The challenges for leadership in
the 21st century is that more people are competing for continuously reducing
resources. The margin for error is far slimmer today than ever and followers
are less forgiving of fruitless and sterile leadership. They do not care for
excuses. You either get the job done or leave the space for someone else. No
stories. But, it is never that simple. Resources are not infinite, yet our
needs and demands are. Prioritising, emotional balancing and spotting killer
ideas are now critical skills every leader must possess. However, even these
may still leave anyone short, as the Governor of Oyo State, Senator Abiola
Ajimobi, may have come to realise.
That Sen. Ajimobi is going to leave
his state in a much better shape than he met it is not in doubt. His efforts at
fostering enduring peace and progress in the state have been extremely
fruitful. His massive investment in building infrastructure has made him the
darling of his people. His charisma is infectious and his work ethic is superb.
So, why is he facing the heat from a section of his states civil service? I
respectfully postulate that a lack of understanding of the issues may be
responsible here. I’ll explain.
Nigeria’s political and
socio-economic system is so convoluted and intertwined. One policy affects the
entire chain, sometimes with unwanted and avoidable consequences. The inability
of many state governors to meet their obligations to the people is a direct
result of the minimum wage signed into law by Former President Goodluck
Jonathan. We will all recall how in 2010, following the agitation by the
Nigeria Labour Congress, the new National Minimum Wage became N18, 000 per
month. Mr. Jonathan signed the bill despite the resistance put up by the
Nigeria Governors’ Forum led by Former Governor Rotimi Ameachi of Rivers State.
In fact, only Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State supported the then
President in the passage of the act. Today, states have become imprisoned by
that act. As revenue from oil has dropped, some states have become hostages to
the civil service as the money coming in barely covers their salaries and
pensions.
The case of Oyo state is particularly
pathetic. Although, the governor has built up the internally-generated revenue
of the state to about N1.2billion monthly, the state’s wage bill of N5.2billion
(a jump of 25% from the pre-minimum wage increase levels) dwarfs that
considerably. Added to the fact that the state’s monthly allocation from the
federal government has dropped by 30% for over 10 months, you start to see the
picture. There is a minimum of N1billion shortfall every month just to cover
wages and pension of civil servants without considering overheads and capital
expenditures. When you consider that the entire workforce is less than 1% of
the state’s population, you would understand the dilemma the leader of that
state is in.
Gratefully, the state is one of
those whose debts have been restructured following a deal involving the federal
government and the Central Bank of Nigeria, the climax of which saw Oyo getting
a loan of N26.6billion. The temptation would be to celebrate but the champagne
would have to remain firmly placed on ice. If massive civil service reforms are
not implemented and the state continues to get a miserly N3b a month - or less
- the debt profile would build up again. A ramp up of the IGR is one way to
solve this problem and it would require the total support of the people of Oyo
state to achieve this feat.
This is the era of knowledge.
Leaders will be judged on how much value they can draw from the infinite
resource called the human mind. Locked in the hearts and brains of his people
lie some of the wonderful ideas that will hand the state all the money it needs
to thrive. Sen. Ajimobi’s lasting legacy may depend on how he finds these ideas
and turns the proverbial water into wine. That’s what great leaders do, anyway.
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