HOW LOUD CAN THE WHISTLE BLOW?

As we harvest and celebrate the first fruits of the whistle blowing initiative, methinks we could extend its punitive advantages to other crimes against the Nigerian State, like the crimes of terrorism, kidnapping and high treason.

Isn’t it about time that we consider a robust reward and special witness protection program backed by law for another distinct set of patriotic (but frightened) whistle blowers - those willing to blow the whistle on the evil sponsors and affiliates of Boko Haram and the "ghost" marauders attacking helpless farmers and villagers?

Is it not incomprehensible that since the violent re-emergence of Boko Haram in 2010, and the escalation of "ghost" marauders (possible synergy?) we have been unable to identify and arrest a single high profile sponsor? With the cost of one AK-47 rifle ranging from $600 to$800 - excluding ammunition, it is evident that we are not simply dealing with “local champions” here. The funding and logistics behind these evil operations is formidable and falls clearly beyond the means of a puppet like Abu Musab al-Barnawi, a raging lunatic like Abubakar Shekau, or the motley group of herdsmen that have so far been arrested. I hear the voice of Jacob, but feel the hands of Esau!

The only record I have of a high profile engagement and arrest was years ago, following the unfortunate Zango-Kataf clash, when a tribunal set up by the Babangida government sentenced Gen. Zamani Lekwot (Retd.), his younger brother and 15 others to death for alleged complicity in the killings, sentences eventually reduced to a short jail sentence. Finally, the regime of Gen. Sani Abacha granted them state pardon in 1995. Wikipedia cites Yusuf Yariyok, Ph.D. (http://nigeriaworld.com/articles/2003/feb/042.html) as claiming that this sentence was due to Lekwot’s personal feud with Babangida. Hmm.

Well, that was then. This is now.

Are there any persons whose interests and identities are greater than the collective interests and identity of the Nigerian Commonwealth? Is it not probable that with a dedicated Whistleblower Protection Law and the right incentives, these sponsors of mayhem and societal unrest will be ratted out?  

Just musing…

PRESIDENT BUHARI CAN LEARN FROM YESHUA

(MUSINGS FROM OUTSIDE THE CIRCLE)

Mr. President clearly has a very small “circle of trust.” This is not, altogether, a bad thing. Everybody has one, or should.

The greatest ever leader of men, Jesus the Nazarene, was entrusted with a mandate consisting of all nations on God’s earth – billions of souls. Although He was “followed” by multitudes, He commissioned only seventy disciples.

Then there were the twelve who ate, slept and walked with Him alongside the faithful women, Mary His mother and Mary of Magdala being the most prominent.

Yet again, amongst these disciples, there were the three … Peter, James and John.

And then there was the one … “The Beloved Disciple.”

While Judas, one of the twelve, was more than willing to conveniently shove Jesus into the jaws of death (for the right fee), contrarily, Mary the mother of Jesus, “The Beloved Disciple” and some other faithful women disciples proved that they were willing to follow Him, literally, into the jaws of death. These were the only ones found at the foot of the cross. The ultimate inner circle.

Jesus loved all his disciples (including Judas) but he was not blind to their failings. He reprimanded Peter sternly for attempting to dissuade him from a predestined course of action. He had been mandated by God to fulfil a purpose, and therefore He would not permit anyone, even members of His inner circle, to distract Him from his mandate. His words to Peter were particularly scathing, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me. For your thoughts are not of the things of God, but the things of men."

Peter was fiercely loyal but impetuous. At Gethsemane, when the detachment of soldiers with its commander and the Jewish officials came to arrest Jesus, Peter acted without orders and sliced off the ear of Malchus, the high Priest’s servant. Again, Jesus rebuked Peter, saying, “Put your sword back in its sheath! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given Me?” He then immediately remedied the situation by performing His final miracle. He healed the servant.

In both instances, Jesus did not allow Peter’s misplaced zeal to distract Him from his destiny. He had a mandate, and He was responsible, solely, to the One who had given Him that mandate. In the first instance, Jesus followed His rebuke of Peter, “Get thee behind me, Satan!” with an even more profound statement. He told His disciples, “If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.…” In the second instance, after commanding Peter to sheath his sword, Jesus added, “Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given Me?”

