Date: 2014-04-26

In our country, project commissioning ceremonies are elaborate affairs. In fact, we have become so used to it that we even criticise any administration that doesn't commission projects in an elaborate ceremony and on time. Only recently, a Governorship candidate of an opposition party in one of the south western states of Nigeria accused the incumbent governor of non performance since he has not been seen commissioning any project(s). The latter in response started commissioning all the projects he has completed which he hadn't commissioned, including roads already in use.

Why is it that all our governments are fond of executing projects that are their constitutional responsibilities and still stage an exotic ceremony to commission same? What's so special in renovating a school, rehabilitating a road or building a borehole? These are normal responsibilities of government. The money spent on commissioning is even enough to execute another project. Yet people praise and pour accolades on them. Isn't that what they were elected to do? 'Abi na their own money dem take do the projects'? Nobody praises the tax payers but we all praise the people we pay to spend the taxes for us. All our governors will be carrying on as if the state is their company and they are using their personal resources to run it. Abegi!

Whenever they carry out any project with OUR MONEY, we will start praising them to high heavens. Some of these projects are even below international standards in quality. They have so infected us with low standards that at the sight of any little performance by a government executive, he looks like a messiah to us. It's just like a civil servant who praises himself for going to work everyday, or a vulcanizer who pumps a tyre and starts praising himself. Why should we praise you for doing your normal duty? This Naija sef!

A friend of mine (Nigerian) who has relocated to Rio in Brazil due to Nigeria's 'planless planlessness' (apologies to Hon. Obahiagbon) for the youths was telling me recently that a bridge has just been constructed not far from his house and as a Nigerian, he was waiting for when they would come to commission it in an elaborate ceremony. But to his surprise, there was nothing of the kind and in fact the bridge was immediately after completion, opened for public use. In Nigeria, the Governor of that state would invite Mr President, fellow governors and all traditional rulers in that state to commission it. They will adorn 'aso ebis' and make spectacular dance moves... just to commission a bridge or borehole! They will spend money enough to construct several kilometres of road on the event. Why are we like this? Is this how we want to be among the best 20 economies in the world? A country where the president dances on TV upon signing a contract for the rehabilitation of roads? Where governors celebrate the sinking of a borehole? This is one of the issues I wish our delegates at the ongoing National conference could address. Why should our scarce resources be wasted on commissioning ceremonies?

We really need to start letting these our rulers know that when they are in government, constructing roads, bridges, hospitals, provision of water and electricity and so on, are their routine responsibilities. We pay them heavily to sit in those airconditioned offices and they are expected to perform without being worshipped .

I'm really looking forward to the day we'll have a president or governor who will execute so many projects and would not even have the time to commission any and who will ask people not to praise his works while in government.

Abdulazeez Oyewole (@abdoulherzyz) writes from Ilorin