New SGF, Boss Mustapha: May his tenure be smooth

Ionce again congratulate my distant big brother, Boss Mustapha on his dramatic elevation as the 19th Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF). Having emerged from the “hot ashes of the old” (of his) predecessor, former Engr. BD Lawal, it would be uncharitable to further wish him a rougher ride.

Of course, if the dead can read us and join in nation building discussions, I dare bet that given the current riot of Nigerians’ expectations of Buhari administration, the late Tai Solarin, (never known for flattery!) would still insist that “May the Road of Boss Mustapha Be Rough”... And the late patriot would be right on point.

Witness some of the work overload/schedules of the SGF; “Coordinating policy design and formulation” by as many as 35 Ministries, 42 Departments and Agencies for approval by Government, Serving as Secretary to the Council of State, the Federal Executive Council and other Constitutional Councils, which are chaired by the President and Dealing with constitutional, political and socio-economic matters as may be referred to the Presidency, supervising, Administrative Tribunals, Commissions and Panels of Enquiry; Coordinating national security and public safety matters, National Honours Award, Prerogative of Mercy, Protocol Matters, Channeling of papers and directives of the President and Dealing with matters relating to conditions of service of political office holders, among others. The point cannot be overstated.

Boss Mustapha has certainly opted for a full employment in a country paradoxically suffering mass unemployment and underemployment. Happily too he is eminently qualified for the enormous responsibilities. With remarkable professional qualifications and experiences (Barrister at Law (B.L)), former state member of the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the defunct Petroleum (Special) Trust Fund (PTF), and non-state activist of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), African Bar Association (ABA), Commonwealth Lawyers Association, International Bar Association (IBA), Human Rights Institute (HRI) and above all, rich experiences in partisan politics, (from defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP), defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), to the present ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Nigeria might be having, for once, an unapologetically partisan in a clearly open ended political office.

I salute the newly appointed Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), for acknowledging that President Muhammadu Buhari administration needed “an emergency acceleration” for the nation to get out of its present situation. For so long the President and his Vice, Yemi Osibanjo had been “Lone Rangers” on the tripod mantra of corruption, economy and insecurity with less complimentary official voices on articulated policy thrusts on critical policy issues. Nigeria now has a timely activist SGF in Boss Mustapha who must make a difference from the past indifference and as we just discovered, misplaced indulgence of rent seeking. Take the current crisis of compensation and productivity in the public sector for example. President Muhammed Buhari has been commendably agonizing over protracted unacceptable delayed and non-payment of salaries by some states governments despite serial bail outs.

Boss Mustapha must hit the ground running in getting to the root of this wage/compensation scandal with all the stakeholders including organized labour with time table to clear the pay arrears. Non-payment of salaries amount to economicide defined as criminal systematic deprivation of means of livelihood for workers. Nigeria has lost much scarce resources to wholesale looting and corruption. But the country is certainly losing more to low/ no productivity due to criminal wage theft, wage diversions and attendant strikes with human hours losses.

The new SGF must impress on the government to constitute labour market institutions such as the tripartite Labour Advisory Council, National Productivity Centre, Michael Imoudu Labour Institute, Industrial training Fund, Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund with eyes on labour market problems solving not political patronage. The Maina saga has been dramatized as corruption scandal (which certainly it is). But it is also a manifestation of the crisis of corporate governance of public policies such as public pension. Boss Mustapha should use his good office to impress on the Presidency to return to basics with respect to pension funds administration. Never again should there be extrapresidential committees on pension matters, the type that nurtured the likes of Maina. The presidency must strengthen the National Pension Commission (PENCOM) by constituting its board and demand for accountability in pension funds administration. It is a scandal that up till now there is no substantive confirmed Director General for Pencom following the sudden controversial termination of the incomplete tenure of then incumbent. Many pension scavengers abound.

Only a strengthened independent pension commission can prevent and apprehend the likes of Maina. Boss Mustapha’s acceleration must also apply to labour’s clamor for a new national minimum wage. Together with the minister of labour, the SGF must impress on the president to inaugurate the new minimum wage negotiations committee. Nigeria’s Economic recovery must be wage led so as to stimulate the economy towards productive spending by enhanced pay for workers which must go hand in hand with productivity improvement.

Boss Mustapha’s commendable simplicity must be complemented with a sense of urgency. Nigeria needs a simple accessible activist SGF such as Chief U.J. Ekaette, the 14th SGF, who commendably assisted president Olusegun Obasanjo to positively manage the labour market issues for economic growth and national development.