The proposed Harvard training for governors

THE Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) reportedly signed with Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government recently by four state governors - Bukola Saraki of Kwara, Isa Yuguda of Bauchi, Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom and Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State - on behalf of the ad hoc body called Governors' Forum, to train Nigeria's state chief executives on governance is offensive, self-demeaning, wasteful and most unacceptable. The MOU should be thrown into the dustbin where it rightly belongs.

It may be observed that rather than serve as a useful platform where state chief executives may compare notes on the challenges of governance, share experiences and generate broad-minded solutions that build their states and strengthen the nation, the Governors' Forum is now being promoted surreptitiously, not only as a lobby group of sorts, but as an institutional part of our democracy. But it is not.

A multi-billion naira secretariat of the Forum is in the works, and a director-general has been named. Where is the money for this coming from? We urge the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC), the NGOs, professional groups and citizens who seek probity in the conduct of state affairs to take an interest in this. What is even the legal basis of the Governors' Forum? Is it registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission and if so, when was this done, by whom, when was it advertised, who are its trustees and officers and what are the details of its Articles of Association? Now that the forum has taken it upon itself to enter into agreements with foreign institutions, Nigerians would want answers to these questions.

Governor Akpabio while briefing the press in Calabar on the trip, regretted that 'in Nigeria, once you are elected a governor and sworn in, you are on your own, ' Of course, you are on your own in a job you willingly sought - powers and responsibilities, benefits and risks inclusive, actively campaigned for and swore to perform to the best of your ability and in accordance with a constitution you are assumed to have read and understood perfectly. So what is the whining about?

The details of the governor's press briefing is a sad comment on the process by which leaders emerge in Nigeria, it smacks of contempt for the judgment of the electorate. We should think that a man who wants to be governor, and who deserves to be one, must not only be willing but able and ready for the job and the tasks it entails. If capacity building is required, this should not be in the form of a lengthy foreign trip and the waste of public resources.

Besides, to seek to learn the art of governance after becoming a governor is akin to registering in a medical school after one has begun to practise as a doctor. It is fraudulent; the admission of lack of preparedness by state governors also explains the crisis of governance in the country.

But what really is governance, or to be more specific, good governance in the Nigerian context, that necessitates that state governors should register with a foreign college? The 1999 Constitution certainly gives adequate guide on this. Commonsense will guide any man to recognise the ethics of governance when he sees it - a clear show of moral leadership, a firm grasp of the urgent issues of the day, and a sense of direction. These will translate into jobs for the people, good roads, potable water, well-run schools and health care facilities, transparency and accountability in the polity, and the meting of condign punishment for a breach of the law, etc.

Good governance is not rocket science so, if at all the governors need teaching, we maintain that whatever knowledge they seek abroad is in fact here in abundance within the precincts of our universities. But, perhaps, there is some knowledge - whatever it is - that the governors cannot find in this clime. If so, it would be wiser and cheaper then to upgrade colleges of higher learning in their states so they can offer training locally not only to governors, but other high level personnel in the public and private sectors. Such thoughtfulness would be a mark of good governance.

In any case, how well would the teachers at Harvard understand the peculiar needs of the different states in Nigeria to design appropriate courses for and teach governance to their heads? Indeed, we would have thought that the teaching should be the other way round. Part of the proposal is that Nigerian state governors would travel to Harvard in batches with effect from October to attend workshops on leadership, good governance, education, and economic management. The authorities at Harvard describe the programme as the first of its type for African leaders. The money that will be spent on the training, including the huge estacodes that the governors and their aides will collect for travelling abroad would be better applied to the provision of facilities for the people's benefit.

There is even a national security risk implicit in this proposal. Thirty-six state governors - and possibly the FCT minister too - would attend courses designed by a foreign institution, write research papers and submit dissertations laden with the latest and most authentic facts and figures about their respective areas of jurisdiction. We cannot conceive of a more legal and cheaper way to gather intelligence than this, and to compromise the Nigerian State. There is a time for everything: a time to study and a time to govern. To our governors we say this is a time to govern, please get on with the job.

