Nigerians Decry Financial Recklessness and Wastefulness in Nigeria’s Federalism as Governor Yuguda Dismissed 2000 Political Aides and Hanger-ons.

Nigerians renewed their calls for financial prudence and better management of state resources by all levels of governance in Nigeria. Reacting to medially reported dismissal of political aides and hanger-ons by the Bauchi State Governor, Mallam Isa Yuguda some public affairs commentators who welcomed the decision of the governor equally questioned the rationale in the first instance behind the engagement of that large number of people by the governor in a state with weak revenue base.

On Tuesday, April 28, 2015, the Governor of Bauchi State, Mallam Isa Yuguda announced through an official statement released by the Permanent Secretary on Political Affairs, Hashimu Yakubu on behalf of the Secretary to the State Government, dismissal of all political aides that includes special advisers and other government office hanger-ons.

Hashimu did not state the total number of people affected but a Governor’s office official reportedly contacted by the Punch newspaper correspondent put the number to be above 2000.  The statement reads:

The Executive Governor of Bauchi State, Mallam Isa Yuguda has approved the disengagement of all Special Advisers (with exception of Special Adviser on Due Process). All Senior Special Assistant and Personal Assistants (with exception of those who work directly under His Excellency, Executive Governor or the Deputy Governor). 

All those affected are requested to handover government property in their possession to the heads of organisations where they served. Governor Yuguda expressed his appreciation to the disengaged political aides for their contributions to the development of Bauchi State in their various capacities and wishes them the best in their future endeavours.

This revelation of the bloated kitchen cabinet of all levels of governance and Nigerian bloated civil service population have been topic of many talk shops in the country for some time with their attendant call for financial prudence and better management of state treasury.  For instance, many people have asked, what benefits did those political aides and hanger-ons brought to the people of Bauchi State. 

To Jide Akamo, a painting artist and keen watcher of political events in Nigeria said, appointing over 2000 political aides and special advisers by the Governor is nothing but gross mismanagement of the state’s meagre resources and an exposure of deep-rooted wastefulness in Nigerian federal system of government. Our politicians are only using state resources to feather their own nest as well as promote political patronage and personal interests to the disadvantage of Nigerian citizenry.

Equally and unanimously across board, Nigerians found absurd, uneconomical and extravagant the N2.34bn jumbo severance package earmarked for the outgoing president and other federal officials reported in the media recently. They want to know the wisdom that informed the largesse and the justification for such financial award to the outgoing elected officials whom they claimed had attracted and enjoyed so many benefits since coming to office in 2011.

Quassim Jinadu, a businessman and social entrepreneur, wonders what the size of the President’s kitchen cabinet, other governor’s and others political office holders’ aides and personal assistants in Nigeria would be like. You can see how the level of official financial recklessness in the Nigeria’s federal system of governance due to bloated executive cabinet size and recurrent civil service appointments is killing Nigeria as well as compromise her national development.