The concern of Governor Aregbesola is the prompt payment of salaries of workers as a way of stimulating the economy. Osun needs a wage-led economic recovery. The recent CBN report on the economy and to a large extent the latest report of National Bureau of Statistics, showed that weak demand for goods was one of the factors responsible for low capacity utilisation in Nigeria. Aregbesola is doing his best to overcome the economic crisis, he believes that workers whose wages buy basic goods and services must not only be paid on time, but their wages must be increased. Nigeria cannot overcome recession with the existing miserable pay of workers and pensioners.
Those who are blaming Aregbesola for not appointing commissioners will equally go to court to stop Aregbesola if he wants to borrow money from the banks to pay their salaries. If the governor is looking for loan today from a bank to pay the commissioners, the same people will send petition to the State House of Assembly not to approve the loan.
Aregbesola is only avoiding a welfare disaster among the commissioners in Osun. It is on record that Federal Government has not announced appointments for most boards and agencies for almost two years because of the economic recession. The same situation exists in Osun State. We should commend Governor Aregbesola for his statesmanship.
Later this month, Governor Aregbesola would be celebrating the two years anniversary of his second term and, as expected, he is going to make reference to the fact that he is the first person to ever rule the state twice, back-to-back. While this is quite commendable, another record may be set this November 27, it will could be the first time since recorded history that the state would be without commissioners two years into an administration.
So, instead of appointing commissioners that will increase the burden of governance and strain government resources, Aregbesola is relying on just some appointees and permanent secretaries while he makes the decisions. Critics who are quoting the constitution for Aregbesola to appoint commissioners will not use the same constitution to generate revenue to pay them. Many Governors since 2015 in one way or the other were yet to constitute their cabinets which might have been constrained by the dwindling economy.
Section 147(1) of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria provides for the appointment of Federal Ministers while Section 192(1) does same for the appointment of State Commissioners. The objective is to enable the Head of the Executive branch of government to appoint some citizens to assist him in the onerous task of governance. Obviously, it is only the Oracle that seems to have an idea of when and how a Commissioner leaves office in Nigeria. Accordingly, it is wasteful this time in Osun State to appoint commissioner when the state’s revenue is dwindling.
The 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria makes provision for the composition of the executive arm of government. The provision enjoins the President and governors or their equivalents to discharge the functions of their offices either by themselves or through their ministers or commissioners and heads of agencies of government. “The constitution does not say they must constitute the executive arms within a given time; there is no express requirement regarding the time the President or the governors should appoint the executive councils, but it is desirable that ministers and commissioners should be appointed because the function of a state is an enormous responsibility which the President and the governors cannot single-handedly discharge.”
An Osun State High Court sitting in Osogbo recently ordered Governor Rauf Aregbesola, to within seven days, file all necessary papers to defend himself on why he refused to constitute his cabinet since 2014. Aregbesola, through his counsel, Fatimo Adesina urged the court to consider the governor’s application on the court’s lack of jurisdiction to hear the case before proceeding to the substantive suit filed by Barrister Kanmi Ajibola on his refusal to appoint commissioners for almost two years since his assumption of office for second term.
Osun State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola had explained in many fora what is preventing his government from appointing commissioners since it was inaugurated in November 27, 2014. Aregbesola, said that the paucity of funds is the major reason behind the delay. The governor noted that the government, as presently constituted, is going through harrowing experience, adding that the state is being run through ingenuity and goodwill. Stressing that the dwindling allocation from the federal allocation has really affected the state, he stated that the appointment of commissioners would be additional burden which the state cannot presently afford.
He disclosed that the purse of the state has been reduced but assured that very soon as the economy improves, the state executive council will be constituted.
According to him, “The state executive council to be constituted will need huge money. This I can’t afford now and those working with me have been doing so on humanitarian grounds. They have not been paid since, I too, since assumption of office has not received any salary from the state and I am not ready to do so.
“I have passion to develop this state and all I am concern about is to make the state enjoying able for the people.” While assuring the people of the state that all projects embarked by his administration would be commissioned, he stated that, “the ongoing projects in the state would not be abandoned but would be completed for the overall interest of the Osun people. As a result, the governor has deliberately delayed the appointments of his commissioners and chairmen of agencies whose responsibilities are to assist them in the implementation of good policies for robust service delivery.
Before the some governors took oath of office on May 29, 2015, they had promised effective health care delivery system, sound and purposeful education, job creation for youths and security of lives and property among others, thus raising the hope of their people to expect implementation of effective and healthy policies which observers say could only be achieved if the governors constitute their cabinets on time..
Aregbesola is facing the problem of paucity of fund and restructuring governments’ agencies to save money for development purposes. The governor could be credited for introducing the culture of progressive trend in the face of economic recession in the constitution of cabinet in the country before his colleagues embraced the “doctrine” and popularised it. In spite of the criticism by stakeholders, including the PDP in the state which accused him of running a one-man show, Aregbesola did not constitute his executive council till date. There Is nothing absolutely wrong in delaying the constitution of a state executive council in the face of economic recession, governance might be slowed down if full cabinet was not in place to push governmental policies but paucity of fund could delay the appointment of commissioners because they will work with money and not just on the basis of appointment.
I am not surprised that Aregbesola re-introduced the delay in the composition of members of his cabinet after his re-election for a very long time because of the prevailing economic situation in Nigeria.. Aregbesola has deliberately delayed the composition of the cabinet because of the worsening economic situation in Nigeria.
It is the paucity of fund that is the major reason why Governor Aregbesola has not appointed his commissioners since he took the oath of office after his re-election.
Aregbesola is facilitating the completion of the ongoing capital projects spread in the three senatorial district of the state.
The reluctance by Osun state governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola to form his cabinet two years into his second term in office, has attracted criticism by various stakeholders,they should blame the economy because the governor does not want to commit economic suicide.
Director, Bureau of Communications and Strategy, Office of the Governor, Semiu Okanlawon, has defended the action of the governor and said Aregbesola has not violate any law of the land by not appointing commissioners. According to him, “The establishment and composition of cabinet for a state, is provided for in the constitution of the country. And each state is expected to constitute its own cabinet as and when convenient. There is no law directing that the composition must be simultaneous across the 36 states.”He explained further that beyond constitutional provisions, the systematic running of government certainly goes beyond commissioners alone. “For instance, the most senior technocrats/civil servants in any government ministry are the Permanent Secretaries and is the next in rank to a commissioner. Logically therefore, a Permanent Secretary stands in, in the absence of a commissioner. Thus, the Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; his Deputy, Mrs. Grace Titi Laoye-Tomori; the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti and the Chief of Staff, Alhaji Isiaka Gboyega Oyetola, are in office and being supported by the Permanent Secretaries in the conduct of government businesses. “Again, the four mentioned political appointees and the Permanent Secretaries also constitute the Government- in-Council, which means technically, a pseudo cabinet is in place.”
Inwalomhe Donald, public affairs analyst writes from Benin City, Edo State([email protected]
