THE Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) reportedly signed with Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government recently by four state governors - Bukola Saraki of Kwara, Isa Yuguda of Bauchi, Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom and Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State - on behalf of the ad hoc body called Governors' Forum, to train Nigeria's state chief executives on governance is offensive, self-demeaning, wasteful and most unacceptable. The MOU should be thrown into the dustbin where it rightly belongs.

It may be observed that rather than serve as a useful platform where state chief executives may compare notes on the challenges of governance, share experiences and generate broad-minded solutions that build their states and strengthen the nation, the Governors' Forum is now being promoted surreptitiously, not only as a lobby group of sorts, but as an institutional part of our democracy. But it is not.

A multi-billion naira secretariat of the Forum is in the works, and a director-general has been named. Where is the money for this coming from? We urge the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC), the NGOs, professional groups and citizens who seek probity in the conduct of state affairs to take an interest in this. What is even the legal basis of the Governors' Forum? Is it registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission and if so, when was this done, by whom, when was it advertised, who are its trustees and officers and what are the details of its Articles of Association? Now that the forum has taken it upon itself to enter into agreements with foreign institutions, Nigerians would want answers to these questions.

Governor Akpabio while briefing the press in Calabar on the trip, regretted that 'in Nigeria, once you are elected a governor and sworn in, you are on your own, ' Of course, you are on your own in a job you willingly sought - powers and responsibilities, benefits and risks inclusive, actively campaigned for and swore to perform to the best of your ability and in accordance with a constitution you are assumed to have read and understood perfectly. So what is the whining about?

The details of the governor's press briefing is a sad comment on the process by which leaders emerge in Nigeria, it smacks of contempt for the judgment of the electorate. We should think that a man who wants to be governor, and who deserves to be one, must not only be willing but able and ready for the job and the tasks it entails. If capacity building is required, this should not be in the form of a lengthy foreign trip and the waste of public resources.

Besides, to seek to learn the art of governance after becoming a governor is akin to registering in a medical school after one has begun to practise as a doctor. It is fraudulent; the admission of lack of preparedness by state governors also explains the crisis of governance in the country.

But what really is governance, or to be more specific, good governance in the Nigerian context, that necessitates that state governors should register with a foreign college? The 1999 Constitution certainly gives adequate guide on this. Commonsense will guide any man to recognise the ethics of governance when he sees it - a clear show of moral leadership, a firm grasp of the urgent issues of the day, and a sense of direction. These will translate into jobs for the people, good roads, potable water, well-run schools and health care facilities, transparency and accountability in the polity, and the meting of condign punishment for a breach of the law, etc.

Good governance is not rocket science so, if at all the governors need teaching, we maintain that whatever knowledge they seek abroad is in fact here in abundance within the precincts of our universities. But, perhaps, there is some knowledge - whatever it is - that the governors cannot find in this clime. If so, it would be wiser and cheaper then to upgrade colleges of higher learning in their states so they can offer training locally not only to governors, but other high level personnel in the public and private sectors. Such thoughtfulness would be a mark of good governance.

In any case, how well would the teachers at Harvard understand the peculiar needs of the different states in Nigeria to design appropriate courses for and teach governance to their heads? Indeed, we would have thought that the teaching should be the other way round. Part of the proposal is that Nigerian state governors would travel to Harvard in batches with effect from October to attend workshops on leadership, good governance, education, and economic management. The authorities at Harvard describe the programme as the first of its type for African leaders. The money that will be spent on the training, including the huge estacodes that the governors and their aides will collect for travelling abroad would be better applied to the provision of facilities for the people's benefit.

There is even a national security risk implicit in this proposal. Thirty-six state governors - and possibly the FCT minister too - would attend courses designed by a foreign institution, write research papers and submit dissertations laden with the latest and most authentic facts and figures about their respective areas of jurisdiction. We cannot conceive of a more legal and cheaper way to gather intelligence than this, and to compromise the Nigerian State. There is a time for everything: a time to study and a time to govern. To our governors we say this is a time to govern, please get on with the job.

Guardian Nigeria

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