There is no iota of doubt that Nigeria is a complex country. Indeed, the most populous black nation on earth remains one of the incongruous nations across the globe.
Instructively, Nigeria’s complexity is consequent upon her multi-religious nature, as well as very diverse ethnic groups, coupled with other socio-cultural factors-traditions, customs, cultural beliefs and norms.
Meanwhile, despite her humongous blessings rooted in vast oil & gas deposits, breathtaking deposits of mineral resources and abundant agricultural products, the above myriad of challenges continue to dog her path to prosperity, overall growth and development, as successive leaders have continually found it difficult to navigate through those obstacles.
Compounding the multi-dimensional challenges is the seemingly ineptitude and incapacitated nature, weak leadership and mental deficiency of those whom the provident had entrusted political leadership of the country with, over the years.
Granted that a significant proportion of the military interventions in the nation’s polity were essentially years of locusts, cankerworms and caterpillars, the nation’s experience in democratic governance since the turn of the 4th Republic in 1999 has not been salutary either.
During the Obasanjo era, the retired army general deployed a significant period of his two-term tenures to engage his vice-president, Atiku Abubakar in a needless war of attrition and very selfish battles, thus losing the essence of what he was elected-purposeful and resourceful governance.
By the time Owu High Chief woke up from his slumber, eight (8) years had expired. His attempt at damage control through an unconstitutional extension of his tenure by another four (4) years was bluntly rebuffed by the Senate.
Meanwhile, despite his triumphal entry into power & authority, he achieved absolutely nothing, even with so many revenues recorded from petroleum resources, as crude price hovered between $110-$120/barrel throughout his regime!
Nigeria remain the greatest loser of his awkward and inglorious administration.
He valiantly opted for another attempt to perpetuate himself in power by foisting on the nation ailing and incapacitated Musa Yar’Adua as his successor.
Of course, Obasanjo’s successor era remained to date Nigeria most disastrous experience at democratic experiment.
Sensing his incapacity to lead the nation, a dreaded and very vicious cabal headed by the deceased president’s wife, Turai Yar’Adua supported by a coterie of northern Aristocrats mischievously seized the mantle of nation power and authority, directing the affairs of the country in a manner & ways best suited them.
By the time the curtains is drawn on that better-forgotten era, with the demise of Musa Yar’Adua in Saudi Arabia hospital, incalculable, and damages of immeasurable proportion had already been visited upon the nation.
Consequent to Yar’Adua’s death, the then hitherto neglected and abandoned vice-president, Dr Goodluck Jonathan got heralded into the saddle of national political leadership through NASS’s doctrine of necessity.
From the onset of the Jonathan administration, it was clear that the scourge of mismanagement and maladministration would continue unabated as the former governor of Bayelsa wasn’t mentally, psychologically and administratively prepared for the onerous tasks of leading Nigeria, the sleeping giant of Africa.
His regime provided an ample opportunity for another cabal to emerge, this time around spearheaded by Senator David Mark, Diezani Maduekwe, Elder Edwin Clark, Namadi Sambo and Colonel Dasuki, the then National Security Adviser (NSA).
David Mark and Coy turned the president into a ‘figurehead’, with the former senate president assuming political authority and Diezani taking charge of the economy through her firm grip on the oil & gas sector.
The woman swindled the hell out of Nigeria’s treasury. She took absolute charge of the nation’s oil revenue deploying the resources at will, to her cronies, both in the country and foreign countries, and in billions of dollars, too.
During her time as petroleum minister, the Niger Delta strong woman could’ve conveniently been listed amongst the three richest women in the globe, courtesy of her mindboggling and heartrending looting of Nigeria’s treasury.
It was crystal clear that the ex-president was totally sidelined by his cabal and Nigerians appropriately responded by drawing curtains on his regime.
As far as this writer is concerned, the successive APC government of ex-president, Muhammud Buhari was perhaps to compensate the retired general for his then 12 years of struggle and unsuccessful attempts at presidency.
From inception, the government was also hijacked by a very resolute and uncompromising cabal initially headed by Mallam Abba Kyari, and after his demise, by the duo of Mamman Daura and Abubakar Malami, the then Attorney General.
They took absolute charge of the government. In fact, the president practically abdicated his responsibility, as he always preferred to stand aloof in most of the key decisions.
The result of that indiscretion is the big pot of rot that the new administration inherited.
Without much ado, let me categorically and equivocally submit that, since the turn of the 4th Republic in 1999, and even before that period, this is the first time Nigeria has on the saddle a president who is absolutely in control of the machinery of government.
This is the first time Nigeria’s president is not a product of the whims and caprices of the ‘establishment’.
It’s obvious that this government is not been driven by a cabal, but, only by the president to whom Nigerians from all walks of life entrusted their mandates.
He takes decisions on his own, after wide consultations. He appoints his cabinet members, presidential aides and top government functionaries based on his convictions.
He also fires erring members of cabinet and misbehaved heads of Agencies when he’s convinced that, it’s the appropriate thing to do.
The president was convinced based on his wealth of experience in the oil & gas sector that petroleum subsidy is largely a big scam and had to go. At the inception of his administration, he got it removed!
As a Public Accountant, and consequent upon his knowledge of economy, he was convinced that the nation’s currency must be floated i.e. subject to market forces. He went for it!
He had convictions that NNPC must be privatized to make the behemoth Federal Agency not only competitive but to be reengineered, restructured and repositioned. He went for the broke! He also created subsidiaries of the Agency.
