised—in their own interest—to return immediately to Yenagoa or risk becoming dinner for famished Mammy Water in the creeks. Bayelsa State was created in 1986, but only very few Federal MDAs have their own buildings in the capital or in any other city in the State. "Federal presence" seems to be better felt through renting office and residential accommodation from the Sons of the Soil.
What about in the North where virulent feudalism is flourishing and multiplying exponentially like the jiga that infested my village during the civil war? That would require a graduate thesis to summarize the amount of trouble you'll get yourself into if you're a poor student of the lair of the land. Frankly, it's not really different in Owerri, Oshogbo or Benin. Indeed, Nigeria has become a veritable wasteland of blossoming but pernicious neo-medievalism.
And so, whether you're gloating over VC Aluko's militancy problems (Unfortunately, he ain't seen nothin' yet); or you're expressing moral indignation at what's going on at FU, Otuoke and the rest of Nigeria's universities, please be warned that Nigeria is more complicated than you can ever imagine. Yes, there's a lot of drama—and at times it looks like the drip-drip negativity will never end. I missed being roasted in the EFAB Plaza bombs in Abuja last June by a mere seven hours after I had shopped at the very spot where Boko Haram's evil descended on hapless citizens. In Kaduna, the bomb that almost sent General Buhari to meet his 72 virgins in paradise last July went off a mere 20 minutes after I had stopped to buy the day's newspaper at the very spot on Akilu Road but changed my mind and asked my driver to keep heading to the guesthouse in nearby Abakpa GRA where I was staying. Yet, I see limitless possibilities and needs that must be filled in Nigeria. You can say, perhaps, that's why I return every semester (sometimes twice) to soak in as much of the numerous blessings, warmth and vivacity that are so abundant in Nigeria and its people but which our present challenges often don't allow us to celebrate.
Okey Iheduru,
You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-Africa Dialogue Series" moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin.
For current archives, visit http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
For previous archives, visit http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
To post to this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue@googlegroups.com
To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue-
unsubscribe@googlegroups.com
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "USA Africa Dialogue Series" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to usaafricadialogue+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
No comments:
Post a Comment