1.            “If anyone would come after Me…”:      

This indicates choice. In Nigerianese, “No be force I force you!”

2.            “…he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me…”:                              

“You must be ready to let go of everything you were or stood for, for the sake of this greater cause. Working with me is not going to be a leisurely stroll in the park. Get ready to serve!”

3.            “Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given Me?” :

This is supreme commitment. He is asking Peter, “Do you honestly believe I would, for any reason, abandon my primary assignment!?”

Where were the teeming crowds of supporters, at this point?

Many times earlier, the Jewish elders had wanted to arrest Jesus but were afraid of the multitude that believed in Him. What had changed?

For one, the conspirators had been able to conscript Judas, a member of Jesus’ inner circle. They must have been in touch with Judas for long enough to pick the right time and place to strike.

Ultimately, when push comes to shove, the only thing “faithful” crowds can be counted on to do is to fabulously disappoint you. They will “faithfully” disappear at the most crucial moments. It could even be worse. Mob opinion is fickle. Those very same crowds which fill the streets and rend the air with complimentary cries of, “Hail Him! Hail Him!” can and will, within the span of less than one week, rephrase their cries to a more condemnatory, “Nail him! Nail him!” Ask Jesus.

The advantage of a small circle of trust is that the likelihood of betrayal of trust is significantly reduced. The downside, however, is that the smaller the circle is, the higher the possibility of a “palace coup” arrangement, where a group within a group can organise to effectively bar all outsiders. They can furthermore work towards blacklisting any “stubborn” insiders who won’t play ball, and surreptitiously take over power without the “principal” ever fully realising it. Remember the Abacha quartet of Maj. Hamza Al-Mustapha, Alh. Ismaila Gwarzo, Brig. Gen. Ibrahim Sabo and Col. Frank Omenka?

The people of Nigeria have given a mandate for change. The government must live up to the expectations of the people and fulfil their promises. How effectively are members of the President’s inner circle working with him to ensure that he delivers?

Let’s take a glimpse at Mr. President’s inner circle.

It is obvious that the triumvirate of Mamman Daura (kinsman to the President), Abba Kyari (Chief of Staff to the President), and Lawal Daura (Director General of the Nigerian State Security Service) are inside Mr. President’s circle of trust. They are like family … literally. Unfortunately, the newspapers and airwaves have been awash with all sorts of complaints and accusations of inappropriate conduct against this trio. True? Untrue? I’m too far outside the circle to know.

And, of course, there’s Babagana Kingibe (referred to by some as Nigeria’s defacto prime minister). How this is even possible, I do not know.

Then we also have Col. Hammed Ali (Comptroller General - Nigeria Customs Service) and Hajiya Amina Mohammed (former Environment Minister). These two have been thoroughly tried, tested and are trusted by Mr. President.

Col. Ali is undoubtedly the President’s man. Love him or loathe him, it is impossible to deny his impact on the Nigeria Customs Service – record-breaking revenue and a robust attempt at purging the Customs Service of corrupt elements. The worst accusation his detractors have brought against him is that he refuses to wear the uniform of the Nigeria Customs Service.

Hajiya Amina’s performance over time speaks volumes. Ask the United Nations. The worst her detractors could ever raise against her was that she hails from Gombe and not Kaduna (or is it the other way round?).

My opinion, however, is that both of these Buhari appointees should have been situated more appropriately. I feel that they should have been much closer to Mr. President. He clearly trusts them implicitly. Imagine what Col. Hammed Ali’s forthrightness, integrity and stubbornness tempered by Hajiya Amina’s administrative brilliance would have done for the Presidency. Much good, I say - a lion and a fox.  

What if Col. Hammed Ali had been appointed Chief of Staff to the President, while Hajiya Amina was Secretary to the Government of the Federation? What if?

One thing of which I’m certain is that there would have been NO corruption allegations around the seat of power … at least not involving the SGF or the President’s Chief of Staff. There would also have been less of a furore concerning nepotism, since neither of this dynamic duo are relatives of Mr. President.

