|
‘New’ Chief of Staff:A Vote for Mike Oghiadomhe
By Abdullahi Garba Newsdiaryonline
Wed June 8,2011
When the history of the Goodluck Jonathan Presidency is written
there can be no doubt that it will occupy a unique place in the
political history of Nigeria’s leadership. Apart from the
“miracle” of the fulfilment of the import of the President’s
name in the manner by which he almost effortlessly rose from a
lecturer to deputy governor, governor, vice-president and
eventually President, there will be considerable reference to
the unprecedented turmoil that gripped the Presidency following
the sudden death of President Umaru Musa Yaradua which almost
threatened the stability of the government. The successful
resolution of the political crisis that ensued owes as much to
the National Assembly’s doctrine of necessity as it does to the
robust and resilient stance of The Presidency throughout the
period.
President Goodluck Jonathan as the man in the centre of the
storm has already earned critical acclaim and popular
commendation for the calm and focused manner in which he
weathered the storm and steered the ship of state out of
troubled waters. What seems to have been downplayed or neglected
altogether is the corresponding quality of support and strategy
that must have been extended to the President by the key
functionaries in The Presidency in the routine performance of
their duties during an unexpected and unusual exigency of
affairs of state. Though it is in the character of such public
functionaries to go about their duties with professional
anonymity, it will not be out of place to spare a thought for
their patriotic role in a period of national emergency and
political uncertainty.
This is the context in which I find it necessary to recall the
uncelebrated but vital support that the generality of staff of
The Presidency and especially the Chief of Staff, Mr. Mike
Oghiadomhe, in particular must have rendered to Mr. President
and by extension the entire nation to aid the successful and
safe delivery of the ship of state from the alarming turbulence
it had to wade through. From my enquiries at reliable sources of
information on this matter, I have been able to ascertain that
the office of the Chief of Staff is of strategic importance in
the oversight, coordination and management of the administrative
and political engine-room of the nation which The Presidency
represents. It is beyond contention that whoever is appointed to
such an important position must be more than just another public
officer or political appointee. To meet the dire demands and
critical challenges associated with such an office, the ideal
appointee must be vastly experienced in political
administration, management of government affairs and supervision
of human resources combined into a hands-on expertise in timely
and intelligent deployment of initiatives and strategies to suit
policy implementation and safeguard integrity of governance.
Going by late President Umaru Musa Yaradua’s reputation for
pragmatic approach to government matters, it is believed that he
had very good reasons for appointing Mike Oghiadomhe as a
Principal Private Secretary to the Vice President. In the same
vein, President Goodluck Jonathan’s decision to re-introduce the
scrapped office and retain him in that office has been
vindicated as a sensible initiative in view of the commendable
and competent support he received in the difficult and trying
times of his tenure as earlier highlighted. As a matter of fact,
President Goodluck Jonathan has the advantage of being more
familiar with the character and capability of Mike Oghiadomhe
because they were both deputy governors of their respective
states and interacted regularly. With hindsight, analysts have
determined that the period of deputy governorship of Mike
Oghiadomhe provided him with a unique vantage position to
understudy and derive uncommon insight into the intricacies as
well as the panacea for qualitative leadership, good governance
and harnessing of human and material resources for development
and security of the polity.
In the final analysis however it is the outcome of his tenure as
Chief of Staff to Mr. President that best testifies to his
competence and capability and in this respect Mike Oghiadomhe
can, with all sense of modesty and responsibility, be relied
upon to put his very best into demanding assignments even in the
commanding heights of national governance. It is to be expected
that Mr. President himself would have an even more favourable
appreciation of the performance of his Chief of Staff and
therefore be appropriately guided in deciding to retain Mike
Oghiadomhe in that position on the basis of the strategic
importance of maintaining the smooth conduct of the functions of
the Presidency, which is certainly a key factor in the acclaimed
successes of the Goodluck Jonathan Presidency in just 9 months.
It is remarkable indeed
that unlike so many of his predecessors, Mike Oghiadomhe’s name
is not on the
popularity circuit of presidential staff who want to be seen and
heard just for personal pride and recognition of being in The
Presidency. He has been rightfully credited for restoring the
decorum and dutiful attributes expected of a well-groomed public
servant and bureaucrat in top position of responsibility such as
Chief of Staff. He discharged his assigned responsibilities
efficiently and maintained a very cordial working relationship
with his staff and has been described variously in Edo State as
a man of character and integrity.
With such an impressive record in public service and in
strategic positions, it must be emphasized that at this critical
stage President Goodluck Jonathan cannot afford to play to the
gallery or to embark on changes for the sake of making
impressions because the imperatives of continuity require that
he builds on his achievements rather than trying to re-invent
his administration as this could deny Mr. President of the
proven competence, experience and dedication which Oghiadomhe
applied to the successful management and coordination of the
administrative and strategic workings of The Presidency.
One fully respects the right of people to express themselves and
even to canvass for their preferred candidates for certain
political positions but this must not be at the expense of
retaining hard-working and competent officials whose
professional upbringing and character speak volumes in their
favour. The composition of The Presidency is strategic in the
successful conception, planning and implementation of the
Transformational
Agenda. Compliments
of the season, Mr. President!
Abdullahi garba can be reached at
abdullahigdl@yahoo.com<abdullahi_garba2010@yahoo.com>
|
