President Buhari can rightly be described as a lucky and committed man who worked himself to a right position at the right time. When the going gets tough, they say, the tough gets going.
The words “commitment and luck”are responsible for the exalted position he occupies today. But President Buhari is not the only lucky man in Nigeria or the only politician who had persisted in their quest to occupy the Presidency of the country. The late Aminu Kano, Alhaji Waziri, MKO Abiola and several others never accomplished their dreams of becoming the nation’s president. Even the most revered Chief Obafemi Awolowo asked to be made president “even for a day”. The former occupant of the office, Goodluck Jonathan, was not only lucky but had the word “luck” embedded in his first name. Yet he failed. Buhari’s commitment, hard work, integrity and tenacity of purpose had won him and the APC a Pan-Nigerian success that money and ordinary luck could not buy. How I wish they would realise this?
Success is one thing, and management of success is another. The question in everyone’s lips since the inception of this administration has been whether the Buhari government and the APC can successfully manage their success?
In answering this question two things come to mind. One is the gargantuan expectation of Nigerians; two, is the capacity and stuff of the man called Buhari.
No doubt, even the enemies of Buhari, including the opposition admit the impeccability and integrity of the man called Buhari which unfortunately, has placed so much burden on him. Burden ranging from high level corruption, ineptitude, favouritism, terrorism, growing youth unemployment, the crashing naira and oil price that breakdances, battered economy that lies unto itself, social disequilibrium, political brouhaha, religious turmoil to disenchanted citizenry. Our own dear native land was comatose, a near failed nation state that lost her bearing in regional leadership of the continent. Therefore, the need, and urgently too, to re-claim our country from captives and re-launch her as a regional force and leader in the world map cannot be over-emphasised. Depending on the path he chooses to tread, President Buhari would go down in the annals of history as that leader to whom so much was given and so much gotten. Or forever be despised as that man who lost a wonderful opportunity to write his name in gold. The leader that failed to place Nigeria on a pedestal of growth and reckoning. God forbid.
If I were President Buhari, I will be wary of praise singers. I will run from those with the penchant to clap saints to hell. That is the easiest way to lose integrity. Consequently, I will apply the four way test in all that I do. I will ensure that I am fair to all irrespective of colour, race, sex, religion or class. I will strictly abide by section 14(3) of the 1999 constitution as amended in my appointments, be they “personal” or constitutional. These saints falling from monasteries clapped your predecessors and indeed the nation to this pitiable situation we are in today.
I will be creative and think out of the box for these are not normal times. Finding a lasting solution to the leadership as well as structural question of Nigeria would occupy me. I will restructure the country. I will introduce executive bills that seek to abolish the state structure and return the country into a six regional structure. I will scrap the House of Representative as presently constituted and return the country into a unicameral legislature made up of 18 members only. This will be three per region. The House of Representative upon its abolition would be replaced by a 36 member House of Speakers drawn from the various regions that would sit on part-time basis. Only sitting allowances will be paid. I will strengthen the local governments to become the engine and centres of development and excellence.The advantage of this module of governance are three folds: Nigeria will no longer spend over 70% of her earnings on recurrent. There will be massive even development of the grass-root aided by quality representation. I will further unbundle the Federal Government by reducing the number of ministries to six. They are, Finance, External Affairs, Defence, Internal Affairs, Justice and Works. I will merge or abolish or transfer most parastatals to the regions or under these six broad ministries. Duplication of ministries and parastatals and some quasi institutions are nothing but a drain pipe.
I have continued to wonder what business the Federal Government should have with a road in my village called federal road, or what she is doing with agriculture at my backyard or primary education at my village square, or health or aviation without a single plane? Or their duplicate copies called transport or trade and investment or tourism or the whopping other 48 ministries and ministers that are nothing but drain pipes. Since all federal roads are in wards and local governments, I will transfer all roads to states.
