CONGRATULATIONS sir on your second presidential inauguration which you rightly and meritoriously deserve given the abysmal state of affairs when you assumed office four years ago. Now is the time to make the hard decisions (your own words) that will visibly impact on security and the economy. You must confront the seemingly insurmountable and intractable security and economic challenges presently afflicting our nation with more vigour and steely will. Multi-faceted insecurity is destroying our nation and our security agencies seem to be overwhelmed and unable to confront the increasing menacing criminalities. Our nation is in dire straits.
Other critical areas deserving your hard decisions include total overhaul of the power sector especially with transmission and distribution in order to grow the economy. We hope that the privatization exercise of the power sector will be totally reviewed. Vice President Yemi Osibanjo must walk his talk to urgently address the abysmal power deficit strangling the economy.
Your cabinet should comprise of able, reputable and competent and tested managers with proven skills to steer the economy to rapid growth. Let the former ministers take some rest. Executive fatigue and stress may have taken their toll these four years. They have done well and they deserve our gratitude. We now need a fresh A-Team of managers who will set targets in their areas of responsibility and accomplish them to impact on the lives of citizens. Selection through meticulous screening is desired. Ensure equitable geographical spread in your appointments to engender federal character and unity.
Focus attention on the endemic corruption in the National Assembly where accountability has become a no-go area with legislators of both chambers each hauling home more than N10 million every month as “running costs” which none of them retires. They earn more than legislators in the UK and the USA in our country which has been demoted to the poverty headquarters. Direct the Salaries and Wages Commission and the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission to invoke their statutory oversight to check these financial infractions. They flaunt the independence of the parliament as a license to steal from the people. Send a bill to ban pensions for all political office holders except those sanctioned by the constitution.
Remember your campaign pledge to recover the $16 billion coveted by some entities in the fraudulent Independent Power Projects (NIPP) which only produced perennial darkness for this huge investment. Revisit the House of Representatives 2007 Elumelu Committee’s Report on the NIPP-gate.
Immediately begin the process of restructuring the present unitary and centralist system of our multi-ethnic cum cultural polity to enthrone true federalism in accordance with the aspiration and demands of majority of Nigerians. Set up a committee to review the Nasir El Rufai committee report on restructuring and present to Nigerians in a referendum. This is a hard decision which will usher in a more united and prosperous nation – a lasting legacy that have eluded former leaders.
You need to drive a revolution in education especially in the North working in concert with the state governors and traditional rulers. Set a target to absorb at least five million not-in and out off-school children into the school system in the next two years. My humble suggestion – promote Professor Ishaq Oloyede of JAMB as Minister of Education to replicate his managerial competence and integrity in that important human resource development sector.
Temper justice with mercy and grant amnesty to the Shia leader El Zakzaky and wife. Consider their loss of family members during the unfortunate confrontation with the army, his ailing health and the deprivation all this while and be gracious.
Do all within your presidential powers at any cost to bring back Leah Sharibu and the remaining Chibok girls, a pledge you have severally made.
Given your antecedents and your enviable track record as a former military commander and now as Commander-in-Chief, you have to pick up the gauntlet to prove to Nigerians that they did not make a great mistake to have given you a second electoral mandate. Unpatriotic Nigerians are cashing in serial killings and kidnappings all over the nation to discredit you and the government. Replicate the same will and alacrity with which you confronted Boko Haram insurgency in the Northeast.
On security, I suggest you create immediately a Situation Room in your office to take active command and holistic oversight over security operations nationwide. The Situation Room should be set up to provide communication links with all the service chiefs, division commanders, all field commanders in the various operational areas, the IGP, DIGPs, AIGPs, State Commissioners of Police, DSS and its State and Directors and other key stakeholders – state governors, traditional rulers and community leaders.
Dedicated hotlines to reach the President should be made available for any citizen under attack anywhere to access the Situation Room at any time so as to muster adequate and rapid response. Google maps are helpful to pinpoint flashpoints and criminal enclaves for intelligence missions. The Situation Room should be active 24/7 and should afford you to have real time, overall, active and robust oversight over the security situation all over the vast country. The periodic meetings with the service chiefs will only arise in very critical emergency situation as you are daily briefed and abreast of what is happening in any part. It also offers you the means to assess the performance of officers and men of various security agencies in their various areas of operation.
National security must be technology-driven. We must deploy drones, choppers and other air platforms to do battle against these violent criminal elements. Let us fight them from the air and deter them. Reconnaissance drones and helicopters are very effective in fighting banditry and pipeline surveillance. We need to fight criminality with modern anti-crime technology because Nigeria’s land mass is large and expansive and our borders very extensive for any army or police to secure everywhere at the same time.
The Nigeria Police is in dire need of fundamental restructuring and reform. I suggest we invite the British Police to come in and reform, reorganize, train and equip our police to deliver on their constitutional mandate, especially in intelligence, surveillance and forensic capacities. All these so called ‘Police Reforms’ by successive police hierarchies that we have seen before and the clamour for state police cannot give us an efficient and modern police service. Many chronic habits of our police are hard to die. Any reform devoid of inputs from a well-developed, tested and organized police system is akin to ‘pouring old wine in new wineskin’. The British Police/Scotland Yard exercises jurisdiction in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. However the police commands are decentralized to serve each member of the Union. This is what we need so that policemen are deployed in their native catchment areas where they can operate effectively. From what transpired in the last national elections, state police may turn out to become private armies of some militant governors.
One hard decision you need to take is to Engage, Dialogue, Empathize and Manage (DEEM) in security matters. Engage and dialogue all the time with traditional rulers, community and religious leaders and other stakeholders. Combine Commander-in-Chief with Peace Advocate-in-Chief. You have to harness and leverage the huge goodwill which you enjoy among the masses of Nigeria. It will surprise you to see the magic of your direct and personal engagement with leaders and communities at the grassroots. I bet you can douse many crises by prompt and altruistic communication with groups. For instance, holding periodic meetings with leaders of warring groups – herdsmen/ farmers and sundry ethnic conflicts in Kaduna between the Fulanis and their neighbours; Tivs and Jukuns other crises areas in Benue, Taraba and Adamawa states can serve as preemptive troubleshooting efforts. You must rein in the Miyetti Allah by engaging them frequently because they are your kinsmen and they will listen. We must persuade them to leave the old ways of grazing and embrace ranching.
Engage and Dialogue the entire time sir. Visit regularly victims of violence and empathize. Demonstrate that you are father to all. You need to routinely visit the IDPs wherever they stay to provide for them and lift their spirit. Do not be stonewalled within the Villa. Meet and interact with your citizens often. Don’t be Mr. Go-slow this time around but Mr. Run fast.
- Elder Okochi writes from Agbani, Nkanu West LGA, Enugu State.
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