Should We Really Blame Jega?

INEC Chairman Professor Jega
Professor Attahiru Jega, the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) disappointed the electorate last Saturday in the botched National Assembly elections and showed that he could not get the job done and may never do.

Postponed election dates
Most of the electorate went back home when it was obvious that voting materials were not available for the election in most places. Postponing the election may cost INEC N4 billion and the political parties N6.5 billion. INEC has postponed the elections to the following days:

National Assembly elections: 9 April 2011
Presidential elections: 16 April 2011
Governorship and State House of Assembly elections: 26 April 2011

A chance to resign
According to media reports, Jega offered to resign last Saturday at a meeting by the National Security Council which was ‘summoned’ by President Goodluck Jonathan in Abuja but Jonathan told him not to resign.

At a point during the bitter exchanges, the INEC chairman offered to resign immediately. Sources from the meeting said Attorney General and Minister of Justice Mohammed Bello Adoke intervened and said a resignation by the chairman in the midst of elections will amount to treason, whereupon, President Jonathan rejected the resignation offer there and then.
—African Herald Express

It was not the first time that Jega threatened to resign. When the senate summoned Jega to defend 'the most expensive voter registration in world history,' he threatened to resign. He made further request for N5 million to laminate voter’s plastic registration cards and N6.6 billion for the extension of voting registration.

The President should have allowed Jega to resign although it may affect the elections since Jega’s job at INEC already affected the cancelled elections. A team of ‘emergency’ INEC officials with years of experience should have replaced Jega within 24 hours. Nobody should blame Jega if the elections to be conducted on postponed dates become problematic because he already ‘tried’ to resign.

Jega’s apology was not enough. What should he have done? He should not have attended the meeting but should have sent his letter of resignation and 'disappear' for a few days like Madam Ayoka Adebayo, the former INEC resident electoral commissioner, of the infamous Ekiti State rerun election. Let us not blame Jega but the Council of State for approving his appointment as INEC chairman in 2010.

Incompetent
Being a Professor of Political Science did not mean that Jega was totally qualified for INEC job. Jega was probably appointed because he was a former INEC consultant and participant in the electoral reform project which is different from logistics. The Nigerian government needs to understand that even a logistic delivery manager with years of experience may have performed better than Jega. Jega lacked practical skills that are mandatory for the logistic delivery of election materials, project management skills and leadership qualities.

Experience should be put into consideration before appointments are made and not just qualifications. In Nigeria, 'appointees' normally learn on the job including the president, vice-president and ministers. No wonder some Nigerian parastatal organizations are in a shambolic state. However, when permanent secretaries become commissioners in the same ministry, they do not seem to learn on the job. Jega is learning on the job which is at the expense of the electorate. The future of Nigerians and Nigeria as a country should not be truncated because of Jega.

'Foresight'
In 2009, Fela Anikulapo Kuti’s former lawyer, Dr Tunji Braithwaite told the Vanguard that there will be no election in 2011. Was he wrong or right? Let us wait and see… As Yoruba people say, Oro agba bi ko se lowuro a se lojo ale (An elder’s speech is like a prediction that will either come to pass in the morning or late at night.) Jega’s appointment and electoral flaw clearly shows the type of leadership Nigerians will continue to experience if President Jonathan remains in power.

Confusion over Saturday’s election