SERAP To Buhari: Withdraw Board Appointments Now

Amid controversy generated by the list of appointments to the
boards of agencies and parastatals, a civil society organisation,
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged
President Muhammadu Buhari to withdraw the list.

The organisation, which made this Call in Lagos through a
statement issued by its deputy director Timothy Adewale insisted
that the appointment must be reversed in order to remove a clear
and recognizable danger to the integrity of these bodies.

SERAP urged the government to allow the civil service systems to
carry out the appointments, in strict conformity with established
rules and Nigeria’s international anticorruption obligations and
commitments.

They pointed out that appointing at least eight dead people as
board members would seem to suggest that the 1,467 appointments
approved by Buhari were unscreened for competence, merit, equity,
aptitude and conflicts of interest.

President Buhari had on Friday last week approved the
constitution of the governing boards of agencies and parastatals,
appointing 209 chairmen and 1258 members to fill the board
positions.

However, it has been discovered that at least eight members on
the list have since passed away. Among others, Buhari appointed
Rev. Christopher Utov as a Member of Nigerian Institute of Social
and Economic Research. Rev Utov, the proprietor of Fidei
Polytechnic, Gboko passed away on March 17, 2017.

The organization thereby maintained that, “going ahead with
these appointments would neither advance due process nor Buhari’s
oft-expressed commitment to prevent and combat corruption. It would
create a lack of trust and confidence among the general public.

“Taking partisan politics out of the appointments to boards of
agencies and parastatals is one surest way for Buhari to show that
his government is truly one of change that would do things
differently from successive governments that apparently handed out
board appointments to reward party members, supporters and
cronies.

“Withdrawing the appointments and directing and allowing the
civil service systems to follow due process to reappoint
chairpersons and members to the boards of these agencies and
parastatals would bring the government’s practices and operations
into conformity with Nigeria’s international anticorruption
obligations, particularly the UN Convention against Corruption.
Nigeria has ratified the convention.

“It’s absolutely important for Buhari to ensure that the process
through which board appointments are made is transparent and
merit-based. A merit-appointment system would produce a better
qualified board, and ultimately improve the governance architecture
and access of Nigerians to essential public services. It should be
the practice of this government to make board appointments on the
basis of ability, and not because of political influence or
connection.

“Taking these appointments out of the hands of a small elite
group and strengthening the civil service systems and allowing them
to deal with board appointments and other similar appointments in a
professional, efficient and effective way would greatly decrease
political influence or bias in the appointment process, and make
the operations of these agencies and parastatals less dependent on
partisan politics, which would in turn help improve the ability of
the government to deliver effective policies and the much-needed
good governance, growth and development to Nigerians.

“Letting the civil service systems get on with board
appointments would also assure basic bureaucratic ‘hygiene,’ and
help to facilitate the establishment of strong boards that would be
better placed to ‘deliver the goods’ to Nigerians in the democratic
context. It would ultimately bring about higher effectiveness and
improved government legitimacy.

“Specifically, Article 8 of the convention makes it mandatory
for the government to promote integrity in public administration
and to synchronize systems, measures and mechanisms for handing out
public jobs. Similarly, Article 7, paragraph 1, requires the
government to establish and strengthen systems for board
appointments based on the principles of transparency, efficiency,
and objective criteria such as merit, equity, and aptitude. The
government is equally obligated to establish systems to prevent
conflicts of interest and influence peddling in board
appointments.

“The president also appointed Chief Donald Ugbaja as a Member of
the Consumer Protection Council (CPC). Chief Ugbaja, a former DIG
of the Nigerian Police, died on November 29, 2017. Another person,
Senator Francis Okpozo, was appointed as Chairman of the Nigerian
Press Council. But Okpozo, a Senator in the Second Republic, died
on December 16, 2016.”

Amid controversy generated by the list of appointments to the
boards of agencies and parastatals, a civil society organisation,
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged
President Muhammadu Buhari to withdraw the list.

The organisation, which made this Call in Lagos through a
statement issued by its deputy director Timothy Adewale insisted
that the appointment must be reversed in order to remove a clear
and recognizable danger to the integrity of these bodies.

SERAP urged the government to allow the civil service systems to
carry out the appointments, in strict conformity with established
rules and Nigeria’s international anticorruption obligations and
commitments.

They pointed out that appointing at least eight dead people as
board members would seem to suggest that the 1,467 appointments
approved by Buhari were unscreened for competence, merit, equity,
aptitude and conflicts of interest.

President Buhari had on Friday last week approved the
constitution of the governing boards of agencies and parastatals,
appointing 209 chairmen and 1258 members to fill the board
positions.

However, it has been discovered that at least eight members on
the list have since passed away. Among others, Buhari appointed
Rev. Christopher Utov as a Member of Nigerian Institute of Social
and Economic Research. Rev Utov, the proprietor of Fidei
Polytechnic, Gboko passed away on March 17, 2017.

The organization thereby maintained that, “going ahead with
these appointments would neither advance due process nor Buhari’s
oft-expressed commitment to prevent and combat corruption. It would
create a lack of trust and confidence among the general public.

“Taking partisan politics out of the appointments to boards of
agencies and parastatals is one surest way for Buhari to show that
his government is truly one of change that would do things
differently from successive governments that apparently handed out
board appointments to reward party members, supporters and
cronies.

“Withdrawing the appointments and directing and allowing the
civil service systems to follow due process to reappoint
chairpersons and members to the boards of these agencies and
parastatals would bring the government’s practices and operations
into conformity with Nigeria’s international anticorruption
obligations, particularly the UN Convention against Corruption.
Nigeria has ratified the convention.

“It’s absolutely important for Buhari to ensure that the process
through which board appointments are made is transparent and
merit-based. A merit-appointment system would produce a better
qualified board, and ultimately improve the governance architecture
and access of Nigerians to essential public services. It should be
the practice of this government to make board appointments on the
basis of ability, and not because of political influence or
connection.

“Taking these appointments out of the hands of a small elite
group and strengthening the civil service systems and allowing them
to deal with board appointments and other similar appointments in a
professional, efficient and effective way would greatly decrease
political influence or bias in the appointment process, and make
the operations of these agencies and parastatals less dependent on
partisan politics, which would in turn help improve the ability of
the government to deliver effective policies and the much-needed
good governance, growth and development to Nigerians.

“Letting the civil service systems get on with board
appointments would also assure basic bureaucratic ‘hygiene,’ and
help to facilitate the establishment of strong boards that would be
better placed to ‘deliver the goods’ to Nigerians in the democratic
context. It would ultimately bring about higher effectiveness and
improved government legitimacy.

“Specifically, Article 8 of the convention makes it mandatory
for the government to promote integrity in public administration
and to synchronize systems, measures and mechanisms for handing out
public jobs. Similarly, Article 7, paragraph 1, requires the
government to establish and strengthen systems for board
appointments based on the principles of transparency, efficiency,
and objective criteria such as merit, equity, and aptitude. The
government is equally obligated to establish systems to prevent
conflicts of interest and influence peddling in board
appointments.

“The president also appointed Chief Donald Ugbaja as a Member of
the Consumer Protection Council (CPC). Chief Ugbaja, a former DIG
of the Nigerian Police, died on November 29, 2017. Another person,
Senator Francis Okpozo, was appointed as Chairman of the Nigerian
Press Council. But Okpozo, a Senator in the Second Republic, died
on December 16, 2016.”