A SPEEDY CALL FOR ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY IN GOVERNANCE.
Since the return of civil democracy in 1999, Plateau State has witnessed a series of transitions from successive administrations having Senator JC Dariye handing over to Senator JD Jang and most recently, Senator Simon Bako Lalong to Governor Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang.
One thing for sure that has lacked stating is the appearance of always “starting afresh” without the seeming continuity as obtainable in other climes like Lagos State where it can be seen (politically or otherwise) as a legacy of the Asiwaju, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Lagos can be perceived as a long footpath that was fostered by the political dynasty of the current President as he ensured continuity in governance, and whether for selfish reasons or not, that will count in his favor in history. There are such advantages and with what is obtainable on the Plateau, if such “legacies” are not collectively desired, we certainly, together, will continue to “start afresh” yet again every after each administration.
While there has been a thorough lack of continuity in our own sphere with each predecessor having a successor not of thier own preference, the only continuing legacy has been a tradition of each predecessor and successor being at loggerheads of whose “regime” was better and how their successors are failing to continue with their own initial drive to governance.
Jang was not Dariye’s preferred candidate. Lalong was not Jang’s preferred candidate and now, Mutfwang was not Lalong’s preferred candidate. Each predecessor intended to have their own preference ascend the “throne” of Rayfield and that has been without countless disappointments as at every other transition period, the larger voice of the people prevailed.
THE CRUX.
For the same sake of summary, we’d take a dive into a few key matters gasping for attention.
1) PRIVATE / PUBLIC REACTION.
Recall, leaders come to campaign in public then swiftly retire to privacy once oaths of offices are issued. It is public record in America and most of the other nations we aspire to imitate for their leaders to declare a loss of privacy once they assume public positions. If the President of the US suffers a headache, everyone who cares to know gets aware. It is public. If his wallet gets missing, the public are made aware. Context reveals that you cease to perform in isolation and your “troops” are carried along. You can’t win a w*r when the General is always at the back somewhere. You can’t trust a doctor who is always sick himself. You can’t refer a mechanic whose vehicle is always abandoned by the road side in need of repairs.
Leaders come into office and immediately, the details of their administration is shrouded in secrecy. “Vicarious liability” in law promotes the notion that once you care enough to take credit for the efforts of your subordinates, you should be readily available to take responsibility for their failures or inactions as well.
Once we fail to hold leaders accountable for the period of their stewardship, then and only then, shall our own future hold us accountable for allowing real time periods to become ghost events!
2) ACCOUNTABILITY.
For several regimes and decades ago, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF) being an instrument of public records, delivers for public consumption, a detailed breakdown of federal allocations to States and Local Councils of the Federation while each state has its own mechanism of drawing up accrued internally generated revenues amongst other areas of generating funds and harnessing resources. Foreign aides are outlined and expatriate loans and grands are published for the sake of accountability. Now here is the issue. How many citizens have clear accesses to such records and who vets or audits the performances of these schemes? We only hear about figures with infographics and labels of statistics. Who follows up? Those in the service saddled with such responsibilities and public office holders who should be mandated to inform the public are now equivalent to cult-members who deem it unfit to share details of “public” accounts.
3) REPORTS, RECORDS, FOOTNOTES, ACCOUNTS AND ADMINISTRATIVE HISTORY.
In a State like the Plateau, whose leadership has been known since 1999, who can boastfully give accurate accounts for the periods of stewardship of each past leader. These leaders worked with cabinets/officials, other political or appointed office holders, Senior civil servants, organizations, foreign bodies, regions administrations and even independent citizens but who can effortlessly call out the entire projects and efforts carried out by each administration without seeking support from the internet (if there is)?
No records,
No reports,
No footnotes,
No accounts,
And very scanty administrative history.
There are grown up citizens now within the voting age who may think Senator JC Dariye ruled the state in 1960. That is how far away it is in the mind of many and without an immediate call for an active demand for leaders to give accounts of their period of service, soon enough, we will enter into a realm of paying for debts that we have no idea about and without effective caution, debt settlements will soon overtake amounts earmarked for projects going forward.
