Governor Samuel Ortom's Regime And The Good Governance Index [Must Read]

By: Gurgur Japheth

Governments in Nigeria have hitherto operated as secret cults or what is termed "cabalocracy", where issues are kept within confines of a cabal and not divulged to the public for consumption except lies, until Buhari stepped in with uncommon integrity, zeal and zest to institute uncommon transparency, probity and accountability: the trio are experimental indices for measuring Good Governance Index (Daniel Kaufmann, 2015), which indicators include

Voice and Accountability
Political Stability and Absence of Violence
Government Effectiveness
Rule of Law
Control of Corruption

Good governance as expressed through factors like reliability, predictability and accountability is increasingly seen as a key factor in ensuring national prosperity.

However, many aspects of the relationship between good governance and national prosperity are still poorly understood and may indeed vary across countries.

Good governance depends on an ability to exercise power, and to make good decisions over time, across a spectrum of economic, social, environmental and other areas.

This is linked with the government’s capacity for knowledge, mediation, resource allocation, implementation and maintenance of key relationships.

There are many ways to define governance and good governance. However, there seems to be a general consensus that key factors include :

Technical and managerial competence
Organisational capacity
Reliability, predictability and the rule of law
Accountability
Transparency and open information systems
Participation

"Transparency promotes accountability and provides information for citizens about what their Government is doing. Information maintained by the Federal Government is a national asset.

My Administration will take appropriate action, consistent with law and policy, to disclose information rapidly in forms that the public can readily find and use. Executive departments and agencies should harness new technologies to put information about their operations and decisions online and readily available to the public. Executive departments and agencies should also solicit public feedback to identify information of greatest use to the public" (Barrack Obama, 2008).

Ortom has displayed transparency, probity and accountability, which is evident in the way and manner his Blueprint, "Our Collective Vision for A New Benue" and the 2016 Budget, Trust, Confidence and Credibility Budget".

Thirdly, and most importantly is the publication of Justice Kpojime Anti Corruption Report. This is what Nigerians craved for to get a glimpse of Oputa Panel Report and many others to no avail.

The reason for refusal to release such reports is not far fetched but simply put, protectionism of secret cows, whose ox must on no account be gored because of the fear of corruption fight back and the boomeranging effect of vested interests.

Yes! Vested interest: that an indicted former Director General of Ortom Campaign Organization and until now, Special Adviser on Rural Development is not spared by Governor Samuel Ortom is a clear testimony of the zeal, zest, determination, commitment and sincerity of the administrations mantrapedia - "If You Chop Money, Money Will Chop You"!

The death of Denen Igbana in the hands of assassins also constitutes litmus for experimentation and the "Guinea Pig" for such hypothesis was another Special Adviser whose portfolio was indeed "Special".

The eventual release of the nomenclatures of the 52 goats and eventual release of White Paper for their consequent degoatification is the greatest achievement as far as the tripartite ethos of good governance are concerned.

It is also in this regard, hoped that when Ghana eventually reports to the security agencies, Col. Jando will be morally bound too, to do the needful since Ghana's allegation is not a dying declaration.

Obiagbene of ThisDay successfully completed his installmental payment of his share of N600million from Dasukigate. When shall the underlisted begin to refund their alleged various shares of our allocation and IGR? Only one seems to have done so out of:

1. Gabriel Suswam
2. Omadachi Oklobia
3. Solomon Wombo
4. Emmanuel Atini
5. Asen Sambe
6. Isaiah Ipevnor
7. Ruth Ijir
8. Owakoyi Eghiaruwa
9. David Sevav
10. Innocent Onuh
11. Iyoryue Yajir
12. Kester Ikyenge
13. Yina Samuel Terzungwe
14. Donald Kertyo
15. Sunday Mark Eche
16. Ameh Agbo
17. Brigid Shiedu
18. John Tyokegh
19. Joseph Tsavsar (alias Joe K)
20. Eryum Tingir
21. Obiora Ogwu
22. Julius Donkoh
23. Christian Abah
24. Abel Musa
25. Ajunwa Olokpo
26. Paul Biam
27. Aza Biam
28. Terna Iorkaan
29. Joseph Kpaakpa
30.Solomon Tor Gba
31. Jack Gumh
32. John Ngbede
33. Terfa Ihindan
34. Sam Tor
35. Solomon Alabi
36. Tsenongo Abancha
37. Elizabeth Tyonongu
38. San Carlos
39. James Adamu
40. Andy Uwouku
41. Paul Kura Wombo
42. Chris Dura Aondo
43. Eugene Aliegba
44. Martins Agir
45. Andrew Ayabam
46. Torkuma Abunku
47. Egbiri Idaah
48. Ugbeh Ter David (alias Spaco)
49.Elizabeth Ugoh
50. John Weor
51. Musa Dankeji
52. Richard Gbande.

The Attorney General of the State and Commissioner of Justice Mr.Michael Gusa Esq has commenced prosecution which pundits including our very intellectually sensitive Terhemba Shija PhD have queried the delay and doubted whether there is still PEV-IHYURA left in the frozen bank accounts. In any case, like I said when the ICPC queried bail out disbursement, let them be screwed to either shit or vomit the money and to serve as deterrent.

The 22 members of the Benue State House of Assembly who collected money to purchase Prado Sports Utility Vehicles have started refunding the money to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

This was revealed on Monday by the Majority Leader of the House, Mr. Benjamin Adanyi.

It would be recalled that some members of the Assembly were recently invited and grilled by the EFCC in Abuja over alleged misappropriation of funds meant for the purchase of vehicles for members of the House (Punch, August 16, 2016) The reporter is Ede Attah not Chairmo Gbabo.

I inform Dr. Terhemba Shija therefore that if the powerful Benue a House of Assembly can return money, then talking about return of PEV-IHYURA as a correlation to the stolen N107billion is antithetical to equity.

In summary, I therefore in line with the Good Governance Index of 20 marks per indicator score Ortom Regime as follows:

Voice and Accountability = 11.5
Political Stability and Absence of Violence = 10.5
Government Effectiveness = 11
Rule of Law = 12
Control of Corruption = 11
Aggregate = 56%

Gurgur Japheth is a Public Policy Practitioner