Well, Hajiya Amina has since been called to other duties as United Nations Deputy Secretary-General (God, I miss her!), but we’ve still got the no-nonsense, squeaky clean Colonel. If he refuses to wear the customs uniform, would it be too much to ask for a minor cabinet reshuffle?

He who wears the shoe, knows where it pinches (An excerpt from the soon-to-be-published book "Green Musings", by Paul Sawa)

Undoubtedly, the Nigerian people possess everything essential for successful nation building. We have substantiated our worth, having demonstrated our capacity for excellence in almost every field of human endeavour across the globe. We have contributed directly and indirectly to the development of the most enviable economies and stable societies all over the world and yet we, somehow, fluff every prospect to work the same magic at home.

The unfortunate truth is that there is a limit to what government can do directly in these areas of training, reorientation, re-positioning and empowerment of youth through direct employment. The statistics are indeed frightening. Over 50% of Nigerian youth are unemployed. Only a fraction of these are graduates. Only a fraction of the graduates are employable. And on top of these disturbing statistics, the number of people directly employed by the Nigerian government, between 5% - 7% of the economically active population, is a drop in the ocean when compared to those employed by the private sector.

So why not empower the private sector, particularly the micro, small and medium scale enterprises through favourable legislation which translates into policies that protect and encourage economic growth? How about single digit interest rates and tax rebates/holidays? How about better government patronage of local firms since, in Nigeria, government is the biggest client?

The ripple effects need not be imagined. The larger and stronger an enterprise is encouraged to be, the wider its sphere of influence, the greater the number of ancillary services and, ultimately, the greater its number of employees and beneficiaries.  It’s so purely rational you could just as easily miss it. When businesses are encouraged to do well, workers are better paid and will have more money. More money for workers, more purchasing power; this means businesses will have more customers. Increased quantity and quality of customers results in business growth, and as businesses grow, they hire more workers.

The frustration for many small and micro businesses in Nigeria stems from the fact that, routinely, they are treated rather poorly. Banks are generally intolerant of them. Their growth is severely hampered by too many inconsistencies in government policies and programs. Why, I wonder, have erstwhile job creation and youth empowerment programs initiated by successive governments comprehensively failed, without exception? Yes, of course, we know corruption plays a key role, in fact, a gigantic role; but what about the other factors?

How on earth do you expect a group of persons with no personal experience or track record in a particular industry to make an informed decision concerning whom to empower, how to empower and where to empower? The banks in Nigeria have consistently gotten it wrong. Granted there are the few exceptions of a handful of successes, but these are more attributable to the creativity and diligence of the entrepreneur than to the quality of judgement of the banks. Unfortunately, the prevailing situation presents a somewhat unattractive spectacle.

In the horticultural industry in Nigeria, I have developed a respectable reputation as an efficiently creative problem solver and an effective project director. I am the Grand Patron to the Association of Flower Nursery and Landscape Practitioners, Abuja (AFNALPA), currently the largest umbrella group in the horticultural industry in the Federal Capital City. Although I own a nursery and propagate plants, I must admit that plant propagation is not my passion. I am more inclined to the areas of creativity and design and project management, areas that some of the best plant propagators and nursery owners that I know are severely limited in. We each know and appreciate each other’s strengths and weaknesses, and operate strictly within the various latitudes of our comparative advantages. An outsider, with no inside knowledge of the industry, would be easily outclassed by any one of us. Even if they were to come in armed with lots of capital, it would certainly be lost, sooner than later. We witnessed a lot of that with the YOUWIN youth empowerment scheme. We have been seeing quite a lot of it for decades.

Why, again, is it that small businesses are considered “fair game” by authorities and consequently overtaxed and grossly over-regulated? Transparency International describes petty corruption as the “everyday abuse of entrusted power by low and mid-level public officials in their interactions with ordinary citizens, who often are trying to access basic goods or services in places like hospitals, schools, police departments and other agencies.” What is it that creates and foments the us versus them mentality between the public officer and the private business owner? Is it not ironic that the same government that preaches job creation permits conditions which hamper the progress of Nigeria’s most prolific job creators – the micro and small businesses?  Purely on a whim, with the cursory stroke of a pen, the god-like public officer in Nigeria can attempt to effectively terminate a business dream which took decades of time, creativity, effort and capital to develop, abruptly consigning employer and employee to the annals of corporate history.

