President Muhammadu Buhari is cumulatively a sound leader. Rarely a person of his pedigree is found in the pisition of leadership in Africa nowadays. A combination of age well spent, moral balance and incorruptibility in service, lengthy experience in governance, highest Military and private experience, and above all, attested genuineness in patriotism to fatherland.
These are the virtues most Nigerians considered in voting him in the first time without the usual financial inducement which often characterise Nigeria’s electoral landscape. These are the same virtues (coupled with demonstration of ability to translate them into positive approach to development which Nigerians all need and deserve), that made the same Nigerians to vote him in for the second time without any financial inducements once again.
But then, when he came in for that first time, probably in his eagerness to create and deliver true democratic practice in the system, he faultered a lot in concept and procedure. The attempt, in itself, to change the system for good, was not faulty, but the consequences that trailed its hastiness were dire to the system.
One of them was his refusal to participate in the process of producing the leadership of the National Assembly as proposed by his own Party at that time. He wanted the National Assembly to be entirely independent in producing who they wanted as their leaders. And they did. The process produced, however, antagonists to change as the leaders of the National Legislative arm, among them staunch oppostion Party members, used the whole of their time fighting the programmes of the government.
This was aggravated by the President’s refusal to succumb to unwholesome demands from them and, importantly, his resistence to budgetary paddings. Consequently, budgets were not passed well half into the fiscal year, thereby strangulating the government in the implemebtion of projects, especially critical infrastructure such as roads and rail lines constructions.
Today, the first stanza of the administration is coming to a close. And elections have been concluded at the federal level. The new government will be inaugurated in less than three months. The President needs to consider some very vital hard truths in consolidating the journey towards the change we all deserve.
One of them is to ensure that the Presidency takes interest in the kind of leaders that will emerge in the new Legislature. Indeed, the Presidency has already made it clear that it will not interfere in the process of producing the Legislative leaders which is quite in order.
But there is no harm guiding them in producing those leaders who will work harmoniously with the Executive to deliver the services Nigerians needed. Grounding the execution of developmental projects for whatever reason is hardly patriotic as any differences must not be allowed to create a stumbling block to develolment.
The President should also review his political appointments method this time around. After spending six months screening the possible candidates for appointments into his cabinet, he came up with a list many Nigerians were openly disappointed in. This was because to most Nigerians, the list was like an old wine in a new bottle. And, yes it was. But then, many Nigerians quite understood with the President.
Those on the list were people who worked hard and sacrificed much to ensure that he won the elections, which he did. And provided they were this time around, going to work in tandem with his new policy of service to the nation, not service to self, they deserved the honour. And they did well to conform to his policy of governance. However, that was for the last stanza.
In this new stanza, the President must realise that he won this battle without the same critical sacrifice of the members of his cabinet or even his own party. Today, he is the first President Nigeria has produced without a godfather.
Right now, he owes no one a debt of honour; nor owe anyone the moral obligation for compensation. This second term of the President is a clear coast for doing what entirely conforms to his inner vision for a prosperous Nigeria. It is therefore a pertinent call on the President to constitute a cabinet devoid of patronage. He requires a cabinet that will be loyal to him in totality and will deliver the goods even in his absence.
The last stanza of the administration has witnessed tremenduos efforts at rehabilitation of dilapidated infrastructure in the area of roads and railways. The effort must be sustained so that the much expected take off of economic activities is accelerated.
Indeed, the issue of power must be paramount in this regard as experts have several times cautioned that no economic activity can thrive in a society where power is either absent or epileptic. The efforts at constructing the Mambila Hydroplant must be sustained while the current facilities available must be made to produce in maximum installed capacities in the area of generation. Transmission lines need total rehabilitation and dustribution improved by tasking the DISCOs to do what is right.
I have mentioned sometimes ago on the manifest lack of tangible efforts done in the areas of health services and education. The educational sector of Nigeria requires a total overhaul. The solution lies beyond touches on curricular, school feeding and building of more class room blocks.
It has to do more on quality in teacher employment and training, quality books and equipment, better laboratories, and a blueprint for periodic reviews. The government need to declare a total state of emergency in the sector for the period it will last in office.
If the second coming of PMB will address these issues adequately in four years, the foundation for sustainable growth and development would have been laid and the country would have once again, taken the path of honour, dignity and abundance.
Zailani Bappa can be reached at [email protected]
The views expressed in this article are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect WikkiTimes’ editorial stance.
