HOW BUHARI CAN FIX NIGERIA BY DEFEATING THE THREE DEMONS..
On April 1 2015, INEC chairman Prof Attahiru Jega threw Nigerians into joyous pandemonium when he said and I quote:
“Muhammad Buhari, of the APC, having satisfied the requirement for the law and scored the highest number of votes is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected.”
This to many ushered in a new era, a new hope, a new breath and the much anticipated goodbye to the old order.
It was certain that even while some Nigerians especially from South South and South Eastern part of Nigeria bewailed and rued Jonathan’s defeat, vast majority of Nigerians mostly from Northern and South Western part of Nigeria were unable to conceal their jubilations. Incredible scenes of exultation and gleefulness were seen. Carouse and merrymaking literally hypnotized the change crooners and the entire Buharist. As if that was not enough, GEJ’s concession call came on and further ignited the celebration.
If GEJ’s concession call didn’t achieve anything; it doused the electoral tension and magnified the celebration of the BUHARIST. The celebration and the heroic connotation of this call were not because there was much to contest after election was won and lost. But it is considered Un-African for incumbent President from the most populous political party in Africa to be defeated in an electoral contest where the electoral apparatchiks are supposed to majorly belong to the ruling party.
May 29, is very much around the corner, the ‘’change’’ that people craved for has been given opportunity to perform. While we cannot advise against the celebration of the incredible electoral feat, we must not fail to remind the General that it is no longer time for celebration. It is time to give back to the people, it is the time to restore the lost confidence, it is time to rebuild Nigeria and this can only be achieved by understanding the task ahead.
We have heard the president elect say time without number that Corruption is the root of many of Nigeria’s problems. While this cannot be completely faulted, it is momentous to note that Nigeria’s biggest problem is not corruption but structural defect and bad leadership.
The nation has major structural inadequacies in the composition of the ethnicity, labour force, value chain, religion, Security, quota and virtually in every facet of our endeavours.
We cannot continue to run our country by concession, quota, federal character, nepotism as this more than anything strongly encourages mediocrity and deflates meritocracy. Just like the best Airplane cannot fly in bad weather, the way the best automobile cannot operate on its full potential on a defective road, Nigerian structure cannot allow anybody no matter how impeccable and highly placed to function at its full potential.
To build a Nigeria of our dream, we must look beyond party, we must look beyond ethnicity, and we must keep religion and made in Nigeria terrorism aside and think about unbundling of our highly flawed and inoperative structure. We need to build a structure that will ensure better accommodation among the ethnic sub-nationalities in the country as this will give identity to our people to address the rising societal challenges. It will amount to waste of time and space to start enlisting the structural issues that has bedeviled the ascendancy of this great country to its exalted place among the comity of nations as most of our structural challenges was captured in the last confab report.
General Buhari can start by looking beyond who convoked the national confab, which zone is perceived to be adversely affected and implement most of the reports that are sure to address our challenges as a country. It will be recalled that most of the resolutions on the report was reached by consensus or decided by votes of the three quarter of Majority of the delegates.
The National Conference reports should be enshrined into our constitution so that it will create a level-playing field for everyone as that will effectively reduce corruption by over fifty percent. The restructuring is much needed because it simply a no brainer that states will gather its resources, send to the center and go back to the center and queue in order to collect part of their contributions in the name of allocation. This implementation will take away the over reliance in the center, it will reduce the over attractiveness of Abuja and the ‘’go to Aso Rock by all means’’ syndrome.
During the presidential campaign, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, identified insecurity, corruption and mismanagement of economy as the major developmental challenges of Nigeria. He said his government would provide qualitative and quantitative education, address power challenge and insecurity; as well as fight corruption. He also promised that the government would tackle mass unemployment through emphasis on agriculture and small and medium enterprises development. We are glad that today, we can hold him for his promises.
Corruption and its attendant deleterious effect are certainly among the three major demons destroying our country. The good news about emergence of Gen Buhari as the president of Nigeria is that his name is synonymous to fight against corruption. Most of Buhari’s critics during presidential campaign posited that it will be difficult for the General to bite the dirty fingers that fed him. The issue of his alleged sectional mind was also used as maligned electoral tool. The ball as it is now in GMB’s court to prove his critics wrong.
Nigerians are most hopeful that the General knows what is at stake. We have heard him say ‘’ If Nigeria doesn’t kill corruption, corruption will kill Nigeria’’ Nigerians have decided against corruption and would start demanding for results from May 29.
One of the Jonathan’s greatest undoing as the president of Nigeria was his inability to strengthen the Economic and Financial Crime Commission. This made light the whole crusade of fight against corruption and paved way for free for all looting and embezzlement of public funds with reckless abandon. He neglected several glaring cases of allegations of corruption against some of his aides and this gave the opposition a lot to throw at the president. Today, Jonathan’s regime is history and Buhari’s regime is here. We are happy and won’t spare any chance to throw another regime to the dustbin of history if...
Buhari can do well by given back to the people who remembered him after three unsuccessful attempts to cling to power.
The only way to sustain the celebration of the ushering in of this Buhari’s regime is for him to demonstrate the will, the zeal and be non-selective in discharging of justice as regards fight against this demon called corruption.
There is no doubt that exemplary leadership, re-orientation of Nigerians and unbundling of our very defective structure coupled with sincere fight against corruption has the potential to again make Nigeria the Giant of Africa both in name and in action, lessen the mockery and derision that follows disclosure of ones nationality and propel her to greater height among the strong countries of the world.
