The Siege of NASS premises by operatives of the DSS ordered by its Director Lawal Daura exposes the basic weakness in President Buhari's administration that has plagued it right from its inception.
This weakness is the lack of genetic (ethnic), geographic, religious skills, and gender diversity in the decision-making process of the administration.
Even though Nigeria is on paper governed by a constitutional democracy, this incident has revealed that with few exceptions that she is truly governed by a kitchen cabinet dominated by those the media have christened as the 'cabal.'
Even though President Buhari obtained a plurality of majority votes from all regions of Nigeria with the exception of the SE and the SS, the composition of the 'kitchen cabinet' in which most important decisions are made is (with the exception of Vice President Osinbajo) monotonously northern Nigerian.
President Buhari waited (wasted) 6 to 9 months before he filled ministerial positions. The executive appointments he made during the first six months which do not require senatorial confirmation were predominantly those from northern Nigeria with a disproportionate number being from the Daura axis of his home state--including members of his own extended family.
President Buhari's excuse for the lopsided appointments then was that he only appointed those that he knew very well and had worked with in the previous administration that he led and in other positions he held in previous military administrations.
How can a President of a nation of over 180 million people know enough from his personal experience the best talents available from among the diversity of all the 400 plus majority and minority ethnic groups in Nigeria? This is an impossible task!
When the leader of a nation picks for important appointments (that are not subject to constitutional requirements and oversight by the NASS) only those from a narrow segment of the society he inadvertently hobbles the effectiveness of his government in several ways—chiefly because those that he hired into the most senior posts would also end up hiring those whom they know best.
This weakness is the lack of genetic (ethnic), geographic, religious skills, and gender diversity in the decision-making process of the administration.
Even though Nigeria is on paper governed by a constitutional democracy, this incident has revealed that with few exceptions that she is truly governed by a kitchen cabinet dominated by those the media have christened as the 'cabal.'
Even though President Buhari obtained a plurality of majority votes from all regions of Nigeria with the exception of the SE and the SS, the composition of the 'kitchen cabinet' in which most important decisions are made is (with the exception of Vice President Osinbajo) monotonously northern Nigerian.
President Buhari waited (wasted) 6 to 9 months before he filled ministerial positions. The executive appointments he made during the first six months which do not require senatorial confirmation were predominantly those from northern Nigeria with a disproportionate number being from the Daura axis of his home state--including members of his own extended family.
President Buhari's excuse for the lopsided appointments then was that he only appointed those that he knew very well and had worked with in the previous administration that he led and in other positions he held in previous military administrations.
How can a President of a nation of over 180 million people know enough from his personal experience the best talents available from among the diversity of all the 400 plus majority and minority ethnic groups in Nigeria? This is an impossible task!
When the leader of a nation picks for important appointments (that are not subject to constitutional requirements and oversight by the NASS) only those from a narrow segment of the society he inadvertently hobbles the effectiveness of his government in several ways—chiefly because those that he hired into the most senior posts would also end up hiring those whom they know best.
The end result would be that the government no longer truly reflects the ethnic, religious and gender diversity beyond those mandated by the constitution.
The current Nigerian government is dysfunctional for the same reasons that incestuous families are dysfunctional and unsustainable in the long run.
President Buhari's biggest mistake was that he chose to assure the security of his government and prevent a military overthrow by appointing into powerful offices in the security agencies, military and police mostly those of northern Nigerian origin instead of resting the security of his government on the maintenance of the tenets of the Nigerian constitution which forbids unlawful military takeover of democratically elected government.
Nigeria's First Lady warned several months ago that the cabal surrounding her husband's Presidency might end up being its Achilles' heel. She might have spoken too soon.
The unfortunate circumstance we find ourselves in Nigeria is that there are currently no credible alternatives in sight. If there are they are yet to emerge from the dark. The current parade of Presidential aspirants in Nigeria does not leave much hope for the future.
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