Former Secretary to the Enugu state Government Dr. Dan Shere, has called for the building of political party system where the roles and responsibilities of party executives are spelt out, understood and practiced, saying that these executives must not be appendages of government in power, or the rich and influential men.
This is just as Dr. Shere expressed optimism that the current Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in Enugu state, Dr. Martin Chukwunweike, would commence the process of institutionalizing political party system in the state.
Delivering a lead paper at the maiden edition of the recently concluded Igbo Eze North (one of the 17 LGAs in Enugu state) Conference, with the theme: “The Roles And Responsibilities Of Political Party Executives,” he drew a contrast between political parties that existed during the 1st and 2nd Republics, and the current political parties in the country, and declared that whereas the former operated as independent entities, the latter, are extensions of the state and federal governments,
He said: “So, my dear party men, we all crave for the return of the political parties which had the capacity to form the operating principles, guides, roles, responsibilities, ethos, and of course, the party grundnorm.
“It is desired for the longevity and good health of our democracy, as it adds to the multiplicity of forces on which the grounded democracy is anchored.
Dr. Shere, who served as SSG in the regime of then Governor Chimaroke Nnamani(1999-2007), told his audience that the defunct NCNC under the late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, expected the then party executives to understand that they were the bosses of those sponsored by their party into elective positions, and whose roles and responsibilities must be carefully monitored, supervised, directed and motivated or disciplined.
Also, he recalled that the NCNC declared that party executives should have the responsibilities to protect, defend and fight for appointee-members in government, or for those who are elected into offices, provided that they are strictly operating according to the guidelines of the Party.
According to Dr. Shere, a medical doctor-turned politician and administrator, party officials must not act to be subservient to please persons in government, so that the independence of the Party shall remain to retain the force to direct their affairs according to principles and ideologies of the party.
“When the Party Executives fail to comprehend and internalize the ideologies, the principles and the ethos of the Political Parties, they must be understood to have prepared to fail in delivering on what they do not even know or understand.
“It is not particularly too difficult for me to begin to reel out what I have read as roles and responsibilities of Executives, especially in foreign journals. The Party Organising Secretary ought to know what ‘organizing’ entails, just like the Party Publicity Secretary.
“Those offices are there, but are they there, whereas functionality in the traditional sense of playing institutional roles in an organization is absent?” he observed.
Dr. Shere also enumerated other practices that have savagely assailed Party Officials and their responsibilities to include poor funding of Parties, and weaponisation of poverty of political party functionaries.
On poor funding, he said today’s political parties “are funded, from start to finish, from conception to implementation of any initiative, from welfare of members to elections, by the government in power.”
According to him, “In the past, it was not that way. We still remember it. As students in the 2nd Republic, many of us belonged to the youth and student wings of political parties. We never went to the Local Government Chairman, or Commissioner, or any appointee of government for financing of any of our programmes.
“Each member had a membership card designed to record the monthly dues/levies of each member. Projects of the party at that level, as other levels were likewise funded. Today, it is a different thing. Nobody remembers that his financial steady ought to be the foundation of his basis.”
Queries Dr. Shere: “With the benefit of the hindsight, would you think that there would be a political party setting fully funded by government, but which officials are capable of asserting their offices like the players of the Zikian era? Is it possible for the Party officials to receive government funding running into millions only for the party officials to raise publicized memos against policies and programmes of the same government? Is it even possible for the party officials to spot independence of thought whereas their entire existence rests on the government?”
On Weaponisation of poverty, he said this is a system where parties and their officials are cap-in-hand, begging the officials of government “to look in their direction.”
Turning to Enugu state PDP, Dr. Shere, a high-heeled member of PDP said: “For the first time, we have the Chairman of the Political Party, who is a solid professional, and who is considered worthy of an added executive position in Government.
“Dr. Martin Chukwunweike, is a medical doctor in practice, who is not even a first timer in government. About 20 years ago, he was Commissioner in the administration, 1999 – 2007, and he was known to have given a good account of himself in office.
“He was also known to have conducted himself well in the post-regime turmoil and anguish that had, either way, befallen many appointees and office holders in that era.
“He was not bended by the deliberate construct of pressures designed for humiliation and deprivation by some elements of men of power of the subsequent era. There were many co-travelers in that ordeal.
“Now, serving as both the Chairman of the PDP in Enugu State, while at the same time deemed fit to hold office as a Commissioner, tells so much about some qualities or talents yet untapped.
“And notwithstanding the possible heavy load this amounts to, his is an evidence of a bundle of talents encapsulated in a person which the Governor does not want to go to waste.
“It is our hope that his evolving Party Management style, which already evinces subtle and benumbed engagement at all levels, would set the pace in commencing the process of institutionalization of the political party system in Enugu State, such that would effectively shorten the searches for roles and responsibilities of Executives.
“And for the roles and responsibilities of Party Executives to emerge and crystalise, the tradition must be created whereupon party functionaries shall operate and contribute to development, functionality and visibility of Political Parties.
“We all crave the evolution of Political Party traditions where the Political parties shall run, among other offices: Functional Party research desks; Party publicity and propaganda desks; Party secretariat administrations, Party membership improvement and development desks, and Party research & development desks.”
Others are, “Party voter education and electioneering desks, Party legal desks, Party medical outreach desks, Party Community relationship desks, etc.”
According to Dr. Shere, “ it is when these begin to happen, as they are billed to under the leadership of Dr. Chukwunweike that political party functions shall cease to be one-man-shows, and we would be in a position to slap our chests and say that we are institutionalizing Democratic Political Party System.”
