Theory “X” Or “Y” -By Sulaiman Maijama’a

It is obvious that the whole government business revolves around three areas: policy formulation, policy implementation and policy monitoring. In terms formulation, every government can be vocal by amplifying its policies on media but, those policies end of not seeing the light of the day. The most difficult, too daunting and Herculean task in the whole business, is implementation and monitoring, which are twin sisters. This might not be unconnected with why Douglass McGregos, a behavioral management theorist profounded theory “X” and “Y”. Theory “X” categories people whom when given a work, need closer supervision before they deliver. People in the “Y” theory, on the other hand, need no supervision at all before carrying out the responsibility they are saddled with; all they need is to be given a job and they will do it neatly.

For any serious and responsible government that wants to record success, inspection of projects must be among its topmost priorities to access the level of progress being made, the quality of work being done and the seriousness of the contractors handling the projects. These when aggregated constitutes and spells the prospect of any government, excelling in every aspect of development; there is no two ways to this.

With this preamble, I believe the reader can presume with more than scientific accuracy that, one underlying secret that keep propelling the giant stride Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State is taking, in terms of infrastructure, is his constant inspection, in most cases, unscheduled. Unlike previous administration of Muhammad Abdullahi Abubakar and co, governor Bala Mohammad’s projects are given recognition beyond paper and media, despite the number of the projects. Perhaps this is why the governor appointed a Special Assistant on projects monitoring.

There was a time the governor departed for Abuja on a working visit for days. After having engagements with development partners, having busy days and sleepless nights to the extent that his entourage were expecting that he would take a break for a week or two; surprisingly, however, upon the governor’s return to Bauchi, in precision, immediately his flight landed, he went straightforward to inspect the Hajj Camp that was under construction. This is the real subordination of personal interest to public interest which has grown and blossomed into becoming a “lesser faire” type of leadership, whereby the leader sacrifices his pleasure for the pleasure of his people. With this, how could any contractor not be serious, no matter how inserious he is? The project I’m talking about is now at the verge of completion hundred percent.

The aforementioned example is just one, out of hundreds and this should not come with surprise, because even the projects awarded by the previous administration of Muhammad Abdullahi Abubakar have not been dashed or taken for granted. It could be recalled that, earlier last year, in his extraordinary approach to ensure all abandoned projects awarded by the previous governor were completed, Senator Bala Mohammed read a riot act, threatening to sue some contractors handling road projects abandoned in the State. He ordered refunds, if the infrastructure could not be completed on schedule. This was out of the Governor’s sense of responsibility to ensure the full execution of the projects and fortunately, since his proclamation, the contractors have taken stock of their responsibility unlike before.

Recently, the governor was out “to inspect additional projects awarded by his administration to deepen monitoring and evaluation mechanisms.” The projects visited, according to the governor’s Special Assistant on Media, Lawal Mu’azu Bauchi “were renovated Gabarin Primary Healthcare Centre, Comprehensive Primary Healthcare Centre, Darazo, ongoing construction and upgrading of Maladu Ayuba Primary School, Dagauda in Dambam.

Others were Primary Healthcare Centre Bulkachuwa and urban primary healthcare centre Azare, ongoing upgrade of Model Science School Azare, Central Model School Mashema and construction of Wuro Nagge Primary Healthcare Centre in Giade.”

What is most interesting is the fact that, in these places visited, the comments of the governor differ; in some places he expressed satisfaction with the quality and the level of work being done and motivated that, more need to be done; in some places, he expressed concern and demanded for change of approach for his administration accepts nothing less than standard, while in other places the governor offered them glad tidings. It means only with monitoring and evaluation, a leader can understand how progressive or otherwise he is, in order to further build on the good deeds or reappraise his lapses. In this, governor Bala Mohammed is fortunate to have adopted the theory “X”

Theory “X” is the best to adopt!

Maijama’a, Faculty of Communication, bUK
sulaimanmaija@gmail.com