PROF. Wole Soyinka mirrored the feelings of a large section of the citizenry in his recent assessment of the quality of governance in the country where he labelled the presidential system as practised in Nigeria a disaster. One cannot agree more with the point that there is a linkage between the failure of governance and the massive corruption that makes it possible for Nigerian legislators to be “earning more than the President of the United States of America.”



Indeed, it is ironic that the legislature, vested with so much power to protect the interest of the rest of Nigerians, is actually in league with the executive arm of government to further impoverish and alienate the citizens. Naturally, this has made it impossible for the lawmakers to perform their oversight functions effectively, having soiled their hands in much the same way as those they are supposed to watch over. How can the legislators check the executive when they can buy cars for themselves with public funds even after they had each been paid the monetised equivalent? How can legislators who have appropriated the power to fix allowances for themselves have the moral authority to query the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation for spending money not appropriated in the budget? And, as Soyinka himself asked, why should Nigeria have full-time legislators when working on a part-time basis would as well have been okay?



Holding up the presidential system as the culprit for the present mess, however, is like tilting at the wrong target. A path-breaking research by a United Kingdom-based Centre for Economic Policy Research has shown that countries with presidential political regimes have smaller governments than parliamentary ones. The argument is that presidential systems produce stiffer competition among politicians, which, in turn, induces them to spend less on every budget item, resulting in a smaller size of government.



It would not be entirely true to assume that it is the system that is the real problem; it is indeed the politicians who by their monstrous greed have exploited the system to their advantage and to the utter detriment of the citizenry. In the United States from where the system was copied, there is maximum benefit accruing from the presidential system to the people. There are transparency and respect for the rule of law. And, most importantly, the cost of governance, which is one of the reasons for Soyinka’s damning verdict on the presidential system, is reasonable within the context of the world’s largest economy.



In Nigeria, the size of government and cost of governance are among the highest in the world. While the US, with a population of 310 million and a 50-state structure, has 100 senators, Nigeria, a country that has been trying to ape the US, parades 109. Again, while the US has a cabinet of 23 members, made up of 15 secretaries (ministers) and eight other cabinet-level officials, Nigeria has a whopping 43-member cabinet. The Nigerian President also enjoys the benefit of additional 24 Special Advisers, who are of ministerial ranking, and an even larger retinue of Senior Special Assistants and Special Assistants. The profligacy percolates through the states down to the local government level.



The contrast in the costs associated with running government becomes even sharper in the context of the sizes of the two economies. Whereas the Gross Domestic Product of the US is estimated at $14.52 trillion, that of Nigeria stands at $377.6 billion. What then is the wisdom in Nigeria running a bigger government, with more generous remunerations, than the Americans? Interestingly too, the British Prime Minister, who superintends another world economic power, with a GDP of $2.25 trillion, has a cabinet of 21 members. Each of the cabinet member’s earnings are far less than those of a High Court judge.



Many Nigerians of the older generation, perhaps out of nostalgia, speak glowingly of the Westminster Parliamentary system. Although this system was put to good account in the First Republic, a period that defines the political savvy of politicians such as Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Sir Ahmadu Bello, it is doubtful that it will make a success under the present set of unconscionable politicians.



While the political class of the First Republic, and indeed, politicians from other democracies, believe in service to the people, the present rulers and political office holders in Nigeria see politics as a business with far greater returns on investment than any other business. Some members of the political class are believed to even take bank loans to finance elections, hoping to pay back upon assumption of office. They will go to great lengths, including killing and rigging, to win elections. They will also pervert any system or exploit whatever loophole therein to satisfy their pecuniary interests.



Nigeria cannot continue on this path, where vast riches are lavished on a tiny fraction of the population. There must be a serious cut in the cost of governance, and a drastic reduction in the size of government. Although President Goodluck Jonathan announced a 25 per cent cut in his basic salary and those of his ministers recently, that amount is merely tokenistic as it cannot make a dent in the generous remunerations currently enjoyed by political office holders.



It is deeply regrettable that Nigerian citizens have yet to imbibe the culture of strictly holding public officials accountable. Going parliamentary will not curb the rapaciousness of Nigerian politicians; peoples’ power, expressed through a strong civil society, will. As a nation, Nigerians should be tired of being taken for fools. It is not too late for the organised labour, civil society groups and the rest of Nigerians to start holding the government to account, as it has become obvious a compromised legislature cannot do it on behalf of the people. As Soyinka suggested, all the ethnic nationalities in Nigeria have to come together to discuss their future. Nigeria has to return to full and true federalism, where power is devolved nearer to the people, and the centre is not as strong as it currently is.


http://www.punchng.com/editorial/soyinkas-damning-verdict-on-presidential-system/

And some people say me dey tok too much.
Mu eh eh eh eh eh eh

Kongi. . .nothing do you jare.
You Nobel prize nor be for nothing.
Please, stroke away!