A professor of political economy and management expert,
Pat Utomi, has faulted the system of governance in
Nigeria.

Despite being a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC),
Professor Utomi believes the present administration is finding it
difficult to connect to the solutions to the problems of the
country.

“I think that the government is crippled; it is not connecting
to the solution,” he said during his appearance on Channels
Television’s Sunday Politics.

The economist added, “If there is anything absent in Nigeria, it
is leadership. At every level of our society, there is a failure of
leadership.

“Leadership is about connecting to the soul of the people and
giving everything sacrificially to lift it up.”

He decried that the nation’s political class has failed to align
itself to the new reality, stressing that Nigeria lacked the type
of politics that would enable the government to be responsive to
the needs of the people.

A Failed Political Class

Professor Utomi explained that this, among several other
reasons, led to the emergence of the National Consultative Forum –
a political group that he co-chairs.

He stated that the present situation in the country was not
about the performance of a particular government, adding that it
has generated to what he described as a national crisis.

“We have an existential crisis. The political class has failed
Nigeria (let’s be honest), including all of us.

“I am part of them but I have fought always to make it different
but you don’t always win,” said the APC member who lost the bid to
be governor of Delta State in the 2019 general elections.

He was worried that the structure of the political system has
prevented those who want to make a difference from being
successful.

The economist stated that there was no internal democracy with
the various political parties, stressing that they have been turned
into the “private properties of some people whose word is law”.

He described such individuals as people motivated by personal
power, influence, and search for material resources, noting that
their actions have prevented the country from running as it ought
to.

Hijack Of Executive Functions?

Speaking on the roles of the executive and legislative arms of
government, Professor Utomi accused the National Assembly of
usurping the duties of the ministries.

He said, “There is a total collapse of separation of powers and
the legislature has taken over running the executive and the
executive is complicit in allowing that to happen.

“Anytime I have been asked to analyse the budget in this country
for the last 20 years, I don’t analyse the budget because the
budget process in this county is a joke.”

“Today, the House Committee Chair on appropriation is more
important to a national budget than the Minister of Finance because
this game that is played in the National Assembly means that what
comes out is really the budget of the National Assembly, not of the
executive branch and the executive branch has refused to engage the
matter.

“What is going on today is a hijack of the executive functions
by the legislature and for most of them, it is just a game,” he
added

According to the professor, some ministers have complained to
him that the lawmakers run their budget and their ministries are
being run from the National Assembly.

He, however, proposed a constitutional reform that would
essentially reduce the legislative branch to the citizen and
part-time legislature.

Read more https://swordpress.com.ng/2020/08/31/leadership-absent-in-nigeria-govt-is-crippled-pat-utomi/