Poster source of write up?Though i have seen this piece somewhere.

I no fit cough

Check The Guardian of 11th June.

If half these fools were elected rather than hack slash and rigged their way into office they wouldn't need harvard to be teaching them about good governance. They would have developed a clear vision and plan for their state before even running for office to begin with, that is if they were actually elected. The only reason they want this program is to use the internationally recognized name of Harvard to legitimize their illegitimate claim to power.

I hope you guys understand that these fools are led by the self styled Mr Chairman of the governors forum, Bukky omo "Saraki Baba Bukola". He is a self styled polished governor who was once reported as querring his staff on assumption of office if any of them is a graduate of Havard or Oxford. He is looking out for your interest, the best is what you all deserve,

mash2:

I hope you guys understand that these fools are led by the self styled Mr Chairman of the governors forum, Bukky omo "Saraki Baba Bukola". He is a self styled polished governor who was once reported as querring his staff on assumption of office if any of them is a graduate of Havard or Oxford. He is looking out for your interest, the best is what you all deserve, 

hahahaha Surely the law of averages have to apply to Nigeria. All these idiots brain matter wouldn't even power a light bulb if put together no matter where they studied. I mean Nigeria has got to experience a wave of exceptionally brilliant and insightful governors, senators, and representatives one of these days. Fashola, I hope, is the beginning of this wave

tunku:

hahahaha Surely the law of averages have to apply to Nigeria. All these idiots brain matter wouldn't even power a light bulb if put together no matter where they studied. I mean Nigeria has got to experience a wave of exceptionally brilliant and insightful governors, senators, and representatives one of these days. Fashola, I hope, is the beginning of this wave

knowing nigerians they would only be interested in how to steal without being caught. i cant see any good thing coming from this.

mash2:

The proposed Harvard training for governors

Governor Akpabio while briefing the press in Calabar on the trip, regretted that 'in Nigeria, once you are elected a governor and sworn in, you are on your own, ' Of course, you are on your own in a job you willingly sought - powers and responsibilities, benefits and risks inclusive, actively campaigned for and swore to perform to the best of your ability and in accordance with a constitution you are assumed to have read and understood perfectly. So what is the whining about?

Was he appointed (by force) or he campaigned and claimed to have won an election even fighting in court to defend.  Which havard did Arnold attend before he became governor of California-USA. Another means of Stealing

It might be that these governors think they teach modern techniques of stealing, looting and money laundering without being detected in Harvard.

;d

Harvard what?! For what?
This Nigeria is in trouble o. Are they saying our leaders lack  knowledge that iswhy they can not perform  in office? Methinks the answer is far from that. I believe is that we should rather send them to  school for purification of corrupt minds [sub]please,where is this school located?/sub]    we need more of morals than paper qualifications. Somebody should tell them that we need moral revival. Imagine  the level of looting and corruption  going on Nigeria.

Its now clear that Oshiomole didnt know why he ran for the post of gomina in the first place.

I believe that Nigeria really and desperately need Leadership Training School[s]. Leadership requires a certain abilities; abilities that can be discover, unlock and nourish in an environment dedicated solely to such. It may be as the editorial stated, "serve as a useful platform where state chief executives may compare notes on the challenges of governance, share experiences and generate broad-minded solutions that build their states and strengthen the nation, as an institutional part of our democracy". I think it will be more than that. I think a laudable move that will positively impact our future.

Setting up a school[s] to these function will not only ensure continuous crop of prepared leaders but will also weed out if handle properly those that do not possess in any measure qualities, mental or intellectual capabilities and abilities characteristics of a leader; a recurring factor that have darkened our political landscape since independence. If lecturers of different political leaning/philosophies, drawn from all part of the world, will expose the future potential leaders to such thinkers as Confucianism, Plato, Mencius, Laws of Manu and Chanakya in India to Aristotle, Thomas Hobbes, Thomas Paine, John Locke, John Adams, Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela and even Karl Marx; it will not only bring to their attention the different political ideas but will also correct their present archaic and primitive notions of what it means to be a leader.

