What President Buhari should be focusing on in the next 4 years

The purpose of this essay is to compile a list of things we Nigerians and our President can do to avert frustration over our country's dismal economy and prevent unhappiness from spilling into long-term suffering and possible violence.  

Read to the end of this essay to find out what the Nigerians are asking Buhari and the APC-led administration to do for them.

No one is contending that Nigeria is now in an uncomfortable crisis while population is pushing through the roof to a staggering 411 million in 2050.

Buhari accuses his people of being lazy, lacking in discipline and education, and waiting on Government to hand them freebies from the country’s oil boom.  Freebies are handouts, perks, giveaways,

“Give us dash (Nigerian term for free gifts),” the people say. Buhari seems to respond, “ Lazy people, get away from here, and oya go to work or school.”

His people come back with accusations against Buhari for being militaristic in his governance, ignoring pleas for protection from herdsmen killings, church burnings, also FGN’s insensitivity to security concerns.

High on the list of complaints against Buhari administration is perceived indifference and studied prejudice against Southern states. Some accuse him of hoarding public funds while workers go hungry and unpaid for months.

High on the list of economists and World Health Organization are questions of birth control, Ebola, and Monkey pox suspected to be caused by eating improperly cooked flesh of monkeys and other bush meats.

Some say jeeringly, derisively, mockingly, tauntingly, contemptuously, You say go to work or school while you lay around in cozy London beds and our children sleep in smoke-filled huts built with mud walls and thatched roofs?”

“I’m President and the Constitution allows…”

People responds. “Allows nothing. You are public servant and we are the citizens. We pay for your food even for your mosquito nets, the mouse traps at Aso Rock, and even your wife’s pink fashions.”

The Buhari administration seems frustrated over the people's unwillingness to support his programs and their propensity to criticize and protest. He is angry the Igbo and Southern ethnics voted for his opponent in 2019 elections.

And he cannot bring himself to forgive or forget fellow Fulani Dr. Atiku for suggesting that Atiku won the election and Buhari lost.

The people ask mockingly, “Did you win the election honesty? You haven’t defeated ISIS, have you?’

“Defeating ISIS is not easy, I don’t have the money, and you complain when I spent mere 450 million dollars for jet fighters to defeat insecurity. Don’t you know ISIS is a world-wide boko haran?”

 Buhari wants Nigerians to wait for change to slowly occur. Nigerians appear to be tired of waiting when rumors spread round that oil money in the amount of billions of dollars is floating around the globe.  

Believing that Naija money is building overseas cities, such as New York, London, Paris, Johannesburg, and other places, Nigerians cry out in pain of hunger, and frustration over Government’s interference  with their chances to feed their families.

Someone sings that a hungry man is an angry man. How hungry are the people? Are they hungry enough to go to work, any work?

Some Nigerians feel the Buhari administration Is less interested in citizens' affairs than in maintaining the status quo and using the armed forces to intimidate and maintain absolute control and prevent anarchy or being toppled in a bloody coup.

Buhari seems to have real fear. He finds solace in turning Aso Rock into impregnable fortress surrounded by armed forces personnel who has been given orders to keep presidential palace and Aisha safe in the other room safe and prevent another Igbo Nzeogwu from pulling off another abracadabra.

Abracadabra is Uzuakoli war dancers and shouts of “Igbo kwenu” from Nnamdi Kanu and his ragtag  army of IPOB boys.

Surely, Buhari is afraid of his people including ever-present insecurity defined as lawlessness, chaos, revolution, mayhem, or rebellion, wouldn’t anyone be? Wouldn’t President be so scared stiff that he packs his cabinet with trusted family members from his own village?

There is fear that angry Nigerians are planning on joining former Vice president and leader of PDP Dr. Abubakar Atiku in a mass protest that would paralyze the nation and make the country ungovernable and perhaps drive Buhari from office? The APC leadership is shaking in trepidation, a trembling fear.

Buhari’s fears are as real as they are unfounded. The possibility of changing government by force is improbable. Surely, the Nigerians are too intelligent to let their nation disintegrate into another Biafra.

The Nigerians want their country to flourish under democracy, not under a totalitarian regime which what the Buharians are developing to become.  

The purpose f this essay is to imagine what is happening in a beloved country and to venture a few suggestions to avert things coming to a head. To come to a head means to create commotion, uproar, stampede, turmoil, or disorder.

The ruler and the ruled groups ought to have a meeting of the minds through open dialogue if anything meaningful is to be accomplished.

President Buhari ought to de-emphasize control and decentralize his administration to produce the feeling of democracy and meritocracy his people deserve.

Since Nigeria is now a democratic nation rather than under military rule, it makes sense to de-emphasize totalitarian approaches to solving issues that concern our people.

Let’s try massification for a change and see what happens. According to Brazillian philosopher Paolo Freire author of Pedagogue of the Oppressed, massification is a strategy that some makers of luxury goods use to  stimulate growth in the sales of a product.

Buhari ought to sell his administration as merchandize for his people to buy into. An approach-approach strategy is better than the approach-avoidance tactic.

Consider two brothers this writer met at Anambra market. They were grinding black-eyed peas and frying akara balls while Mama was pouring red palm oil and dropping red peppers into ground mixture.

