USA Africa Dialogue Series - Fw: ON THE FRONTLINES‹FW: OLUKOTUN, Governance lessons from our heroes past - Punch Newspapers

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From: Michael Vickers <mvickers@mvickers.plus.com>

Date: Fri, 11 Mar 2016 11:47:18 +0000

To: Prof Ayo OLUKOTUN<ayo_olukotun@yahoo.com>

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Subject: ON THE FRONTLINES‹FW: OLUKOTUN, Governance lessons from our heroes past - Punch Newspapers

Ayo Olukotun—On the Frontlines 

For me, our greatest hero, on the front lines, using the power of words and reason, 

In the teeth of relentless cha cha cha hurricanes, is Prof Ayo Olukotun. 

And how important his words/ thoughts and his example are. 

He ensures we do not stray too far; 

That we remain focused on the root human/ humane realities 

That are, after all, very simple. 

Yes, Governance, of course; education/ health/ housing/ employment/ 

economy-banking-finance-business/ industry/ infrastructure/ law and order; 

these are at the core of any state's/ peoples' living requirements. 

And Prof Olukotun ensures we have no excuse for not keeping our attention 

Focused on these essentials. And they are out there for all of us

—oligarchs/ the few/ the rest of us 98ers. 

And thank you for reminding us importantly and once again of the 

Light that shines still bright and clear from the heart/ vision of Chief Obafemi Awolowo. 

He spoke for all of us who long so much for release of the huge energy/ genius/ 

invention/ industry and productive relations of a Unified and peaceful Nigeria. 

" …Awo's worldly task

Was that of a

Modern Sisyphus;

An earthly challenge

No man,

No mere mortal

 Could Surmount. …

.

Where Awo entered the

Annals of the great,

Scaled the heights to his

Assigned seat on Olympus

Was in his vision,

His spirit

Which burned

Clear and bright.

 

Twas a

Vision and a spirit

Which gave to the

World of Man

A reality-dream.

 

Tis a

Reality-dream

Which one day

Will be transformed into

A life of potentials realised,

A life of inclusion and harmony;

Indeed, in his prophetic belief,

A Life More Abundant."

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Excerpt from my :  Light Eternal, 22 April, 2011

You do well, Ayo. 

Thank you. 

May the Creator keep you safe and strong. 

We need you much. 

All best,  Baba m

On 11/03/2016 07:41, "Michael Vickers" <mvickers@mvickers.plus.com> wrote:

http://www.punchng.com/governance-lessons-from-our-heroes-past/

Awolowo was not given to frivolity and so his sense of government was that you must not spend what you have not earned. Good fiscal planning was the bedrock of Awo’s management of the financial activities of the regime”

–Oby Ezekwesili, March 4, 2016.

The opening quote is from a presentation by a former Minister for Education, Mrs. Oby Ezekwesili, made at the 2016 Posthumous Obafemi Awolowo Birthday Symposium held at Ikenne, Ogun State on Thursday last week. It is customary for nations like ours, which are in the doldrums to rummage in the archives of their golden past, in order to tease out governance lessons that will see them out of the woods of an inclement present. As evident from anguished comments about the state of the nation, made during the interactive session at the symposium, these are trying times for Nigeria and its citizens. At least, two female participants from the crowded audience pointedly asked Pastor Tunde Bakare and Senator Olorunmibe Mamora, believed to be leading lights of the All Progressives Congress in what direction Nigeria was currently headed, given the increasing suffering of the people.

Bakare, in response, offered prayers for the nation while promising to make available to President Muhammadu Buhari the communiqué of the symposium. Before delving into the rich menu of governance ideas from the Awolowo era, discussed at the conference, I crave the reader’s indulgence to offer a short take.

One of the highlights of a night of testimonies and thanksgiving, organised in honour of the Founder and Chairman, Governing Council of Lead City University, Ibadan, Prof. Jide Owoeye, was a low key conversation around the future of private universities in Nigeria.

Owoeye, who turned 60 last week, had retired from the Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife, in order to start Lead City University. In this respect, he is one of a few academics who made the transition successfully from paid employment in a federal university with its relatively sheltered forte to the rough and tumble of entrepreneurship. As one of the speakers pointed out, there is a world of difference between thriving on a salaried job and building an institution from scratch.

