By Dr. Ugoji Egbujo

Anywhere  else,  a  junior minister  would be wary of a spat with a senior minister in public.  But this is Nigeria, where decorum is  scarce even in very high places.  Defiance often attracts applause that should belong to reason.  Ordinarily,  President  Buhari  should  be left  to sort out his kitchen. But  conducts   that  border on  rascality have  a way of reinforcing  the  tendency  towards  general lawlessness  in the polity.

Kachikwu

It is  good to have  opinionated ministers.  Lackeys have left our politics thoroughly insipid.  Public policy is  an  enriched  broth when it issues from a  crucible of diverse,  competing  and  healthy opinions.  But no good government is run rancorously.

A government  struggling with an imminent  recession ,  a costly insurgency in the north and    a crippling resurgence of  Niger delta militancy  must exhibit  internal cohesion and fluency.

Cabinet  collective responsibility  entails cabinet solidarity.  A  government  should always provide clear authoritative directions.  Open disagreements are corrosive, poisonous.  The perception that the core of  the government lacks unity doesn’t help any  government.

The clearest symptom of a government afflicted by  lack of firm leadership is the eruption  of  acrimony  and rebelliousness. If  the  egos  of cabinet members are whipped into firm lines, the public will be spared the sort of spectacle it was  fed with at the  Calabar  town hall meeting. This government cannot  afford   incoherence  in the handling of corruption  and  the  Niger Delta  crisis.

The Nigerian Maritime University is at the epicenter of storm  in the  Niger delta. The government shouldn’t let ministers guess its position on  that  university.  Calabar revealed  a  worrying  deficiency in the internal decision making mechanism  of this government. Thirteen  billion  naira to procure the temporary site of any university in Nigeria must raise a multitude of eye brows.  The principal  suspect  has  evaded a bench warrant.  He believes his prosecution  is politically  motivated.

And the fact that the transactions passed through necessary due process procedures must lend some credence to his lamentations.  The gods who approved the  transaction have  retained their claim of deity.  The Avengers have blown pipelines and won’t stop until the probes are aborted.    And the university reopened. The opposition party has labeled  all  attempts to force accountability as selective, vindictive,  tyrannical.

It has stoked ethnic anger  and separatist feelings.  The economy cannot bear the strain of the  crude oil  production  shutdowns  inflicted by the Avengers. The military appears clueless.  What is prudent in the circumstance? The  oil rich  Gbaramatu  Kingdom and many  Niger delta activists see the  university    as  part  of  a  long term peace process to  restore and develop the exploited region.Some  others think  that university is the epitome  of  the sort  of tokenism that characterized the previous administration’s culture of lip service  to  the development of the Niger delta.

That  university,  they insist,  was merely  a conduit pipe to  siphon funds meant to  develop the Niger delta.  The apotheosis of  the   collaboration between  political charlatanism and  mercantilist militancy .  But the others will counter,  arguing,  that corruption pervades Nigeria.   Niger delta militancy and  politics ,  not spared. To that extent and in recognition of the importance  of  the  Niger Delta, its pains and its volatility,the university should be completed at all  costs.

And regardless of whether it amounts to  a duplication  of  the Maritime  Academy in  Oron  or anything in  Zaria. A decision on  that university is a decision any reasonable government will take with  great deliberation and  caution. But that is the decision that  Amaechi    and  Kachikwu were  discussing like  jealous  ,  combative   co-wives  of apolygynous  man who has ceased to be a unifying and controlling   authority.

So much money has been  spent.  Benefits  should  be reaped.  That’s  Kachikwu’s  pragmatism.   The university will calm some restiveness in  Gbaramatu. And let chevron operate. Corruption is not his immediate priority. Having a first class educational  institution to engage  the  youths in the swamps of the delta cannot be a superfluity in the circumstance.  He is positioning himself well for  the  peacemaker  role he has assumed  in  the region.

But he  overstepped  bounds.  He  diminished  Gov Amaechi. He didn’t need to brag  he would take over  and complete  the project  if  Amaechi  and the transport ministry aren’t  interested  in the project.    If he had paused and weighed the potential consequences of that statement on  Amaechi’s  political reputation,  he would not have made it in public.  We  all thought the days when  the  NNPC  GMD  could do as he  pleased with  our money  was over.

Amaechi  wants  the   university  to tarry for the investigations.  He thinks the prudent and effective thing to do in the circumstance is to finance the existing,  degree –awarding,  Maritime academy in  Oron,  Akwa Ibom  state. This will save costs, avoid needless duplication and  should  satisfy  the  Niger  Delta.  This seemingly  objective inclination may be politically motivated.

He was  once  understood to  have called for a cancellation  of the university which he claimed  existed only  at the level of feasibility plans.  He  is  now  of the opinion that since the government  is broke and  can’t meet its capital budget needs,  it must insist on the recovery  of   the proceeds of corruption to complete that project.  If Nigeria were one united country where equity reigned and rationality and prudence alone governed  the citing  of government projects then  Amaechi  would have made a lot of sense.

In the context of the present day Nigeria where states and ethnic groups are in a perpetual scramble for the‘national cake’,  Amaechi  seems   out  of touch, too idealistic  .  But he is a  veteran of  our kind of politics.  Is he  then  blinded  by political bitterness?   Is he getting back at those who filled Rivers state with violence and denied his men a chance during the last elections?  Some say he has a reputation for such single-minded idealism.  In any case the best results are sometimes obtained when things are pushed to the limits. That’s brinksmanship.

Kachikwu  is  keen  to appease the militants destroying oil infrastructure.  He has been accused of sympathizing with the Avengers.  Rewarding violence could spell anarchy.He may have altruistic motives.  Militancy stands between him and  success  in his job.  But that university is not within his purview. There are times when cockiness and brashness must be tucked away, hidden.

To put down another minister from the Niger delta  is bad politics.   That is why the opposition is excited. To  make statements capable of portraying  Rotimi  Amaechi  as an enemy of the region is uncharitable. Anyone  who has followed the politics of the region closely would understand the opposition’s  particular dislike  for Amaechi.  It  was  so gross  they  wanted  his ministerial appointment blocked.  He earned  their venom.

He  helped enthrone  this government. Nobody in this government,who was outside  of  the fray of the politics that brought that  victory, should undermine  him.   To dabble  into  the muddy  waters of  regional  politics without  a consideration for such  political historical realities is ingratitude.  Kachikwu  should not do to the lion of  Ubima what  he cannot do to the lion of  Bourdillon. Respect, like charity, should start from home.

  The town hall meeting  was to  communicate the government to  the people. A  town hall should  be  the last place for  such  a spat. But this conflict would be wasted  if nothing  is  learnt from  it.  And  Amaechi  may  have   lessons in it too.  We,  quite often, don’t recognize when have left too much room for  bitterness.  Peace is sometimes bought at the expense of justice.  Igbos say leaders must swallow indignation.