Evidences from incidents of lack of coherence in policy making, implementation and information management strategy show that there seems to be some disconnects and lack of lucidity within President Muhammadu Buharis cabinet, writes EMAMEH GABRIEL.The seeming disconnect and mismanagement of information in the current administration has over time raised questions among Nigerians as to who is in charge and will there ever be an end in sight to the odds.There have also been discordant tunes from ministries, departments and agencies over the policies and programmes of the administration with public information often fickle, if not conflicting on major issues.This characteristic feature has consistently been manifested in policy summersault and sometimes in frictions among President Buharis henchmen. It has been established in some quarters that, aside the unfitting management of information strategy of the government, the perception of brewing cold war among ministers and permanent secretaries, DGs and even among members of the Presidents kitchen cabinet cannot be totally ruled out.It is like the rhythm from the drums and gung are not in tandem with the steps of the dancer on the stage. One of such show of backflips was sighted recently at the inauguration and dissemination of the National Quality Assurance Handbook for Secondary Education in Nigeria.The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, had in the event while fielding questions from newsmen, not only caught by surprise when the question on the decision of the federal government to increase the schools fees of unity schools across the country by 300 per cent was raised, but was also ill at ease on getting to know that he was kept in the dark about the new development.The National Parents and Teachers Association of Federal Government Colleges had raised fears over the increment of school fees by 300 per cent in federal government colleges in the country. NAPTATFEGC had through its national president, Gabriel Nnaji, told newsmen that there was an additional N50, 000 charges on the new fees bringing it to N75, 000.Startled with the change, the education minister said neither has he given such authorization nor had knowledge of the development. I am not aware that school fees vof unity schools have been increased. I am the Minister of Education and I am not aware, said Adamu.But on the contrary, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Folashade Yemi-Esan, insisted that there was an increment in the school fees in unity schools across the country. She confirmed that, though there was an increase, it was not 300 per cent as initially speculated.Mrs. Yemi-Esan said, the school fees for federal government colleges have been increased but not up to 300 per cent as claimed. You area aware of the realities in the country; it is important for the colleges to be able to maintain the students that are there and you must also be aware that these schools are tuition free.So, what has been increased is the boarding fees; I do not have the figures but it is not N75, 000. It is list and when you check the breakdown, it is not up to 30 per cent.Meanwhile on the contrary, a document obtained by NAN shows that boarding fee was upped from N8, 000 to N15, 000, while other 15 items listed in the document also indicates that parents are to pay N55, 000 in the new charges.While the Minister of Education had denied knowledge of the development, it has been alleged that he Adamu and Professor Anthony Anwuka, (Minister of State for Education) are currently locked in cold war over appointments in agencies and parastatals. It was alleged that Adamus denial was unconnected with his feud with his Professor Anwuka and other elements in the ministry of education.From findings, it is clear that the duo have not been getting along since the announcement of the removal of 17 Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of parastatals, agencies and commissions under the Ministry of Education.It was alleged that Adamu, a confidant of President Muhammadu Buhari, had made recommendations to the president on the appointment of new CEOs to replace those sacked without consulting his colleague, Anwuka.The minister has been accused by some sources within the Ministry of Education of sidelining other stakeholders in the ministry while running a one man show.The recent sack of the former ex-JAMB boss, Professor Dibu Ojerinde, was believed to be connected with disagreement between Adamu and Ojerinde over the 2016 admission exercise into universities and other tertiary institutions. It was rumoured that the trouble started looming immediately after the post-Universities Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) was canceled by the minister.A source in the ministry of Education who spoke in confidence with some newsmen said: For us, the removal of Ojerinde as Registrar/Chief Executive of JAMB did not come as a surprise. The Minister is very smart because he knew he was dealing with a Professor. What Adamu did was to wait for an opportunity when many CEOs would be involved.If Ojerinde had been sacked earlier, it would be seen to be politically-motivated. But now that many of them were affected, nobody can read politics into it.A near similar scenario was manifested in the handling of the devaluation of the naira. Buhari seems, obviously, no longer in charge in some cases.It could be recalled that the President had persistently rebuffed pressure on him to devalue the naira, insisting that