Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless handheld from Glo Mobile.From: Esther Olaiya <olaiyaesther2@gmail.com>Date: Wed, 3 Apr 2013 14:59:45 +0100To: ayo_olukotun<ayo_olukotun@yahoo.com>Subject: Prof. Olukotun's ArticleFROZEN IN MEDIOCRITY: A NATION'S DITHERING WORK HABITS
AYO OLUKOTUN
No one who can rise before dawn three hundred and sixty days a year fails to make his family rich- Chinese proverb.
Nigeria continues to astound the world by its amazing waste of opportunities, the barefaced graft of its leaders and the low grade output of its policy decisions. A widely referenced article by American journalist, Joel Brinkley published in a recent edition of the Los Angeles Times laments that a country which takes home close to $225 million daily from oil sales, is rated by the Economic Intelligence Unit as one of the worst places to be born on planet earth in the year 2013, on account of distressingly poor quality of life.
Brinkley, who called for the impeachment of President Goodluck Jonathan in the wake of the Alamieyeseigha state pardon saga fingers corruption as Nigeria's number one woe and robber of opportunity. This is of course correct; but we must not lose sight of other contending national infirmities such as a remiss and self indulgent work culture about which comparatively little attention has been paid by our leaders and civil society. For example, we must be one of the countries with the highest number of officially declared off work days in the world. Bear in mind, too, that before every holiday work shuts down a couple of days before and does not commence until a couple of days after the state declared holiday.
Competing with the 'not on seat syndrome' especially in the public sector, is the phenomenon once alluded to, by Godwin Sogolo, Professor of Philosophy whereby workers increasingly spend the first few hours of their working day doing their 'quiet time', an otherwise edifying religious practice of praying and reading the holy books which is however better reserved for the privacy of one's home. Factor too, in this connection, that when labour upsurges break out, 'warning strikes' can run into a whole week of shutdown by workers, while strikes have been known to lengthen into months virtually paralyzing vital institutions such as those of healthcare or education. Let me state for the avoidance of doubt, that strikes are legitimate weapons of protest especially in situations of dialogues of the deaf such as we often encounter in our labour-management relations. Protracted strikes however, tend to redefine the concept of strike and to raise questions as to the interface between strikes and a national culture of indolence.
Globally, nations especially those in top league positions tend to take their work culture and productivity seriously, as they obviously relate to their high standards of living and economic output. Ever since the German scholar Max Weber, published a seminal book on the linkage between protestant values such as diligence and thrift and the rise of capitalism, in Europe and America scholars have continuously addressed themselves to the effect of an efficient work culture on individual and national greatness. Much was heard in recent years, about the rise to industrial prominence of some Asian countries in the context of religiously derived Asian work values. Today, on American and European campuses, Korean and Chinese students are often seen staying in the library for longer hours and undertaking rare feats of diligence. Pushed to extremes or oversimplified, the linkage between hard work and impressive achievement breaks down; it nonetheless contains more than a kernel of truth which a nation like ours ignores at its own peril.
Political leaders, if they are of the right mettle are especially placed to inspire their citizenry to better work ethics, through the force of personal example. A recent article in the Business Insider lists two respected leaders, President Barack Obama of the United States and Ma Ying-Jeau President of Singapore as belonging to 'the sleepless elite' a group of high flyers who work long hours and do with far less sleep than most of us. Obama reportedly goes to bed at 1am and rises about 7am if there are no emergencies; while Ying-Jeau renowned for legendary work ethics sleeps only five hours a day and rises habitually before daybreak to jog. To that list must be added the famed work ethics of Hillary Clinton, the most travelled secretary of state in American history whose self punishing work schedules were interrupted by her doctors who forced her to slow down.
We know little about the work habits of President Goodluck Jonathan and members of the Federal Executive Council; but he has so far been silent about ways of getting Nigeria back to work. After a much celebrated signing of a performance contract by ministers nothing further has been heard about the matter and no minister has been disciplined as a result of laggard performance. Matters are no different at the legislative institutions of government where absenteeism has been a decided feature for many years. Happy exceptions to this dismal trend occur however at the sub-national levels of government. On a visit to Akure, the Ondo state capital last week to attend a governance seminar organized by the Adekunle Ajasin University, a colleague and I as we went around Akure town spied the low key convoy of the state governor Dr. Olusegun Mimiko leaving his office at about 11pm as we sat down to a meal of pounded yam and bush meat. My colleague narrated that the governor whose day begins quite early often works into the wee hours of the next day; there must be a relationship between this herculean work pace and the clutch of modernizing activities increasingly evident in the state. Other state governors in the southwestern part of the country associated with edifying work habits includes Governors Ajimobi of Oyo State and Babatunde Fashola of Lagos state. It is also the case however; that those leaders are yet to translate their work habits into a mobilizing creed which will galvanize the citizenry into the kind of improved work culture associated with political entities bent on setting a pace for others.
