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The New FRSC Corps Marshal As A Metaphor By Ikechukwu A. Ogu, Esq., LL.B (Hons.), BL, ACIP.
“Old orders must pass, yielding place to new; lest one good custom should corrupt the world”. – Alfred Lord Tennyson.
Inherent in the above-quoted verse is a warning against syndromes such as sit-tightism (which has been the bane of Third World politics), rigid adherence to convention, routine and the recycling of old tyres. It harps on the need for a generational shift and dynamism in the affairs of men. At present, many Nigerian ex-governors are angling for ministerial appointments, after squandering 8 years in office! We have witnessed attempts by some persons to signify particular offices? Yet there abounds in this country an array of well-educated and brilliant youths whose energetic potentials are lying fallow. One of the tragedies of Nigeria is that it is held hostage by a generation that is past its prime.
When news of the appointment of Osita Chidoka by the out-gone Obasanjo administration as the Corps Marshal of Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) made the rounds, it was greeted with protests by advocates of the recycling of old tyres. Accordingly, the appointment of a “greenhorn” and “stranger” in his thirties into such a “high” position was considered outlandish and deserving of reversal. It is my considered view that a popular saying of the Palmwine Drinkers (Kegites) Club that the “age of Methuselah has nothing to do with the wisdom of Solomon” is a very apposite response to such protests. It is indubitable that the mere fact that one has been around for a long time does not guarantee a successful performance in all cases. Evidences abound in proof of this. To the glory of God, President Yar’adua has confirmed Chidoka’s appointment.
While in secondary school in the 80s, I had submitted a write-up to the defunct “The Statesman” newspaper, criticizing the recycling of old tyres as regards political appointments. Unfortunately, instead of publishing the article, the editor toned it down and used same for an editorial, without acknowledging me. In most cases, the character of political appointments in Nigeria suggests that our rulers are in love with gerontocracy. Yet, we have been ruled by young military men in their thirties and forties in this country. One of the few legacies of the Obasanjo administration is the shift he initiated from the ugly conventional practice by appointing relatively young men and women into positions of authority and trust during his second tenure. It is on record that most of these appointees, compared with their elderly compatriots, performed creditably well.
Come to think of it, section 7 of the FRSC Act (Cap F19, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004) which creates the office of the Director (or Corps Marshal) of the Road Safety Corps provides under its subsection 1 that the Director shall be “a person possessing sound knowledge of and ability in the organization and administration of road traffic and road safety matters”. The statute provides no age restriction for any appointee to the office of FRSC Corps Marshal. The persons who oppose Chidoka’s appointment on the basis of his youthfulness are probably unaware that they have no statutory backing. Rather, they would want us to remain fixated on the old and condemnable system of recycling old hands. Again, they failed to tell us what relevant qualifications the former Corps Marshals had that warranted their appointment. May be in some cases, old age was the sole consideration! Besides Prof. Soyinka whose appointment was based on his having headed a similar organization in the defunct Western State, I am unaware of the relevant credentials his successors in the same post had. The immediate past Corps Marshal was a retired army engineer. But in Chidoka, we have an energetic and patriotic young man who not only possesses a Masters degree in Transport Policy and Logistics but also has undergone further studies in road safety matters. We should appreciate the Federal government’s recognition and deployment of Chidoka’s potentials. It is in this light that I find detestable the reported unreceptive attitude of some FRSC officials towards their new boss. They should join hands with him to move the organization to the next level in the execution of its statutory mandate.
I see Chidoka’s appointment and the protests that trailed it as a replay and continuation of the continuous struggle for dominance between light and darkness, good and evil, the positive and negative, progression and retrogression and the young and the old. Thank God that in such struggles, despite temporary setbacks sometimes light, which signifies what is good, usually triumphs. Owing to the addiction of our rulers to giving prominence to the aged in their political appointments, the cliché that “the youths are the leaders of tomorrow” has created a scenario similar to a mirage. When will that “tomorrow” be? Even when it does seem to have come, one will hear retrogressive comments like “wait for your turn”. The continuation of this ugly trend will result in the non-utilization of the productive potentials of our youths whose worth may be realized too late in the day. Should our fine brains be kept at bay until they succumb to senility? Chidoka’s appointment is metaphoric, representing a wind of positive change in the character of political appointments in Nigeria. It should be replicated in all sectors of the polity. For instance, in many Nigerian universities, lecturers are belatedly made professors, even when their scholarly works qualify them for such promotion at a younger age. Should we continue that way? God forbid!
The Osita Chidoka I knew at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka exhibited commendable leadership potentials as a student. He was a prominent students’ union activist and the traditional ruler of Kenneth Dike Hall, noted for the reasoned, factual and forceful way he presents his opinions. By dint of what I know of him as my university mate and what I have read about him, I am strongly convinced that, if supported, Chidoka will succeed in his new assignment. Let us support him.
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