a further devaluation of the naira would mean killing it. The President had challenged Nigerian economists and financial analysts to give him reasons to devalue the countrys currency when the country is at the verge of going into recession.The CBN Governor, Godwin Emifiele, had in the usual manner defiled the Presidents stands and went ahead to devalue the naira few months after. While reacting to the development after the Ramadam fast with members of the Nigerian business community at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, the President who expressed disappointment over the action of Emifiele, said the CBN policy has not add any value to struggling economy.I dont like the returns I get from the CBN concerning the devaluation of the Naira. In August 1985, the Naria was N1.3 to a dollar but now you need N300 or N350 to a dollar. What do we derive from that' How much benefit can we derive from this ruthless devaluation of the Naira, the president queried.In May this year, the Minister of Transport, Chibuike Amaechi, and the minister of state for petroleum, Ibeh Kachikwu, differed on the establishment of a Nigerian Maritime University, proposed for Okerenkoko in Delta State. The media and social media was awashed with the development leaving interested Nigerians in polity with divided opinions.Amaechi had in a town meeting with other ministers in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, defended the decision of the Buhari administration to scrap the project on the ground that the Goodluck Jonathans administration paid disproportionately to acquire a site for the university.The former governor of Rivers State was in January this year summoned by the senate committee on maritime after announcing the scrapping of the project to defend his decision. Amaechi, however, cited insecurity in the area, and said the project was a misplacement of priority because there are transport institutes in Zaria (Kaduna), and Oron (Akwa Ibom), already.But in a different tune, the Minister of Petroleum (States) Mr. Ibe Kachikwu disagreed with Mr. Amaechi, citing his own reasons why the government should continue with the project, holding that it is a baby the South-South must thrive to nurture for the sake of the development of the region.According to him, First, let me say on Okerenkoko University, I disagree with the Minister of Transport, he said. Any facility that is located in the South-South we should work close to developing it. I dont care the circumstances under which you are placed.Its not in my position to determine whether land was valued at 3 billion or 10 billion. The appropriate institution which is at the cost system will determine that. That has nothing to do with development of infrastructure. And as far as I know, so much has already gone into the university.So much physical of assets are being developed. We are not going to throw away the baby with bath water. We deal with the issues but the university will be developed. If he (Amaechi) does not want it in Maritime, I will take it in petroleum, added Kachikwu.A week later, news of a major conflict involving three of the closest members of Buharis kitchen cabinet broke out. An ego war was reported to have pitched Buharis Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari, and Lawal Daura, DG, DSS against Ibrahim Magu, the EFCC chairman.The bone of contention, inside sources claim, was Magus intransigence over attempts by Abba Kyari and the DG DSS to pervert investigations and cover up corruption allegedly perpetrated by Jide Omokore of Sahara Energy, a close associate of former Petroleum Minister, Diezani Allison-Madueke, who is now enmeshed in corruption scandal.Sources revealed that Magus letter of nomination to the Senate for confirmation was delayed by the Chief of Staff and the Attorney General of the Federation because of his abeyance to withdraw charges against Omokore and others.The in-fighting within the ranks is said to have been highlighted with the orchestrated arrest and detention of Air Commodore Umar Muhammed, a member of the presidential panel investigating arms procurement. The arrest was on the orders of the DSS boss, a co-member of the same panel. Sources say the exercise was meant to serve Magu with same nails intended to use against others.It also alleged that the quiet rumblings within the kitchen cabinet have not gone un-noticed, and that President Buhari is said to be chewing softly on the matter because of its sensitive nature, and his well-known stance against corruption.A near similar scenario was manifested in the handling of the devaluation of the naira. Buhari seems, obviously, no longer in charge in some cases. It could be recalled that the President had persistently rebuffed pressure on him to devalue the naira, insisting that a further devaluation of naira would mean killing it. The President had challenged Nigerian economists and financial analysts to give him reasons to devalue the countrys currency when the country is at the verge of recession.The CBN Governor, Godwin Emifiele, had in the usual manner defiled the Presidents stands and went ahead to devalue the naira some weeks later. While reacting to the development after the Ramadam fast with members of the Nigerian business community at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, the President said the CBN policy has not add any value to the struggling economy.I dont like the returns I get from the CBN concerning the devaluation of the Naira. In August 