ENTER PRESIDENT BOLA AHMED TINUBU

It’s now time to walk the talk

This morning in Abuja, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the standard-bearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 25th February election, will be sworn in as the President and Commander-inChief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. While being conferred with the national honour of Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR) by the outgoing President Muhammadu Buhari last 7KXUVGD\ 7LQXEX VDLG KH XQGHUVWRRG WKH VLJQLÀFDQFH of the occasion and the task that awaits him. “I must run this race and must do it well. On security, the economy, agriculture, jobs, education, health, and power and in all other sectors, we must make headway. The people deserve no less,” he said.

7LQXEX FRPHV WR R΀FH with impeccable political credentials. Three decades ago, during the transition to civil rule programme of General Ibrahim Babangida, he was elected Senator. He later played a crucial role in the pro-democracy agitation against the military regime of the late General Sani Abacha as a member of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) in exile. When democracy returned in 1999, Tinubu was elected governor of Lagos State where he served for eight years after which he was instrumental to the formation of the APC through which Buhari defeated the then incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015.

However, Tinubu is assuming the reins of power LQ 1LJHULD DW D YHU\ GL΀FXOW WLPH LQ RXU KLVWRU\ :LWK PDVV XQHPSOR\PHQW PRXQWLQJ GHEWV DQG ÀVFDO LQGLVFLSOLQH WKHHFRQRP\LVLQDVKDPEOHV $VLJQLÀFDQW proportion of the population lives below the poverty line in a country often measured in superlatives. Education is limping. The hurried academic calendars which usually follow the all-too-frequent strikes by WKH $FDGHPLF 6WDͿ 8QLRQ RI 8QLYHUVLWLHV $688 allow for very little attention to serious studies while under-funding the education sector has had collateral

GDPDJLQJ HͿHFWV 7KH VLWXDWLRQ LV QRW GLͿHUHQW LQ WKH health sector where many of our doctors are trooping out of the country in an unprecedented wave of migration.

The enormity of the crisis at hand is compounded by the reality that several of the 36 states can hardly perform their routine duties. On the security front, Nigeria has practically become a lawless place where armed robberies, kidnappings, banditry, and terror reign supreme. Even though the nation’s armed forces have in recent weeks made remarkable gains against Boko Haram, the insurgents still constitute a grave and potent danger to the polity. From whichever angle one looks at the state of the nation today, Tinubu has enormous responsibilities on his lean shoulders. To run DQ H΀FLHQW JRYHUQPHQW having a competent team and the capacity and willingness to take GL΀FXOW GHFLVLRQV DUH EDVLF requirements. But much more important, now is the time for Tinubu to walk his talk on restructuring the country. Our system, according to Tinubu three years ago, “remains too centralised with too much power and money remaining within the federal might and this imbalance leads to relative state weakness. We need to overhaul how revenues are allocated between the states and the federal government. This concept is one WKDW KDV GLUHFWHG WKH ÀVFDO SROLFLHV RI RWKHU QDWLRQV IRU several decades. If we are to catch these other nations in development, it is a prerequisite that we match WKHP LQ WKH H΀FLHQF\ RI JRYHUQPHQWDO ÀVFDO UROHV DQG operations regarding the national government and our subnational political units.”

When complemented with mechanism for improving accountability, restructuring the country along the line proposed by Tinubu has the potential for strengthening good governance and human development in Nigeria. Now is the time to match his word with action.

We wish him success in his new assignment.

To run an efficient government, having a competent team and the capacity and willingness to take difficult decisions are basic requirements. But much more important, now is the time for Tinubu to walk his talk on restructuring the country