But truth be told, we live in a society where nobody is paid well, apart from politicians who most of the time determine their emoluments, most of which are kept away from public scrutiny. Something urgent needs to be done in a situation where some 80% of the public wealth is in the hands of 20% of the citizens. It is an emergency that cries out for amelioration.
Former Minister of Education and Health, Prof. Ihechukwu Madubuike shares his thoughts with CHUKWUDI AKASIKE some issues affecting the country,
Many Nigerians see political appointments as an opportunity to enrich themselves and this explains why some of them throw parties and engage in all sorts of merriment even before being sworn in. How did you feel when you got your first national appointment?
When I got my first national appointment as Minister of Education, cabinet rank, I was happy but I did not throw any party. I did not lobby or campaign for the position because those who nominated me for the position knew why they did so. They had my curriculum vitae. When I appeared before the Senate for confirmation, the then Senate President, Joseph Wayas, took a look at me, asked me to bow down and go and face my work. I studied Education as my first degree, followed it up to a PHD level in prestigious universities abroad, and had taught in two different universities in the United States of America before coming back to Nigeria. I had also contested election, won and elected to the then Imo House of Assembly, from where I was appointed a commissioner in Sam Mbakwe’s administration. In order words I have always had a second address, and therefore do not need a ministerial appointment to survive or to be comfortable.
Are you saying you never threw a party when you realised you were going to be in government, especially at the federal level?
There was absolutely no reason to throw a party. I celebrated when I won election into the Imo House of Assembly. The constituents came to the house to rejoice with me. And I gave drinks and food to them, as customs demanded, for voting for me overwhelmingly in 1979. My academic/intellectual accomplishments gave me more pleasure and I felt my appointments were deserving. I justified the trust by my performance. As a student in my university in Canada, I was elected in a multiracial environment as the President of all the Foreign Students in that institution, and I represented them effectively until my tenure expired. As a faculty at the State University of New York, Buffalo, I was given a special salary bonus, for serving the university well. The Alumni body later recognised me as their own by honouring me as a Distinguished Alumni in 2001. The African community in the institution celebrated it. The Ambassador of Nigeria to the USA, Professor Aminu Kano sent a representative. I have always been a laureate when merit is concerned and I have grown up with that confidence.
Teachers are poorly paid in the country. The worst hit are some private school teachers who are paid less than N30,000 as total take-home in a month. What can be done to improve their earnings and give them a sense of belonging?
The concept that teachers’ reward is in heaven has not helped the cause of the teaching profession. Those who mould the future of nations should be treated well. They should be among the best paid in the nation. We need a contextual overview to understand the teaching profession and what it entails. Such interrogation should help us to understand why the best and brightest should be attracted to the field. This is not exactly the position presently. Status and esteem are relative concepts but it is my belief that further education leading to a higher performance outcome on both the part of the teacher and the student as well as a better emolument will enhance the social prestige of the teacher in the society.
But truth be told, we live in a society where nobody is paid well, apart from politicians who most of the time determine their emoluments, most of which are kept away from public scrutiny. Something urgent needs to be done in a situation where some 80% of the public wealth is in the hands of 20% of the citizens. It is an emergency that cries out for amelioration.
How were teachers treated in your days as a Minister of Education and what was the standard of education then compared to what it is now?
As I said, I grew up with the understanding that the teachers’ wages are in heaven. That axiom when properly contextualized means that teachers’ pay has never been commensurate to their output. It’s a timeless injustice and I have suggested a review. The general impression is that the standard of education in Nigeria is falling. Are we by this assessment limiting ourselves to formal education? Do we include other forms of education, including traditional education which takes place outside the formal sector? Both have their objectives and we should properly define these objectives. Education targets achievements in character and learning.
It is a tool for social and personal welfare. It is above all, in many estimations, a tool that places adequate food on the table—three square meals—on the table. Are these targets achieved, in a situation when more than half of the population is in the grip of multi -dimensional poverty, when over 20 per cent of the population is out of the school system? How obsolete is the curriculum? Can it keep in tandem with skills acquisition and the modern learning and teaching tradition? I am talking about the digital revolution all over the world. Are we successfully keyed into it?
Some governors who advertised the establishment of state-of-the-art hospitals still travel abroad for medical treatment. Don’t you think such action is an unnecessary display of hypocrisy?
It is the height of self deceit. But death will still come when it will. The best thing is to provide for all, since the boast of power, the pomp of pageantry, awaits that inevitable hour, when the paths of glory lead but to the grave. I am paraphrasing the Elegy on the Graveside.
With the current economic situation of the country, what are your expectations from President Bola Tinubu in 2024?
Every good citizen expects from his leaders the consummation of the oath of office which he took on coming to office. We have never had it so bad and the citizens need a reprieve as soon as possible.
There are concerns over the need to ensure a reduction in the cost of governance. As a former Minister, how was this addressed during your time?
We fulfilled the constitutional requirement of appointing ministers from every state of the country, refusing to pander to unnecessary additional appointments in favour of one section or the other. We used vehicles assembled in Nigeria—and limited the number to two or three. A minister never used more than one orderly. The personal assistant came from within the Ministry. There was no unnecessary use of sirens and motorcades. I did not preside over the ministerial Tenders Board, the Minister of State did. My salary was known to all; it was N15,000 per annum and tax was deducted on the basis of pay as you earn. If you wanted a flashy car, you have to pay with your personal fund. Most of our refineries worked and the value of the naira was fairly stable.
What do you make of the huge list of appointees in President Tinubu’s cabinet? Can these ministers solve the challenges facing the country?
As an advocate of lean government, I don’t subscribe to these appointments, especially in the face of an economy that is non-productive. Our situation requires belt tightening on many fronts.
The issue of the exodus of medical personnel out of Nigeria has been a major problem for some time. What is your take on this?
The fact is that we do not have enough medical doctors at present. Yet it is a free world. If government wants to produce medical doctors for export, then a clear policy should be enunciated in that direction. It should then go ahead to produce enough medical personnel for the country, pay them well and allow them the liberty to practise where they chose. The process of cutting your nose to spite your face is not tenable.
But a former Minister of Youth and Sport, Bolaji Abdullahi, recently said if Nigeria had enough human resources, there was nothing wrong with exporting people to other countries. What do you make of that view?
The Peace-in-South-East Project is a welcome project. But its implementation is another kettle of fish. Tell me one common project the South-East governors have jointly implemented any time recently? What happened to Ebubeagu? Was it not designed as a “Peace” project?
But several efforts have been made in the past to stem the tide of insecurity to no avail, including the establishment of Ebubeagu. Do you think the last option of the ‘Peace in South-East Project’ can end the killings in Igboland?
We need good governance at all levels to stem the tide of insecurity. Do a NEEDS assessment of what the youths need. What can each one of them produce if given the chance? Government must show that they care…
