Induction is necessary for government officials

There is an African proverb that says, “The person who has not travelled widely thinks his or her mother is the best cook.”

This proverb points to the same universal truth that if people are confined to a particular area, point of view, or ideology, then they can remain unusual. However, to make yourself or your views relevant, it is important to know the people you are communicating with and the information you want to share with them. 

The point of discussion is just about the drama that emerged in parliament on Tuesday when the lawmakers failed to understand a presentation from one of the national ministers. The lawmakers felt the minister did not have any knowledge about their conduct of business. The official made such an odd presentation that provoked a lot of reactions from the members of parliament, resulting in a dramatic scene in the house.

The minister was in parliament to respond to the summons by the lawmakers who wanted to know what the ministry of health had done to mitigate flood impacts in the affected areas.

In the presentation, the minister could hardly be understood as the English words and spellings she used seemed foreign to some of the lawmakers. The official used the wrong titles of constitutional post holders, contrary to the ones provided in the conduct of business regulations such as Rt. Hon. Speaker, Hon. Members.

A child of 10 years old is no longer considered young because a child of 10 years old can be sent to the shop or school alone by their parents and come back home. As a result, every politician should be familiar with the three arms of government, including how to address officials in each organ, by now, since the formation of the government.

Also, the minister’s failure to be in touch with expectations portrays her as someone who cares very little about her responsibilities. For instance, one might ask, “Did she prepare adequately for the presentation?” And did she conduct the due diligence to anticipate the queries she may have been subjected to?

However, as this seems to be a challenge to some politicians, each organ, even within itself, needs to go through induction training to share knowledge. This is purposely to make them familiar with the functioning of each other.

Most importantly, all ministers need to be informed about the functioning of the parliament and the conduct of business regulation to enable them to address the August house eloquently once they are summoned to answer queries.

Since the national ministries operate in collaboration with the state ministries, it is also equally important for each national minister to always visit the states to know what activities are being conducted in the states. There should be a sharing of information between the states and the national ministries. For instance, the national ministry of education or health should be able to know about the activities being conducted by respective state ministries.