Mercifully, for every irascible, exploitative public officer that has accosted me with a discourteous, “Any problem?” or a brazen, “Oga, you must shake body o,” I have also encountered the genial, helpful and sincere alternative, who asks politely, “How can I help you, Sir?” These exceptionally responsive public servants appear as bursts of sunshine on otherwise dreary days. They treat others with the degree of dignity and respect that they expect for themselves.

For a true renaissance in Nigeria, we must comprehensively reexamine and reorient our values. We are a people of rich culture. We must reinforce some of those shared excellent cultural values, while establishing new ones. We must individually and collectively resolve, at this point, to substitute vision for purposelessness, synergism for dissonance, dependability for inconsistency, temperance for superfluity. Then, only then, can we begin to dream of reestablishing light and order in the place of this present darkness and chaos.

Bittersweet

I distinctly remember the frustrations I felt between 2005 and 2008 every time I went to pay our modest electricity consumption bill and yet was still faced with the threat of very ill-mannered PHCN officials who insisted they would cut our power supply unless we offset the “accumulated bill.” This “accumulated bill” of over N300, 000.00 had been left unpaid by the previous occupant of the house my family had just moved into. On the other hand, we had left a clean bill where we moved out.

As is my custom, I wrote letters to all the necessary “ogas at the top,” detailing the meter reading and attaching relevant documents. I particularly let them know how, before moving, we had ensured that our electricity bills were paid in full, leaving the subsequent occupants with no liability, and hence, it was distinctly unfair that we had to bear the brunt of a previous occupant’s inattention. I personally went to the Head Office to follow up. My friend and schoolmate from UniMaid, Ibrahim Rufai, was on hand to point me in the right direction. Everywhere I went, the response was the same - it was the residence that had been billed, and not the occupant. Therefore, if I intended to seek any form of redress, it was my duty to locate the previous occupant and sort things out with him. This proved impracticable, however, as we had already received the sad news of his passing.

You can, therefore, imagine how bamboozled I felt when, with a thousand and one other pending payments, I grudgingly paid the full amount, for the sake of peace … our peace of mind! Today, when I factor in inflation to that figure (2008), I can’t help but wince.     

Well, that was then. Ever since the prepaid meters were installed, things have been relatively smoother. No need to sucker up to any unscrupulous PHCN technicians who clearly revel in the illegitimate “power” they wield over people whom they actually ought to be looking up to. No fear and trepidation whenever a PHCN truck pulls up at your street. So does this story end “happily ever after?” This is Nigeria and the story is far from over. Read on…

On March 14 there was a power surge so awful that it blew out a fridge and freezer (I had to replace the two compressors). Although I had just paid and installed over N20, 000.00 worth of electricity units two days earlier (being self-employed means I can't rely on a salary and, hence, cannot make monthly payments), the meter unit began to display an error message.

In a flash I was at the nearest AEDC office. A technician followed me home, confirmed that the meter was bad, and advised me to see his oga. I did, and was pleasantly surprised at his general demeanour. The SA Marketing - Apo Business Unit, Abuja Electricity Distribution Company was frank about the fact that I would not receive my new meter immediately. He, however, assured me that I need not worry about power since I would be given a direct connection and billed by estimate, until the new meter is installed. Needless to say, the last bit disturbed me, but I chose to keep faith and give him the benefit of the doubt.  

True to form, I had already written my letter and just needed a specific addressee, which I now had. I was advised to make a payment by bank draft of N49, 311.00 to AEDC and attach same to my letter of complaint. I also attached a copy of the slip indicating my March 12 payment of N20, 000.00.

During the ensuing three months, I waited with baited breath to see if I would be harassed, in any way, concerning electricity payments. I wasn’t. In fact, when I was away in Jos with my wife for my son’s treatment, I sent one of my workers to pay a little amount so that my mother wouldn’t suffer embarrassment of any kind from overzealous inspectors or technicians in my absence. Fellow Nigerians, lo and behold, he was told that the payment was not necessary!!!

