A January 08, 2024 “STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE” Under the head, “PRESIDENT TINUBU SUSPENDS MINISTER OF HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS AND POVERTY ALLEVIATION FROM OFFICE” quotes Chief Ajuri Ngelale, Special Adviser to the President(Media & Publicity) as saying that “In line with his avowed commitment to uphold the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and accountability in the management of the commonwealth of Nigerians, President Bola Tinubu suspends the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu, from office with immediate effect. The President further directs the Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to conduct a thorough investigation into all aspects of the financial transactions involving the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, as well as one or more agencies thereunder. The suspended Minister is hereby directed to hand over to the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, and she is further directed by the President to fully cooperate with the investigating authorities as they conduct their investigation. Furthermore, the President has tasked a panel that is headed by the Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance to, among other functions, conduct a comprehensive diagnostic on the financial architecture and framework of the social investment programmes with a view to conclusively reforming the relevant institutions and programmes in a determined bid to eliminate all institutional frailties for the exclusive benefit of disadvantaged households and win back lost public confidence in the initiative. These directives of the President take immediate effect”.
MY REACTION:
👏👏👍👍🩷🩷👏👏
In the area of fight against corruption, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the President of Nigeria may turn out to be a “TownHall different from Bala Blu”. In my opinion, when something is or associater with “Bala Blu”, it means that the thing is crooked, jaga-jaga, shady, apaque, lacking in integrity. So, if a town hall is different from Bala Blu, it means the said Town Hall is transparent, in compliance with the requirements of integrity, accountability, responsibility and responsiveness. With his recent actions in the area of fight against corruption, President Bola Tinubu appears to be going the way of a Town Hall that is different from Bala Blu. Commendable!
Well done, Mr President Tinubu. Zero tolerance for corruption is what I call this. 👏👏🩷🩷👏👏🙏🙏. Well done, Your Excellency, sir.
I recall President Tinubu’s riot act to his Ministers on 01 November 2023: ‘Perform Or Get Booted Out, Tinubu Tells Ministers” (TheLiberationNews.ng; 01 November 2023). And I recall also part of my suggestions towards getting it right in our quest to fight corruption:
“Until we enthrone good, transparent, inclusive and selfless governance, we might never get it right in our fighting against corruption…. Corruption has its own motivations, and one has to thoroughly study that phenomenon and eliminate the foundations that allow corruption to exist…. Rigoberta Menchú, a Nobel Prize laureate said: “Without strong watchdog institutions, impunity becomes the very foundation upon which systems of corruption are built. And if impunity is not demolished, all efforts to bring an end to corruption are in vain.”
[See: “Fight Against Corruption In Nigeria: Ten Reasons Why We Are Not Succeeding; Ten Things We Must Do If We Want To Succeed”; Sylvester Udemezue; 15 April 2021; TheNigeriaLawyer.com).
Please, I suggest Presidential advisers should still go through my humble piece (“Fight Against Corruption In Nigeria: Ten Reasons Why We Are Not Succeeding; Ten Things We Must Do If We Want To Succeed”) to see if there is any one or more tips they could take away from it to join to what they’re doing towards enthroning transparency, accountability and integrity in Government. The work began with the following preamble: “if we want the fight against corruption in Nigeria to work as effectively and efficiently as similar projects work in some other countries, then certain principles and attitudes must be in place, and honestly respected. I respectfully put forward the following suggestions, the pursuit and realization of which, I believe, would help nip corruption in the bud in Nigeria:… “
Also respectfully suggested is that they graciously examine aspects of my discussions on governance and good governance in my paper titled, “Role of Company Employees in Promoting Corporate Governance: A Comparative Analysis of the Approaches in Nigeria and the United Kingdom” (2020) 3(1), Redeemer’s University Law Journal, 191 @ 192-196 (http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3907553 or or or https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Role-of-Company-Employees-in-Promoting-Corporate-A-Udemezue/015ad48fc0a76396f3f3d5eb39510a9326f027ad)]. For example, according to UNESCAP,
good governance possesses eight major features, namely: Participation, Rule of Law, Transparency, Responsiveness, Consensus-Oriented,
Equity and inclusiveness, Accountability, Effectiveness and efficiency. [UNESCAP, “What Is Good Governance?” (ESCAP) https://www.unescap.org/resources/what-goodgovernance]
On his part, Roman identified what he called three major pillars that together represent the idea of good governance, and which are fundamental to successful management of any society or organisation: Accountability, Transparency and Security. [See: Roman A, “The Three Pillars of Corporate Governance” (Azeus Convene, June 24, 2021)
https://www.azeusconvene.com/articles/three-pillars-of-corporate-governance]
BUT, WHY AM I WRITING?
A major duty legal researchers and rule of law campaigners (such as I’m) owe our society in the practice of constitutional democracy for promotion and sustenance of responsible and responsive governance is to constantly offer legal opinions on issues of law to guide our leaders and institutions in the discharge of leadership responsibilities.
May God help President Tinubu’s leadership to succeed. May God help Nigeria and Nigerians.
Respectfully,
Sylvester Udemezue (udems).
(Lawyer)
08109024556.
udemsyl@gmail.com.
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