When will the ISEYA Mantra Shines on the Commissioners-Designate in Kw
ara State?
Upon the success of the OTO GE slogan which saw the whooping defeat of PDP and the entrance of Governor AbdulRahman AbduRazaq to the seat of power in Kwara state, Governor AA, as fondly called, adopted a new slogan - “ISEYA” to show his readiness and commitment to take Kwara to the next level. As a man with a staunch passion for good governance,
I was delighted and impressed that a new dawn has definitely befallen in my beloved state. Unfortunately, I was wrong.
Since Governor AbdulRahman’s inauguration, over two months after victory from the polls, he did not submit his list of cabinet members till mid-September 2019 – a clear show of tactlessness or indecision? To worsen the case, since the successful screening of all the 16 commissioners-designate on 31 October 2019,
the commissioners are yet to receive their portfolios nor start work effectively. Certainly, this lowers the bar of excellence for a governor who claimed to be passionate about work and governance in the state.
In September 2019, Ripples Nigeria ranked Governor AbdulRahman first among the top-performing governors in Nigeria, coming ahead of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos, Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta, Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna and Abdulahi Ganduje of Kano State.
The ranking was based on his frugality and “his decision to keep governance lean, doing away with large convoys and entourage that act as drains on meagre resources”, the magazine noted. Though his decisions to curtail spending and keep a slim portfolio are highly welcomed and encouraged, it does not stop the governor from forming his cabinet.
Aside from being a constitutional right, forming cabinet early indicates readiness to serve and preparedness since the electioneering process. It depicts smartness and understanding of the task ahead.
Therefore, one would expect a quick appointment of cabinet members upon swearing-in. Unfortunately, like President Buhari himself, most of the state governors find it tasking to appoint their cabinet.
A fundamental question to ask is why it takes so long to appoint commissioner? Some would argue that Nigeria (and any state in Nigeria) is a big political landscape and requires painstaking effort in making appointments in order to pacify all regions and divides.
I believe, from my assessment of the list of commissioners-designate in Kwara state that Governor Abdulrahman rather focused on nominating people he believed can work for/ with him, hence nominating nine women in cabinet. Despite this, his nomination came late and since the screening of the commissioners, they are yet to be sworn in.
After swearing-in, it is normal that the commissioners would spend one month or two, trying to understand the ministries and the dictates of their portfolio. This means that it would not be expected to see them swing into full action immediately they are appointed. Therefore, we can only wait till 2020 before we have active honourable commissioners and effective ministries.
If this is the case, Governor Abdulrahman has proven to Kwarans that the mantra, ISEYA is just another colloquial to gain publicity and people’s admirations. Albeit the great possibilities and hopes from all and sundry in his capacity to turn Kwara state around, some of which is evident in his activities in the last 100 days, good governance requires following the constitution and building supportive pillars that would assist in developing the Kwara we all deserve.
There is no better time to swear in the commissioners than now, any other day is an addition to sheer criticism that will envelop his government.
Abdulhakeem Ibraheem Abdulkareem (AiA) is a Kwaran, a development expert and program evaluator. He lives and writes from Abuja, FCT.
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