As known, several private universities have not survived the rigour of Nigeria’s business climate and the vicissitudes of a regulatory regime. Interestingly, the Chief Executive of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, Prof. Dibu Ojerinde, pointed out in a recent lecture, that “Lead City University has really evolved into one of the big giants in the provision of private education in Nigeria today.” In a period when recession-lashed public universities are struggling to stay afloat, private universities, with their stable academic calendar, are fast becoming alternatives to public ones for the strata of the population that can afford them. The more enduring challenge for the educational system however, is the provision of the mixture of incentives, and wholesome regulation that will pilot them to increasing credibility and indeed world class status in the medium term.

To go back to the main discourse, both the Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, who chaired the event, and Ezekwesili, focused in their speeches on the need to emulate Awolowo’s redemptive economic acumen. El-Rufai reminded the audience that it was due to Awo’s financial management that the nation prosecuted a costly civil war without borrowing a dime, while Ezekwesili, who underlined the urgency of a national economic conference, said that there was much to learn from Awo’s investment policies as well as economic measures that brought quick wins. Dr. Tokunbo Awolowo-Dosunmu, Executive Director of the Obafemi Awolowo Foundation, submitted in her address that Nigeria needed to return to true federalism, a hallmark of the Awolowo era, and issue-based politics centred on a development agenda that put Nigerian citizens firmly at the centre of the process. Obviously, Nigerian politicians who move easily from one party to the other, have yet to discover the virtues of ideological politics which differentiates one party from another on the basis of principles and convictions.

Of interest is the seminal keynote address, delivered by Segun Gbadegesin, Professor of Philosophy and Interim Dean, College of Arts and Science, Howard University, Washington.

Remarking that Awo’s reflections on the need for a viable federal structure are still valid today, Gbadegesin argued that if we had followed Awo’s prescriptions, we would today have “strong and viable states that do not depend on federal allocations to survive. No one can reasonably deny that what we have now is a sick federal system.” The scholar went on to lament that even the South-West, which was the early beneficiary of Awo’s progressive education policy, has “shamefully and embarrassingly” retrogressed in the education sector, as illustrated by the poor performance of its candidates at the recent Senior School Certificate Examination. Making a strong case for a coherent system of public education, Gbadegesin suggested that a government which is derelict or laid back concerning the education of its youths cannot reasonably expect that those “orphaned” youths will be patriotic or imbibe the ethics of selfless service to a state that contributed little or nothing to their educational development. Without stretching the argument, it will be difficult for any nation to command the loyalty of its citizens if it fails to invest in their future, or care enough about their present.

Stimulating as well was the presentation entitled, “The Challenges of Achieving Good Governance: Some Lessons from Awo”, made by Professor Ladipo Adamolekun, a former Consultant to the World Bank. As Adamolekun saw it, three key lessons that Nigerian politicians can draw from the Awo era are, preparation is an advantage, planning is a necessity, and implementation capability is critical to quality service delivery. Regarding the quality of preparation that preceded Awo’s political career, the scholar noted that between 1928 and 1946, Awo acquired knowledge of history, politics, philosophy and economics, crowned by two degrees in Commerce and Law. Similarly, Awo’s publication of the book, “Path to Nigeria’s Freedom”, in 1947 suggested that he was ready for political leadership, having reflected critically on the emerging nation’s problems. Adamolekun argued that in advanced democracies, such as France and the United States, politicians seeking public office would often make public their political beliefs and development agenda by publishing books. As many will recall, this practice was prevalent among Nigerian politicians in the 1960s and 1970s. Unfortunately, however, the long and harrowing years of the locusts represented by predatory military rule, the rise of money politics, increasing philistinism in state and society, as well as the drop in the quality of education on offer in Nigeria have rendered this practice obsolete. Based on Adamolekun’s suggestion, perhaps, it is time for the electorate to insist on minimum standards of articulation and policy coherence with respect to those who wish to lead the country. There is also the point about meticulous planning of policy conception and implementation which was brought out by Senator Femi Okurounmu and Prof. Alade Fawole.

Considering what would appear to be a regrettable downslide in governance in the current period, the APC as it inches towards celebrating one year in office would do well to pay close attention to the insightful lessons ferreted out from the Awolowo era.

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