The place of history in our present day technological society to every citizen or indigene of our present day global social order cannot be overemphasised. This so because the society itself is evolving by every ticking of the clock! As it does, so humanity that serves as the major species in it keeps striving hard to meet up and as well matchup with the social order’s new trend for fame, fulfilment of life dreams, visions, goals, etc. In view of the current quest for materialism, knowledge, wisdom, etc, most of our heroes and heroines who sacrifice their wealth of knowledge, leadership prowess, administrative skills, resources and energy for the society to become a better place for us to live peacefully and fulfil our ambitions without hitches are in some instances easily forgotten.
Too bad, a concerned citizen with heart of love and compassion will say. However, it is a fact that some of patriots died poor, leaving nothing substantial for their offsprings to live on, some of them made humongous wealth which even after their demise, the generation behind them and even the generation yet unborn will greatly benefit from. I can go on and on, but for space brevity and inadequate time sake, I will like to narrow this piece on Nigeria’s past technocrats with special eagle eyes on Dr. Muhammed Kyari Dikwa, Mni, PhD (Account and Finance), MBA, BSC, ND, FCNA, FCMA, FCPA, FICA, MNIM, MCIPS, ACA.
To say MKD Dikwa is a thorough bred public servant and, an international business mogul with landmark achievements across every human endeavour, could be viewed by those who know little about him as an overstatement. Dikwa is not only a thorough bred technocrat but also a business mogul of international repute whose humility is incomparable except for some well-known down-to-earth prominent personalities in our religious books which most clergies use as references when they are teaching their congregants or followers on humility. Indeed, Dikwa is humility personified. He is a man who began his civil servant carrier from the state level and rose to the peak of a permanent secretary in the Federal Ministry of Finance until he retired in February 2020.
One unique thing about him that has been a source of interest to many Nigerians across borders whom God has been using him to positively impact their lives, is his silent nature of making positive impacts both on human lives, government institutions and the larger society; impacts that if he was to be many other Nigerians who like blowing their trumpet, I believe by now his office and even his house will not have enough space for him to display his award art craft. In the course of his public service career which spanned over three decades, Dr. Dikwa initiated pragmatic policies which positively transformed government’s institutions and the people. Most of these policies saved a lot of cost for the past and current Nigerian governments and invariably boost the Nigeria economy beyond imagination.
For clarity purpose, I will like to highlight some of the policies initiated by Dikwa during his public service career. To start with, many Nigerians who are aware of the earthshaking success being recorded with the operation of Single Treasury Accounts, do not know the brain behind its introduction. The idea of TSA was that of Dikwa. As a result of this idea, which the Buhari government gladly implemented without delay, wanton looting of public funds unlike in the past government has been completely blocked. He also assembled workaholic technocrats like himself to introduce Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS). The initiative made a lot of record especially by aiding the government to prudently manage the cash flow into the treasury for the benefit of every Nigerian through project initiation in every segment of Nigeria thereby taking development directly to the people.
He also put in place another laudable policy which many experts in accounting and economics have described as one of the best policies being implemented by the Buhari government – the International Public Sector Accounting (IPSAS). Today, the benefits of the establishment of IPSAS are glaring to every Nigerian. IPSAS also led to the conceptualisation of far-reaching policy which today is yielding excellent results and is applauded by Nigerians and even the international community. It is also on record that the whistle blower policy which recorded massive success from the onset of this current administration is a brain child of Dr Dikwa. His other initiatives are e-Collection, e-payment and Asset Tracing Team.
He is also the brain behind the establishment of the team where he served as pioneer secretary with impressive achievements. Prominent among the achievements was the discovery of over 52,000 ghost workers who were removed from government’s payroll. No doubt, the discovery drastically reduced government’s wage bill for public servants. Others were verification of oil marketers’ claims resulting in saving over N200 billion for Nigeria; drastic reduction in the non-regular allowances of the Nigerian Armed Forces and para-millitary agencies which led to saving over N30 billion in 2016 and N23.6 billion in 2017, among many others.
In my next article, more highlights will be made to buttress the fact that Dr. Dikwa is an unsung hero and patriot that deployed his vast knowledge, energy and resources to record tremendous success for the past and present government. Meanwhile, for those who think Dikwa either directly or indirectly enriched himself via government office, I want them to note that Dikwa was born into a family in Borno state reputed for their entrepreneurship which made his late father a famous business mogul in the entire Northern Nigeria. Naturally, Dikwa keyed into the family business, which even as a public servant, he devoting his time to efficiently manage; the result of which some people are seeing today and believe his source of wealth is from government, far from it.
Therefore, in every sense, millions of Nigerians across borders, whom God has been using him to positively impact their lives right from his time as accountant general of Borno state, cannot be wrong in view of the fact that his achievements stand tall among his contemporaries even after living office for some years. Indeed, and in all ramifications, MK Dikwa is an unsung hero that should be accorded recognition by this administration.
Owoicho writes from Abuja.