He was convinced that for the oil & gas sector of the economy to be stabilized and play the key role expected of it, in the nation’s economy, the 4 dilapidated Refineries must come alive.
Two of them-Port Harcourt and Kaduna Refineries would soon resume operations, having totally paid for their rehabilitation costs of $1.5 billion and $1.45 billion respectively, with the other two receiving timelines of 2025 to come alive.
The president was fully convinced that he must register his dominant presence at those foreign business meetings in order to attract the best investments possible across the globe to Nigeria.
He often got his crack team onto the Aircraft to register impressive attendance at those business fora and he’s prepared to be on the air for new others that would be beneficial to Nigeria.
The ex-Lagos state governor got convinced beyond reasonable doubt that for his government to significantly reduce the huge cost of governance and stabilize polity, he must revisit the long abandoned and already jettisoned Steve Oronsaye report on restructuring and reorganization of MDAs. He’s courageously done that!
President Tinubu was conscious of the fact that, he’s the father of the nation and it’s most important that he needs to preserve and guard jealously the unity and harmony of the nation at all cost.
Consequent upon this, he bluntly refused to interrupt and influence the Supreme Court verdict to return to the office, governors of Kano, Plateau and Zamfara states, all PDP governors, despite the fact that the appellate court had earlier nullified their elections.
He could’ve done otherwise, and heaven won’t fall! He was convinced that the country’s unity was paramount and sacred!
Asiwaju Tinubu was of a strong view that South East Geo-Political Zone must be integrated into the nation’s polity and political mainstream, even despite their continual belligerent and rebellious postures. Since his inauguration, he has done so much in this respect.
For the first time in a long while in Nigeria’s political history, an Enugu-born military top chieftain made the list of service chiefs. Choice appointments-ministerial, presidential aides, DG of federal Agencies etc have been ceded to the zone.
Governor Hope Uzodinma is the Chairman of the APC governors’ forum. The president has maximum power & authority to do otherwise. But, he was convinced that that’s the way to go!
For the very first time ever, Niger Delta man, ex-governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike is fully in charge of FCT, Abuja as Federal Minister. This remains one of the boldest and most courageous moves of the president.
As far as the president is concerned, no Geo-Political zone should be side-tracked, as all the zones are been made to have an absolute sense of belonging in the Nigerian project.
The president even intervened in the political squabbles in the opposition states. He’s done this Rivers. He’s done the same in Edo and Delta states.
The former APC national leader has been nationalistic and patriotic in the ways and manners he’s handled the affairs of the nation.
He’s been resolute, steadfast, firm, single-minded, fair, open, uncompromising, decisive and very bold in presiding over the affairs of our dear nation.
The crux of this Piece therefore remains: Had Nigerians been privileged to have Tinubu decades back, the country would have indeed been on the path of prosperity, genuine growth and development, and more importantly, genuine reconciliation.
Nigerians recall billions of dollars directly looted during the combined regime of IBB/Abacha/Abdulsalam.
The citizenry recalls with nostalgia 16 years of the megalomaniac era of the PDP government when a whopping $16.1 billion was wasted on the power sector. This same regime witnessed a Malabu oil deal of about $6.2 billion shared amongst the PDP top echelon.
Of course, Nigeria would never forget in a hurry how PDP top government officials practically shared $2.1 billion meant to acquire weapons and ammunitions to battle to standstill scourge of Boko Haram and insurgence.
Away from PDP regime of horror, Emefiele’s breathtaking and heartrending appropriation of several billions of dollars and trillions of Naira to his private accounts, as well as the empowerment of top officials of the Buhari government would forever remain a black spot in the annals of Nigeria.
Nigeria should now imagine awesome infrastructural, economic, educational and ICT developments that would have been achieved with all the squandered fortunes and resources of the nation over the last three decades.
A purposeful, single-mindedness, developmental and focused president devoid of distractions and unnecessary sentiments like Bola Tinubu would have deployed humongous resources to significantly fix the infrastructures of the nation, particularly road networks across the country, build more Refineries in addition to the existing four (4) dilapidated presently been rehabilitated, turn the entire country to industrial hubs and ICT hubs where new ICT entrepreneurs would emerge, give the nation educational sector a new face entirely and renew hope of the teeming youths presently disoriented.
The above submission is not a fallacy or illusion. Nigerians are aware of what FCT Minister is doing with limited resources in the Federal Capital Territory. Dave Umayi, the Minister of Works & Housing is achieving much in the new roads being constructed and existing ones, being rehabilitated across the country.
There is a new dimension across the Agencies under the Interior Ministry with the developmental touch of the Minister at the helms; likewise in the Ministry of Communications and Technological Economy where Bosun Tijani holds sway as the Minister.
News coming from the nation federal service is also heartwarming and reassuring, as the nation powerhouse is experiencing fresh breath of professionalism and ethical standards.
It’s already in the public domain that all cabinet ministers would soon be invited to render their accounts of their stewardship since their inauguration, with the services of performing ones retained and non-performing ones kick out of government.
The above could only happen in a purposeful, resourceful and focus administration that have plan for the nation and her citizenry.
This is why this writer is passionately appealing to Nigerians in all walks of life to rally round Tinubu presidency in his efforts to refix, reposition, reorganize and reengineer the country not only to work again, but, to remain on the path of prosperity and sustain her march into comity of the greater nations.
Kola AMZAT (FCA, FCIB)
Lagos based Financial & Management Consultants,
09077509348.
