FOR many Nigerians, Tuesday, August 28, 2012, when news filtered out that one of the most promising ministers in the cabinet of President Goodluck Jonathan, Professor Bartholomew Nnaji, had resigned and the President immediately accepted he should go, it was total disbelief and shock.
The official reason adduced was “conflict of interests,” as a company he had business interest in was involved in the bidding for some of the unbundled and privatised Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) subsidiaries.
Many Nigerians still believe there must have been more to it than “mere” conflict of interests in a country, where the privatisation of government enterprises and investments has routinely been hijacked by public officials, including former presidents, ministers and top officials and their fronts in the private sector as well as foreign partners.
Even the Goodluck Jonathan presidency is full of highly placed and connected ministers who should have been similarly pressured to quit or be sacked following the mind-boggling disclosures over the petroleum subsidy scams. A presidential aide, Mrs. Maryam Ali, is standing surety for one of those currently under trial by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and yet no case of conflict of interests has been raised against her to quit.
It is in this light that we see Nnaji’s resignation as an extraordinary example that must now be the way to conduct public affairs in Nigeria. Strong adherence to moral principles is one of the essential ingredients that built up great and advanced societies in Europe, America and Asia. If this country is to join the elite club of developed countries, the Nnaji example should guide us. However, it will be a sad day if this is just a one-off flash in the pan. Then those who think there is more to it than mere morality might be justified.
Professor Nnaji’s contributions to the reconstruction of the electricity sector after decades of neglect and ruin will remain indelible. He showed exemplary courage by being the first Nigerian to venture into private provision of power supply in Abuja and Aba. As minister, he was able to withstand the pressures mounted by cartels importing generators, who used the Labour unions in the sector to thwart our march to a new era of steady power supply. They have been rejoicing openly. Under his watch, Nigeria was able, for the first time in its history, make the 4,477 megawatts of power supply, with so much more potentials waiting to be unleashed into the national grid in the near future.
The Presidency has assured Nigerians that Nnaji’s resignation notwithstanding, the steady march to the Promised Land would no longer be interrupted. We hold very fast to this promise. The search for Nnaji’s replacement must be thorough to ensure we do not slide back to where we have been all these years.
The official reason adduced was “conflict of interests,” as a company he had business interest in was involved in the bidding for some of the unbundled and privatised Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) subsidiaries.
Many Nigerians still believe there must have been more to it than “mere” conflict of interests in a country, where the privatisation of government enterprises and investments has routinely been hijacked by public officials, including former presidents, ministers and top officials and their fronts in the private sector as well as foreign partners.
Even the Goodluck Jonathan presidency is full of highly placed and connected ministers who should have been similarly pressured to quit or be sacked following the mind-boggling disclosures over the petroleum subsidy scams. A presidential aide, Mrs. Maryam Ali, is standing surety for one of those currently under trial by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and yet no case of conflict of interests has been raised against her to quit.
It is in this light that we see Nnaji’s resignation as an extraordinary example that must now be the way to conduct public affairs in Nigeria. Strong adherence to moral principles is one of the essential ingredients that built up great and advanced societies in Europe, America and Asia. If this country is to join the elite club of developed countries, the Nnaji example should guide us. However, it will be a sad day if this is just a one-off flash in the pan. Then those who think there is more to it than mere morality might be justified.
Professor Nnaji’s contributions to the reconstruction of the electricity sector after decades of neglect and ruin will remain indelible. He showed exemplary courage by being the first Nigerian to venture into private provision of power supply in Abuja and Aba. As minister, he was able to withstand the pressures mounted by cartels importing generators, who used the Labour unions in the sector to thwart our march to a new era of steady power supply. They have been rejoicing openly. Under his watch, Nigeria was able, for the first time in its history, make the 4,477 megawatts of power supply, with so much more potentials waiting to be unleashed into the national grid in the near future.
The Presidency has assured Nigerians that Nnaji’s resignation notwithstanding, the steady march to the Promised Land would no longer be interrupted. We hold very fast to this promise. The search for Nnaji’s replacement must be thorough to ensure we do not slide back to where we have been all these years.
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