21 Dec 2008 |
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Much Ado About Dora Akunyili By Reuben Abati The main news about President Yar'Adua's new cabinet is the assignment of the Information and Communication portfolio to Professor Dora Akunyili, former Director-General of the National Agency for Drug and Food Administration And Control (NAFDAC). But Akunyili is not the only round peg that has been put in s square hole; the overall logic of the appointments is disturbing. What the President is trying to achieve with this list is difficult to decipher. There are a number of names that can be instantly recognized, but for the most part, these are recycled elements, whose principal qualification is that they had held one public appointment or the other in the past. The president obviously did not look far and wide enough. And he didn't need five months to put together this team which includes Dr Rilwan Lukman, a 72-year old man as Petroleum Minister. What new ideas can Dr Lukman bring to the table? Those who are worried about Akunyili's new portfolio should look beyond the lady herself and interrogate the process of the appointments. I suspect that in assigning the Ministries, someone must have suggested to the President that Akunyili is a very good friend of the media. After all, in the past seven years, the Nigerian media has supported her efforts to rid the country of fake drugs and foods; in our eyes, she simply could not do anything wrong. And so whoever advised the President must have told him that since journalists like Akunyili, let us make her Minister of Information so she can go and talk to her friends, and the Nigerian people on our behalf. Appointments in Nigeria can be that simple-minded in construction. Thus, we should consider Akunyili's appointment as Information Minister as a window unto the appointment process. If there was any rigour in the choices and appointments, President Yar'Adua would have come up with a configuration that sends a strong message that his government is about to move to a new gear. The National Assembly did not help matters either. Most of the nominated Ministers were simply asked to bow and go during the nomination process. This bow and go ritual became so sickening that some Senators had to protest, and this included Senator Uche Chukwumerije who reportedly pointed out that the Senate Screening Committee was being turned into an Ogboni conclave, a claim which the Senate President David Mark immediately brushed aside. But really, did the Senators swear to an oath to treat the Ministerial nominees gently? There were a few brave ones who spoke up. Senator Olorunnimbe Mamora had to accuse an ANPP leader, a Vice Chairman of the ANPP, who was trying to grab a ministerial position of opportunism. His presidential Candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari was in court challenging the President's election, but the ANPP Vice-Chairman and another ANPP woman were busy trying to get a share of the PDP victory. But what made the screening process more ridiculous and meaningless was the failure of the Presidency to state beforehand, the ministries for which the nominees were being considered. Since his election as US President, Barack Obama has been busy putting a team together, but he leaves no one in any doubt about the intended assignment for a particular person. That way, transparency is ensured and the public is given a lead opportunity to be part of the screening process. And so far, every Obama nominee has been given a position for which he or she is eminently suited. The same cannot be said of President Yar'Adua's new cabinet. Given the importance that he says he attaches to the newly created Ministry of Niger Delta, a substantive minister to that Ministry should have been named, without any delay. But already, the Yar'Adua government has killed the initial enthusiasm that the proposed creation of a Niger Delta ministry generated. By the time he names a strange establishment figure as the Minister, and given the paltry sum reserved for that Ministry in the 2009 budget, the public would be convinced that the Niger Delta is probably on the seven-point agenda as a talking point. Back to Professor Dora Akunyili. It is true that a Ministry is what a Minister makes of it, and that sometimes individuals, when challenged, can show greater versatility than they had been credited with. But in Akunyili's case, she has been given a ministry that runs counter to her background and character. As DG of NAFDAC, she was able to excel because she knew the territory. She had spent a better part of her life as a professional pharmacist. Asking her to differentiate between fake and genuine drugs came naturally to her. She also believed in her mandate, so she took on the job with a missionary zeal. In the past, Akunyili had occupied public positions which did not relate directly to her core discipline. In the 90s, she was Zonal Secretary of the Petroleum Trust Fund in charge of all projects in the South East. She also served as Supervisor for Agriculture at Anaocha Local Area of Anambra State (1994 -1996). But being a Minister of Information in Nigeria is not a test of versatility, it is just different. In NAFDAC, Akunyili was reputed for telling the truth and being courageous in her insistence on values. The media praised her to high heavens because she was fighting a good fight, and helping to set an agenda for society. She was a kindred spirit and so the support for her was total. In the Ministry of Information, Akunyili's main assignment is to help government tell lies, and deceive the Nigerian people. To do this, she would have at her disposal all the Federal Government-owned television and radio stations across Nigeria, government magazines and newsletters. She will also be required to issue press releases and grant interviews all with the objective of helping the government and the president to look good. For seven years, she was a champion of the truth, now she is being asked to be a mistress of spin. It is a terrible climb-down. Curiously, she doesn't think so. "My vision is to work assiduously to shore up the good image of Nigeria through responsible communication which entails proper information management. Responsible information management does not mean telleing lies. In fact, one thing we must avoid is telling lies to the public. Credibility and objectivity will be the pillars on which our activities will be built. Let us build credibility and believe in