SIR: Dear People’s General. I write to congratulate you on your victory at the presidential elections. You will agree with me that it is a double victory for Nigerians. Victory number one: You won a historic election. A victory that shows that the Nigerian electorate are now capable of voting out an incumbent. It is a victory for Democracy in Nigeria. You are therefore a hero of Democracy in Nigeria. Your name is already written in gold.
The number two gain is that the incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan conceded victory to you in a gallant way that is not common in Nigeria, thereby averting any violence that was waiting for the echo of his voice. This action also produced another hero of Democracy in President. This is a great achievement and great legacy. I therefore recommend that you treat President Jonathan as a hero throughout your tenure. He should be regarded at all times as a Statesman beyond party lines.
Here are the things I suggest should occupy your attention in your first 100 days in office: Security: Let physical and digital security become your priority immediately. To this end, I suggest that the Police be made the central force for our internal security. Let us improve on the intelligence gathering and total skills of the police force. Let the Federal Government offer all graduates of Universities in Nigeria with first class and second class upper division or Distinction and upper credit HND opportunity to enlist into the intelligence arm of the police force. Then improve the conditions of service of the police force making it an elite force.
Also let there be room for short service commission for experienced professionals from the private and public sectors to enroll into the police force. Let there also be Degree awarding Police training centers as we have for the army. These efforts will increase the intelligence gathering of the Police force and make it far more effective. Secondly, let the Federal Government and State Governments and the Federal capital territory embark on the installation of cameras to provide evidence for all crimes to make investigation easy. Later on, this will reduce drastically such crimes as kidnapping, 419, armed robbery and ritual killing.
Corruption: Start by declaring your assets and make it a condition that anyone who will serve in your cabinet must declare his/her assets. Strengthen the existing institutions like ICPC, EFCC, National Orientation Agency and create more. Re-introduce War Against Indiscipline (WAI). Do not spare any corrupt officers. Agriculture: Let there be a proper framework for agriculture. Do not tell us the successes of your agric policy and efforts on the pages of newspapers and television screens. If agriculture is working, the common man will know, it does not need advertisement. The common woman will come back from the market with a basket of tomatoes at N100. It should be like the GSM, which impacted the common man without any advert from government. Also take note that any policy or program that you have to spend money to convince Nigerians is not in the interest of the masses that voted for you. Address also the issue of recurrent versus capital budgets of this country. Do not create any groups that will start singing your praise; it is a waste of time and resources of Nigeria.
Please start with the three items above, after which education, infrastructure development will start. Sir , this is the time to start work. I suggest that every appointee into your cabinet must pass an interview and sign a document of performance commitment before appearing before the senate. If finally appointed, performance must be regularly measured.
- Ezenwa Uche ,
Lagos.