4) A FATAL ADMINISTRATIVE ERROR ABOUT TO UNFOLD.
While it is commendable for the Executive Governor of Plateau State, Barr. Caleb Mutfwang, to eschew the valid path of not dragging the state into disrepute or embarrassment, as obtainable in the past, it behoves of him to, for the sake of posterity, transparency, accountability and clarity, call for a wholistic audit of the entire period of service he met when he assumed office.
Just like in the days of Former Governor Joshua Dariye when he assumed office, he immediately constituted the “VK Dangin commission of enquiry Into Government Projects, accounts, properties, service and mandates”. This afforded his administration there wherewithal to find out the direction he intended to take as it is said; “To know where you are going, first you should know where you came from”.
This is not an indictment on the past or a vicious attempt to unravel dirt for the sake of political convenience, but a bold and credible statement to office holders today, to attune themselves into giving an account of their entrusted stewardship in whatever capacity they hold in the public administration of governance. This has its advantages as the public will be made aware of the positive gestures and impacts recorded by past administration and the trajectory to which the current office holders intend to provide credible records of service to the state.
The Catholic Church today can proudly provide accounts of the decisions made by whoever was the Pope as at 500 years ago but we can’t authoritatively provide records of as recently as 2 years ago in most states of the federation.
While applauding choice not to embarrass his predecessors, it can equally be said that he who has nothing to hide has no business hiding. I am aware of the political undertones this might ignite and the distractive measures that may be labeled to discourage such a move but onlookers in years to come will still call this noble intention a strong indication of being an accomplice to those who truly have “something to hide”.
For the sake of records, for the sake of applauding great strides of the past, for the sake of providing history to future leaders and for the sake of public knowledge, I think we the people of Plateau State deserve to know those who actually meant and did well and those who betrayed the trust given to them both as leaders and those who were given portfolios to handle.
It has become shameful how those who ripped the entire state to its knees and carted away even furnitures and kitchen utensils from government properties and facilities are coming out bold today to question the integrity of the one who has chosen to “let sleeping dogs lie”.
SUGGESTION / RECCOMENDATION
I suggest that a no-nonsense and bold administrator, lawyer, neutral, fearless, Young and former public officer like Barr. Solomon Selcap Dalung whose recent penchant for accountability of public service be made Chairman of such a committee with other respected and notable former or serving public servants who rose to positions of Permanent Secretaries or SGSs, representatives of First class Traditional leaders, representatives of the clergy, representatives of the Women & Youths, representatives of the State Civil service led by a members from the State Ministry of Justice and Finance that are widely known to be made members and should be sworn in by the State’s Chief Judge so that we can at least uncover some truths instead of political office holders going up and about claiming what they are not or making politics out of every given opportunity while lacking the basic moral fiber to even appear in public.
2) Let the committee reach its findings from all former appointed and elected office holders. Commissioners, LG Chairmen, Agencies, Boards and Parastatals heads, etc. given a 6-months time frame so that instead of going for occasions to renew their urge to seek public offices, let them first be vetted by the public and while they have failed to use public platforms to outline their local and federal plans to put the interest of the state first, we should know first hand if they can respect an open call from respected representatives of the public what they did in the past to help guarantee the quality of individuals we should henceforth send to hold forth the flag of our state first before any party affiliation. Let’s keep them busy since they all think it isnt enough to use this period of reflection after the state recorded so much loses in lives and property but instead, an outward display of the rotten tradition and trajectory of boasting about who holds a better political card prior to any given elections.
CLOSING;
In doing so, even our past leaders will be made aware of those who closed ranks to fail the trust of mandate they were given to serve under their stewardship and leadership.
I will be glad to be able to say for a fact, those who left legacies and those who squandered our collective trust and fortunes and this should give a precedence for all of us to equally hold those in office today accountable for their own period of service once their time is done.
Kind regards.
Arch Fenta Bankat
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