Given the comatose state of our educational system which have progressively gone from bad to worst with each successive government, this concept wouldn't have come at any other better time. Developed nations like Japan and the US [apart from their healthy and vibrant tertiary institutions] have schools designed purely to train would-be leaders. In Japan, it is often a cause taken up by corporate giants [and that include hours of meditation] and in the US, every political shade and character, be it liberal, conservative, libertarian, green or evangelical have institutions that inculcate those ideals that they will want to see in their national identity.

Desperate times demands desperate move and ideas. It demands new ways to deal with issues. Nigeria is sitting on a lit gun-powder keg flirting with its own destruction and impending doom. While the present crop of leaders [by their evidently increasing flagrant disregard to morality, virtues and pains of those they claim they lead] are bent in pushing us towards the precipice, we must as the young ones with so much at stake see it fit to think differently, more broadly and more decisively. Have we not lost enough? When can we learn to direct our anger at the right places?

If by training these men in the arts of leadership can help in finding capable hands to direct the affairs of that country, then by all means lets start with Harvard. Talking about the risk to national security is just laughable. Anyone with an intelligence of a crow knows that most of our military and civilian elite are on the pay-roll of the British, American and even Chinese. And by Josh, what do we have left to conceal when all the intelligence needed about Nigeria can be gleamed so easily from different sources?

The truth is that we are in dire need for intelligent, articulate young ones in the leadership of that country. Individuals with vision, groomed and prepared for excellence in their calling. Individuals who can take that country to where it belong. For God's sake, leadership might not be rocket science but it sure is more than that. An ability to manage, control and direct the energy of a 150 million people is certainly above the mere calling of a rocket scientist. It is the destiny of a nation!

Finely worded reply Horus but utterly lacking of any semblance of insight into the pernicious and comically inept suggestions of these dunces. 1st: these men supposedly ran for office with a clear vision and plan for improving the lives of their constituency and not for the sake of power alone, hint, hint, its the latter. 2nd: these men are old men, they've been "elected" to a position which they out of their own volition "campaigned" for; the fact that they hold "elected" office comes with the implicit conclusion that they know what they are running for, why they are running, and what they want to do once they've won the race. The incredulous forthrightness with which they openly declare themselves to be dunces in a position where in a healthy democracy the electoral process would have weeded out the chaff from the wheat just speaks volume as to the, as yet, unrealized hopes and aspiration of our democratic system in its most basic form and function: which is electing leaders rather than having them be selected. Again finely worded response Horus, but it is not applicable to these dunces. Naively we've taken them at their word as to why they want to go to Harvard, cynically we all know deep down this is just another money laundering exercise for these jackals.

Horus-Ra:

I believe that Nigeria really and desperately need Leadership Training School[s]. Leadership requires a certain abilities; abilities that can be discover, unlock and nourish in an environment dedicated solely to such.  It may be as the editorial stated, "serve as a useful platform where state chief executives may compare notes on the challenges of governance, share experiences and generate broad-minded solutions that build their states and strengthen the nation, as an institutional part of our democracy". I think it will be more than that. I think a laudable move that will positively impact our future.

Setting up a school[s] to these function will not only ensure continuous crop of prepared leaders but will also weed out if handle properly those that do not possess in any measure qualities, mental or intellectual capabilities and abilities characteristics of a leader; a recurring factor that have darkened our political landscape since independence.  If lecturers of different political leaning/philosophies, drawn from all part of the world, will expose the future potential leaders to such thinkers as  Confucianism, Plato, Mencius, Laws of Manu and Chanakya in India to Aristotle, Thomas Hobbes, Thomas Paine, John Locke,  John Adams, Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela and even Karl Marx; it will not only bring to their attention the different political ideas but will also correct their present archaic and primitive notions of what it means to be a leader.

