Next Level is here. After all that has passed, against the oddest odds of unprecedented politicking, President Muhammadu Buhari has defied, once again, the patrons and members of doom, and his second term is about to begin with much more promises that wailers will continue to find lots of disappointments.
That is the promise that those who choose to go back instead of march with us gave themselves. PMB is just going to reassert that for them as he launches the second phase of the phases of physical and psychological pains ever inflicted on the land. Be ready for much of the promise.
The first disappointment will be the composition of the Next Level Cabinet, the NLC, itself. We have seen and recorded the various cries, suggestions and dictations for the President’s next cabinet, coming from, unfortunately, the same windmill of deniers, wailers, spoilers and machines of the SELF drive themselves.
They have been just on point. And much on promise, too. They never disappointed and that is why a promise is just going to meet its own promise. So it is going to be promise vs. promise all through. The promise of PMB’s disappointment of the wailers and the wailers’ promise of relentless denial of PMB’s successes and endemic wailing with or without reason.
It is going to be the promise of the President and his army of those who believe in him, his government and the APC since the time the APC was reformed in 2014, and are still holding to the rope of rain, hoping in God, not PMB, that things will be well over the naysayers’ naughty nurses of doom.
Yes, the NLC will be disappointment to many among those who never believed in, or listened to, the President. They watched, comparing and counting the contradictions of the APC Government in relation to that of the PDP and always seeing things from the spectacles of their nostalgic past which they are missing since May 29, 2015, due to the blockages and the complementary policies that followed in good faith for their own form of faith in the federation.
There is a familiar pattern of how those cynics behave. They have paid all the dues of denial, betrayal and even treason and will not relent. After losing the battles at every point of the President and the FGN’s successes, their display of hatred never seized. They have lied a thousand times. They first said there will be no inauguration in different languages of verbal and nonverbal communication.
They will try a million times. It is typical of cynics. They now know the inauguration will come to pass, too. So they try in every way to set the agenda for who should be on the list. How stupid? They will never believe, they will keep dreaming in the past that Government would continue to be in the hands of the select, selfish few with the tools of sentiment, bias and intimidation wielded in their hands. In all million times, PMB has shown in practical terms and clear pictures that it is not possible the FGN will dance to the tunes of the selfish again. No. Never..
So, why will this Cabinet be another disappointment? It will be for a number of reasons, for the same selfish few who want things done according to the past. Here are some of the ways in which the NLC will be like, or what it will not be like, at the least:
- Strong Incumbents: It will first be a cabinet of ‘recycled’ ministers, if you like. Next Level is about continuity, building on what exists. It will be difficult for someone who wasn’t part of the foundation laying to spearhead the completion of projects.
I know wailers hate PMB, FGN and some ministers, two in particular – Rotimi Amaechi and Raji Fashola – for the constructions going on down the Niger but will now have to cross over up the Niger. Their names are now synonymous with the hope to make the construction a national outreach. How can the future be without them? No way.
Wailers will never like the duo to return to triple progress in the second term. They will be disappointed. PMB will never drop the two even if some of the ministers are going. Of course some are going, for obvious performance and nation interest reasons. So put your heart to rest and learn to live with the duo in your life as Nigeria navigates the next term.
- PMB’s Judgment: It will be a cabinet of Sir PMB’s own judgment, largely. He knows what he wants to do and how to do it. He has seen, met and worked with many Nigerians who can be better in key areas. And because the owners of the government – poor Nigerians who entrusted the nation into his hands – will watch out for his good judgment, PMB will step up to the occasion and include his best men in the reshuffle.
Again, it will shock many. And no amount of criticism has, will change things as shaped by PMB’s mind and his consult of some silent patriots. So rest. Be calm and watch. There is nothing you can do.
- Public/national Interest: It will not be a cabinet of the dictate of the ‘hawks’ who use ethnicity, religion, region, tribe and intimidation to push and perpetuate some abusing elite in government, without any benefit of development accruing to their places of origin or the sectional interest they claim to represent.
We thought the way PMB opened eyes of many Nigerians, this sort of shamelessness will cease. We are wrong these weeks. But sad, none of such elements can succeed to push ‘their own’ in Government. The lists is already in the press, and trust me, nothing will be like that.
- Party Loyalists: It is going to be a cabinet of the APC of course. The President has said during the campaigns that party loyalists will be rewarded. So if you hate any APC member for their loyalty to the party and the President should begin to rid themselves from the degree of shocks coming soon.
That was why we said they should have surrendered to the Will of God and give up to the PMB government in the beginning and chart a cause of genuine public, nation rebuild.
- Acute Politicians and Principled Technocrats: But it is also going to be a cabinet of longterm party members of the APC permeation years and non-party technocrats, responsible, dogged, selfless and committed patriots and public interest moguls who spent their money travelling with the President’ Campaign trains, in loyalty and prayers that PMB returns.
Anyone who has problem with non-party members making the list of cabinet should reduce their tension now before they fall faint. They will be there.
Here, watch out for one of our illustrious sons who have worked so hard for the progress of the State back home, but because his ideas are blunt and critical, he remained behind but never gave up on the future of Borno and the country.
Kaka Bolori of the Northeast organisation for Buhari Support – a political scientist and politician of no less principles than many revered buharites – is likely to emerge.
- Professionals and Academics: Some of those who will make the cabinet are also neutrals. They are good Nigerians who have a decent history out of the linkages that destroyed Nigeria in the past. They are successful professionals and academics with proven integrity and outstanding records of achievements.
They are the nation’s own candidates. They have worked assiduously on their own, in their own capacities and respective fields of study and career. And it is in the interest of the nation to get their experience. Again they are nonentities but sorry, they have to join the nation building exercise.
They are not godfathers and no godsons to anyone. They are achievers of their own. May be no one knows the road to their family house. But they will make it to cabinet because of their self discipline, steadfast and patience over the years.
- Surprises/ Dwarfs: the cabinet will also include some few cases of surprises of the least, never expected. This is called God’s own list of cabinet candidates. Those who will shout over God’s decision will usually say, ‘who are they?’, ‘who knows them?’, ‘what have they done?’ But it will all never matter. It is not about that. It is the will of God. It can change nothing.
Please keep the piece and check on the assumption of Next Level to confirm if true that PMB has established a familiar nation pattern of familiarity on Nigeria’s most important imperatives, and the need we all must submit to them. Those who continue to ignore will only waste time.
Hassan Alhaji Hassan can be contacted on 08032829772/08050551220 (text only with full names and address)a[email protected]
The views expressed in this article are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect WikkiTimes’ editorial stance.
