Who will tell the president?

Who will tell President Buhari that the cheque of goodwill is useful only when not overdrawn? Who will inform the president that the sheer stasis which characterises the speed of governance under his watch has the potential of completely eroding whatever good he may have achieved? We have said it before that the president needs […]

Who will tell President Buhari that the cheque of goodwill is useful only when not overdrawn? Who will inform the president that the sheer stasis which characterises the speed of governance under his watch has the potential of completely eroding whatever good he may have achieved? We have said it before that the president needs to change gear urgently but it seems that either this particular vehicle of governance is mono-geared or the driver prefers to run with only the low gear he trusts – with the attendant speed limitation.

The result is that the war against corruption, which is the government’s flagship programme, is in jeopardy as the corrupt who are in the eye of the storm have rediscovered their mojo in the face of the president’s tame handling of their shenanigans. Is Buhari succumbing to the blackmail of those who see military dictatorship in every move he makes? 

If corruption is not tackled with efficient ruthlessness, it will rise from the ashes of imminent defeat like a kind of evil phoenix which regenerates itself after being consumed by fire. As soon as Buhari won the elections, many of the well-known thieves in the land ran for cover. Even policemen on highway ‘toll gates’ suspended bribe-taking for a couple of weeks to see if the new man was the same as the no-nonsense Buhari of 1984. But when they saw that it was taking forever for the government to make up its mind about anything, they rolled out the drums again.

Now the corrupt and their beneficiaries have found their voice and are bleating like a thousand well-fed goats: ‘Ain’t no stopping us’. Having regrouped and found little resistance, they are now emboldened to network across the executive, legislative and party lines to roll back the gains of the anti-corruption war.

Let’s face it, could the sabotage against the confirmation of Magu as EFCC chairman have endured under the tempestuous OBJ? Would Dino Melaye have been carrying on as he is doing? Would Saraki have continued to superintend over the affairs of the senate considering how he pinched that position and with all the albatrosses round his neck?

Those of us who publicly declared our support for Buhari just as we did for Jonathan before him must continue to speak up on his style and pace of governance. The group of Northern professionals which recently published an open letter to the president must be congratulated for its forthrightness. I particularly liked three important points they raised:

“The narrow base of your close advisers is giving the impression that you are running a closed government in a political environment that requires a participatory approach of all relevant stakeholders…

“… There are at least three urgent issues. The first is the reduction of the cost of governance through carrying out legislation that would address some of the issues raised in the Oronsanye Report and a new RMFAC formula, which would scale down remunerations of political office holders. The Second is the Petroleum Industry Bill, which candidate Buhari had promised would be prioritized within the first quarter of the Administration. Finally, legislation is necessary to strengthen the anti-corruption agencies….

“Act decisively to get rid of your ministers and officials who have been tainted with engagement in acts of corruption. 

“There are an incredible number of vacancies in your Administration two years after your election. It is imperative that you fill them immediately …”

Those observations and pieces of advise could only have come from patriotic minds eager to make the most of the opportunity we have in Buhari to re-invent Nigeria. If Buhari fails, we fail. If Nigeria regresses instead of making progress, we are creating degeneracy for the unborn years ahead. Buhari should heed the counsel of those concerned citizens.

Recent events have opened up new opportunities to actually tackle the bull of corruption by the horns. According to Uyi Akpata of PricewaterhouseCoopers, “Corruption in Nigeria could cost up to 37% of Gross Domestic Products (GDP) by 2030 if it’s not dealt with immediately”. 

Take the Dino Melaye issue. Has the relevant government agency investigated how a student can be called up for the National Youth Service Corps one year before his graduation? Is the records office of Ahmadu Bello University in possession of the departmental scores of Melaye and how they amounted to the award of a BA degree? If we are fighting corruption, we have to fight it in every sector.

I am reminded of Bishop Kukah’s excellent commentary on the perversion of the educational sector: “Nigeria educational systems have surprising outcomes. The smartest students pass with First Class and get admissions to Medical and Engineering schools. The 2nd Class students get MBAs and LLBs to manage the First Class students. The 3rd Class students enter Politics and rule both the 1st and 2nd Class students. The Failures enter the Underworld of crime and control the politicians and the businesses .And, best of all, those who did not attend school become Prophets and Imams and everyone follows them….”

I do not pretend that the president’s health challenges are immaterial, but if he sets up the architecture of governance properly, the country should be able to do just fine. But we have had enough of stalling, squint-eyed decisions and lack of coordination. Let somebody tell the president.