Given the comatose state of our educational system which have progressively gone from bad to worst with each successive government, this concept wouldn't have come at any other better time. Developed nations like Japan and the US [apart from their healthy and vibrant tertiary institutions] have schools designed purely to train would-be leaders. In Japan, it is often a cause taken up  by corporate giants [and that include hours of meditation] and in the US, every political shade and character, be it liberal, conservative, libertarian, green or evangelical have institutions that inculcate those ideals that they will want to see in their national identity.

Desperate times demands desperate move and ideas. It demands new ways to deal with issues. Nigeria is sitting on a lit gun-powder keg flirting with its own destruction and impending doom. While the present crop of leaders [by their evidently increasing flagrant disregard to morality, virtues and pains of those they claim they lead] are bent in pushing us towards the precipice, we must as the young ones with so much at stake see it fit to think differently, more broadly and more decisively. Have we not lost enough? When can we learn to direct our anger at the right places?

If by training these men in the arts of leadership can help in finding capable hands to direct the affairs of that country, then  by all means lets start with Harvard.  Talking about the risk to national security is just laughable. Anyone with an intelligence of a crow knows that most of our military and civilian elite are on the pay-roll of the British, American and even Chinese. And by Josh, what do we have left to conceal when all the intelligence needed about Nigeria can be gleamed so easily from different sources?

The truth is that we are in dire need for intelligent, articulate young ones in the leadership of that country. Individuals with vision, groomed and prepared for excellence in their calling. Individuals who can take that country to where it belong. For God's sake, leadership might not be rocket science but it sure is more than that. An ability to manage, control and direct the energy of a 150 million people is certainly above the mere calling of a rocket scientist. It is the destiny of a nation!

Too gullible, its people like this that allows corruption to be perpitrated, may be his brother is in one privileged position.
how many world leaders do you think studied politics or undergo leadership training before becoming leaders.  You can continue to fool yourself.  You don't need special training to become a leader, that's why there are advisers and commissioners.   A good leader only needs the will to succeed and imbibe such beliefs into his followers and supporters, also working towards acheiving of the set goals.  Not to promise people how you are going to generate 24/7 power for them while you are planning how to use the project to siphon the money to your foreign account.

What other things can their brain accommodate apart from new techniques of thieving. The politics of Nigeria is just comedy extravaganza.

Some people want training.

I am totally in support of the Guardian (the source of the wirte-up). There is absolutely no need for this Havard training. However, even if there was, would it not be more cost effective to bring the lecturer(s) down here to spend a few days and talk to the governors?

Can you imagine what it will cost this nation for all 36 state governors + FCT minister to travel to the US? Mind you, no governor will travel alone. Every one of them will travel with a retinue of staff.

I believe the main motivation for this is the opportunity to travel and collect undeserved allowances for themselves and their staff. How many of them will stay in class? Won't they go shopping during lectures?

Read my write up on  POLITICIANS AND COMEDIANS in Nigeria. They are first
cousins.

Let me make this simple for Nairalanders, the saying goes ' a fool at fourty is a fool for ever' infact I will add thiese days , a fool at 30 is a fool for many generations of his family.

If you don't know about leadeship before you get into office, then you are already a failure no matter what eduction you get afterwards.

WE have the most disgraceful and pathethic President YAR A'LIAR who is incapable of leading this country.

Will any Governor suggest during OBJ rule  that he or she wanted to go overseas for anything which cannot be proved to be 'proper'? the answer is NO.


We are now in the era of anything goes.  YAR A'CLUELESS has NO authoruty because of his 'friends' IBORI, AOODAONKA etc.

They are simply using the course as a cover to ship monies in diplomatic bag out of the country.