1985, the Naria was N1.3 to a dollar but now you need N300 or N350 to a dollar. What do we derive from that' How much benefit can we derive from this ruthless devaluation of the Naira, the president queried.In June 2015 ordered the dismantling of military checkpoints across the country but the decision was greeted by public outcry as that would give members of the Boko Haram sect easy passage to almost every part of the country. About a month after, the government made a shocking U-turn and reversed the directive.In August 2015 both the local and foreign media was agog with reports that the Nigerian government had engaged the services of foreign soldiers or mercenaries to fight insurgency in the north. Even when the Turkish News Agency (Agency Anadolu) confirmed the report, the military authorities in Nigeria rubbished the report despite the impeccable nature of an initial report from the military headquarters.Yet again, the government came up with the policy of Treasury Single Account (TSA) and ordered each Federal Government Ministry, Department or Agency to start paying into the said account all government revenues, incomes and other receipts. This directive applies to fully funded organs of government like the Ministries, Departments, Agencies and Foreign Missions, as well as the partially funded ones, like Teaching Hospitals, Medical Centres, Federal Tertiary Institutions, etc. Agencies like the CBN, SEC, CAC, NPA, NCC, FAAN, NCAA, NIMASA, NDIC, NSC, NNPC, FIRS, NCS, MMSD, DPR were also included.On noticing that the directive was not properly examined before a presidential directive was issued out, the federal government again for the umpteenth time made a U-turn and exempted the NNPC and a number other agencies from the TSA policy.In May this year, another comical scenario played out when a statement credited to the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, that fuel subsidy has not been removed. Surprisingly, three days later the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Mr. Ibe Kachikwu, denied the removal of subsidy. This incident left Nigerians wondering as to who among the two was telling the truth.The controversies that surrounded Mr. Presidents trip to China this year further struck the confidence of Nigerians. The Presidents spokesman had announced to the nation that his principal was off to China to sign a $2 billion loan agreement but on the contrary the figure rose to $6 billion when Buhari arrived at China.The presidency had in December 2015 submitted the 2016 appropriation bill to a joint section of the national assembly. The National Assembly had hardly settled down to commence review of the budget, when it was discovered that there were separate versions of the budget: one from the President himself and the other doctored by his Special Adviser on National Assembly Matters, Senator Ita Enang, and other elements within the government. Till this day, the legacies of controversy surrounding the padding of 2016 budget is still a matter of greater national concern that may likely rip the House of Representatives apart.From the preparation to the submission of the 2016 Appropriation Bill to the current quantity of electricity generation, the planned dialogue with the Niger Delta agitators, the fine imposed on the MTN Communications Ltd. by National Communication Commission (NCC) botched trips to Edo, Lagos and Rivers among others, all have been riddled with one controversy or the other.The rhythm had never enjoyed any form of coherency. There seems to be some disconnects and lack of lucidity within President Muhammadu Buhari and those he has delegated responsibilities to, to Mann the various sectors in the government. The doublespeak and showmanship that have persistently fueled by covert battles among the ranks within the government is giving room for skepticisms.While it is not right to rule out the merits of divergence of views among government functionaries and appointees, the fight for supremacy within the APC government has however left a lot of Nigerians skeptical over the competency of the president and his team to steer the affairs of the nation at a critical moment of the nations history when the country is at the verge of recession.Optimal development and change did not only require harnessing a countrys assets, its capital, human and natural resources to meet the demands from its population as comprehensively as possible, the prevailing wisdom is that the government will achieve more if there is synergy between the individuals charged to run the affairs of the government. Obviously, this is lacking in the current administration as the beatings from the drums and gungs are proportionally different from the dance at the centre of the stage.When a government endeavors to give greater weight to fulfilling its promises and bringing development to the people, it is in the offing to find the development mechanisms inadequate when there are discordant among the mechanisms the government is made up of.The strength of any government depends not only on people charged to run the affairs of the government but the degree of confidence the people have in the government.As a matter of national concern, there must be a synergy between all the hands recruited by the government to manage the affairs of the country to ensure that all forms of discordant are reduced, if totally eliminated to once again boost the confidence of the people in the government.
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