There’s this wide opinion that government ministries are not the friendliest offices to visit. Aside from the bureaucracy in handling issues, a typical government ministry is always looking unkempt; you wonder where those allocations go. But a visit to the Lagos State Commissioner for Budgeting, Ben Akabueze, compels a rethink of that opinion.
The structure apart, the environment looked clean and friendly, as if someone is very particular about it. You come across happy civil servants, who had time to say ‘good morning,’ with smiling faces. To be frank, knowing office clerks for what they are, we were fully prepared for the worst. Unfortunately, there was no need for that.
“There’s this impression that people outside government –– especially the private sector –– have about government. Often times, it’s an exaggerated one; some see it as a non-functional system and all that. But in reality, there’s a lot of work done in government.”
But this environment is exceptionally clean?
“That’s because on a daily basis, as I walk into this office, I’m on the look-out. We’ve got to live by example; we can’t tell people to paint their homes and then leave the government offices looking terrible. We can’t be encouraging people to keep their environment clean and yet our own offices are not clean. People’s work environments have a lot of impact on their level of productivity. That’s why when you see corporate organisation spend so much money in creating a conducive environment for their staff, it’s not just for show; there’s a direct positive correlation between that and productivity,” Akabueze said.
Till date, many still wonder how the Anambra State native got into the Lagos State government. As a professional accountant, Akabueze was more of a financial person than a politician; he was never a card-carrying member of the party. And being an Igbo man, his appointment as a commissioner in Lagos, remains a puzzle to many.
“I think it’s a question best addressed to people that took the decision.”
Were you surprised when the offer came?
“I wasn’t surprised because my mind had been made. Before my appointment in Lagos State, I had once confronted myself with the question, ‘what if you are offered an appointment by the state, what will your attitude be?’ So, three days later when the offer came, I only smiled. Maybe if I had not prepared my mind for it, I would have given them a wrong answer.”
He continued: “The process of my confirmation in the House of Assembly was not acrimonious; if there were strong reservations about my not being from this part of the country, they were not expressed. I have been confirmed in the position twice now by the House. The reality is that if someone hired you for a job today, they basically hired you, your skill, knowledge and experience. So, whatever worked for you in the past, you bring into the new place; that’s what I’ve brought to the table.”
Do you think your background in the financial industry played a vital role in making that decision?
“I don’t presume to have the best CV in town; obviously, it’s not about the CV.”
To some observers, Akabueze’s appointment is purely a political calculation by the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) to win votes from the Igbos.
“The AC (now ACN) won the election in 1999 without an Igbo person in the cabinet. They won again in 2003 without an Igbo man in the cabinet, so, I’m not sure that without my appointment, they would not have won in 2007. If that is the case, it buttresses the wisdom of the people who took the decision; you now wonder why other governments are not toeing that line.”
For the University of Lagos graduate, transiting from the corporate world to becoming a government man, was smooth unlike many thought.
“The truth is that the transition has even been easier for me than I had imagined it would be; I’d never worked for the government. If you come into government at the level that I came, if you are ready to work, the systems are in place to support you.”
Contrary to popular opinion, Akabueze believes that the civil service has enough skills and knowledge for anyone to excel.
“You just have to harness that and provide the right leadership and direction; you will be amazed the level of result you will get. There are able and competent men and women in the service, but you have to channel that into a productive workforce. When you create the right environment, you will be amazed at how much productivity you can unlock. There’s no denying the fact that this place doesn’t look like your ‘typical’ government ministry, but that’s part of that leadership you need to provide.”
Akabueze might have come across many challenges in the line of his duty, but one seems very pressing.
“My biggest challenge is finding the resources to allocate; budget is all about allocating resources to competing needs. In Lagos, our needs are far beyond our resources and that makes it very challenging.”
And the work pressure?
“I’ve always had high pressure works in the past. So, the challenge I have now is to depressurise; I don’t need to cope with pressure when there’s none. In fact, sometimes, I feel something is missing.”
