Africa: Conflicts, corruption, weak institutions, signs of failed leadership – Osinbajo

Acting President Yemi Osinbajo on Tuesday tasked political office holders in Nigeria and African countries within the Commonwealth on the need to provide quality leadership under democratic dispensation.

Osinbajo who gave the charge at the opening of 16th Speakers and Presiding Officers of Parliaments from across the Commonwealth’s Africa Region held in Abuja, bemoaned the high rate of poor and deprived across African region.

“In Africa and the developing world the angst and cynicism of the populace is worse. Conflicts, corruption, weak institutions have ensured that the largest numbers of the poor and deprived come from our continent and there is unanimity of opinion that it is the failure of leadership. So while we speak of our legislative halls as hallowed chambers, our courts as temples of justice, and the executive villas as corridors of power, all suggestive of grand but isolated institutions.

“The reality for the majority of our peoples is the misery of the slums and the indignities of powerlessness. So while we describe ourselves as Excellencies, distinguished and honorable the vast majority our people would in their most polite moments say that they see neither excellence nor much honour in their own lives.

“The leadership positions we occupy is a short lease that providence and the electorate have given us to shape the present and determine the future of millions and the generations that will be born to them, it would be foolish indeed to think that it is an occasion for self aggrandizement or the pursuit of selfish interests. The responsibility that privilege and power place upon us is to do our utmost to change the current bleak narratives and projections for our nation and the world.

“Poverty, hunger and disease can truly become history by the pursuing those legislative and executive options that target education food security, healthcare for all. Let me say that the National Assembly and the executive have shown that when we work together we can make the quantum leaps  in bettering the lives and livelihoods of our people,” Osinbajo observed.

The Acting President who applauded the synergy between the Executive and Legislative arms of government in Nigeria, noted that the collaboration has helped Nigeria which spent over N1 trillion in 2014 on rice importation to restrategize towards becoming self sufficient in rice production by 2018.

“In the last two years Nigeria which is the largest producer of rice in West Africa and the second largest importer of rice in the world as changed that story. Our rice import bill in 2014 was 1 biilion a month. Today by a combination of progressive legislative appropriation to Agriculture and providing single digit credit under our anchor borrowers programme for the purchase the right fertilizer quality and other inputs and credit, many rice farmers moved from getting yields of 3.5mt per hectare to 7.5mt per hectare.

“Importation of rice has dropped by over 80 percent and we will be self sufficient in rice production by the end of 2018. We have empowered the rural farmers, over 1.43 million rice farmers alone.

“Again because we chose to work together the National Assembly at the request of the Executive appropriated N500 billion about $3 billion for the largest social investments programme in sub-Saharan Africa.

“The fund allows us to engage 500,000 young graduates in our N-Power scheme, to give cash transfers to a million of the poorest in our society, to extend microcredit to a million market women, artisans, and small businesses.

“It enables us to begin a social housing fund in the sum of N1 trillion with government putting in N100 billion annually. The fund will provide finance on a counterpart basis for developers and create mortgage facilities  that will ultimately enable anyone to pay N30,000 a month to own a home,” he said.

On his part, Speaker Yakubu Dogara noted that Presiding Officers in the Legislative arm of government, have a major role to play in sustaining parliamentary democracy and the rule of law in our respective countries.

“The Presiding Officer’s role is to not just to maintain order, put questions after debate and conduct divisions, interpret and apply the Standing Orders and practices of the House by making rulings and decisions, serving as the mouthpiece for the House, upholding the rights and privileges of Members and of the House but has a profound political and extensive administrative role being responsible, with his colleagues for the overall direction of the Parliament especially in a presidential system of government.

“Furthermore, as one of leaders of the country presiding over elected representatives of the people , he or she has a duty and responsibility to ensure stability in his/her country and delivery of good and accountable governance to the constituents of Parliamentarians.

“To ensure good governance in Africa, the legislature and the Executive branch of government must cooperate and deliberately provide a conducive atmosphere for the smooth running of all governmental institutions. Even though in most presidential systems of government, personnel and functions are separated, yet it is true to say that government departments or arms of government in modern times have overlapping functions and responsibilities, and must therefore work together as one government serving the people’s needs and aspirations.

“Africa is in a hurry to develop, it is in a hurry to vanquish poverty, ignorance and disease. Our people have no patience for squabbles between various organs of government and it is the duty of the Presiding Officer to ensure that the Legislature supports the Executive for good governance to thrive while maintaining its relative independence. The legislature as the first Institution of democracy must sacrifice more in this endeavor even if the gesture is not often returned by the Executive,” Dogara stressed.