On the 25^th of July, 2016 I received a phone call from an AEDC technician, asking me to come to the office and sign for the new meter. I complied, and he followed me home and did the installation. I was overjoyed to see that the casing was made in Nigeria – from Momas Electricity Meters Manufacturing Company in Ogun State.

As is evident in my bittersweet account, a lot is just not right in Naija (as if anyone needed any further proof!). I am not blind to that. For example

1.       Why should I have to pay for a meter that went bad as the direct result of a power surge?

2.       Why shouldn’t I be reimbursed for expenditures as the result of damage caused to my fridge and freezer as the direct result of a power surge? No liability for them, only privilege?

3.       And although the meter came eventually … why did it take four months!?

Although I am vociferous and unrelenting in my criticism, when and where necessary, I am also just as willing to commend positive effort, no matter how minimal, whenever and wherever I see it. I appreciate some of the challenges faced by our utility service providers. Sometimes if you have not worn that shoe, you may not fully understand the pinch.

The positives in my story should actually be more of the rule than the exception. When and how are we going to get there? A step at a time, I guess. The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step, no matter how tentative. If you can’t relate with Confucius, maybe you should ask “Oga at the Top” Fashola …

The Tragedy of Misorientation and Warped Values

In May, 2011, the then head of the IMF, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, was accused of sexually assaulting and attempting to rape a chambermaid at a New York hotel. The maid, a 32-year-old immigrant from Guinea, said that Strauss-Kahn attacked her in his room while she was cleaning.

In a written statement, Strauss-Kahn announced that he’d devote all his energy to fighting sexual assault charges against him. “It is with infinite sadness that I feel compelled today to present to the executive board my resignation from my post of managing director of the IMF," his letter to International Monetary Fund reads. "I want to protect this institution which I have served with honor and devotion and especially – especially – I want to devote all my strength, all my time and all my energy to proving my innocence," he said.

On June 9, 2016, the US Ambassador to Nigeria, James Entwistle, petitioned the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, alleging that actions of three Nigerian lawmakers at the International Visitor Leadership Programme in Cleveland, Ohio, USA, from 7th to 13th April, 2016, brought disrepute to the parliament by soliciting for sex from prostitutes and grabbing a hotel housekeeper in a bid to rape.

Consider the dynamics in each of these two scenarios. In the first instance, a powerful global figure who commanded the respect of world leaders was destroyed by the accusation of a chambermaid on immigrant status. In our second instance, a lowly housekeeper and parking lot attendant received the attention and protection of a consulate, which has refused to back down and/or be intimidated by what they clearly regard as puerile threats from the accused lawmakers in the face of glaring evidence they purport to have. In both of these cases, existing societal values ensured that the endangered were protected while the delinquent were sanctioned.

The global historical political landscape is littered with carcasses of dashed hopes and ruins of veritably promising political careers which succumbed to the ravenous fiend that takes no prisoners – the monster of sexual scandal. Yet in Nigeria, that monster appears to have been tamed by a larger, fiercer one - the hydra-headed dragon of corruption. Too frequently when we speak of corruption, we think only of financial impropriety or fiscal irresponsibility. The corruption I speak of here, however, is the perversion of truth, the veering of a society away from the highway of sound moral and socio-cultural values to a purposeless wandering in the dark, back alleys of primal predispositions where vice is exalted over virtue, and might takes precedence over right.

The actions, or inactions, of the Nigerian Senate over the recent altercation between Senators Remi Tinubu and Dino Melaye will have a significant influence on whether Nigerians, as a people, will henceforward bother to accord them any modicum of respect. There is a civil code which is considered an irreducible minimum and, hence, must remain sacrosanct. This code protects our mothers, wives and daughters from direct conflict, or the threat of it. Somebody in the Senate clearly didn’t get that memo! Real men will comfortably challenge other men and, in cultured society today, the tool of preference is no longer bulging biceps, but clever concepts unless, of course, you're competing for a bodybuilding trophy. On the contrary, however, wussies prefer to bully women using the singular edge that they perceive they have over them … testosterone-driven terrorization.