Do you miss your days in the banking industry?
“To be frank, I don’t miss my days in the bank,” he said amid laughter. “To be hornest with you, I earn substantially less than I earned from my job in the bank, but I get deeper satisfaction in this job. In the bank, I served my shareholders; I served my customers and staff and other stakeholders. Here, you just feel you are serving all of the 18 million plus people in Lagos and even beyond. So, there’s a greater sense of fulfillment that you make contributions. In the bank, you are working for shareholders, who are interested in making money, but here, you are in the position to change people’s lives and contribute to decisions that affect the people and future positively, which I feel appeals better to my innate personality.”
From his tone and record, it appears the accountant is in love with being a public servant?
“Big pay hasn’t always motivated me. When I left UNILAG, I joined an accounting firm as a trainee accountant where I earned peanuts; I could have gone to banks to earn better pay, but I had my eyes set to the future.”
Even when he resolved to quit financial consulting for banking, money was never an issue.
“I had the option of joining one bank as a deputy manager and joining the other as an assistant manager. The deputy manager position would have paid more, but I concluded that the other job had a better chance of taking me the path I wanted; I’ve never been one motivated by money,” he sang.
DESPITE his busy schedules, Akabueze still finds time for his family.
“I still find time to be with my family; I’ve never failed in doing that by the Grace of God. Every year, we go on holiday. Of course, in between, I make out time to be with my wife and kids.”
Don’t be deceived by his looks; Akabueze is a great sports lover.
“Oh, I’m a fan of Arsenal; I also love Barcelona. What these two clubs have in common is that they play the beautiful game very beautifully,” he said, looking ready to run more commentaries.
As for relaxation, “I play squash; if you are familiar with the game of squash, you will know that it’s good for people like us, who don’t have time. One hour of squash can give you the effect that five hours of golf cannot give you.”
When was the last time you played?
“Wednesday last week and by the grace of God, I will play tonight.”
Though he believes in looking good, the Commissioner doesn’t see himself as a stylish man.
“I don’t have time thinking about what to wear, so, I won’t call myself a stylish person. However, I believe in decency. I believe that your personality cannot really be divorced from your dressing; my dressing reflects my personality as a person.”
However, red is one colour you won’t get Akabueze wearing.
“You are not likely going to find me in a red suit. You will find me in dark colours; I avoid loud colours, but I wear both natives and English outfits.”
As for Perfumes, “I don’t have anyone I call my brand; I just go from one bottle to another. I get gifts of perfumes from people, so, I make do with whichever one that is available.”
ASKED how he met his lovely wife, Akabueze took a trip, recounting the conspiracy that founded the union that is today blessed with children.
“Mine was an ‘arrange marriage,’ he said bursting into laughter. “My wife was a good friend of my cousin and through my cousin, my aunt got to like my wife a lot. So, between both of them, they agreed that we would make a good pair.”
You’d not met her by then?
“No, they arranged for us to meet in their house in Onitsha; they invited both of us separately, we didn’t know.”
So, how did you feel; disappointed?
“No, it’s an interesting story. They had invited both of us and because they had game plan, they both disappeared and left us alone. But by the time they returned, they must have felt disappointed because they met both of us arguing whether Nigeria should take the IMF loan or not. I had started working, but she was in her third year in the university. But that same day, I said to my friend that I had met the woman I was going to marry.”
A NATIVE of Ifite Dunu, in Dunukofia Local Government Area of Anambra State, Ben Akabueze was born in Maiduguri where he did his nursery and part of his primary school. Upon his parents’ relocation to Cameroon, the fair complexioned accountant moved with them where he completed his primary education. He returned to Nigeria for his secondary education at the Dennis Memorial Grammar School Onitsha, after which he gained admission to the University of Lagos to study accounting. Having done his compulsory National Youth Service in Maiduguri (North) and now working in Lagos (South), Akabueze belongs to the group you call ‘proudly full Nigerians.’
Source:http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/
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