Letter to the Editor
The elections of 2015 have come and gone with President Buhari elected in a keenly contested election with a very divisive campaign filled with invectives, character assassinations and other wiles of the politicians with the foot soldiers willing to do and undo to ensure that their godfathers are enthroned.
The new president should use the last two month to look at the fundamental issues of the Nigerian Project and how it can be solved. President Buhari should immediately pass an Executive Bill or support our private bill being drafted soliciting the adoption of the six geopolitical zones as federating units with 3 ministers per geopolitical zone totaling 18 ministers in all out of which 6 will be Deputy Ministers manning specialized a “set of related Departments and Agencies” to ensure efficiency e.g. RMFAC, FIRS,NEITI, EFCC, Special Fraud Unit of the Nigerian Police, CCB & ICPC can come under one Deputy Minister while ensuring that an integrated Development Plan per geopolitical zone is instituted by the committee of governors( this is already existing as Nigeria Governors Forum with sub-groups in each geopolitical zones) with the socio-cultural organizations with their own internal democracies acting as Quasi-Legislative Bodies in the Geopolitical Zones. Also agencies like the National Civic Registration, National Population Commission, NIPOST, Town Planning Directorates and INEC should also be under a common Deputy Minister who uses the DNCR to register people who will then vote every 4 years and be counted every 10 years.
Deputy Minister of National Defence and Community Relations can oversee all paramilitary agencies (including the CivilMilitary Relations Department of the Armed Offices for Internal Security Duties) that bear arms while the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) is merged with Nigeria Police Highway Patrol to expand the concept of Road Safety to include Security of the Highways - FERMA should be made a Directorate under the FRSC to Highways are continually patched. The Government should immediately adopt a “Booty Incentive” for law enforcement officers who will be made to receive at least 70% of properties confiscated from criminals based on contributions of the individual and corporate units of the various security agencies to motivate them to act and be efficient. The current wastages of rusted cars in the premises of Law Enforcement Agencies should be over while the mindless destruction of buildings by state governments should cease especially when some of the paramilitary agencies lack accommodation.
Boko Haram,
Niger
Delta militancy etc.
General Buhari should immediately constitute a committee of Chief of Defence Intelligence, Conservator-General of Rangers Park, Comptroller General of Immigration Service and Inspector-General of Police to institute a National Youth Mobilization Draft Policy under martial law for youths aged between 18-23 where they will serve in critical sectors of the economy using direct labour for road repairs and other infrastructural development , rural healthcare and in primary/secondary education under a mass learning schemethey will also undergo an 18 month military training to ensure that the monopoly of the instrument of violence is eliminated and more importantly that their lifestyle can be tracked. They will serve for internal security duties and disaster management capacitiesFood security is soon going to be a problem if the “Farming Generation” dies off and there is need to have at least 3 farm settlements built with mud and “Container Cabins” to house the recruitsChibok girls The FGN should immediately set up a committee to be headed by HE, Mrs Aisha Buhari , President of the Defence and Police Wives Association(DEPOWA) - Mrs Olonishakin and 3 others which should include two names mentioned by Abubakar Shekau in 2013 when he requested that a team meet them in Saudi Arabia. A number of Boko Haram suspects will be taken along to be exchanged with the Chibok Girls (America exchanged 7 hostages for Arms during Iran Contra Affair in 1985) and just recently exchanged a suspected American deserter for five hardcore Taliban fighters)- the Boko Haram members will then be placed under house arrest in the care of the King of Saudi Arabia. Also the BBC & VOA Hausa Services will have representative including the CNN and Al Jazeera. A seasoned Imam or Mallam sympathetic to the BH Ideology and the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia will be present. This team will also meet with Mr Henry Okah in South Africa to discuss with MEND: This will ensure a conducive environment for the simultaneous rebuilding of both the Niger Delta and North East while declaring local government emergencies in consonance with the State Governors/Assemblies using “Asika Model” to create necessary and conducive atmosphere for ravaged communities .
I wish President Buhari the Best in his quest for Nigeria and also wish to say my interest to see the success of his administration is due to the encounter I had with him on 28th May, 1984 in the palace of the Emir of Katagum as a young Band Boy when he shook us one by one!!!
Obinali William-Okoro is a farmer, geo-strategic consultant and author