For me, it’s pretty simple. When a serving Senator and wife to the ruling party’s strongman is threatened with rape on the floor of the once-hallowed chambers by a man who boasts that he will, one day, be President of Nigeria, and nothing comes of it … evidently, the gloves are officially off! This intra-senatorial handshake has extended beyond the elbow and the punches are landing far below the waist. It is indicative of what will eventually follow. A Senate which cannot (or will not) defend one of its own, most certainly cannot (and will not) defend the people it purports to represent. This is NOT the Nigeria we want!

The kidnapping of the Chibok girls was a rape on our collective sensibilities. But then again, we all conceded that Abubakar Shekau and his ilk were insane (the state of mind of his behind-the-scenes handlers is another matter altogether!).


The actions of the Honourable Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, in swiftly ordering a probe into the alleged sexual impropriety involving three members was highly commendable, indicating a sincere desire to uphold sanity. While insisting that the accused trio deserved a fair hearing, the decision of the ethics and privileges and foreign affairs committees was to conduct a public hearing, insisting that "we are not going to shield anyone."


So maybe I’m just a tad bit early. Let’s give the Nigerian Senate the benefit of the doubt. Maybe someone’s preparing an official statement. Maybe someone’s about to get the boot. Maybe they’ll opt for sanity. Let’s give it till Monday…

Scourge of Decadence

Fool will hie with glee, where angel scarce would tread.

Jack and knave would fain assail the stooped baronial head.

Golden strands will shimmer, of webs spun in the night,

Deluding prince, and queen, and king; defining wrong as right.

How are the mighty fallen, as nobles are defamed.

Currish rascals boldly bray, while sage recoils in shame.

Raptor pecks with chickens, mules graze with unicorn,

Philosopher and scholar, ruled by boor, are guyed to scorn.

Paul Sawa

Hope of a Dream

If I dared to dream, would my dream come true

and smother the cinders of hate?

Could mercantile smokestacks decline to spew

streams of nebulous residue

scorning our terrestrial fate?

President Muhammadu Buhari, Man or Myth?

Anyone who followed my comments and posts during the build-up to the 2015 Presidential elections will attest to the fact that I was not as rabidly pro-Buhari as most. While I remained stoutly in defence of his squeaky clean record of public service (any attempt to soil his record of integrity is laughable!), I expressed deep concern and posed a number of questions to his supporters concerning some of his earlier unguarded, highly provocative pre-elections utterances. I queried his capacity to respond appropriately to twenty-first century economic trends. I also wondered and asked why, in the area of tackling the Boko Haram insurgency, as a member of the Council of State Buhari had not offered his assistance to President Jonathan (whom, I am certain, would not have turned him down). I got only two unconvincing responses. What I was expecting was some sort of defence or contextual rationalisation to assure me that my worries were unfounded.

Well, that is all water under the bridge, now, and Nigeria has since voted. Muhammadu Buhari is President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and, as such, from the 29^th of May 2015, I unreservedly transferred 100% of the loyalty, respect and support which I had for President Jonathan to him – along with my prayers and best wishes. A necessary caveat at this point, though. My definition of “support” abjures blind, slavish followership and engages constructive criticism. After all, my Holy Bible instructs me that the wounds of a friend are better than the kisses of an enemy!

I feel it is a little early in the game for me to move into overdrive in “friendly wounding” mode, especially in light of our most recent atypical inter-party transfer of power. The ill-advised, over-hyped and quite unnecessary diplomatic trip to the United States of America, with 32 Nigerian delegates (no less!), forced me to uncharacteristically jump the gun. Nevertheless, now that I’ve had my say, and the President and his team have had their way, let me settle back into my much preferred role of looking for and accentuating the positives.

What do we stand to get, as Nigerians, from a Muhammadu Buhari Presidency? I am not speaking, here, about the over-flogged issues of tackling insecurity and corruption head on, or improving energy and reforming the petroleum industry.  The APC top echelon, the President, and his kitchen cabinet know fully well that their credibility, nay, their political survival, depends on their ability to effectively deliver on these campaign promises. My emphasis, therefore, will lie on an area which is very close to my heart; the area of reorientation of our national and societal values.

