Thread by @MoghaluKingsley

#BIGVisionNigeria #MoghaluSeries

Vision 5: Institutions and Why They Matter (Contd)

In Nigeria, after the era of military rule from 1984 to 1999, the return of Democracy in 1999 saw an effort to develop institutions. This happened largely under the Olusegun Obasanjo presidency.

Examples of institutions established in this period included the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC @officialEFCC ), Independent Corrupt Practices Commision, Pension Commission @PenComNig , Bureau of Public Enterprises, and Buteau of Public Procurement @BPP_NG.

These institutions were all created by legislation, giving them a sound basis in law and public policy. Although their track record has been mixed, their existence has created an institutional foundation on which we can build, with better governance, to make them more effective.

But, today in our country, all national institutions have been weakened because political leaders have increasingly bent them towards partisan political ends. This means these institutions are not as independent as they should be. @cenbank and the judiciary are important examples

Both the economy and the rule of law have suffered as a result. Politically influenced exchange rate policies, based on populist but not necessarily rational impulses, for example , have hurt the economy over the past several years. As for the judiciary, it has been severely

weakened by the corrosive influence of partisan politics. Judges play a key role in society, and should be above politics. Our judges were once an elite group of men or women of unmistakable distinction. This is not the perception today, although, good judges still exist.

But the Nigerian judiciary dealt itself a body blow when corruption began to fester among men and women of the wig and the robe. The widespread view today is that justice can be bought and sold, especially when it concerns electoral disputes. Having sunk to the bottom, our once

outstanding judiciary has nowhere to go but up, if it can. My vision of Nigerian institutions is one in which institutional appointments are made in the basis of professional competence and character, the line between politics and professional stewardship of these bodies clear.

First, prominent members/ operatives of political parties may be appointed to the non-executive boards of public corporations (with the exception of institutions such @cenbank and the National Judicial Council). But such persons must never be appointed as chief executives of

public institutions. The result of such appointments, which are now prevalent, is that public institutions are steered to achieve partisan outcomes and therefore lose the independence essential for optimum performance because good corporate governance becomes impossible.

Second, the principles of corporate governance must guide the governance of public corporations. Bad corporate governance means achieving mandates that will benefit citizens broadly is difficult. Third, privatization/commercialization of public corporations must be transparent

and professionally done. This will avoid cronyism and increase confidence in public sector management in Nigeria. Institutions matter. We ignore them at our national peril.