The long distant runner

This has created the erroneous impression that not much is being done and that there has been “go slow” at Aso Rock, a pejorative phrase that connotes inertia and lethargy. People holding such a view should be forgiven because they are sold on the idea that a new government has exactly 100 days to indicate […]

This has created the erroneous impression that not much is being done and that there has been “go slow” at Aso Rock, a pejorative phrase that connotes inertia and lethargy. People holding such a view should be forgiven because they are sold on the idea that a new government has exactly 100 days to indicate its character and purpose – a distinctly American pastime whenever a new government is installed at the White House. In the 60 days that PMB has been in the saddle,  they want to see the government act in an urgent and frenetic pace, announcing new policies, discarding old ones as well as ordering dismissals and appointments – all in one breathe. They want to see a government act generally like a bull in the china shop, but people have not seen the PMB government do that, so they dub it a “go-slow” government.
In reaction, top ranking members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have wasted no opportunity in trying to debunk the notion that the government is slow, among these include notably the party chairman-Chief John Odigie Oyegun, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu and the party’s national publicity secretary, the inimitable Lai Muhammed. Twice the Asiwaju has had to come out to discountenance the rumour that a rift has broken out between him and the president, insisting forcefully that he owes an unshakeable allegiance to the president and the party as well as urging Nigerians to be patient that the scale of the rot Nigeria has been put through by the previous administration was grossly underestimated and that it will take a proper evaluation of what was met on the ground before corrective measures are embarked upon. What the Asiwaju was saying is that any ill-considered frenetic and feverish action for the heck of it would not happen. He said the APC has not come to government to appease the mob wish for dubious action based on rumours and hearsay and that at this early stage of its rule, government would continue its deliberate and methodical approach it started with until all the rot has been unearthed.  
Two months into its rule, those expecting government to act in a way as to get a good evaluation by its 100th day in office would be sorely disappointed. The APC and its government have served notice that they are in a long distant race, as opposed to the short distance dash or sprint to the finishing line. They are running the race of Kip Keino, the celebrated Kenyan long distance runner or Kenisa Bekele of Ethiopia and not that of Usein Bolt, the Jamaican sensation who is the reigning champion of all of the short distance sporting events or Michael Jordan, his forerunner. To succeed in the latter one need a lot of energy to gain inertia, which should be maintained at a higher level for the distance.  The former requires a different tactic, at the onset you take it slowly, some would even say lazily or indifferently, with a calculated injection of energy and pace as the race progresses because the real race is toward the end when contestants would now have to do the quick dash to the finishing line.
As I see it, the APC and its government having considered their options adopted the strategy of a long distance runner – that is take their duty of fulfilling their mandate slowly at the beginning to afford them the time and leverage of getting to grips with all the necessary information that would make the party make a lasting beneficial impact on finding solution to Nigeria’s challenges. The choice of this strategy is eminently sensible, at least it will not cause the government to run out of ideas or “burn out”, as is usually the case when a government does not prepare well because it did not do a proper study of what it met on the ground but was only out to impress and accede to the mob cry of action – purposeful or not. Nonetheless, it needs to be noted that the adoption of the long distance runner strategy has not meant that the PMB government has been sitting on its hands, doing nothing. For many people the success it has made in raking in stolen funds by people who have served in government is impressive. Government has not gone to the roof top to holler about how much has accrued into government coffers, but if the hints dropped periodically are any guide, the amount must be colossal.
The on-going repairs of the nation’s refineries, one or two of which have started working underscores the determination on government part to bring the monumental scam in the petroleum sector to a halt, so that we can see the back of the unending fuel scarcity. Ideally, any government seeking to justify itself should have capitalised on these measures as its achievement. So why is it all quiet at the Aso Rock front? Why is government keeping mum? Is the silence an outgrowth of the strategy of the long distance runner – speak less and let your work do the talking, as we have seen in the disappearance of the fuel queues? It is early days yet to know if this strategy would last or not. Even so, one cannot help the feeling that Nigeria is entering into a new phase of leadership style-characterised by self effacing, unobtrusive and totally unassuming government as has not happened in Nigeria before whose aim is to make things work, as opposed to the clamorous, rancorous and of course the thieving and do nothing type which makes the loudest noise about its hollow claims.
Apparently that seems to be the direction headed by PMB and his band of committed party men. In an interview published in the Guardian of Wednesday, July 29, 2015 he said the trouble with finding appropriate people for the post of ministers was because many of those that have come forward for evaluation have been “compromised,” noting that otherwise competent and highly educated individuals whose knowledge would have been invaluable to achieving the aim of the APC and its government had to be rejected because of having been “compromised.” He did not explain what being compromised meant but your guess is as good as mine. PMB does not want anyone in his government who would come with the sole aim of feathering his own nest. The mere fact that the searchlight is beamed not only on people’s  intimidating academic and professional qualifications but also on their ethical and moral worth to be minister clearly indicates that the ingredient of change is about to be sowed and would hopefully bear the desired fruits. For far too long Nigeria has witnessed some of its best brains compromise themselves at the expense of their charges. For those who may be entertaining fears that PMB may populate his government with imams, priests, monks and people of similar callings, if he insists too much on people with clean hands, I say he should be left alone. Warts and all, there still abound people who would rather go hungry rather than take what does not belong to them.  Keep searching Sir, unsoiled hands still abound somewhere in every nook and crany of Nigeria.      
It is only left to say that government can do all the self effacement it wants, Nigerians reserve the right to know what it is doing on their behalf. PMB and his men need therefore to talk more often to Nigerians, in order to take them along.