Another chance for a new Nigeria

In the run up to the polls, the country was in the eye of the oncoming storm – predictions of doom where the most favoured currency. Drums of war were loudly beating. Citizens lost confidence in their currency, the naira, and converted whatever cash they had available to a more sustainable US dollar. Foreign investors […]

In the run up to the polls, the country was in the eye of the oncoming storm – predictions of doom where the most favoured currency. Drums of war were loudly beating. Citizens lost confidence in their currency, the naira, and converted whatever cash they had available to a more sustainable US dollar. Foreign investors were pulling out of commitments or adopting a cautious wait-and-see attitude. Even the richest man in Africa, Alhaji Aliko Dangote was not spared in this crisis of confidence, as his net worth plummeted as a result of the reduction in share prices of his quoted companies. Few countries get a new opportunity to start afresh after taking the wrong trajectory and irresponsibly charting a disastrous course. We have reason to thank God for this soft reset.
How did we get here?
The process of heating up the polity started a long time ago. Tribal, ethnic and religious intolerance had reached an unprecedented levels due to the elongation of poor governance by successive administrations and the celebration of mediocrity and corruption. A nation with so much hope and bright promise of a glorious future upon securing independence from Great Britain in 1960 was unfortunately bitterly divided by 1966 due to the actions of a few military officers with grand tribal aspirations. This catastrophe led the nation to a three and a half year civil war that further eroded all notions and pretensions of a united Nigeria and completely annihilated the spirit of patriotism in its people. The end of the war and governance by military authorities unprepared for the task of running a young and growing nation resulted in endemic corruption and the erosion of patriotism. Even our traditional African moral values were jettisoned and abandoned. No Nigerian’s first identity is being a Nigerian, rather preferred is Hausa, Fulani, Ibo, Yoruba, Ijaw, Ibibio, Nupe and a myriad of other tribal and ethnic entities and nationalities.
Nigerians cannot be blamed for choosing tribe and tongue above their nation. A dysfunctional structural system of poorly run administrative systems and units that citizens could not relate to encouraged a retreat into the various tribal and ethnic enclaves. Leaders exacerbated the situation by encouraging these divisions as diversions they needed to misgovern effectively for their personal and insatiable greed of the commonwealth. A patronage system became entrenched and was sustained to ensure the maintenance of the status quo. It was a classic case of dividing and ruling the miserable populace. The ethnic based political parties governed their regions in the first republic. This was followed by a pseudo-unity government established by the dominant faction of the military. The soldiers could not resist the intoxicating aroma of power without accountability to the people and their avarice for massive personal wealth. Corruption escalated with each successive toppling of government by the new “military reformers” as they always labelled themselves. It became a slippery slope that was unstoppable as state institutions, and social services declined in quality. All human development, security, social and economic indices confirmed the attributes of a failing nation.
In fact the current democratic experiment that has lasted sixteen years negated any hope of a renaissance in Nigeria. Basic infrastructure budgeted and spent for became like phantoms that could not be seen. A classic example being the “investments” in the power sector that has not translated into improved power supply to consumers. Corruption had consumed the services taken for granted by Nigerians. Unemployment, especially that of the youth has skyrocketed to unprecedented levels. Some of our youth found alternative means of survival in crime, economic and religious insurgency. The South-South Niger Delta militants that sabotaged our national economic infrastructure were rewarded first by an amnesty programme, and then with state security contracts for the protection of our territorial waters and oil pipelines that they had earlier destroyed.
Seizing  this new chance
Presently the opposition party candidate has won the election. Not with a full national spread but with an overwhelming majority of the popular vote. The South-east and South-south regions did not want the change his party offered the electorate. Maintenance of the status quo was more attractive to them as they were the major beneficiaries of the rent allocated to them by the current government and its ruling party candidate.
The election has been lost and won. The winners are the Nigerian citizens. After all, irrespective of political party affiliation there are the victims of those fat cats in positions of authority. Poverty and hunger are equal opportunity elements that do not distinguish between tribe, ethnicity or religious belief. The citizens are collectively traumatized and impoverished. They are united in demanding for a purposeful, honest, committed and visionary government.
General Muhammadu Buhari, our president-elect and a democratized military general has his work cut out for him. He has to keep in mind that it was people’s power blessed by the will of God that propelled him to the presidency after three false starts in the last twelve years. Indeed the great expectations of these teeming masses that a true messiah has emerged is a great burden that all people of goodwill and true patriots have a duty to  offer a helping hand to this man of destiny. Fortunately, he brings sterling personal qualities and an enviable pedigree to the table. His reputation for honesty, transparency, accountability, discipline, commitment to serve and patriotism will serve him in good stead and reinforce the trust of a sceptical people so disappointed by politicians and state officials that failed to deliver the better life all aspired for.
Buhari’s experience in various public service assignments including being a former state governor, minister and head of state while in uniform makes him fully prepared for the massive rehabilitation job ahead. He inherits a Nigeria that has performed below its natural potential and must, therefore, turn it around with good governance and a visionary and purposeful leadership. For this onerous task team selection must focus on capacity, capability and commitment to excellence in public service. The days of mediocrity and sycophancy to secure government appointments must be cast away.
In order to set our nation back on course, it becomes imperative on our next president and his team to prioritise national healing. The acrimonious and malicious electoral campaigns have created massive rivers of bad blood and very deep tribal, ethnic and religious divides. The nation is fractured. President Muhammadu Buhari must exhibit his genuine passion and desire to unite all Nigerians without exception and rise to this golden opportunity of national renewal by charting a path to unprecedented progress and prosperity for our people. The task of keeping Nigeria one, strong, secure and prosperous is Buhari’s contract with Nigerians. We pray that God helps him in discharging this trust and securing a lofty place in the annals of our national history.
Ahmed can be reached at [email protected]