Peter Peton Ibezim
Public Affairs analyst.
On April 1 2015, INEC chairman Prof Attahiru Jega threw Nigerians into joyous pandemonium when he said and I quote:
“Muhammad Buhari, of the APC, having satisfied the requirement for the law and scored the highest number of votes is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected.”
This to many ushered in a new era, a new hope, a new breath and the much anticipated goodbye to the old order.
It was certain that even while some Nigerians especially from South South and South Eastern part of Nigeria bewailed and rued Jonathan’s defeat, vast majority of Nigerians mostly from Northern and South Western part of Nigeria were unable to conceal their jubilations. Incredible scenes of exultation and gleefulness were seen. Carouse and merrymaking literally hypnotized the change crooners and the entire Buharist. As if that was not enough, GEJ’s concession call came on and further ignited the celebration.
If GEJ’s concession call didn’t achieve anything; it doused the electoral tension and magnified the celebration of the BUHARIST. The celebration and the heroic connotation of this call were not because there was much to contest after election was won and lost. But it is considered Un-African for incumbent President from the most populous political party in Africa to be defeated in an electoral contest where the electoral apparatchiks are supposed to majorly belong to the ruling party.
May 29, is very much around the corner, the ‘’change’’ that people craved for has been given opportunity to perform. While we cannot advise against the celebration of the incredible electoral feat, we must not fail to remind the General that it is no longer time for celebration. It is time to give back to the people, it is the time to restore the lost confidence, it is time to rebuild Nigeria and this can only be achieved by understanding the task ahead.
We have heard the president elect say time without number that Corruption is the root of many of Nigeria’s problems. While this cannot be completely faulted, it is momentous to note that Nigeria’s biggest problem is not corruption but structural defect and bad leadership.
The nation has major structural inadequacies in the composition of the ethnicity, labour force, value chain, religion, Security, quota and virtually in every facet of our endeavours.
We cannot continue to run our country by concession, quota, federal character, nepotism as this more than anything strongly encourages mediocrity and deflates meritocracy. Just like the best Airplane cannot fly in bad weather, the way the best automobile cannot operate on its full potential on a defective road, Nigerian structure cannot allow anybody no matter how impeccable and highly placed to function at its full potential.
To build a Nigeria of our dream, we must look beyond party, we must look beyond ethnicity, and we must keep religion and made in Nigeria terrorism aside and think about unbundling of our highly flawed and inoperative structure. We need to build a structure that will ensure better accommodation among the ethnic sub-nationalities in the country as this will give identity to our people to address the rising societal challenges. It will amount to waste of time and space to start enlisting the structural issues that has bedeviled the ascendancy of this great country to its exalted place among the comity of nations as most of our structural challenges was captured in the last confab report.
General Buhari can start by looking beyond who convoked the national confab, which zone is perceived to be adversely affected and implement most of the reports that are sure to address our challenges as a country. It will be recalled that most of the resolutions on the report was reached by consensus or decided by votes of the three quarter of Majority of the delegates.
The National Conference reports should be enshrined into our constitution so that it will create a level-playing field for everyone as that will effectively reduce corruption by over fifty percent. The restructuring is much needed because it simply a no brainer that states will gather its resources, send to the center and go back to the center and queue in order to collect part of their contributions in the name of allocation. This implementation will take away the over reliance in the center, it will reduce the over attractiveness of Abuja and the ‘’go to Aso Rock by all means’’ syndrome.
During the presidential campaign, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, identified insecurity, corruption and mismanagement of economy as the major developmental challenges of Nigeria. He said his government would provide qualitative and quantitative education, address power challenge and insecurity; as well as fight corruption. He also promised that the government would tackle mass unemployment through emphasis on agriculture and small and medium enterprises development. We are glad that today, we can hold him for his promises.
Corruption and its attendant deleterious effect are certainly among the three major demons destroying our country. The good news about emergence of Gen Buhari as the president of Nigeria is that his name is synonymous to fight against corruption. Most of Buhari’s critics during presidential campaign posited that it will be difficult for the General to bite the dirty fingers that fed him. The issue of his alleged sectional mind was also used as maligned electoral tool. The ball as it is now in GMB’s court to prove his critics wrong.
Nigerians are most hopeful that the General knows what is at stake. We have heard him say ‘’ If Nigeria doesn’t kill corruption, corruption will kill Nigeria’’ Nigerians have decided against corruption and would start demanding for results from May 29.
One of the Jonathan’s greatest undoing as the president of Nigeria was his inability to strengthen the Economic and Financial Crime Commission. This made light the whole crusade of fight against corruption and paved way for free for all looting and embezzlement of public funds with reckless abandon. He neglected several glaring cases of allegations of corruption against some of his aides and this gave the opposition a lot to throw at the president. Today, Jonathan’s regime is history and Buhari’s regime is here. We are happy and won’t spare any chance to throw another regime to the dustbin of history if...
Buhari can do well by given back to the people who remembered him after three unsuccessful attempts to cling to power.
The only way to sustain the celebration of the ushering in of this Buhari’s regime is for him to demonstrate the will, the zeal and be non-selective in discharging of justice as regards fight against this demon called corruption.
There is no doubt that exemplary leadership, re-orientation of Nigerians and unbundling of our very defective structure coupled with sincere fight against corruption has the potential to again make Nigeria the Giant of Africa both in name and in action, lessen the mockery and derision that follows disclosure of ones nationality and propel her to greater height among the strong countries of the world.
Peter Peton Ibezim
Public Affairs analyst.
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