2019: Nigerians Must Change Leadership To Avoid Sinking -By Ifeanyichukwu Mmoh

No doubt, the situation in which the Buhari-led federal government had so far created in this country still favored a few who see nothing wrong in how the president approached issues. Firstly, let me say that I was overwhelmed by the traffic on the last commentary I posted 2 days ago on this wonderful platform, where I did make a case against the continued incarceration of Sheik El-Zakzzaky and why it was unfair.

For a democratically elected government to treat its citizens’ as though they were ‘shit’ tells you that something was not OK with such a leader but the only reason why that sort of treatment could happen or why no politician will concern himself/herself with policies that could alleviate the sufferings of its citizen is because the citizen is yet to realize that he/she had a huge stake in his/her neighbor whoever that was and whatever the tribe or religion.

Leading a multi-tribal country like Nigeria is like leading an organization composed of professionals from different disciplines. Therefore, you do not make decisions all the time from only your own point of view. That you are a lawyer and the board chairman does not entitle you to the luxury of assuming every board member understood the language of law. The same goes for Mr. President who is Fulani; to know that Nigeria is multi-ethnic!

Today, I’ll be shocking us with another of my many concerns for Nigeria under this rather rudderless administration. I am worried over the ever increasing profile of the country’s debt especially from the time President Muhammadu Buhari moved into the villa as Nigeria’s 4th democratically elected president since inception of the 4th Republic in 1999.

After chief Olusegun Obasanjo through his finance minister and World Bank veteran – Madam Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala – managed to obtain cancellation for the over 25 billion USD that was the culminating of debts placed on the country’s’ shoulders then by the military juntas, another is piling again.

Just recently, another staggering figure was put on paper as the amount government urgently wanted to borrow in order to finance the remainder of the 2018 budget, and sent for ratification to the national assembly by Mr. President. This is apart from the several previously borrowed. According to the president, the amount was urgently needed to finance the remainder of the 2018 national budget which as at the time he spoke, had only spent about less than one-third of the 9.12 trillion Naira budgeted for 2018.

Clearly, with all the claims of amazing revenue that poured into the TSA from WAEC, Customs, NPA and FIRS etc., there is cause for doubt of its veracity. Why is there still the need to borrow? Someone or something is not adding up here. If this is all this government can offer; borrowing to finance the national budget, was there any other evidence Nigerians needed to be convinced that the country is sinking already? Is it not clear that to avoid sinking further, leadership must change come 2019?

It is shocking to know that as at present Nigeria’s debt profile stood at $80BN USD; a far jump from the amount inherited from the past administrations of the Late Yar’Adua and G.E. Jonathan. Still, the government remained hardened against the idea of not borrowing any further. Does it not seem as though this administration is already planning to exit power by next year?

If it is not; then how does it intend to balance the very brutalized Naira against the structure-less economy that is presently fighting for its life not to return into recession the second time, and still pay what was borrowed? Indeed, things are not right with Nigeria as Sultan Sa’ad Abubakar recently commented. Without question, even a world-class economic blueprint that has worked in other economies is bound to fail in as much as an inept person is in charge as leader.

A great leadership coach once said “Leadership ability is always the lid on personal and organizational effectiveness. If leadership is strong, the lid is high. But if it’s not, then the organization is limited. That’s why in times of trouble, organizations naturally look for new leadership. When a country is experiencing hard times, it elects a new president. When a company is losing money, it hires a new CEO.” To say that this government lacked the ability to take this country to the promise land is to state the obvious.

Now see: the Nigeria Labor Congress is gearing up for a serious showdown with the federal government any moment from now over a minimum wage long overdue for review. The states have quickly inserted the cliché they so proudly know how to broadcast: “States cannot pay the 30,000.00 naira minimum wage being proposed.” All these troubles are coming at a time the government deludes herself of a Treasury Single Account that was growing fatter with increased revenues and at a time she sees no reason to consider the calls for restructuring of the federation in order to stop the states from ever pronouncing their well rehearsed cliché.

Indeed, more woes are imminent should this government be returned next year. All these woes the citizens have so far experienced are a direct result of leadership failure. Look at the man who was president; a man who has no prowess to manage his political fortunes. A man who like King Solomon’s son – King Rehoboam – lacked the charisma to carry the opposition along. He seeks for unlimited power but has so far done enough damage with the constitutional powers he has to disqualify him for any further empowerment.

A man who hated education to the point of making a professor as redundant as a mole worthy only for carrying burdens. A man who claims to fight corruption but sees no justification for the suspension of the NHIS executive secretary by his minister for health. I can say with authority that if this president had a way of reinstating Col. Lawal Daura of the DSS, he would do it without blinking an eye. A man whose mind is so old that he thinks the federation of Nigeria was his estate. No doubt, the spirit of Sir Ahmadu Bello is here again; that same spirit that led to the collapse of Nigeria’s democratic destiny from the start.

Governments before him met the challenge of corruption with ingenuity; his is with melancholy. Still, nothing has really changed about his change except for the worst. An elder that should use his presidency to unite the country; he is instead dividing it the more. He disregards court judgments as he pleased and tells us that national security superseded human rights. Yet he has heard the now Late Kofi Annan share thoughts on how genocides and civil wars are sparked by attempts to insult the sensibilities of any tribe by another.

Sorry that I sounded a little bitter but I just can’t help to say that a man I could call ‘father’ has little or no respect for me or folks of my generation to the point of calling us ‘lazy’ before the whole world. Anytime I hear him talk, he makes me lose faith in him and his generation. Elders that I have been privileged to meet naturally preached peace, fairness, love, togetherness and a sense of belonging.

But this man is different! He stirs me to lose faith in my fellow Nigerian because of tribe and religion. He pushes me to work hard, earn my living and be self-reliant but he goes borrowing to finance his government. What more can I say than to say ENOUGH IS ENOUGH OF THIS CLUELESS LEADERSHIP. THESE BORROWINGS, MR. PRESIDENT IS ABSOLUTELY UNCALLED FOR. DO NOT WRAP MY GENERATION AND THE NEXT IN DEBTS THAT CAN NOT BE PAID. IMPERIALISM IS REAL AND IT IS COLONIZING COUNTRIES TODAY, THROUGH LOANS!

Comrade Ifeanyichukwu Mmoh is an advocate for attitudinal change, a researcher and authored (THE ORIGIN OF IGBO MARGINALIZATION IN NIGERIA). 08062577718.