In general, the political leaders of an earlier generation were noticeably workaholics – Awolowo, Azikwe and Ahmadu Bello leaders of the First Republic were reputed for the knack of seating for long, uninterrupted hours at political strategy sessions. Overtime however, and with the advent of windfall earnings from the oil boom, an earlier work culture reflected in the Yoruba philosophy Ise logun ise (hard work is the medicine for poverty) was overturned and replaced by a bonanza mentality also captured in Yoruba popular culture ise kekere owo nlanla (little work, plenty of money) imbibed by leaders and followers alike. To be sure, long hours of work is not always the same thing as increased productivity as productivity is often a derivative of better technology, conducive work and policy environment, as well as improved capital intensity; but the two concepts are often related. For example, it is difficult to sustain healthy work habits in the face of infrastructural deficiencies such as erratic power supply and run down work settings. However, no nation can make a head way with the kind of slouching and laggard work ethics which currently prevail in the country. It is time to restructure our work culture and the decadent values that promote indolence and laxity in high and low places.
Olukotun is a Professor of Political Science and Dean, Faculty of Social Science and Entrepreneurial studies at Lead City University, Ibadan.
Saturday, April 6, 2013
USA Africa Dialogue Series - Fw: Fw: Prof. Olukotun's Article
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From: Yinka Esan <oluyinkaesan@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 5 Apr 2013 15:26:14 +0100
To: Ayo Olukotun<ayo_olukotun@yahoo.com>
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Subject: Re: Fw: Prof. Olukotun's Article
Professor,
yet again, you touch on a social malaise which is fundamental to the well being of the nation and its people, regardless of where we are in the world. I shall not attempt to develop the latter line of thought lest I digress, but suffice to say, Nigeria is blessed to have citizens who are passionate about its existence, even when it seems that we have found refuge in more clement climes. Truth is, it is in our interest to be concerned, for we are inextricably bound to the land of our birth. That said, let's return to the matter in view.
This matter of work ethics is of grave concern. You set out, very succinctly, the culpability of the state in the degeneration of our affairs when you state that "To be sure, long hours of work is not always the same thing as increased productivity as productivity is often a derivative of better technology, conducive work and policy environment, as well as improved capital intensity . . ."
The matter of electricity supply is really crucial for this very reason. Electricity supply is not to be regarded as a luxury as appears to be the view in certain quarters. Failure to provide electricity essential for powering industry, no matter how simple or complex is a heinous crime! From the pepper and beans grinder, to the Mama put or akara seller, from the business centre, to the bakery, the brewery, and the broadcasters, electricity supply is crucial to their ability to deliver service. Government offices too need electricity - to photocopy or find files or simply to foster that conducive environment for working. So, pray tell, whither productivity when there is no power? "Baa wuta!" thus means "Baa hanya!" (Hausa for No light, No road / passage)
That government has failed to resolve this problem, means that those responsible have contributed to the systematic undermining of our economic capability. Nigeria once had people tried for economic sabotage. Perhaps our those in charge of this sabotage should be brought to book. Where are our legal luminaries. This may be grounds for a test case in a democratic dispensation.
Of course you may add to the failure of electricity supply, the deficiency in identifying and honing key skills in our workforce (students if you please). Schools should not just be a place for getting subject specific knowledge but for learning how to apply a wide range of knowledge to different situations. Educated people should be able to inquire, understand, appraise, explain - make informed decisions regardless of what subject they have studied. They should be able to express themselves, and present ideas convincingly whether in written or oral forms. Certainly this is no rocket science but we miss the point.
Coupled with this omission is our very large egos, that account for a frustration of our human resources. To be fair what seems like egoistic pursuit of certain professions to the detriment of other careers is a matter of our warped remuneration structure. People 'die' trying to get on particular programmes of study which they have little affinity for. Once there, they learn to cut more corners, and master the art of doing the barest minimum for maximum reward. Employment is a progression of this, and the situation is further compounded by the evils of patronage - allegiance to the godparents who secure our positions. Very sad.
However, what is worse than government's culpability is the role of the media in all of these. I have been concerned by the way that we (media) have inadvertently helped to establish the deplorable norm. No more is the farmer the king! No more does hard work pay. There are new myths being circulated in much of popular media. From the home videos with the opulent sets, and glamorous characters with no visible means of livelihood, to the Bisi Olatilo Show in which the 'privileged' flaunt their wealth or the 'perks' of their public office, there is little evidence of productive work ethics. Instead, the enjoyment of the good life is glamorised. This is anchored securely in the ubiquitous music videos. Wizkid's Pakurumo comes readily to mind, and it is instructive (find it on YouTube if you are not familiar with it. Follow this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=db-ent41vaw
On the one hand, the video does show the results of poor work culture. For the love of gossip, the booking agent almost ruins the well planned 'ariya' (Yoruba for gig) by her inept handling of the bookings. This could easily be a good morale for promoting positive work ethics, if not for the fact that the talent of the musician then shines through and saves the day. Disaster is averted, as the guests enjoy the gig but, hold on. Listen to the lyrics, it encapsulates our national pastime. We are dancing away our sorrows, and prospects. We are spraying the money, never mind where it comes from or how. Hmm!
. . . and so mediocrity snowballs. Alas, the government takes the lead, but which of us can truly claim to be exempt from culpability? This article is certainly food for thought. Thank you Prof for calling our attention to it.
Viva Nigeria. May your potentials be fulfilled.
Oluyinka Esan PhD
School of Media and Film
University of Winchester
U.K.
On Fri, Apr 5, 2013 at 7:54 AM, <ayo_olukotun@yahoo.com> wrote:
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