Nigeria: The hope for an FEC with backbone

Just for the record

At this time one has the opportunity to question, maybe blame and probably castigate the current Federal Executive Council of the Federal Republic of Nigeria but one should leave this to another time.

However, it must be noted and put on record if the debate should arise at a further date because it is an indictment of the people given the responsibility to help the President implement his programme and his aspirations for Nigeria.

Knowing but denying

The Federal Executive Council is made up of ministers and officers appointed by the President and in some ways they would have been well aware of the condition, health and abilities of the President whilst he was present at their weekly meetings and when he had to be carted off by reason of his failing health.

One would have hoped that in their swearing-in ceremonies after having been approved to take their posts they would have been well aware of their portfolios and other constitutional obligations they had to ensure the ship of state ran on an even keel.

Misplaced loyalties of self-preservation

That part without much exegesis would have been ascertaining or confirming to the Nigerian legislature that the President who happened to be their boss and by whom they had grace and favour to serve Nigeria was fit and able to function in his office having taken ill and been laid low in a hospital in Saudi Arabia.

Somehow, in some sort of absurd loyalty to the President either in self-serving preservation or under duress of Machiavellian machinations of persons yet to be exposed for their calumny they refused to rise to the lowest standard of truth, honesty or reality about the President.

They continued in befuddling denial of the evidence and fact that a person taking leave from duty for up to 10 weeks had by default indicated that he was incapable of performing in the office that he held.

It was dangerous to realise that for a good 79 days they maintained this façade of continuity as the nation became a laughing stock of the world, it really beggars belief that these people would still remain in the Federal Executive Council to carry out programmes that would benefit Nigerians rather than their own selfish interests.

Forced to act by default

This was no doubt a dereliction of duties and abdication of responsibility that would have attracted punitive sanctions if they were accountable to a higher authority that had the vested powers to assess or supervise their activities – the need for proper checks and balances for the arms of government in Nigeria needs to be revisited in the light of this abuse of power by the Executive.

So, yesterday they met after the resolutions of the Nigerian legislature to appoint the Vice President as Acting President not to follow the constitutional procedure that should validate they purpose and existence in this kind of impasse but to rubber-stamp something they had been railroaded into accepting by default instead of through initiative and understanding of their responsibilities.

As reported in the Nigerian Guardian online newspaper [1], “The Council also resolved to accept the resolution of the National Assembly, which mandated Jonathan to act as Acting President.”

They lacked the balls

One would be tempted to say the Council lacks resolve, lack initiative, lacks an understanding of their responsibility and in the language of the street, they lack balls – or like many have said, only one of them a lady had the balls to want to talk about the truth that the President was indeed incapable not only of holding his office but possibly incapable of anything by reason of his health.

One would then hope that under the leadership of the Acting President Goodluck Jonathan who now has the substantive powers of the office of the Executive President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria the Council would rediscover its function, purpose and objectives working for the good of Nigeria.

Crudely but importantly, maybe the men who have so suffered severe scrotal hernias would have finally had their balls descend into their normal positions, their spines stiffened, their dysfunction palliated and their incontinence cured – we really cannot afford to have the misfortune of a presumably bed-ridden President and a comatose cabinet.

And so, Good luck Nigeria – you need a lot of it, indeed.

Sources

[1] Guardian Newspapers - … Moves Aondoakaa, Kayode, Kazaure