An Address to the Incoming President of Nigeria -By Olowookere Roqeebat Busayo

Dear Incoming President,

29 days to the presidential election, 29 days before we perform the “ritual” that comes up every four years, 29 days before the fate of Nigerians and Nigeria would be decided. In 29 days, we get to make you our new leader, our new representative. “I hereby step down for… .” Maybe someday, we’ll talk about how some of the people who want to lead us, who want to be in position of power, only care about politics and the benefits they get from it, and forget about the primary responsibility to lead the citizens, to be a representative for the people. This address intends to let you know what Nigerians expect from you when you finally assume the post of a leader, a President.

Apart from the wealthy whose children attend private universities, the rest could be considered as unlucky because they are left to bear the brunt of a failed government. In… 2022, students in State and Federal Universities in Nigeria embarked on a strike and could not resume back to school until after 8 months. During this period, their counterparts in private universities still attended lectures. There is a popular saying that “it is not how far, but how well”. Linking this saying to the situation of Nigerian students who went on strike, imagine what it feels like to know that the reason your academic life is being slowed down and disrupted is because of nonchalance on  the part of the people you have chosen to lead you and make your country better. Incoming president, knowing full well that you are a citizen of this country, then this news is not new to you. I hope you have plans to make changes in the educational sector of the country.

“Spiraling security is one of the biggest takeaways when considering Nigeria’s year in review in 2022″… Is it not sad to say, or even think that after sixty three years of gaining independence, Nigeria can not still boast of a very stable and secure country? In one of the random conversations I had sometime ago, someone said “The government of our country find it so easy to track down and punish anyone who says anything rude or “blasphemous” about the government but they can not seem to track down the so called “bandits” and “unknown gunmen” that keep threatening the peace of the country” Incoming President, in my opinion, one of the things that fuel banditry in our country is unemployment. The government of the country has failed to provide enough jobs for the citizens and even failed to develop the country such that individuals can develop and sustain themselves. Thankfully, we only have to deal with the people who are in power for a few more days before things become better for us as I believe that you, have plans to make the economy and the security status of the country better by creating more jobs for citizens.

Can we talk about how people, especially youths, now see Nigeria as a place where dreams can’t be developed? Am I trying to say this notion that people have of Nigeria is wrong? No! Sometimes I wonder if the people who are in government ever get worried about how people clamour so much about leaving the  country at the slightest opportunity. I wonder if they ever ask themselves questions like “where have we gone wrong as leaders?” The rate at which people leave the  country is so  alarming but can we even blame these people for leaving Nigeria? Incoming President, one of the things that you should make your priority for Nigerians is to create an enabling environment. An environment that helps people to thrive, develop themselves and become proud of their nationality. We hope you can make Nigeria a country to be proud of once again.

Yours Faithfully,

A concerned citizen.