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News_Naija

Quality Of Institutions And Government Performance

Institutions are very important purveyors of a country’s successes and quality matters. Institution in this case is not about a building or a school in the ordinary sense of usage. It has to do with an organisation or agency inaugurated by a government to carry out some specific functions on its behalf. It is part of what is typically referred to as the ministries, departments, and agencies. We have many of these agencies, which should, if effective and efficient, aid the socio-economic and political development of the country. Empirically, functional institutions are the pillar on which world economies rely for cohesion, the rule of law, sustenance of government, particularly democracy, etc. Globally, the United Nations is the largest institution that serves as the umbrella for specialised global agencies, such as the World Health Organisation, the International Labour Organisation, the World Court, the Food and Agriculture Organisation, etc. The UN principal organisations, as established under its charter when founded in 1945, are six and are the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, the International Court of Justice, the United Nations Secretariat, and the Trusteeship Council. There are five regional groups representing the continents, like Africa, Asia-Pacific, Eastern European, Latin American and Caribbean, and Western European and other groups. This is where sub-regional organisations like the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, for Latin America, for Asia, etc., emerged. Following the global bureaucracy, each country established its agencies to carry out specific functions or tackle identified national problems. Nigeria established or overestablished such agencies and the need to prune them down has been in the works for many years without action. The current government has added many new agencies and is still counting.  Institutions are desirable in any political management, but their performance is more important. Many research reports have shown that only a few of these agencies are efficient. Let us review the performance of some major ones based on observations of their activities. The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has been very successful under various leaderships, particularly under the current leadership–General Buba Marwa (rtd). The agency has and continues to arrest drug carriers at the ports and even in their hidden places. As usual with the Nigerian system, what happens after the arrests has to do with another institution, the courts. For its core mandate, the institution can easily score an A or 70 per cent. The National University Commission, which oversees the universities, has continued to perform the functions of accreditation regularly and fairly well, but it easily succumbs to the whims and caprices of stakeholders. The proliferation of universities, public and private, in the face of a shortage of manpower and underfunding has been affecting the institution’s credibility and effectiveness in achieving its mandate of monitoring the quality of teaching and learning to produce the required standard of manpower. The review of the curriculum takes a long time before it is carried out, concluded and effected. The institution’s curriculum is respected by the universities because it is enforced through its accreditation exercises. Albeit, the institutions have not shown much concern about the learning environment and global standards. The National Board for Technical Education, which is expected to perform the roles NUC performs in polytechnic and vocational schools, shares the same successes and failures with NUC. On a scale of 10, NUC could score a B grade or 60 per cent, while the NBTE can score not more than a C or between 50 per cent and 59 per cent. The institutions’ management does not see financing and funding of their subjects as well as remuneration of the workers as part of their functions. The Joint Admission and Matriculation Board has, under the current leadership of Prof. Isiaq Oloyede, redeemed its credibility and efficiency. In recent times, the quality of its activities has been tested within the context of the Nigerian factors, and it has passed. Continuous innovations through technological adoption and adaptation have made it difficult for candidates to cheat or manipulate scores to gain an undue advantage over brilliant, honest, and hardworking candidates. The agency is one of the few that make returns to the national purse after the era when ‘rats’ and ‘elephants’ swallowed funds. It follows its timetable for mock and real examinations such that the candidates and their parents or guardians are not thrown into confusion. A score of A is appropriate for JAMB as an institution under the present privilege. The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control was brought into lime limelight by Late Dora Akunyili. Since then, the agency has been quite active and effective in its mandate. That is when we look at its monitoring activities regarding the production and distribution of illicit drugs and the attendant risk involved in its task.  However, when the activities relate to approval and registration of products, the reports are that the various levels entrepreneurs pass through are laced with varying degrees of corruption, which invariably allows for the use of NAFDAC numbers without visiting NAFDAC offices. NAFDAC and NDLEA activities cross at some point and are also assisted in their duties by some other agencies, like the police and the courts. So, the prosecution of offenders does not carry as much publicity as the arrests. On its own, the agency can score B. Standard Organisation of Nigeria is one of the major institutions whose activities must he cherished, supported and respected. It has to do with the quality of production and products we use in the long term and consume in the short term. That is, SON monitors and approves the quality of both durable and consumable goods imported and produced within Nigeria. A survey of the Nigerian markets should show that the agency is on perpetual holiday. If you buy a made in Nigeria product in the Nigerian border side before Benin Republic and buy the same product but made in Benin Republic on its border, the difference in quality should be visible to the naked eye. If you bring a toothpaste made in Ghana and compare it with the same brand made in Nigeria, you will regret that you wasted money on the toothpaste made in Nigeria. The SON, as an agency of repute, cannot score a pass mark. The Independent Corrupt Practices Commission was established in 2000 as an anti-corruption agency. It focuses on government or public service-related corruption. It can investigate, prosecute, and prevent corruption cases in the public sector, as well as socially support and educate the public against corruption. How many landmark prosecutions has ICPC carried out, whether successfully or not? It is important to discuss its activity with that of its twin sister–EFCC. The Economic and Financial Crime Commission was established in 2003 as a law enforcement and anti-graft agency to investigate financial crimes, including money laundering and advance fee fraud. Its assignments overlap with those of ICPC in some instances. Both institutions are well known for arrests, not the prosecution and conviction of top-notch criminals. A former Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, who embezzled N109bn, is still walking the streets of Nigeria as a big man. Many ex-governors who were flagged immediately after serving their terms are now in the legislature making laws and collecting humongous salaries when they should be behind bars. Both ICPC and EFCC are behaving as if these people have immunity against investigations and arrest. Neither of these agencies can score above a D or 40 per cent to 49 per cent. We should be looking at the law enforcement agencies, such as the police and the courts, but any assessment of the two is a waste of time. Even the governments at all levels trample on the rule of law. The absence of the rule of law is responsible for the failure of some other agencies like the ICPC, EFCC, SON, and even the failure of democracy to yield expected dividends. Actually, the success or otherwise of economic policies depends on the rule of law. Those who are supposed to uphold this tenet seem not to understand the magnitude of the power of law. That is why corruption continues to grow wings and has become institutionalised to the extent that foreign currency is now the instrument of settlement for official bribery transactions! Institutional failure is responsible for the socio-economic and political failure in Nigeria today. Nigeria, as a failed state, can still be redeemed if we allow our institutions to operate effectively and efficiently.

