AT 58, CRY NOT FOR NIGERIA
The weakest link in leadership is passing the bulk…Ena E. Orugbo Nigeria with a Gross Domestic Product of $405 billion is the only mint nation with GDP below the bloc’s average of $810 billion. Africa’s largest economy loses $2.25 billion annually to archaic selling of her crude oil on FOB basis against industry’s best practice of CIF. Amina Mohammed, UN’s Deputy Secretary General, recently raised concerns on Nigeria’s debt stock of $73.21 billion. This is definitely not the change Buhari promised, and the Osun election circus shows that APC is set to outspend the opposition and reinvent the rules to retain power. According to Atiku Abubakar, the current government is Nigeria’s worst but at 58, cry not for Nigeria. Alas, cry for Nigerians.
When Lee Kuan Yew (LKY) became Prime Minister, he inherited a demoralised country and debilitated economy. In 1965, the situation was so precarious that LKY cried on national television after Malaysia broke out from their two-year union. Singapore’s GDP per capita was $427.88 when LKY assumed office and $11,864 at his exit. Governments have a clear-cut mandate. Section 14 subsection 2b of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution as amended says, the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary concern of government. LKY understood governance hence his name resonates louder in death and Singapore is now an economic poster child.
In 2011, Buhari cried during the grand finale of his presidential campaigns. Commentators attributed this display to love for Nigeria. How this strong emotion has translated into purposeful leadership remains a puzzle. On the eve of his first anniversary as a civilian president, the pump price of petrol was increased from N87 to N141 per litre; three months ago, the Brookings Institution reported that Nigeria with 15% of India’s population had overtaken India to become the world’s poverty capital and just on Sunday, NLC suspended her warning strike. It is glaring that tears are not the antidotes to the 58 years old demons plaguing Nigeria.
Charles de Gaulle said “since a politician never believes what he says, he is quite surprised to be taken at his word”. This must be the rationale behind Atiku’s emotional outburst while picking his presidential nomination forms at the Peoples Democratic Party headquarters. There is no doubt that the new Wazirin Adamawa can better Nigeria but the All Progressives Congress, Nyesom Wike and Olusegun Obasanjo are his nemeses. God will never forgive me if I support Atiku says Obasanjo. Wike’s pitch: APC is sponsoring some PDP presidential aspirants. The trio of Wike, Obasanjo and APC’s rigging machinery has forced Atiku to cry out. “Elite complicity is stalling my presidential dream.”
The gods must be crazy to have bewitched Nigeria with opportunists, not leaders. A 58 years old nation, endowed with four refineries and skilled workforce imports refined petroleum products. On the contrary, crude oil processing accounts for 16% of Singapore’s GDP. An island nation of 278 square miles with no crude oil. John Magufuli has demonstrated that purposeful leadership is possible in Africa. In 2015, Tanzania’s GDP was $45.63 billion when Magufuli became president but currently stands at $52.09 billion. As men are free to cry so are Nigerians free to choose her leaders. Eva María Duarte de Perón was right, don’t cry for me Argentina.