It is becoming increasingly clear that Peter Mbah and Ifeanyi Ossai, Governor and Deputy, complement each other, not just in terms of professional symmetry, but also because of their willpower to follow through on issues without yielding any space to the interest of the political elite and powerbrokers. The handling of the subsidy palliative by the Deputy Governor, Ifeanyi Ossai, has shown that the era of profiteering and cronyism with public goods and services is over.
Of course, social and economic palliative is a standard practice all over the world. It is almost always a response to crisis situations. For example, on July 5, 1948, the Labour Party Government in the United Kingdom led by Clement Attlee introduced free healthcare services for its citizens. It was a response to the harrowing experience of the Second World War. In the United States, more than 24 cities presently offer zero fare public transport as an economic recovery measure in post Covid-19 America.
Nigeria is by no means a stranger to social and economic analgesia. Former President Obasanjo launched poverty alleviation program targeted at the poorest of the poor. Sadly, the program turned out to be a well-primed conduit pipe for funnelling cash into the pockets of politicians and powerbrokers.
Under former President Buhari there were several poverty alleviation programs, but they were all total hogwash. All the grandiloquent noise about cash transfer, e-wallet and school-feeding were economically ineffectual. In fact, Nigeria acquired a demoralising alias as the poverty capital of the world.
The school-feeding program was in particular a tribute to chicanery. We all remember the picture of former Vice-President Osibanjo relishing a well-supplied plate of rice amidst smiling school-children, which contrasted sharply with the half-ladles of spiceless plates of rice handed out to kids in schools all over the country.
However, Tinubu’s fuel de-subsidisation palliative may likely record some measure of success depending on the ability of State Governors to domesticate the scheme in their respective states. It was the consensus of the National Economic Council (NEC) to implement the program through the state governors to be able to infiltrate the poverty strong-holds in rural areas.
In Enugu State, Governor Peter Mbah delegated his Deputy, Ifeanyi Ossai, to preside over the whole chain of the distribution of the palliative. And Ossai has done an amazing job judging from the accolades that have been pouring in for the Government from community stakeholders.
In a developed society, where practically everyone has a bank account and have pay slips, it is easy to assess the financial standing of anyone at any point. In Nigeria, most rural dwellers don’t operate bank accounts. Consequently, ranking people on the economic scale presents a conundrum. Nonetheless, Ossai found a way to fix it.
First, he set up Committees in all the 260 wards in the state comprising church leaders and men and women of incontestable integrity. And then marshalled out criteria for eligibility to benefit from the palliative: (1) family with out-of-school child/children (2) person/s detained in hospital after treatment or denied treatment because of poverty (3) widows (4) the physically challenged and persons, who rely on charity; and (5) orphans.
Almost one week after the distribution was flagged off, there is not even a squawk from any quarters. Rather encomiums are overflowing from the grassroots and Igwes and community stakeholders are swamping the office of the Deputy Governor with appreciations and goodwill messages. Apparently, the palliative got to the people, who need it. With one thousand beneficiaries from each of the 260 wards in the state, the impact is resonating in the communities. I also understand that other states are reaching out for the Enugu template.
Peter Mbah is categorical that the guiding principles of his Government are transparency and traceability. He has brought the financial discipline that accounted for his success in the private sector into public service. Three months after inauguration, the Government has not bought a single vehicle for its officials, yet all hands are on deck for the prosperity of the state. The hallmark of public service is selflessness, and the present Government is manifesting it in unambiguous terms.
God bless Enugu State!
Dr Hyginus Eze
