Ewolewoo!!

I read the story of how Emefiele (CBN Governor) became smart. He went out of his ways to give jobs to the daughters, sons and relations of Nigeria powerful government officials and politicians. He did this job very well. I don’t blame him because everyone needs to save his job in Nigeria.

However, are we surprised? It would be the height of unconscionable hypocrisy if people are showing surprise. It is the style in Nigeria I tell you. Would it continue? Yes it would. It is a no brainer. If you want to get any government/civil service/ public job in Nigeria and you are thinking of merit, then you are wasting your time. You need to be connected to the political class for you to have any look-in.  This is the style and it wouldn’t change. With their kids involved; your guess is as good as mine.

Where should I start from? Is it the judiciary? Many public judicial officers are children and relatives of the very well connected. You can do your investigation.  Is it NNPC? You are just going to waste your precious time if NNPC advertises for employment and you apply. The reason is simple: you could be called for aptitude tests but that is the end of the story. You just helped NNPC to fulfil all righteousness for auditing purposes. Letters of employment  would be given to the children of the high and mighty in the political class. They might not even come for any of the tests I tell you.  Emefiele was too fast. He should have learnt from the “masters”.

The same stuff happens in the civil service. You only have to be connected and the job is yours. It is that sad. It is the same in Public universities. Do you know that getting a lecturer’s job in a Public University on pure merit is so difficult? If you do not have any powerful fellow to push it for you, you will just die of hunger with the mountain of certificates that you’ve got. It is the style in all facets of our public life. Emefiele just did what we all know happen on daily basis.

It is more prevalent these days for a simple reason: It is easier to become a billionaire as a public officer in Nigeria than being in private concerns. 90% of the palatial properties in Abuja, Lagos,PH,etc are owned by Government officials(whether current or former  civil servants or political office holders), their relations or businessmen close to them.  You have civil servants with kids in very expensive Ivy colleges in the UK and US. The kids are living in their parents’ homes in expensive areas of the respective countries. Yet these are civil servants.

Solution: Let civil servants  and other public officials publicly declare their assets yearly. Anyone who is working for government must be made to publish his assets for verification and proper public scrutiny. All over the sane world, you don’t become a millionaire or billionaire by working for government or in any government agency.  There’s no nation that succeeds  when government workers are so rich. It only means they are rich with government money. 

I know that Atiku or Arase would not allow their wards to join CBN if the public would have to know their assets.  In so far as this secrecy continues, so shall the mad rush to join government establishment by everyone including  greedy politicians’ wards.

A lot needs to be sanitized in the system but would the people allow the sanitization? I don’t know….Ewolewoo!!