I believe, without a doubt, that Nigeria is more than capable of a true renaissance. Everywhere I go, the consensus seems to be that we can and will, as a nation, rise to significantly greater heights; yet such optimistic assertions are frequently punctuated with an “if only…”

“If only what!?” The deluge of probabilities cascade forth.

If only this insecurity would end!

If only religious intolerance and bigotry would end!

If only ethnic rivalries and discrimination against ethnic minorities would end!

If only corruption could be dealt with and economic saboteurs punished!

If only the economy were more diversified!

If only there was stable power!

If only there was affordable housing, education, health…

If only…

If only…

If only… we had a focused, incorruptible leader!

Aha!

That, for me, presents the missing link. Don’t get me wrong. I am too much of a realist to place all of my hopes on a political messiah who, with a single wave of his magic wand, will set everything aright. Yet, you must agree with me, after careful consideration of historical precedents, that societal change frequently finds its most effective leverage and expression in strong, individual change agents. Mao Tse Tung, Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, Nelson Mandela and Jerry Rawlings were all change agents. They each, as it were, represented a standard rallying point that people could look up to. In most cases, the people provided the foundational fulcrum which their leaders could lean and pivot on in order to enforce and institute change. In each of the above historical scenarios, an established order, which was hitherto considered immovable, was uprooted entirely and replaced with a new, more people-friendly order.

I believe that Nigeria has reached that particular point in its national evolution where such change is imminent. The increasing gap between the haves and the have-nots, the  disempowerment of the middle class (or what is left of it!) coupled with the current state of unyielding economic realities has resulted in a progressively more agitated, disillusioned and increasingly impatient populace. In fact, the victory of a perceived “people’s favourite” at the presidential polls served to significantly dissipate the increasing clamour for societal upheaval, smothering the rumblings and dousing the sparks of a people’s revolution. Yet the embers still smoulder. With increasing levels of political sophistication and citizen awareness, the Nigerian people are not as gullible as they once were. They know that “change” represents nothing more than an empty political catch word and slogan for many persons who were conveniently positioned alongside President Muhammadu Buhari during his presidential campaign. The President’s teeming admirers did not stand in the sun and rain, casting their votes for these political pranksters – they did it for Muhammadu Buhari.

President Buhari is not a difficult person to figure out. Basically, what you see is what you get! Far from articulate, socially awkward and unpretentious, he may not be the best of company as a dinner date at a social function. But that was not why the Nigerian people elected him into office. If you want an interesting dinner date, go with Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (Retd.).

President Buhari is not politically savvy. We have all seen that. He has significantly limited economic knowledge. That is already a given. However, the popular vote in Nigeria did not go to Buhari the professional political economist. On the contrary, the votes went to Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, the no-nonsense, patriotic army general, and Mallam Muhammadu Buhari, the reformed democrat, social crusader and defender of the masses. The perception that Nigerians have of President Buhari is one of a man of nobility and honour, a man who is worthy of implicit trust, whose self-discipline, candour and dogged determination is evident in his family and lifestyle as demonstrated over the years.  

You may, as I have, argued that President Buhari is ill-equipped to lead in this 21^st century of innovation and new applications of technology and economic dynamism. I held that opinion until I took a closer look at the successes of ex-President Lula of Brazil. Prior to his campaign for the presidency, President Lula had had no formal education, having worked as a plumber before joining the labour union where he rapidly rose through the ranks. Yet as President, he masterfully superintended over Brazil’s transformation into the veritable economic powerhouse that she is today. How? First of all, he employed an efficient, committed team of experts. In comparison to him, President Buhari has had much command and administrative experience while in the military and after retirement. Clearly he has a distinct foundational edge over President Lula. The final determinant of his success will be the quality of men and women that constitute his kitchen cabinet.

Nigeria has never been in want of certified experts and qualified hands. They literally abound, in all sectors and at all levels. What has been sadly lacking is the political will that is predicated upon focused, selfless, and strong-minded leadership by example. And this is where President Muhammadu Buhari stands today, head and shoulders above the rest, perfectly poised to make history as the leader of a resurgent Nigeria.