There are thousands of Harvard, Oxford graduates in this country and if we need one to governor any state, you can get 100 in each states.

It is very disgraceful in 2009 for leaders of this country 36 governors to be going to a foreign country to learn how to do their job, there a re financial, national security implications etc.

DISGRACE DISGRACE DISGRACE

The question is how much tutelage will they actually get from this arrangement when the Govs can hire peeps who spent years undergoing training at Harvard and such other prestigious schs, wrote and passed exams to make sure they understood what was taught.

Of course this dumb suggestion can only come from third rate govs who have turned their states into shit-holes. Akpabio, Oshomhole and daddy's boy Bukola Saraki. This is an affront on their people, waste of state funds and an impeachable offense to a serious legislature.

These dumb governors have forgotting something called online study.

They could go on a local retreat sau OBUDU cattle ranch or something like that(suya,peppersoup and bigstouting joint )  and do their 'studying'

They never study when they were young and in proper schools, how can they now learn anything with their rotten brains?

There is also the college in KURU in JOS where they sent RIBADU. why can't they go there?

If  YAR A'DO NOTHING is going to be studying how to run Nigeria, where would he go, presumably Germany, he will first need to learn German, or get his 'lecturers' to learn English or Hausa, then they will teach him in hospital while undergoing medical check up.

THIEVES ARE ALWAYS THIEVES, they have no other names. The one that baffles me is that they have no shame.

If you do not understand how to run a government  before you get 'to power' you cannot do on the job trainning and succeed

Look at Fashola , he was first Chief of staff to TINUBU and learn his trade. That is how you do it .

IN ANY EVENT THERE IS NO SCHOOL WHERE YOU LEARN NOT TO STEAL IF YOU WANT TO STEAL IN THE FIRST PLACE.

All the Harvard training wont have any effect on most of the Governors, since most of them are dull as fuc.k!

Ya'all will be surprised that most of the stupid Governors dont even run thier states themselves but make so much mouth in the media!

Thieving vagabonds!

MrCrackles:

All the Harvard training wont have any effect on most of the Governors, since most of them are dull as fuc.k!

Ya'all will be surprised that most of the stupid Governors dont even run thier states themselves but make so much mouth in the media!

Thieving vagabonds!

,,,,,,,,,,OUT OF NAIJA

Its a stylish means of Upgrading their CV

Pennywise:

The question is how much tutelage will they actually get from this arrangement when the Govs can hire peeps who spent years undergoing training at Harvard and such other prestigious schs, wrote and passed exams to make sure they understood what was taught.

We ought not to ask that question at all. That these IDIOTS, YES, IDIOTS feel they can pull another one on us the “dumb” populace is a slap enough. Why in the world would a governor, already in office, need Harvard training? For what? I mean, no seriously, for what? Why in the world would these state governors choose to have this in place for already sitting governors, state executives? WHY?? Why would UNQUALIFIED and UNREADY minds choose to get this after getting the job? This ain’t no consultancy job or some sort. Why Harvard? Why can’t they spend that time STUDYING the state they live in, to best figure out how to go about handling issues? UGH!! I am really disgusted.

Like someone said on some other thread, this is just another way for these idiots to continue pi** ing down our backs and telling us it is raining.

I am sorry, this is just ridiculous!!

after all no be all em go school!

do people learn how to stop stealing from school?

Imagine Akala @ Harvard- he will only end up confirming all the misconceptions those people have about Nigerians.

loma:

Imagine Akala @ Harvard- he will only end up confirming all the misconceptions those people have about Nigerians.

Oh you mean that ugly idiot installed by Adedibu, who cant even string a sentence together?
Harvard will lose credibility if they allow duds and mugs claiming to run Nigeria, on thier site!
Psssf!

this is the most disturbing piece of news I have heard in recent times! I am indeed very ashamed!

Nigerians and their obsession with anything foreign.

Do you know how costly an education at harvard is?

What happened to self education or must everything be from obodo oyinbo.