I will introduce resource control. Introduction of the resource control policy will among others place wealth on the doorstep of every region and food on every Nigerian table. This would engender hard work, commitment, employment, reduce corruption and ignite competition. This means wealth distribution as every region will run their affairs, control their resources and contribute 30% to the Federal Government. Every region will utilize 70% of their God-given resource to develop their region at their own pace. This in-turn would mean, less attractive centre, less corrupt regions and rapidly developed grassroots.
I will introduce anti-trust law. No individual or company shall invest more than 25% in any sector of the economy. If we must regulate our economic activities, at all, it must be holistic.
The Army and Police, Immigration and Customs shall remain in the hands of the Federal Government as the ombudsman and as a symbol of unity. This will gradually thin off after 50 years.
I will fight corruption. In fighting corruption, I will carry out a dissection cum anatomy of corruption in Nigeria and Nigerians to enable me arrive at a lasting solution. First I will ensure that I am ready, willing and able to fight corruption. Two, I will acquit or condemn myself. For he who goes to equity must do so with clean hands. With this done, I will proceed to prosecute all persons who had looted the treasury, aided and/or abetted corruption.
The anatomy of Nigeria’s crime and criminality will reveal that Nigeria is many countries in one country. The urge to amass wealth and the greed to steal-to -conquer is huge and unprecedented. The anatomy will also reveal that it is not questionable that every Nigerian is endangered specie perpetually under the jackboot of government impunity. This makes him hostile to the nation and loyal to himself and himself alone. The restructuring or unbundling or devolution of powers would restore sanity, hope and freedom to our system, re-ignite spirit of patriotism, and sense of belonging. The problem with Nigeria hitherto is that she has been one big no man’s orchard where people mercilessly pluck fruits that allegedly belong to no one. The conspiracy among persons, groups and regions to steal the country blind would be drastically reduced under a regional government. Tendency is for all to be watchers of all under a common patrimony. Then and only then would people see stealing from a common prism of evil and crime which must be condemned. The temptation to join in the looting of a no-man’s cake would be drastically reduced; just as in its defence. Such terminologies as witch-hunt, nepotism and marginalization would vanish from our vocabulary. We shall be our brother’s keeper indeed. The ripple effect of power devolution is not only monumental but the requisite antidote to wipe away large scale corruption, idleness, greed and nepotism. It is also a lasting solution to unemployment, general economic rejuvenation, and one with capacity to diminish ethnic jingoism and up the political ante.
I will strengthen the structures of government and regulate government personnel and make them truly independent and accommodating. No Nigerian will hold further positions after serving for 10 years. In this era of unemployment where life expectancy has been reduced to less than 40, it is criminal for our parents to keep recycling themselves in power to the detriment of our youths. Consequently, I will introduce a two-term structure in all elective and appointive positions. All governors who had served for two terms, for instance, should retire to private sector life. Maximum tenure in the Senate, House of Representative, Presidency, and State Assembly will be eight years and without migrating to other arms of government. Aspirants to public office must choose a path. All public officers should return to the society they have made. All serving officers must resign six months to an election as a qualifying condition. This will drastically reduce the level of impunity at elections aided by state goons. I will not appoint the Chief Justice of Nigeria or Chief Judge of a state. The Inspector General of Police would be appointed by the Police Service Commission, the chairman of INEC by the National Judicial Commission. The same organ will appoint the Chief Justice of Nigeria and other judges.
I will scrutinize and redress injustices meted out to Nigerians by government. It is not all Nigerians that have innate unpatriotic tendencies. The Nigerian state has knocked down so many Nigerians and companies and helped to nurture several unpatriotic acts of Nigerians. Like General Idi Amin of Uganda once said, “In Africa, each time there is a change of guard, heads must roll”. In Nigeria, heads do not only roll each time there is change of government but each time there is erratic change of policies.
I will not be a Buhari that would feed Nigerians with scorpion when fish is desired in abundance. I will strive to remain a Buhari who followed due process, rule of law and justice. I will be a Buhari who came, saw the problems of Nigerians and conquered them all. Happy independence.
