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| Accountability: Nigerians, woe unto you. |
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Accountability: Nigerians, woe unto you.
The word Accountability particularly strikes me as some sort of phenomenon that depicts deep-rooted form of compliance to ethics, principles, policy, and morals.
Accountability is mentioned almost everyday in Nigeria but unfortunately, it is not put to practice. Accountability to whom and for what? Is a critical question to be thrown open to the teeming population in the country.
At the mention of the word accountability, our first point of call is typically the government followed by corporate organizations in the country. Unfortunately, very little attention is paid to the citizens. This is a pathetic notion.
The most organized societies of the world thrive on tenets of the word accountability. Its simple definition is "the collective compliance of Laws, Principles, policies, morals, procedures and regulations". This precept has been the secret to the success of these organized societies.
If you have been outside this country and have watched how our citizens readily comply with the rule of law in organized societies, then, you will begin to wonder what the problem is with these individuals who come back to the country and fail to comply with the rule of laws.
A ready example to illustrate this phenomenon was my experience a few months ago. I was leaving the Heathrow airport in London for Nigeria and watched as Nigerians organized themselves in an orderly manner through the airport procedures. However, as we arrived Nigeria, I watched as the same set of Nigerians behave in the most unruly manner and I began to wonder "what went wrong? If it was possible to comply with simple procedures obtainable in other countries, then why not at home, here in Nigeria?
The echoes of the regime of the duo of Gen. Mohammed Buhari and Gen. Tunde Idiagbon begin to come to mind. Enforcement was the name of the game but did it yield the much needed result? I won't be the judge of that but at least, there was compliance.
One quality I have admired in truly-great leaders has been their ability to build more leaders. By 'leaders', I do not mean leadership by appointment or by position. No leaders will enforce compliance but instead, a true leader will inspire followers to see reasons to comply.
Everyone can not be a leader but everyone has a spark of leadership. Inspiration, integrity, self-awareness and self-control are key ingredients for leadership and leadership is a catalyst in achieving accountability.
In Nigeria today, every little chance we get, we always blame our governors for our woes without putting into consideration that governance is a collective responsibility of both the governed and the governors. To every criticism, there must be a justification. Have you ever asked yourself each time you criticize government if you have been accountable to the same for which you are criticizing the governmental.
I watched with dismay recently as Lagosians lamented and criticized government for the woes in the aftermath of the heavy down pour in the state and I wondered "have they been accountable to the same?
It is speculated that at least, 60% of Lagosians dispose their refuse illegally everyday. This indiscriminate dump of refuse has contributed immensely to the poor state of our drainage system.
We should ask ourselves, "Have we been accountable?" Remember, Democracy means the GOVERNMENT of the PEOPLE, by the PEOPLE and for the PEOPLE. Note "the people" is explicitly stressed in this universal definition thereby emphasizing the significance of the people in governance.
Another poignant example is the attitude of many government workers their work. Most government workers are ghost workers and this has led to the slow pace of service to the citizens.
However, when we get the opportunity to criticize government, we become hasty in conclusion without asking ourselves if we have truly been accountable. How many times have we handled our duties and our obligations with utmost faithfulness? How diligently have we handled government's property? These are sincere questions we must ask ourselves.
Corporate organisations on the other hand have been involved actively in the system with full-scale consciousness of making profit forgetting the fact that each entity that makes up the organisation also belongs to the society; whether directly or indirectly.
Everyday, we watch our major roads in the country as they deteriorate and our corporate organisations sited in such areas watch also with their arms folded.
Have they all forgotten the danger, cost and other precarious implications that these deteriorated roads will bring to both the citizenry and their organization?
Those plying the Benin-Ore road can attest to the danger they are exposed to as a result of the terrible state of the road. Must we all die before we begin to realize that we all need to ensure that we have a system that works?
We have the resources that can adequately meet the task of making our system work but our attitude to compliance of rules, principles, morals, public system, resource allocations, programs, service and ethics that affect our lives is very pathetic.
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editorkay
Olukayode Ajayi-Smith is an alumnus of the prestigious LEAP Africa Youth Leadership programme. A graduate of the Olabisi Onabanjo University, he read Computer Science with Economics. Kayode is a core Humanitarian. Whilst a student, he was Editor-in-Chief of an inter-campus magazine entitled Campus-Icon Magazine for three years.
He also helped in championing the first ever Students’ Union Magazine at the Olabisi Onabanjo University where he served as the Deputy Editor-in-Chief. He was the only Nigerian youth delegate to the first ever Civicus youth assembly in Glasgow, Scotland, May 2007.
Kayode has also contributed to the work of various civil societies through his volunteering work. He was a volunteer at LEAP Africa (Lekki, Lagos), African Youth for Transparency (Ikeja, Lagos), Oxfam Charity Shop (Slough, London) and was an intern at the National Assembly as a researcher with the Women’s Right to Education Programme, Abuja. He also had a stint with Transparency and Anti-Corruption Campaign in Africa. This is a Non-Governmental-Organisation based in Abuja. Kayode served as the Head of Logistics and Operation on the Faith in Nigeria project.
Kayode specialises in developing youth development programmes and assisting civil society organisations with logistics and planning of programmes. His ‘Youth Volunteer Card Scheme’ recently received endorsement from UNESCO Nigerian office in Abuja and is currently being explored by the African Citizens Development Foundation for execution. He is currently putting finishing touches to his book titled “MDG Success: Our Role as Young People”. The book is expected to be a guide to youth participation in the success of the Millennium Development Goals.
Kayode is currently a member of the Editorial team at Development Report Magazine, an online magazine. He is also assisting the Nigerian Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organization to realise its goal of kick-starting the activities of the body fully in Nigeria. ‘Kayode is looking forward to a successful career with the United Nations; a dream he has been nursing for a very long time.
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