Whose Interest Are They serving, Magu or Nigerians

Whose Interest Are They serving, Magu or Nigerians

By Fredrick Nwabufo

A scathing detraction to professionalism in Nigeria is the customisation of public offices. Institutions are built around personalities rather than on principles and service.

The tagging of top staff of the EFCC as ‘Magu boys’ by the agency accents the execrable customisation of public office in the country. It is the reason the institutions function with human frailties; that is, if the head of an institution is incompetent or corrupt, the entire body necrotises.

This is the lamentable piece of hagiography the agency footnoted in a photo on social media.

‘’#Photo Magu Boys, led by EFCC’s Lagos Head of Operations, Mohammed Rabo, on the move as they continue to tame the corruption monster from the Lagos axis of the battlefield. With the acting chairman, Ibrahim Magu, giving orders and directing affairs, the war is winnable.”

The reluctance of public officers to distinguish themselves from their offices is the reason abuse of office is rife here. There is Ibrahim Magu and there is the EFCC. Two separate entities. Personal foibles and interest must be detached from public office.

If Magu leaves as EFCC chairman, will those agents still be ‘Magu boys’? Will they be working for him or the agency? Whose interest are they serving, Magu or Nigerians? And do they work for Magu or for Nigerians?

It is a downing reality how individuals expropriate public offices, design them in their own image and build a temple in them for everyone to worship.

A few days ago, after the inauguration of ministers, a herd of staff members of the ministry of finance abandoned duty and stayed out in the rain to welcome Zainab Ahmed. They formed a doughnut around the minister and chanted, ‘’mama oyoyo’’ as she sauntered into the premises with an insufferable gait. She soaked in all the praise and sycophancy.

But did the minister not realise that it was wrong of them, the jamboree being during work hours? And is there no regard for professionalism?

Also, the privatisation of institutions like the police and the DSS, which are sometimes deployed in witch-hunt, is the reason their performance is underwhelming. Until public institutions truly become public; they cannot serve Nigerians.

About the author: Fredrick Nwabufo writers from [email protected]