Bola Tinubu: Blowing The New Wind Of Change -By Peter Ojelabi

Looking at Nigeria’s six decades and six as an independent state, it can probably be described or understood not so much as a succession of dates, administration and events, but as a series of recurring and mutually reinforcing themes – ethnicity, military coups and counter coups, the use and abuse of oil, election rigging and violence, dissention and dissident, lopsidedness and favouritism, inconsistency and retrogression, unadventurous and unapologetically disdainful course of tolerating the wind of change blowing across the globe. However, come may 29, we are going to be on another threshold of national transformation which should be sustain for the sake of the next generations.

Meanwhile, going by the view of Professor Gbadegesin, a renowned columnist, CHANGE is the movement from one state to another. As such every living thing undergoes change. As fitting metaphor, we cants say less that over the years Nigeria has been moving from ‘frying pan to fire’. Therefore, if an effort towards change is intentionally and voluntarily undertaken by individuals or groups, it is to be reasonable expected that the outcome must be a desirable state that is better than the preceding state.

However, we can go on to recall why change was pressing, but it will be rhetoric to extend further those reasons, more so, it is pertinent to know that as at the time of February Presidential election, the country was almost brought down to her knees in virtually all sectors. The economy was comatose, sufficient megawatts of electricity could not be generated, rate of unemployment among youth is alarming, not to talk of the rampaging insurgency and banditry, surge in poverty rate, Subsidy removal, Fuel and Naira scarcity, etc.

It is not a gainsaying that, the president elect, Asiwaju Bola Hamed Tinubu will inherit the above state of the nation. The administration which was campaigned as the “Renewed Hope” has been having a mixed feeling from different Nigerian as to what advantage it will bring to the good people of giant of Africa. In order to build confidence through out Nigeria, there is a need to blow and sustain a new wind of change that is different from the one that the nation has experienced in the last eight years and to do this here are some critical factors that should be considered:

Economy: No doubt, the health of the economy in terms of how bouyant determines democratic sustenance  and eventually consolidation. Over the years scholars have emphasised the Nexus between democracy and the economy. This position is not unconnected with the general assumption that democracy must necessary bring out better life. In essence, getting the new wave of change sustained entails diversification of the economy, the present arrangement of mono-cultured economy is not good enough. The cavets is that where democratic processes do not yield economic returns, a regression to dictatorship can not be ruled out.

National Security: The primary responsibility of any government, be it in the medieval or contemporary times; and in virtually all climes and regions of the country, is maintenance of law and order. Alas! one of the failure of Muhammadu Buhari adminstration is failure to protect life and property of Nigerian. Not much was done to convince anybody that the Nigeria State was quite alive to it’s responsibilities in term of security. Attack on Presidential guard, abduction of school children, Aso rock burglar, Farmer massacre in Borno, attack on security personnel etc peradventure, one of the reasons the world sees Nigeria as one of the nation that is not safe to reside on.

Legislature: Noticeably, legislature and legislator at every level of Nigerian government have gradually declined as a major and vital arms of government. The legislative should be move from answering only to the bidding of Mr President to serve as the voices of their remote constituencies.

Judiciary: There should be an urgent reform in our Judiciary system, the judge should be washed off giving justice to only those who are able to greese their palm. Our Judiciary system should be independent so that nobody will be able to paid the piper  talkless of dictating the tone. competency should be considered why appointing the judge and the president should avoid tamper with any Judiciary decision.

Education: Despite the high number of Tertiary institution operating in the country, that something is wrong is not deniable. The latest report by National Bureau of Statistics shows an unemployment rate of more than 24.1 percent in the last of 2022 and this figure is believed to be underestimated. As at today the unemployment amongst youth is over 41 percent and among University graduate is over 50 percent.  What is the point of churning out 1.8 million new entrants into the job market each year when only a small fraction has the hope of securing jobs? some even says our graduate are ‘unemployable’, lacking basic analytical and communication skills. The president elect as a matter fact should look deep into our educational structure.

Foreign Policy: In the last two decades, Nigeria foreign policy has been gripped in a kind of inertia. A country that was known to be a credible and influential voice in Africa has suddenly become a subject of international ridicule. One area that requires the attention of President-elect in sustaining the new momentum is foreign policy. However, with another unprecedented success in civilian-civilian transition, Nigeria has become a cynosure of all eyes in the international arena. Virtually, all the superpowers are ready to improve relationship with us. Therefore, Nigeria needs to get her acts right by getting her effigy properly laundered in the international system.

Finally, it is apt to conclude this piece by calling for a complete re-orientation by all Nigeria, what we need now is attitude change of all. The president also should ensure all inclusiveness in his administration so as to bring about positive change. The word CHANGE belong to individuals not the selected few.

Peter Ojelabi writes from Ogbomoso