Agenda for PMB (III)

It is the self-imposed burden of the chronicler to proffer fresh paths and generally front-load developmental ideas to those who hold power’s reins not just for today’s tenants of power but also for posterity.

In the first two parts of this trilogy, we tried to suggest ideas that could help the government make the best use of the next four years. We have looked at team building, some policy imperatives and the need for pan-Nigerian inclusiveness. Now, let’s address other issues.

Many of the issues related to national integration and empowerment of the lower levels of government (states and local government) have been thrashed and re-thrashed, debated and intellectually dissected at the different national conferences held within the last couple of decades. President Buhari should direct his Presidential Advisory Committee to review, assess and reconcile the various recommendations in those conference reports for the president’s ultimate consideration.

This will help transmute the country from an amalgamation of atavistic tribes perpetually at daggers drawn, to a cohesive whole. Previous governments failed to take the bold step. Whatever differences we have as a nation of many nationalities can be accommodated in a give-and-take atmosphere because we are better served as one big, cohesive nation than as several warring tribes. It will take some socio-political engineering but where there’s a will, there’s a way. It is better we face up to this issue now than continue to paper over it, pretending that our unity is “non-negotiable” while discontent continues to fester.

With majority in both the Senate and House of Representatives, the governing party, APC has got to show Nigerians that all its pontification on morality and ethical governance is not a hypocritical effusion. The financial haemorrhage caused by the scandalous salaries and allowances of our federal legislators has to be staunched once and for all. We must confront this monster now to unshackle funds trapped in the current ‘lootery’ system for much needed development. If the government cooperates with civil society organisations who have been in the vanguard of the campaign to put an end to the bazaar going on in the national assembly under the guise of the iniquitous ‘constituency projects’, the attainment of this goal is not as difficult as it looks. First, the governing party, APC, has to show leadership by demonstrating moral rectitude.

The modern world is ruled by technology. President Buhari needs to fast-track technological acquisition and innovation by creating industrial parks in each of the six geographical zones of the country as has been done with stunning outcomes in some of the leading countries of Asia. We don’t have a shortage of talented youths; what is missing is the enabling environment. I recently ran into a 28-year-old robotics engineer, Dr. Chinemelu Ejiamatu Ezeh (son of Emeka Ezeh of BPP fame) and he shared with me very fascinating possibilities if only this country could make up its mind to join the rest of the world in marching to cyber greatness. Will the likes of Chinemelu Ezeh be encouraged to return home to uplift their country or remain in Europe to continue contributing to the civilisation of others?

All ministers must be given a list of deliverables concerning their stewardship by which they will be judged (special focus on Education; Defence; Finance; Interior; Power, Works and Housing; Justice; Finance and National Planning). The age-long system of leaving appointees to operate on auto-pilot mode has to be discontinued. For example, the Minister of Petroleum should be tasked with professionalising and unbundling NNPC and floating its shares on the stock exchange within the next 18 months.

Holding of public office has to be based on merit and performance. Just last week, Chadian President Idriss Deby fired his armed forces chief of staff following the latest bout of Boko Haram attack which claimed the lives of 23 soldiers. Some lesson there!

As a matter of policy, all interactions between the people and government institutions should henceforth be conducted electronically so as to remove the human element which encourages corruption. Issuance of Nigerian Driver’s Licence, International Passport, National ID card, Nigerian entry visa, Permanent Voter’s Card and all such documentations should be done online as obtains in most other countries of the world.

The 2019 elections, especially the violence that attended rerun elections in some states, have shown that only technology can save us from ourselves. First, we have to prune down the number of political parties to a maximum of six or seven. There is an urgent need for a review of the electoral law to allow electronic voting. (The Uwais Report should be implemented now.) The National Agency for Science Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) can be tasked to partner with others to produce a polling machine which would work like the ATM machines used by banks. Voters can cast their ballots by simply selecting their preference from a platform and pressing a button. The vote is immediately transmitted to INEC’s headquarters.

Let more ideas roll in. The earlier we all realise that this is about our country and not about Buhari or Atiku, the better. The trend has been for APC partisans to justify everything about the 2019 elections while their PDP counterparts condemn everything about the areas where they did not come out tops. The truth is that the elections were neither black nor white; there were many shades of grey. I’ve seen video clips indicting both parties. Thankfully, the tribunals are there to arbitrate. But meanwhile Buhari has a country to run. As long as his election subsists, we want him to make Nigeria a better place than he met it. - To be the best president he can possibly be.

(Concluded)