profile/5683FB_IMG_16533107021641748.jpg

News_Naija

Quality Of Institutions And Government Performance

Institutions are very important purveyors of a country’s successes and quality matters. Institution in this case is not about a building or a school in the ordinary sense of usage. It has to do with an organisation or agency inaugurated by a government to carry out some specific functions on its behalf. It is part of what is typically referred to as the ministries, departments, and agencies. We have many of these agencies, which should, if effective and efficient, aid the socio-economic and political development of the country. Empirically, functional institutions are the pillar on which world economies rely for cohesion, the rule of law, sustenance of government, particularly democracy, etc. Globally, the United Nations is the largest institution that serves as the umbrella for specialised global agencies, such as the World Health Organisation, the International Labour Organisation, the World Court, the Food and Agriculture Organisation, etc. The UN principal organisations, as established under its charter when founded in 1945, are six and are the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, the International Court of Justice, the United Nations Secretariat, and the Trusteeship Council. There are five regional groups representing the continents, like Africa, Asia-Pacific, Eastern European, Latin American and Caribbean, and Western European and other groups. This is where sub-regional organisations like the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, for Latin America, for Asia, etc., emerged. Following the global bureaucracy, each country established its agencies to carry out specific functions or tackle identified national problems. Nigeria established or overestablished such agencies and the need to prune them down has been in the works for many years without action. The current government has added many new agencies and is still counting.  Institutions are desirable in any political management, but their performance is more important. Many research reports have shown that only a few of these agencies are efficient. Let us review the performance of some major ones based on observations of their activities. The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has been very successful under various leaderships, particularly under the current leadership–General Buba Marwa (rtd). The agency has and continues to arrest drug carriers at the ports and even in their hidden places. As usual with the Nigerian system, what happens after the arrests has to do with another institution, the courts. For its core mandate, the institution can easily score an A or 70 per cent. The National University Commission, which oversees the universities, has continued to perform the functions of accreditation regularly and fairly well, but it easily succumbs to the whims and caprices of stakeholders. The proliferation of universities, public and private, in the face of a shortage of manpower and underfunding has been affecting the institution’s credibility and effectiveness in achieving its mandate of monitoring the quality of teaching and learning to produce the required standard of manpower. The review of the curriculum takes a long time before it is carried out, concluded and effected. The institution’s curriculum is respected by the universities because it is enforced through its accreditation exercises. Albeit, the institutions have not shown much concern about the learning environment and global standards. The National Board for Technical Education, which is expected to perform the roles NUC performs in polytechnic and vocational schools, shares the same successes and failures with NUC. On a scale of 10, NUC could score a B grade or 60 per cent, while the NBTE can score not more than a C or between 50 per cent and 59 per cent. The institutions’ management does not see financing and funding of their subjects as well as remuneration of the workers as part of their functions. The Joint Admission and Matriculation Board has, under the current leadership of Prof. Isiaq Oloyede, redeemed its credibility and efficiency. In recent times, the quality of its activities has been tested within the context of the Nigerian factors, and it has passed. Continuous innovations through technological adoption and adaptation have made it difficult for candidates to cheat or manipulate scores to gain an undue advantage over brilliant, honest, and hardworking candidates. The agency is one of the few that make returns to the national purse after the era when ‘rats’ and ‘elephants’ swallowed funds. It follows its timetable for mock and real examinations such that the candidates and their parents or guardians are not thrown into confusion. A score of A is appropriate for JAMB as an institution under the present privilege. The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control was brought into lime limelight by Late Dora Akunyili. Since then, the agency has been quite active and effective in its mandate. That is when we look at its monitoring activities regarding the production and distribution of illicit drugs and the attendant risk involved in its task.  