Public advocacy group, NEFGAD, has advised ministers against naming public institutions after a sitting president.
NEFGAD gave the advice in a statement on Wednesday signed by its country head of office, Akingunola Omoniy.
The group described such action as extreme sycophancy, unethical anda a blantant abuse of office.
NEFGAD, however, called for reversal of such gestures in the protection and preservation of the office and reputation of the President, saying that honouring a sitting president may create the appearance of bias and a form of getting political favour.
The statement reads, “The President is the Chief Executive Officer of all federal institutions, hence, approaching him to superintend over a matter that coffers monumental benefits on him while still in active service is purely wrong and difficult to rationalise.
“Several appointees of the current president have named federal institutions after the president including Southern parkway in FCT by Nyesom Wike, an Immigration Data Center by the Head of the Nigerian Immigration Service, and most recently a federal polytechnic by Education Minister Tunji Alausa. Similar scenario played out during the last administration of president Muhamadu Buhari when Second Niger Bridge, A federal project was named after the former president while in office.
”Any minister engaging in such practice should be reminded of the code of conduct for public officers enacted to maintain a high standard of morality in the conduct of government businesses and to ensure that the actions and behavior of public officers conform to the highest standards of public morality and accountability. How can an appointee name public institution after someone who appointed him into office.”
The group further averred that governance world-over has moved beyond such primordial approach of courting political favour through such an archaic and unethical practice.
It added, “Beyond leadership limitations, followership elsewhere carry on their shoulders huge responsibility of letting leaders know what is right and appropriate to do per time, hence, imposing on Mr President such unhealthy gesture of naming federal institutions after him shows the nature and thinking of people around him and such should be discouraged forthwith.
”We, however, call for reversal of such gestures in the protection and preservation of the office and reputation of the President, saying that honoring a sitting president may create the appearance of bias, as it can be seen as a form of political favor or flattery. It may give the impression that the institutions so named after a political head serve political purposes rather than its intended mission.
”There is the need to maintain institutional integrity and impartiality, and equally opined that although a performing leader deserves his honor, but admonish any institution or appointee that which to honor the president in such manner to wait till after the president completes his term in office.”
