Opinion: Does the PMB's compensation worth the life of Ocholi, Diseased Minister of Laboure

As I wake to the news of   buhari automatic employment to the son of formal minister, this prompt me to weigh the benefits to the immediate family of the diseased minister :This is not the first time we would hear things like "automatic employment" or "automatic scholarships" in Nigeria. It has indeed become a national banter in the Nigerian political space. The latest one being PMB to the family members of the late James Ocholi, SAN. Let us see why this makes the government look bad, and why actions like this continually affirms that Nigeria is a failed state!

Firstly, what does automatic employment really mean? It simply means that whether qualified or unqualified, you would be given "job". This further shows that an appreciable proportion of the the work done in our Ministries are performed by unqualified people. In a country where actual work gets done, would never have any allowance for "automatic employment". Employment in any serious economy is based on merit and capability. The keyword is "capability". Even if you knew someone to get the job, you must be capable.

Secondly, this phenomenum shows that the job position was not needed in the first place. it was created based on emotions and the need to "compensate" a political family. What this means is that there would be virtually no work being done, but salary paid. Perhaps that is why there is no need to prove capability or qualification, because the position is simply created to pay someone salary, and not out of need to drive the goals of the ministry forward.

Thirdly, this attitude brings us to the big picture of the rot in our civil service. I met a young man recently who told me he worked in the civil service in Abuja, and only shows up to work twice a month! There is absolutely no how Nigeria can develop if we see government jobs as places to earn salary rather than to work. When work is not performed nothing moves. Could this be why Lagos seems to be the only city that is a bit insulated by the recession because they work for their money and do not rely solely on oil money where less work is needed?

Could the western world be right about their stereotype of blacks being lazy? Is it by fluke that Japan, South Korea, Germany and the rest of the pack are where they are today, while we wallow in our mediocrity, nepotism and lacadesical approach to work? GEJ did the same "automatic employment" to the family of those murdered as by the past Minister of Interior, Abba Moro, through the immigration employment scam. Rather than bring the killer minister to justice he opted for a murderer to remain in his cabinet and "solved" the problem by "automatic employment".

Can Buhari and his government take a different turn, by bringing to light and fixing our dead emergency response system, dilapidated highways, and most especially fix our comatose, non-functional health care system. Won't this be a much better way to honor the family of the late James Ocholi?

I wish the Ocholi family well. This is not meant to attack them, but to highlight a fundamental problem with our system. May peace and comfort anchor this grieving family, and may the souls of the departed rest in peace.