However, when the activities relate to approval and registration of products, the reports are that the various levels entrepreneurs pass through are laced with varying degrees of corruption, which invariably allows for the use of NAFDAC numbers without visiting NAFDAC offices. NAFDAC and NDLEA activities cross at some point and are also assisted in their duties by some other agencies, like the police and the courts. So, the prosecution of offenders does not carry as much publicity as the arrests. On its own, the agency can score B. Standard Organisation of Nigeria is one of the major institutions whose activities must he cherished, supported and respected. It has to do with the quality of production and products we use in the long term and consume in the short term. That is, SON monitors and approves the quality of both durable and consumable goods imported and produced within Nigeria. A survey of the Nigerian markets should show that the agency is on perpetual holiday. If you buy a made in Nigeria product in the Nigerian border side before Benin Republic and buy the same product but made in Benin Republic on its border, the difference in quality should be visible to the naked eye. If you bring a toothpaste made in Ghana and compare it with the same brand made in Nigeria, you will regret that you wasted money on the toothpaste made in Nigeria. The SON, as an agency of repute, cannot score a pass mark. The Independent Corrupt Practices Commission was established in 2000 as an anti-corruption agency. It focuses on government or public service-related corruption. It can investigate, prosecute, and prevent corruption cases in the public sector, as well as socially support and educate the public against corruption. How many landmark prosecutions has ICPC carried out, whether successfully or not? It is important to discuss its activity with that of its twin sister–EFCC. The Economic and Financial Crime Commission was established in 2003 as a law enforcement and anti-graft agency to investigate financial crimes, including money laundering and advance fee fraud. Its assignments overlap with those of ICPC in some instances. Both institutions are well known for arrests, not the prosecution and conviction of top-notch criminals. A former Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, who embezzled N109bn, is still walking the streets of Nigeria as a big man. Many ex-governors who were flagged immediately after serving their terms are now in the legislature making laws and collecting humongous salaries when they should be behind bars. Both ICPC and EFCC are behaving as if these people have immunity against investigations and arrest. Neither of these agencies can score above a D or 40 per cent to 49 per cent. We should be looking at the law enforcement agencies, such as the police and the courts, but any assessment of the two is a waste of time. Even the governments at all levels trample on the rule of law. The absence of the rule of law is responsible for the failure of some other agencies like the ICPC, EFCC, SON, and even the failure of democracy to yield expected dividends. Actually, the success or otherwise of economic policies depends on the rule of law. Those who are supposed to uphold this tenet seem not to understand the magnitude of the power of law. That is why corruption continues to grow wings and has become institutionalised to the extent that foreign currency is now the instrument of settlement for official bribery transactions! Institutional failure is responsible for the socio-economic and political failure in Nigeria today. Nigeria, as a failed state, can still be redeemed if we allow our institutions to operate effectively and efficiently.

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Instablog9ja

Nigerian Libya Deportee Spent Just N60M Searching For Greener Pastures Sen. Shehu Sani Shares

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Instablog9ja

Labour Shuts Down Wikes Office Over N70,000 Minimum Wage