INTRODUCTION/BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY: Bestowing supports, awarding contracts, giving verdicts and applauses on the basis of sentimental judgment or relatedness of a party is
undeniably the bane of the progress in a national life. Records are apt at telling, that even organizations earn not just stagnancy, but also non-performance, decline in efficiency, waning employees’ morale
and motivations, loss of customers to competitors, dearth of profit/objective realization and labour turnover are prizes for practicing nepotism in business set-ups.
INTRODUCTION/BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY: Bestowing supports, awarding contracts, giving verdicts and applauses on the basis of sentimental judgment or relatedness of a party is
undeniably the bane of the progress in a national life. Records are apt at telling, that even organizations earn not just stagnancy, but also non-performance, decline in efficiency, waning employees’ morale
and motivations, loss of customers to competitors, dearth of profit/objective realization and labour turnover are prizes for practicing nepotism in business set-ups.
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The effects/aftermaths of such practice in the business of governance is the crux of this cursory study, using the condemnable mantra of the south-south kinsmen/women in taking sides of the Nigerian President
Goodluck Jonathan; “Jona na our son, leave am…” (even as issues of National interest, including those of his own constituency worsen under his watch) as case of study.
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The deteriorating status quo in almost all of the sectors and activities in the system of Nigeria, with emphasis on security, energy/electricity, health, education, anti-graft crusading, infrastructures and employment are traceably resulting from the cluelessness and incompetence of the present administration.
Issues of National interest are perturbingly failing to show any progress, but progressing still in their failures. Wobbly state of National security in the face of huge budgetary allocations to security force, declining level of electricity supply even as government spends colossally into the sector, scarcity and hike in the
price of the only nature-bore product that is capable of putting the Nation atop the control of the continent (if not the universe), mismanagement of the mother-region which germinates the monolithic product of the Nigerian economy, sky-diving rate of endemic corruption as if to compete with the heaven’s firmament, dearth of dignifying jobs, fast incinerating public infrastructures, and other eyesores of the Nation, that are only attended to by the creation charade committees have continued to spike further rages and criticisms from the citizens.
In response to the criticisms raised by citizens, south-south kinsmen/women began to rise to the support of what they take as their own, constructing all forms of bulwark around President Goodluck Jonathan, ready to absorb, defend and return any form of criticism even with more scathing feedback. Their idiosyncrasies dramatize protection for Mr. President, not for perceiving the subject of criticism as either being in the interest of the nation or otherwise, but for the reason which is readily imbued in their verbal exchanges
while canvassing among one another; ‘Jona na our pikin’. If the President of a Nation should be seen as the property of a constituency while still in office, leader of ‘where’ would he be referred as, after his fruitless stewardship?
OBJECTIVE OF THE CURSORY STUDY/EVALUATION
The main objective of this cursory study is to x-ray the Nation-sinking aftermaths of the various ‘kinsmanly’ or sentimental support drumming for non-performing public office holders.
Other specific objectives include:
i. To analyze the various ways in which nepotism may result in the under-development of a nationii. To fore-warn ethnic bigots against biting their fingers in future for a sentimental support activity of today
iii. To caution ethnic Nationalities from turning combative in taking unconstructive sides of any public official
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
This study shall attempt to answer the following statements:
i. Is there any relationship between nepotism and inefficiency in the public sector?
ii. How does nepotism help sink a nation into irredeemable quagmire?
iii. Why has Nigeria not united to produce a working government at the center?
RESEARCH HYPOTHESES
The following conjectural statements shall be confirmed in the course of this study
i. There tends to be a perfect relationship between nepotism and inefficiency, in any sector; private or public
ii. Positioning unqualified personnel or backing up an undeserving action will herald regrettable end
iii. Nigerians believe they should position a person/ take side of a person with regional propinquity so that he/she would calculate them favorably into his activities
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
This study shall be found useful by all citizens of countries as well as managers of organizations affected by the scourge of nepotism. It shall also be found valuable by ideologists of brinkmanship. Governmental agencies as well as NGO’s saddled with the responsibility of national citizens’ orientations, ethnic nationalities, scholars with interest in similar areas of study will equally find this report very useful.
SCOPE OF THE STUDY
This study shall analyze the various ways citizens consciously or unconsciously betray patriotism by beating undeserving drums of support for public office holders in a bid to defend their territory, whether the supported person/action is worth condemning or not, using some regional examples.
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This study shall however not ruminate on attacking the personalities behind identifiable malfeasances, but address the issues so identified in order to prevent future recurrence.
OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF THE TERMS
‘Favoritism’ or ‘Nepotism’
For the purpose of this study, we shall use favoritism and nepotism interchangeably. Some operational definitions are carefully supplied as follows:
- Granting or awarding favor to a relative without regard to merit / giving preference undeservedly to a subject
- Ignoring merit, professionalism, expertise, competence, aptitude, experience from criteria in adopting, appointing, electing or selecting a person or options
- Sentimental judgment / sidedness for an opinion or person on the basis of descent, propinquity or regional relatedness/familiarity
Jona our pikin
As adopted in this study, ‘Jona our pikin’ refers to how south-south kinsmen/women are quoted saying at conferences whenever any meeting involved them. They usually disperse with no palpable contributions or
outcomes from their meetings than to defend any criticism perceived to affect President Goodluck Jonathan, even if it requires that they address it together and use their regional closeness to send constructive signals to the President so as to move the Nation forward.
SOME RECENT EVENTS CUDDLING THE ‘PIKIN’ OR ‘OUR SON’
Let this heading serve as our ‘Literature Review’, just to drive home the point.
The Nigerian polity is heating up with south-south stock of ethnic personalities prodding President Goodluck Jonathan to continue his culture of misdirected motivations; motivations backed by financial power but channeled in the wrong directions, even at the expense of the progress of the state.
It was eyesore, having the south-south women convoking rallies and meetings to support the hike in fuel price of petroleum during the January anti-subsidy removal rallies, not because they understand the
rationales behind it, but for the sentimental points of avoiding any form of threat on their ‘pikin’, who is a national steward anyways. It permeates sahara distance to portray the south-south people’s
credulity for any possible malfeasance of the Mr. President. It doesn’t matter what the wrong committed is, whether a prodigal procurement of unnecessary aircraft, wasteful increase in the daily cost of governance, enlargement of the Federal Executive Council just to bring in loyalists in preparation for the 2015 elections at a further heavy cost on Nigeria, reneging from promises to slim down wasteful spending, contracting too many aides to attend meetings where his presence would add no contribution, unaccounted spends on setting up irrelevant committees even when common sense from any Joe would solve the problem – but as far as the wrong is committed by ‘our son’, it is no bug.
Prior to the elections, in a statement credited to President Goodluck Jonathan, he had boasted to the face of the Sultan; “You would have noticed that the fuel queues have disappeared. We are gradually stabilizing power; we are encouraging mechanized farming; opening up new rail networks; we are re-jigging almajiri education so that we can properly expose the children to modern trends without compromising
their cultures and traditions.”
That was while the demagogue humbly persuaded every citizen who cared to listen to vote for him while he was only acting President. Then, he was everybody’s son and all the south-south kinsmen extended hand of fellowship to other citizens. Now, after all the points he boasted on appeared to be turning against him owing to abandonment, citizens are holding him to his statements and responsibilities, he is defended as
the south-south son! Is being a south-south indigene ever immunity from being held to account?
Another bellicose statement which came from Niger-Delta militant Asari Dokubo, while bricking defense for their ‘illustrious son’ reads; "If Jonathan, a Niger Delta son, is not good enough to govern Nigeria, the
oil in his Niger Delta is not good enough for Nigeria. If the Niger Delta people are not good enough to be part of good governance in Nigeria, then our oil and gas of the Niger Delta people is not good enough for Nigeria."
The statement readily acknowledges the awareness of its author to the obvious fact that the referred ‘Niger Delta son’ is incompetent, but since he is from the rich littoral region, he must be accepted ‘the
way he is’ – good or bad.
As they mobilized support for pro-subsidy rally, other Niger-Delta anti-subsidy protesters who were apparently overwhelming in number, were disallowed from taking to the streets to express their dissenting
views. Opinion leaders of the Niger Delta region suppressed them from voicing against their ‘son’. Police guarded the pro-subsidy rally procession, but dispersed the anti-subsidy protesters. Only much
later, another group from the Niger Delta region widely rebuked the anti-people policy of President Jonathan’s administration, making it open that they are disappointed in him – even though he is their
‘son’.
Yet, in a most recent statement which suggests its author requires instant psychiatric attention, Mujahid Asari-Dokubo said Jonathan would occupy Aso Rock for eight years as president.
If he would be President of the south-south region, it would be mostly safe as he is ‘their son’, but if he would be President of Nigeria, all the regions will rebuke him.
If a president from the south-west would be exposed to condemnation by all the regionals, what insulates a president from the south-south from same? When President Jonathan was contesting, was it
‘south-south’ votes that brought him in? Why just too soon, should matters of National interest be studied with sentiments, as if they were ethnic issues?
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
South-south kinsmen and other ethnic bigots putting up defense for political office holders from ethnic enclaves should refrain.
Political office holders are not ethnic or regional ‘sons’ as long as all regions across the nation pulled votes together to install him. If a president fails, he fails the Nation and not the region. If he performs, the effect is more ‘National’ than ‘Regional’.
Caution needs be thoroughly exercised in pulling defense for any political office holder. Even as one fails in his own constituency, with records of oil spillage snowballing than ever; it amounts to a ridiculous jingoism – as if the performance of the ‘son’ is even worth being proud of.
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