Every Change Comes With Consequences -By Mohammed Aliyu Baba

In every democratic setting, politics is the key factor through which a government operates. And in a normal situation, no government would be in existence without passing through the electoral process in which people are the key players that normally vote the government Into power.

Usually, quite a number of candidates do show interest seeking to be voted into power to pilot the affairs of the state/country. But the electorates ultimately decide at the polls who governs them. They thereafter entrust their trust on a candidate of their choice to drive them to a promised land.

In the meantime, the tongue only depends on the teeth to bite the food, while the teeth have no idea how the food tastes. It does the work and even sustains injury at times, but the tongue takes all the joy. This is exactly what the electorates do for the politicians.

The people of Kaduna State did this in 2015 and 2019 respectively to elect their governor which produced Mallam Nasir Ahmed El-rufa’i. He was the man deemed fit the position to make Kaduna great considering his high profile as a former minister of the federal republic, and outspoken agent or politician on national issues.

The man who could be described as small but mighty dared the status quo and is doing what he deems necessary for Kaduna State to be great again. After all, that is the essence of calling him to serve the state. People want the change that could better their lives and do away with abnormal normal of previous administrations. However, the meaning(s) of the word “change” in the world of intellectuals means a lot, and most at times, it differs from general or public perception.

Change could occur and the consequences of it could either be positive or negative; the effects could be on individuals, groups, or the public.

In 2017, El-rufa’i started the change by administering a test on primary school teachers in the state, and later dismissed about 21,000 teachers that allegedly failed the primary four questions used in the test. The dismissal caused a lot of uproar during the period; but in the animal kingdom, the cat dares not challenge the tiger. So at the end, everything died down and those who called or glamoured for change received the knock and eventually retired to fate.

When the people of Kaduna State think they have had enough of unfavourable change through 2017 disengagement of their brothers in the state civil service; to prolonged 2020 Covid-19 lockdown without palliatives, they received another shock of their lives again this year for sudden arrival of yet another dismissal storm which sweeps away another set of civil servants at the state and local government levels across the state. The heat of the latest phenomenon is still burning as at the time of giving birth to this write up. As usual however, this will also become part of the history despite the decries at the moment.

Human beings want a better change but surprisingly, they don’t realize that a prize must be paid for it. For every change (political or not), favourable or unfavorable consequences must follow. People tend to focus more on the positive result of change which cannot always be. To have an appreciative change, certain individuals must be hurt.

Only those who understand the value of tomorrow (especially through education) can appreciate what El-rufa’i is doing in Kaduna State today. As a matter of fact, many states in Nigeria particularly in the northern part are in dire need of the man’s daring policies to sanitize the system. Let’s keep sentiment aside and say it objectively. No reasonable government worth keeping running an unproductive venture. Any country or state with an unproductive workforce would definitely experience a stagnant economy.

We know that it is distressful to lose a means of livelihood but as patriotic citizens, we worth to accept meaningful government policies that are for the best interest of the state.

However, it is unreasonable on the part of the government that only focuses on the civil servants or their little benefits to cut down the cost of governance, while the political appointees and representatives are allowed to go home with unjustifiable huge amount(s) of money as salary and undeserving allowances for every assignment. These are the people who work under a conducive atmosphere and forechoice. But those working round the clock under immense tension are left with meager amounts that could not even sustain their families. This is an uncouth act that is worth changing.

Information has it that the recently retrenchment done by the Kaduna State government was to allow the state government to sustain the payment of #30,000 minimum wage implemented in 2019. Most of the workers involve were officers from grade level 01-06 that are still using First Leaving School Certificate (FLSC) or Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) whose monthly total emolument is still struggling to reach #30,000. This is a state in a country where councilors who are the lowest political office holders receive a whopping sum of #669,105 as basic salary and #501,828 domestic allowance among other benefits. The above figures and the subsequent figures are credited to: Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission.

According to the analyses, local government chairmen receive a basic salary of #1,026,327 with domestic allowance of #769,745 and other benefits.

The state commissioners earn about #1.33 million monthly as basic salary. Yet, they have no problem with all these inappropriate huge amounts, but the #30,000 of common civil servants that voted them into political offices for a better change.

Many Nigerians especially the masses have called for the reduction in basic salary and entitlements of public officials, as it is believed that they are earning more than they deserve. Although many may also argue that it is not the salaries of these public office holders that is the cause of the economic misery in the country, however, tendencies are that it may be part of the cause.

Therefore, El-rufa’i should also reason that half of these political officials’ salaries, if cut down and put into judicious use, could give hundred-thousands of unemployed youth useful employment instead of this retrenchment approach that could escalate unemployment rate; thereby causing/increasing social vices in the state. The frith in the state is already unstable. So no reasonable individual or government can afford to add fuel to the fire.

To this effect, our political leaders (not just El-rufa’i) should know and acknowledge the fact that the political system of government in this part of the world is too expensive to operate, hence, the dire need for inevitable restructuring of benefits in governance, instead of focusing on the poor civil servants.

To the El-rufa’i that want to make Kaduna like Lagos overnight; look, the development you are seeing in Lagos today started over donkey years ago. It is never the work of one administration but ‘developmental continuity’ by succeeding administrations that many states including Kaduna lack. No matter how you strive, you can’t achieve the departmental stride in Lagos within a period of 4-8 years. And the major reason this administration is having a shortage of funds is the fact that the capital projects it has started are overwhelming the revenue capacity of the state. And if not checked, the state will continue to experience a budget deficit that not even the sacking of the entire workforce in the state could solve. Just do your best and hopefully, the successive governments will follow suit.

Mohammed, Aliyu Baba is a student of A.B.U, Zaria.

He writes from Kaduna, Nigeria.

He can be reached via: aliyu0380@gmail.com