ourselves and in our ability, and the public will gladly give us their support. No government program or policy can succeed without public support", she said. The first shocking discovery that Akunyili would make is that the same media that used to hail her will be waiting to catch her red-handed when she tells her first lie. She also says her appointment is the "Will of God". How convenient. In Nigeria, everything is rationalized, and dumped at the feet of God. What is even more disturbing is that people in government are always willing and ready to accept any position at all. It doesn't matter what position. Just be in government, be seen to belong. If that is the case, Akunyili must still refuse to be turned into a Queen of Spin. There would be many ambitious ones in the cabinet or around it, who will gladly step in to fill the gap if she chooses to remain aloof. The only problem she may face is if President Yar'adua personally directs her to do the government's dirty job. It will be so sad to watch her stand in front of cameras and lie to Nigerians. It will be so sad to see her make the jump from heroine to villain, all in an attempt to remain in the corridors of power. There are many young Nigerians who consider her a hero. She has a personal responsibility not to disappoint them. Akunyili's exit from NAFDAC should not translate into victory for importers of fake drugs, who must have been jubilating since they learnt that their nemesis was on her way out. Tanker Drivers As Blackmailers The industrial action by petroleum tanker drivers, organized under the umbrella of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG,) which threw motorists and commuters into disarray for more than two days in Lagos state, this week, is condemnable. People were stranded, the petrol stations were filled with long queues of anxious motorists, jerry cans littered the streets, on the roads young men sold adulterated petrol in yellow jerry cans at a huge premium, the entire city slipped into a state of suspended animation. The tanker drivers held everyone to ransom. They alleged that officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Agency (LASTMA) arrest them, impound their vehicles and demand bribe from them. They say they can't take it anymore and that the Lagos State Government should call LASTMA officials off their back. Or else, the people of Lagos will suffer the ordeal of fuel scarcity. "The Lagos State Government should choose between LASTMA and PTD. It's either the issue is addressed permanently or we stop to lift petroleum products in Lagos and relocate to other parts of the country so that Lagos State would have free traffic", one of the spokespersons reportedly said. These are a group of blackmailers and they should be told so. They are not fighting for any rights, rather they are power drunk tanker drivers, flexing muscles over a helpless society. The Lagos State Government had no option but to negotiate with them, in order to restore calm in a city that is looking forward to the Christmas holidays. Both parties reportedly agreed that government will no longer harass tanker drivers while the tankers will no longer disrupt the flow of traffic on Lagos roads. I hope this does not mean that tanker drivers in Lagos have now been given the licence to do as they wish because I do not see them keeping to their promise that they will no longer obstruct traffic. They are a menace and a nuisance on Lagos roads. They are called kings of the road. And they actually behave like kings. They drive against traffic. They flout traffic rules and regulations. They park in wrong places, They have no respect for other road users. Everyone steers clear of petroleum tankers because of the dangerous, inflammable substance that they transport. Oftentimes, the petrol drips unto the road. The drivers behave as if they are on drugs. When their vehicles break down, they make no effort to remove them promptly, causing traffic hold ups. There have been instances when public safety was compromised by these petroleum tankers, the most recent example being an incident in the Jibowu area of Lagos when a sleepy tanker driver drove his vehicle and consignment into a busy neighbourhood causing an explosion that claimed lives and property. Tanker drivers need to be controlled, and if this is what they do not want, then they are wrong. In fact, the Lagos State government had restricted their movement to night hours. But this is regarded. Now, they say they want a special lane on Lagos roads and lights on the highways. The distribution of petroleum products in the downstream sector must be re-organised, now and on a long term basis. Petroleum marketers, and members of the National Association of Road Transport Owners, the employers of the tanker drivers, should monitor their men. They should be subjected to drug and alcohol tests, and allowed to have enough rest. Petroleum tankers should be well-maintained, and they should be parked off the road, particularly at the depots. The impression has been given that officials willfully harass the petroleum tanker drivers. There is no denying the fact that many LASTMA officials are over-zealous. Like every uniformed service in Nigeria, they are also corrupt and uncivil. But the Nigerians who bribe them are those who have fallen foul of the law and who do not want to be prosecuted or taken through the process of having their vehicles impounded. Getting back a seized vehicle from LASTMA is a harrowing and expensive experience. Lagos State's Governor Fashola can reform the organization by introducing safeguards to raise its level of performance. For example, the public should be encouraged to report corrupt LASTMA officials or any excesses by them. The fines for various traffic violations should be publicized. Discipline should be enforced. But whatever may have been the excesses of LASTMA, these should not have prompted the tanker drivers to embark on a strike. If LASTMA officials assaulted a tanker driver, how does shutting down economic activities in Lagos help the tanker drivers' case? The tanker drivers could have petitioned the Lagos State Government. They could have advertised their complaints and seek the intervention of other stakeholders or give an ultimatum or go to court. The Lagos State Government should refuse to be intimidated. Any tanker driver that violates the law should be apprehended and sanctioned. They owe the people of Lagos an apology.
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