“The trouble with Nigeria is simply and squarely a failure of leadership as there is nothing basically wrong with the Nigerian character. There is nothing wrong with the Nigerian land, climate or water or air or anything else. The Nigerian problem is the unwillingness or inability of its leaders to rise to their responsibility, to the challenge of personal example which is the hallmark of true leadership,” Professor Achebe, lamented this in his book ‘the trouble with Nigeria’.
Sir, four years into your first term is about to end and Nigerians renewal your mandate to next four years. The truest thing about the president is that he is not a thief, but the fact remains that leadership requires more than that as Nigerians needs a leader in every sense, a leader who will be a rallying point for the whole nation not for few and a leader who also needs to inspire citizens to be at their best. Still I believe that the president’s well known credentials of being incorruptible and honest as he has not been found wanting in any responsibilities assigned to him.
One of the reasons Nigerians voted for PMB’s administration in 2015 election was to sanitize the system and put an end to things like secretive employment, corruption and nepotism. Nigerian masses that sacrificed a lot and spent hours under the sun to vote for you in 2015 election were shocked and disappointed to say the least when heard about security, employment and others issues affecting citizens well-being but children’s of the masses were not aware of any public recruitment conducted by FIRS, NNPC, NPA NIMASA, NCC and other lucrative agencies. We have witnessed such lucrative agencies offered employments to the sons and daughters of those close to corridor of power secretly In spite of commoners’ sons and daughters sacrificed a lot and spent hours under the sun to vote for you in 2015 election.
Sir, your, less than a year into administration in 2016, your administration faced its first test in fighting corruption when a court of competent jurisdiction fined a South African a Nigeria base Telecommunication giant MTN to pay Billions of dollars to the government, but some invisible cabal destroyed this and did what they felt was best for themselves leaving Nigerians in the lurch. But PMB instead of punishing them shielded them from any wrongdoing and they went scot free.
As we have all seen, PMB is fighting corruption but more corruption has appeared; this has led to frustration amongst Nigerians who are irritated with slow pace of progress nature of the fight. Another demoralizing scandal that rocked the nation was the NIA safekeeping money apartment Oke facilitated the agency’s acquisition of the swanky Ikoyi apartment where agents of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) discovered more than $43 million in cash in the wake of the EFCC’s discovery of the funds President Buhari ordered that Mr. Oke be suspended and also issue $25billion contract awarded by NNPC while Buhari was in a sick bed in faraway London without knowing acting president input.
In spite of the president’s good intentions toward the country, due to what can be called indecisive action on many issues that ordinary Nigerians would expect to see him act like when he was a military Head of State, but such inaction cost the nation the very best of his good intention towards fighting the menace. All theses remain history as the Nigerians renewal they confidence on you again. Sometime the wife of the president in her interview with BCC London Hausa, her outburst against the administration was a genuine concern about her straying husband as it was a personal cry for freedom from monstrously powerful people in the Presidency who were wrapping her husband around their small fingers.
Mr President, you said your second term will be harsh. I understand that you softened your language later. To be honest, I wish you had stuck with tough, because tough is what you have to be. Tough on yourself and those around you. Find people who are good and honest and knowledgeable enough to represent your vision, and who can be trusted with huge responsibilities. You need to trust more, Sir, and you have to keep trusted people under closer watch. You have to be tougher on security threats and those who fail to exercise responsibility to protect citizens. You have to be tougher on corruption, on insecurity, on secretive employments, poor health facilities etc which may require that you isolate this debilitating scourge from politics. Believe me, what you do from now on as leader will determine whether this nation will be strong enough to deal with challenges of the future, or it will go under because its cumulative problems have been left unattended by its leaders.
Sir, for the administration to achieve desirable goals there is need for the administration to have a clearing house for speedy prosecution of Corrupt Cases while faultless cooperation that is signally lacking today should be forged among EFCC, ICPC, POLICE, DSS and Judiciary for sharing intelligent , information and prosecutions strengthening. There is need for the president to allow institutions that has a similar passion for the war and ignored all the sinister suggestion as a result of infighting for the supremacy between inter securities agencies and those that are sheep in the wolf skin within the government. Need for the administration to work with individuals that have a similar passion toward the war and other anti-graft agencies whose intend to work and scheme a positive image for the war. There is need for reforming nation’s system of criminal justice this change will deal current reality on the war on corruption while the nation’s judiciary needs to be strengthened in line with administration derived war on corruption.
As a matter of fact, no matter how Buharist and admirers want the administration to succeed in its first term in office almost every day there are stories that makes them shiver with the way the administration handling critical issue that has affected Nigerians. For President Muhammadu Buhari to achieve desirable goals there is need for him to ditch some of his inner aide and other members in his cabinet that wrapping their selfish interest above the administration interest. The action and conducts of this invisible cabal within the corridor of power are only projecting a negative image for his war at home and abroad. I know blind supporters, hailers can insult me and call me all sort of things, but in reality Nigerians are alienated, angry and fed up with the way the fighting corruption is being conducted by the administration as there is not much convince pointer supporting once fearful General Muhammadu Buhari achieving his war on corruption the fighting corruption proved too difficult for him to achieve and Nigerians are estranged, angry and fed up but in real sense the corruption is fighting back.
Sir, Northern votes secured your second term, and northerners will raise voices in their demands that your administration, this time, rewards their loyalty in real terms. You will need sound advise on keeping the nation united enough to address difficult issues such as political restructuring, improving national security and fairer principles of resource distribution. You will know by now that the solid northern support behind your first win has been badly ruptured. The South East and South South communities still have their backs turned to you, and the South West is at best thoroughly unsure.
I should first congratulate you for winning a second term.
Dukawa can be reached at [email protected]