“If horses could vote, there would be no cars” by Ademola H. Adigun

That quote speaks to redundancy. It speaks to why people resist change. Why status quo remains in many parts. Horses vote here. That is why there is no car. That is why in a world of acceleration, we still trudge along in the public and civil service. 

The engine room of growth should be the public and civil service. It should be the “creator” of an enabling environment for business. It should lead social service and delivery of value to citizens.
Our civil service is filled with horses. It is filled with people that will fight reform, destroy innovation to remain relevant. A culture of resistance to any form of disruption has been built over the years. They can’t help themselves. Change is interpreted as redundancy. And they ask you, “who lives on their salary?” They ask that proudly.
Yet they consume the wealth of the land at both federal and state levels. Of every Naira we earn, less than 1.5m civil and public servants consume 65kobo.  
It would not be so criminal, if the productivity was commensurate with the consumption. Productivity in Nigeria, is one of the lowest worldwide.
Recall when you sat for common entrance and you had to answer; “if 10 men wash a car in 2hours, how many men would wash it in 1hr?” Well the answer depends on the origin of the men, their level of education, the tools they have to wash the car and more importantly their commitment to washing the car.
Germany would probably have 3 men to deliver it in one hour, Japan 2.5 men and Nigeria a 100 men and still the car will be dirty. That is our problem.
The last serious effort at reforms of that space was under Obj. His second term. GEJ made some half hearted efforts. PMB, none so far to address productivity. It has reversed some efforts. 
We must get the horses out. Not for cars, but for jets. We are too far behind. Civil and Public service reforms is a must.
What about the private sector? Productivity is a joke here. People will abandon work on Wednesday to go for prayers. Your staff will tell you they need to go for mass and leave work. Friday is work free days in some core northern states.
Then we all say government is not performing after spending the whole day playing, chatting, texting and Facebooking. Then on Sundays we scream to the Lord to deliver our nation from its enemies. 
The enemy is the horse. The enemy is you!