The balls were of different sizes- small, medium, large, and giant- for anyone in a long queue of buyers to purchase. The akara balls were made to fit budget of every buyer in the queue.

Buhari and the APC ought to imitate the akara boys if he can see this administration as producer of luxury brands that must be allowed to grow to accommodate a broader market clientele.

There ought to be a massification ( to borrow Freire’s term) in Buhari government. The massification   would allow the massified brands to grow to appeal to and accommodate a broader market.

Buhari cannot continue to see himself only as Fulani President or Northern President, or Daura Chief. He can try to be US President Obama who is considered the first Black US President for all races. Buhari can be a Mandela, the first black South African president after apartheid.

The Nigerian President is the President of the Federation. He is not the chief herdsman. To think he belongs just to the North is infantile, youthful, juvenile.

It makes sense to emphasize development of the whole country, particularly the  private sector. Let the President pour resources into infrastructure, building roads, bridges, bypasses, and other structures.

Let the federal Government employ college graduates, NYSC members and skilled workers to create a massification that would rebuild the nation, and make Nigeria great and give people pride and a sense of being a part of the solution.

Let’s find out what the complaints are all about. What are these people complaining about? My people   are complaining there is no circulation of money while their government turns ears that are stone deaf and impervious to reasoning. 

There must be a give and take situation, the I’m Okay-and-you’re okay state where. Buhari gives fatherly advise, takes friendly advise from others, particularly the youths. Let there be a meeting of the minds.  

The elderly learn from the youthful; such interchange is medicine for the soul, any soul at any age.

Why don’t the APC handlers advise the President to attend hall meetings with his subjects? Listen, Dialogue. Question. Crack some jokes. Be human like other persons with blood and flesh.

Listening to Nigerians may be a good start to avert raw emotion an frustration from spilling into unnecessary killings and bloodshed. People need to know their president is not a clone or double from Muslim North Sudan.

Reduce the enmity between leadership and citizenry:  Show that the Govt is friendly and  in tune with Nigerians; share concerned about the people's plight . 

Nigerians are crying out in pain, hunger, and frustration that Nigerian Government is less concerned with their needs but more concerned with maintaining order for politicians to continue looting.

 It appears there should be a balance between order and needs.  You cannot maintain order in a vacuum.

Listen to the People sometimes to find out what they need. Some of their needs are legitimate and ought to be redressed as a matter of decency,  particularly those that concern health.

We need good roads connecting our cities and villages.

We  need adequate generation of electric power/ light most of the day and night.

We need pure water supply that has no water-borne microorganisms that cause dysentery and other gastrointestinal problems.

We need adequate healthcare services for adults and children.

We resent the availability of effective treatments abroad for a few top politicians while the rest of us go to quacks and witchdoctors.

We ask to lower the high unemployment rates of the youth.

There is the public perception that Buhari and politicians are there to enrich themselves at the expense of the people they represent.

We wish the present Government would reduce our perception it is being as strong and brutal as the past military Government .

Our present Nigerian Government ought to be concerned with social services. The ultimate aim of our government is to empower women and children and give men reason to be proud to be Nigerians; to rehabilitate infrastructure that would yield a semblance of democracy with all the positive feelings that go with it. We should get out of the posture that a government must kill, maim, and imprison at the drop of a hat.

We should try the egalitarian, noblesse oblige side of ruling that maintains a friendly, open, transparent social order.

Buhari should tone down his readiness to pounce down on people suspected of being unruly and disobedient in order to maintain law and order.

Democracy does not mean we can always be in one accord. Democratic behavior may include allowance for disagreements, strong opposition, or uprising.

 

Disagreements and diversity can be strengthening rather than weakening us  if we have the right attitudes.

However, we ought to tolerant of others' views. We should not be always be ready to quell every protest with a drastic or sadistic response that involves  a SAS  (shoot at sight) order.

An exception is where the insurgency relates to murder or the taking of innocent lives or destruction of property as the case may be with Boko haram, or other violent groups.

Delegate Power to the People at the lowest unit of government:  Some of what our people need can be met at the local level.  Encourage governors, chiefs, local councils  and community heads to put heads together to solve some of the mundane problems that plague our people, such as inadequate food poor sanitation, or impure water supply.

Develop high tolerance for demonstrations and disagreements.  Nigeria is a democracy. Nigerians ought to be able to demonstrate short of violence.

Nigerians ought to have the freedom to come together in peaceful assemblies with rights to petition their government to address certain pressing issues.

Buhari should stop labeling every assembly or demonstration as treasonable felony. Stop seeing the gathering or two or more people as a plot to topple the government.

Teach the Nigerian Constitution at all secondary school and university and grant rights and freedoms enshrined in the Constitution such as freedom of expression and assembly.

Translate the Nigerian Constitution into every Nigerian language and distribute copies to reach every household, adult and children over age 18.

Nigerians ought to know what their Constitution says about their duties, obligations, and rights. Enforce the laws fairly and equitably. Non-violent law breakers should be required to do community service, assisting in building the communication, road, transportation network .

Presented by Dr.James C. Agazie, jamesagazie@gmail.com

Posted Tuesday, June 18, 2019