MY TEN KOBO ;THE 2016 BUDGET AND THE WISDOM OF THE TORTOISE

As the drama unfolds with the contents of the 2016 budget coming under media scrutiny, it is becoming obvious by the hour that we are caught in a maze, a game in which there is no version of its outcome that would not end badly.

In normal climes, the heads of whoever heads the budget office and the most senior civil servant in that department should be rolling in the dust by now. It is either a deliberate mischief or sheer incompetence that such a flawed document was given to the President for onward delivery to the National Assembly.

This of course, is also a dent on the administrative capabilities of the President and his personal staff. For a man who spent the first few months depending solely on the advise and competence of the civil service, so much was he enamoured with their experience and expertise that he publicly stated that Ministers are just ornaments, the main work was being done by the Perm Secs

I guess they just showed him their level of expertise, in padding budgets!

Reminds me of the tale of the tortoise is Yoruba folklore, who decided one day to collect all the wisdom on earth, put it in a gourd, hang it on his neck, and hide it on a palm tree..

But, after several hours of trying unsuccessfully to climb the palm tree with the gourd of wisdom on his chest, a monkey, that was sitting on a nearby tree and was bemused by the drama, called out to the tortoise, and told him to move the gourd to his back for an easier climb.

The tortoise, at that point, realised that it was impossible for one man to have all the wisdom in the world, and was forced to smash the gourd.

It is an open secret that most of the choicest properties around the country are owned by civil servants, and that if you delegate your executive responsibilities to career officers, more often than not, they will mess you up, especially if you are the reform minded type.

Remember they have seen governments come and go, and know just the right amount of ego massaging required to maintain the status quo, and savvy enough to pad budgets while they kept you busy with the ceremonies of the office.

If I have my way I will recommend that old British comedy, Yes, Minister, for every politician taking public office. It will give them an insight into how the civil servants run governments, while giving the politicians the ILLUSION that they, the politicians, are in charge.

Unless and until the president does the needful, we will be back here again next year, doing exactly the same thing.

Because old habits die hard.

My Ten Kobo.