The act of gover
nance is a complex and all-encompassing task which cannot be carried through by any one strategy sprung from the mind of any single genius. It requires active participation from the generality of the people who must contribute towards the collective growth and development of the society.
To attain any reasonable objective in perspective planning, it is necessary on the part of government to form committees, commissions, boards and other sub agencies to complement the bulk of governance and the articulation of development priorities. Such agencies, committees, or boards, must therefore, consist of men and women of integrity and verifiable credentials, and not an assemblage of nitwits put together only on political considerations or concessions. While the former sees their positions as an opportunity to contribute to governance through selfless dedicated service, the latter sees their appointments as Political settlements’ to sipon task payers, fund without emorse.
The primary responsibility of a public official is therefore to serve, and to do otherwise is a deliberate indulgence in pretence and deceit of monumental proportion which certainly undermines the moral justification to lay claim to leadership.
By setting up these sub government bodies, the objectives set out to be achieved portends to be a palliative in curbing social vices and achieving the corporate aims of governance, but in practice, most of them are dismal and at best unnecessary.
They mostly become a liability to government by flouting the basic obligations for which they were constituted. They therefore become an artificial dysfunctional machinery of government which meets only when they want to decide on matters of self interest. This exists at every level of governance.
James Madison once wrote; that “there are instances of the abridgement of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachment of those in power than by violence and sudden unsurpation.” The induction of vacuous men into governmental positions makes the administrative pattern of government to be remote, impersonal and insensitive as they only learn to strut sittings and count their gains, ignoring the collective will of the people which they represent. The result is a conscious denigration of our public institutions.
Recently, there was public outcry over the dismal performance of one of the national agencies; the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) which resulted in Federal Government consideration to scrap the Agency as announced by the  Minister of Works, Mike Omemenemem.
The case of FERMA is just a reflection of the unfortunate situations in most government agencies, operating in flagrant deviation from their institutional objectives. When one is called upon to see his country in any capacity, such persons must be challenged to be true to themselves. They must think a new and act a new by disenthralling themselves. If you are to stand up for your government you must be ready to offer sacrifices that strengthen the inner spirit of government and increase its productive capacity.
The government official who has no time to consider each citizen request and give listening ears to the plight of the people is not worthy of his position and should be relieved of such position. In democratic set up, appointments of government officials are largely based on the loyalty of party supporters during fierce electoral contentions in addition to a handful of others selected from among the populace.
However, in giving such appointments the government must be cautious of different political turn coats and grave diggers relapsing from varying states of mental turpitude to hold sensitive positions for which they are the least prepared, except for the safety returns of their political investment and compromise. They are the unwilling picked from the unfit to do the unnecessary and they drain government  coffers without replacement in creative values.
It is easy to seize upon unnecessary political concession, not as a means of legitimately resolving conflict and propping up the body polity, but as a method of ‘getting along.’
Many party supporters are penchantly obsessed about the idea of a recompense after electoral victory, and this expects to happen when the fanfare of party elections are over. They thereby constitute a cluster of dependents who jettison qualities, initiative and resolution, having no time and energy to work for the common good. The people bear the brunt of their negligence of duty. One of the ways we can eliminate this disservice and tyranny of mere will is through conscientious appeals in our conduct and inner convictions to offer the best of ourselves to the development of society.
The essence of delegated authority is to fix a standard of value upon society above the vacuity of vain glory. To the courageous and dedicated public servant, the exigencies of governance are not hindrances, but challenges. Such challenge and honourable conducts pave way for excellence and new insights. They are the basis of societal rejuvenation. To the unrepentant opportunist every platform of governance is to milk the society dry and accumulate ill wealth.
There are few things harder to put up with than the annoyance of a good example. A scandalous public servant that is exposed and disgraced will no doubt deter other shameless accomplices in the act of strategic deception. It will check the culture of reaping without sowing, and rid our political system of celebrated mediocrity.
Taneh Beemene