President-elect Muhammadu Buhari is one of the most popular Nigerians of all time. When he took over power from President Shehu Shagari on December 31, 1983, his administration got an unprecedented welcome and enjoyed mass support from virtually all the people in all the then 19 states of Nigeria. This was as a result of the excesses of those politicians and the near-collapse of the nation’s economy. There was never a military regime more popular than that of Buhari/Idiagbon. It was a corrective regime that embarked on a rescue mission. Twenty months later, Buhari was removed by his military colleagues in a palace coup whose motive many are yet to comprehend to this day. As my friend, Jauro Buba, said, no one said Buhari was corrupt. They only said he was too harsh to corrupt people, and went ahead to remove him.
As if there was a referendum on Buhari as a person, his regime, his philosophy of life and ideological orientation, almost 30 years later, General Buhari got an overwhelming mandate of the Nigerian people to come and assume the mantle of leadership once more, in a democratic setting this time, so that he and his team will continue with his truncated rescue mission. The turnout was massive, the euphoria was unprecedented and the expectations are also very high. For the first time in the history of Nigeria also, a ruling party was defeated in an election.
Not only did Buhari get the necessary geographical spread by getting the mandatory required votes in 26 of the country’s 36 states and an absolute majority of the total votes, his party got control of the National Assembly and most state governments. Buhari got a national mandate; his constituency is Nigeria; therefore everything he and his team will do must be in the interest of Nigeria and for the benefit of all Nigerians. Everyone is expecting fairness and justice from the incoming Buhari/Osinbajo administration. This is the foundation of every other thing.
Accordingly, Buhari and his team already have their jobs cut out for them. Tackling the security challenge and the economic challenge will see every other issue falling in line. As a retired general and former head of state who has once confronted both internal and external threats to the corporate existence of Nigeria, Buhari is in a very good position to confront Boko Haram, armed robbery, kidnapping and other elite-inspired communal violence all across the country. Insecurity is the biggest challenge confronting Nigeria at present and thus it has to be the No. 1 priority of the incoming administration.
Insecurity is a by-product of poverty which in turn is a by-product of corruption, mismanagement and misplaced priorities by successive administrations. Tackling the economic challenge is therefore in a way helping to tackle the security challenge as well. In fighting corruption, the emphasis should be on recovery of looted funds and assets. Fortunately, Buhari abhors corruption and is universally acclaimed as incorruptible. Thus, he has both the moral and legal authority to fight the monster. Fortunately, too, Nigeria has signed a lot of protocols and conventions on this; so, getting international support to repatriate looted funds from abroad will not be a problem.
Tackling the ongoing monumental corruption by getting back looted government funds will give government much-needed resources to work for the people. Two, it will serve as a deterrent for future treasury looters. Three, by putting back these resources into good projects such as infrastructure and education, government will get more support from the people. And, four, by so doing Nigeria’s image internationally will be redeemed and the respect for Nigerians will thereby increase.
Talking about the development of infrastructure, all federal roads that are in deplorable state of repairs need to be immediately rehabilitated. Construction of the bridge linking Asaba with Onitsha has to be given priority, not because of politics as PDP wanted to do but because it is in the interest of Nigeria; Makurdi and Jebba bridges should similarly be given priority. Kano-Maiduguri road dualisation and similar ones have to receive due attention.
However, for the existing road network to get longer lifespan, it makes sense to dredge River Niger up to Lokoja and River Benue up to Makurdi and Yola so that large haulage of goods can be done using river transport. Furthermore, there is need to start modern speed trains, not the Jonathan/Sambo 19th century trains, that will link Abuja to all parts of the country: Lagos-Abuja-Kano-Katsina up to the border with Niger; Abuja-Lafia-Makurdi-Taraba-Cross River; Abuja-Jos-Bauchi-Gombe-Numan-Yola and to the border with Cameroon; Abuja-Kogi- Nsukka-Onitsha-Owerri-Port Harcourt; Abuja-Niger-Kebbi-Zamfara-Sokoto to the border with Niger Republic; Abuja-Southern Kaduna-southern Jigawa-southern Yobe-Maiduguri to the border with Chad republic. All over the world, railways are the stimulus for economic development, and, in the case of Nigeria, it has been a major integration factor since 1914.
There is a link between literacy and productivity. Accordingly, education should be made compulsory so that all Nigerian children could be literate, skilled and be informed to prepare them for the tasks of national development. The huge population will be a huge burden if what the people can do is only to beg or do menial jobs. Even adult and non-formal education should be given priority so that everyone would be literate within a stipulated time frame. We don’t want to see any beggar or almajiri on the streets of Nigeria anymore.
Food security is the fulcrum of human and physical security. A nation that cannot feed itself is not really independent. With vast arable land, resourceful rivers, lakes and forests, Nigeria has no reason to import food but rather to export to other countries. Accordingly, there is need for the government to give special priority to agriculture because, even now, it is contributing 42 per cent to the nation’s GDP. It is also the largest employer of labour. Thus, agriculture provides not just raw materials for industries and food for the population but also helps to reduce unemployment.
It is in the nation’s interest to develop the solid minerals sector to diversify the nation’s economy, develop the inland oil and gas basins, embark upon comprehensive physical and human development of the Niger Delta and the North-East, give top priority to the development of hydroelectric projects particularly the Mambilla, solar, wind, biomass and nuclear energy to address perennial electricity shortages so that SMEs and other industries would thrive. Police, security and the armed forces as well as the judiciary should be reformed and retrained so that peace, security and rule of law will thrive.
The need for a patriotic, focused and result-oriented team to be assembled to help actualise the nation’s development objectives cannot be overemphasised for the tasks ahead. The Buhari-Osinbajo regime is coming with unprecedented support domestically and internationally. It is important to build on this by initiating a robust, proactive, dynamic but realistic foreign policy which will see Nigeria defending the interests of Africa globally. The administration is coming at a time of profound changes in the world. Both geography and demography have conferred on Nigeria manifest destiny to lead Africa. There is the need therefore for the incoming administration to establish and strengthen strategic partnerships with other countries of Africa as well as established and emerging powers around the world to achieve the objectives of the nation’s foreign policy.
Political sak is over for now; there is need for economic sak to achieve security sak!
Thank u uncle JD, I look 4ward to seeing d incoming govt doing all u’ve highlighted. JD, the military need a total reform and overhaul. Hope d preside elect is hearing and reading all of dis anyway.
All the accolades going in for the General. Time will surely tell on his performance.One thing people should realize is that if by any chance omission or commission,Gmb has hand in the bokoharam saga that has led to the killing and abduction of innocent and helpless Nigerian,he would never succeed in his government. Except if his hands are clean,that’s the only time he would make a headway in the running of the affairs of the country.