Dear President Muhammadu Buhari,
Let me begin by thanking you for your letter dated July 21st, 2015. It was great to have you formally acknowledge the receipt of my book. I hope that you find it useful as you map out strategies for resolving the issues in the Niger Delta. I have watched with keen attention your re-introduction of Nigeria to the world stage. You look genuinely presidential and your gait and mannerisms leave no doubt that you are a real Commander-in-Chief. The aesthetics of power fit you. Mr. President, you are both feared and respected in many circles. That is hard to pull off in politics anywhere in the world.
However, as Nigeria’s many problems have intensified and the economy further nosedived under your watch, there is growing disenchantment in Nigeria. No one thought it was possible to exacerbate the conditions of the masses. The methodology for worsening the situation of the Nigerian masses beats everyone’s imagination. One widely shared video of a frustrated Nigerian man was heart-wrenching. He said he wished that Nigeria would suddenly perish without sparing anyone, including himself. It is a sad state of affairs. I do not share his extreme sentiments but I have repeatedly asked myself whether it was a mistake to want “change”. I have ultimately concluded that change was necessary at the time and you were the appropriate apostle of that change.
As a concerned Nigerian, I have gone from despondency to cautious optimism and to trepidation about Nigeria. I believe that criticising one’s government must be done with the right intentions and a huge sense of responsibility. Suggestions should also be offered when and if possible. My proposal is simple: Adopt the Mandela option by not seeking a second term in office. I recognise that it is your constitutional right to seek a second term but hope to present reasons why you should concentrate solely on a single term.
In this season of “body language”, your probable quest for a second term may begin to feel like Obasanjo’s third term project unless you fix several of Nigeria’s problems. Consider it part of your sacrifices to Nigeria. Allow INEC to do its job and be a neutral arbiter.
Your Excellency, you seem overwhelmed by the enormity of the tasks before you.
While we urge Nigerians to understand that things had been messed up to a tectonic scale long before you took office, we must also admit that given the number of times you ran unsuccessfully for the presidency, you seem shockingly unprepared. This was evident in the delay in putting together a ministerial team, the texture of several elements of the team when eventually announced, as well as the rather poorly coordinated (yet necessary) anti-corruption war. It appears that your running for office became such a burning desire that it metastasised into an end in itself rather than a means to an end. You got to power but lack the rigour that ought to have preceded the acquisition of power.
You had excellent and well-intentioned ideas about what to do with power but made few concrete plans — policy initiatives (or innervation of existing ones) clearly spelt out by a team of professionals working under the broader rubric of your vision. This cataclysmic blunder quickly began to manifest. You relied on the sheer force of your personality and integrity. Those are necessary ingredients but concrete, and well-calibrated plans are equally vital.
There is also the question of bio-physical limitation. I understand that you enjoy great health (despite unfounded rumours during the last presidential elections) but the challenges would make you age faster than usual if any work truly gets done (as evidenced in the aging of our dear formerly youthful President Barack Obama). Given that you are almost 74, I would encourage you to consider the health implications of combining electoral campaigns with the daily demands of the presidency.
Second term politics may also compromise your current anti-corruption drive. You would need the support of some of those currently being prosecuted or others who should be. A corollary to that is the implication for your reputation.
To be sure, unless there is a radical improvement in the lives of the Nigerian masses, you cannot win a second term in office under a free and fair atmosphere. APC’s growing electoral losses do not bode well for you. Permutations for 2019 are already on as you may be aware. You must over-perform in office to win. Some will oppose you for taking out their corrupt livelihood. Others will not give you their votes because your government has made their lives more miserable. There is no doubt that your true allies are the Nigerian masses. They can help you defeat the machinations of the elite only if there is improvement in their conditions.
Boko Haram is another suppurating problem, Mr. President. Boko Haram has proven to be quite stubborn despite all efforts. It was ill-advised to promise in October 2015 that you would eradicate Boko Haram in December of the same year. Nigerians are coming to terms with the fact that this may be the “new normal” for a while. The Chibok girls and several other kidnap victims remain in captivity. The treatment of the internally displaced persons (IDPs) is also unconscionable. Their conditions constitute symbolic violence and is a form of state crime. This is one of the most direct tests of your administration’s basic competence. I am afraid that you are quietly earning “F9” in this area due to the poor and sometimes non-existing services to the IDPs. The lack of water, shelter and insufficient medical care at the IDP camps and towns destroyed by Boko Haram, the worsening fuel crisis and the evaporation of power supply in the entire country indicate that you need to retool your administration.
Consider that Nelson Mandela would have undone a lot of his global acclaim had he stayed longer in power. His political genius was in recognising when to leave. Leaders are for a certain moment. This is yours. I urge you to consider carving your name in gold by concentrating on your current term with a determination to turn things around. I wish you well.
In addition, I was struck by one of your comments during the presidential media chat. Your question “what do the Igbos want?” was unbecoming of a leader, particularly in a deeply fractured society. A leader must not speak in that manner. I strongly suggest that you visit the South-East and the Niger Delta to heal some of the festering wounds. You also need to pay close attention to the NDDC as a vehicle of development in the Niger Delta.
In this season of “body language”, your probable quest for a second term may begin to feel like Obasanjo’s third term project unless you fix several of Nigeria’s problems. Consider it part of your sacrifices to Nigeria. Allow INEC to do its job and be a neutral arbiter. Work towards having your party present an enormously qualified and younger woman or man. There are some outstanding candidates in your party. A few of them are serving in various offices at the moment, others are in the private sector.
Finally, Mr. President, ensure that you stabilise the economy through (among other things) engagement in rigorous infrastructural overhaul; tackle fuel shortages and power cuts, provide security, and hand over to someone with the bureaucratic and technical know-how of this age. Consider that Nelson Mandela would have undone a lot of his global acclaim had he stayed longer in power. His political genius was in recognising when to leave. Leaders are for a certain moment. This is yours. I urge you to consider carving your name in gold by concentrating on your current term with a determination to turn things around. I wish you well.
Sincerely,
‘Tope Oriola.
PREMIUM TIMES
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