Guardian

IF Nigerians ever thought that nobility found its way into the nation’s high offices with the onset of civil rule, the disgraceful conduct of some governors over an election to the chairmanship of the Nigeria Governors' Forum, the other day, has banished that thought. If they ever hoped that high offices would ennoble their occupants, subsequent events have indicated how misplaced that hope was.

Rancorous and highly distracting, the election has effectively divided the body into two camps – the one led by the returned chairman, Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, and the other by Jonah Jang of Plateau State. Its fallout is a sickening reflection of the despicable depth of politicking in Nigeria and testifies to the incapacity of the governing class to even self-govern.

It is also a damaging comment on the abysmal failure of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party to meet the very basic  requirements of unity of thought and  action, discipline and coherence. This is best illustrated by the fact that the crisis is engineered by the governors of the PDP against one of their own, whose only offence is to have contested and won a free and fair election.

It is a shame indeed, that 36 governors, individuals in whose hands the destiny of Nigerians is placed, cannot hold a rancor-free election into their own leadership! Or, worse still, they would hold an election and desperation for power would not allow graceful concession of victory to the winner! It speaks volumes about their credentials as democrats, and why very few of them are reputed to have actually been voted for by their people. That the division within the forum is not on ideological-cum party basis but created and fueled by some governors of the dominant party serving as puppets for unseen hands, further diminishes the ruling party and its leaders. (President Goodluck Jonathan had to scramble to issue a statement to the effect that he had nothing to do with the crisis among the governors!) That the wrangling is totally unconnected with how the governors can separately govern their states better or collectively raise the quality of governance is even more shameful. Contrary to the desire of Nigerians or the demand of these trying times, the NGF has become one more source of disturbance and distraction, turning its internal troubles, fueled by ego or vanity, into the trouble of Nigeria and its people. This is evidently a betrayal of trust.

In principle, nothing may be wrong with a governors’ forum that operates in faith with its stated vision and mission.  The NGF vision is “to be an effective, proactive, inclusive, non-partisan forum which actively fosters, promotes, and sustains democratic values, good governance and sustainable development in Nigeria”.  Its expressed mission is “to provide  a platform  for collaboration amongst the governors on matters of public policy; to  promote good governance, sharing of good  practice and to enhance cooperation at state level and with other arms of  government and society”.

It must be acknowledged that, until this latest macabre dance, the forum did put up an appearance of seriousness as a body, articulating a vision for the country that at least could be debated, and taking positions on such national matters as the Sovereign Wealth Fund, revenue sharing, excess crude account, that could either be agreed or disagreed with. Following President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua’s illness and incapacitation, the Nigeria Governors' Forum became a powerful lobby on whose prodding the Senate adopted the “doctrine of necessity” with which Nigerians’ yearning for then Vice President Goodluck Jonathan to be named acting president was fulfilled.

However, the forum seems now to have lost its sense of direction or has been made to look so by those who, it would appear, want to use it for purposes other than its stated goals.

The story of how state governors have come to be so powerful began with the Olusegun Obasanjo intrigue-filled presidency when they were used for one narrow interest or another, embraced when they followed his lead or ditched when they fell out of line. The governors’ influence grew with their capacity to fund the party (illegally from the public purse, some would say).

Though unknown to the Constitution, the forum has since become a nucleus of power, especially in the absence of a strong, conscientious National Assembly to check the excesses of the Executive Branch. And its chairman, even if he has no power to coerce members into any particular line of action is naturally seen as one with enormous influence. It is certainly this perceived power, which the NGF has garnered that is behind the quest to seek its control by the Presidency. Ahead of the 2015 elections, and the intrigues already brewing on who would run or not run, the NGF and its leadership is, of course, seen as the first frontier in the looming battle. The goal seems to be to use it or destroy it. The result is that with the latest crisis, the NGF is clearly a departure from the noble ideals of its counterpart in the United States, from which it claims to derive its model. The National Governors’ Association (NGA) in the United States articulates the position of the states on the truly important issues of education, employment, security and the environment. Recently, the sitting chair of the NGA, Jack Markell of the state of Delaware convened a meeting to address the employment problems that physically challenged citizens face, saying, “every governor wants to be the ‘jobs’ governor... I chose this initiative because governors need to be the jobs governor for all people in our states”. And, on May 16, the NGA Annual State of the States Address reportedly focused on education, job creation, health, public safety, and economic development. The governors then committed themselves to a plan to ‘create more jobs by investing in education, participating in the global economy, making government more efficient and making infrastructure improvements’.

According to the Nigerian constitution, a governor is elected primarily for the purpose of the security and welfare of the people in his state. But state governors seem to have attached so much importance to this ‘club of governors’ and the attendant quest for relevance at the federal level that it would appear they even congregate more often in Abuja than they are at their desks in their respective constituencies. This is in contrast to the American NGA that meets twice a year and, by agreement, alternates the chairmanship between the two major political parties, and has a rule that the vice chair is reserved for the other party.

In the face of the current debacle, the Peoples’ Democratic Party has been an untold embarrassment. Instead of calling its governors and other political office holders to order, it stands idly by or even shamelessly takes side as its governors are used against each other and the NGF breaks into factions. Meanwhile, governance is put on hold and national reputation suffers.

There is much that the NGF, if it would ever be taken seriously again, can and must learn from the NGA, and the governors must return to their original ideals, eschew politics of pettiness and personal aggrandizement in favour of a higher goal: the public good. Those seeking to use or destroy the NGF must realize that they are endangering, not just the fate of any particular governor, or the NGF as a whole, but our democracy. President Jonathan, whose party by its conduct in office has become a big problem for this country, must recognize that he has a major blame for whatever happens to the country. He and leaders of the PDP must put aside all selfish motives, and call their dissenting governors to order. Those governors must be told to accept the result of their own election, video of which has now gone viral on the web. They must stop ridiculing this country in the eyes of reasonable peoples of the world.