Now That The Boss Is Back, Lessons In View -By Assaprogopwa Aaron

Suddenly, the Nigerian media space was a-washed with news about the imminent return of the boss, President Muhammadu Buhari. It is that long awaited return for which some Nigerians have fervently prayed while for some others, they have simply wished perhaps even prayed too that it never happened but it did – the boss is actually returned already.

Whether anybody is happy or disappointed about this development is a matter for another day.

It would be recalled that President Buhari had on the 19th January, 2017 left the country for a 10 day medical vacation to the United Kingdom and was expected to return and resume work on 6th Feb. 2017 according to the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina.

Interestingly, the President’s last trip was his third in just over a year having undertaken similar vacations on February 5, 2016 and on June 6, 2016.

Nevertheless, on all three occasions, the President had done one very remarkable thing in line with his self acclaimed political rebirth as a converted democrat; he transmitted power to the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo to perform the full functions of the office of the President for as long as he would be away.

Also in line with Section 145 (1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), Senate President Bukola Saraki and House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara were duly communicated.

However, the soon expected return of the boss as promised was not to be as he had to extend his leave – this time indefinitely on the advice of his doctors, at least so Nigerians were told.

Given this development, the rumour mill immediately became rife with reports that the president was possibly dead. Despite repeated meetings with some Nigerians who visited the ailing President in London and telephone conversations from time to time with some members of the international community and even friends back home, the rumours about Buhari’s purported death continued to resurface every day. Not even the pictures of the president monitoring a Channels Television programme from his UK base made “naysayers” back down.

But today, 51 days later, I guess the ‘naysayers’ have got no option other than to back down already and accept their ‘fate’ – if that is what the President’s return would mean to them.
However, before and while all these were going on, then Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, who was in Davos, Switzerland for the World Economic Forum at the time when his boss jetted out of the country, quickly cut short his trip and had since returned and taken over responsibilities in his new capacity as Acting President.
Suddenly, Nigerians saw an opportunity for a fresh start. Suddenly it no longer mattered whether the man now sitting on the saddle would only be there in acting capacity, it no longer mattered that it was the same administration of PMB that was simply going to continue and that it was the same All Progressive Congress (APC) party manifesto and programmes that would simply continue to be administered on the country. It also didn’t matter that the Acting President was going to be in constant touch and consultation with his boss before taking any major decision or embark on any new policy direction or reversal of an existing one as the case may be.
All that suddenly mattered to Nigerians was that given the fact that the President’s leave has been extended indefinitely for that matter, an opportunity now presents itself for the Acting President (giving him sufficient time) to assert himself. Thus, Nigerians readily grabbed the perceived opportunity with a view to experiencing something at least different or hopefully a radical departure from the leadership style of the boss – a PMB’s administration that has been marred by a hard biting economic recession, skyrocketing inflation rates and ironically an upsurge in security characterized by wanton terror attacks by suspected Fulani herdsmen.

Perhaps the thinking by most Nigerians at the time was that irrespective of the fact that both the then Vice President and the boss have a striking political affinity (at least on the surface of it and of course for purposes of political exigency) and that the Vice President had all along been a cardinal and key player in the PMB-led administration; this learned professor at that and reverend gentleman as it were nevertheless has what it takes to at least make some difference by ceasing the opportunity at hand.

On the other hand however, perhaps the thinking was that being a man coming from an entirely different political background, orientation and even ideology; there was no acceptable reason why his leadership style and administration wouldn’t be remarkably different from the boss’ -at least so many a Nigerian had both thought and expected.

Low and behold, true to the expectations of many; no sooner had the Vice President mounted the saddle and started riding as it were on the crest of his new political status and calling as Acting President than suddenly there seem to be some positive rumbles in the atmosphere.

It suddenly seemed that the much anticipated new dawn in leadership, precisely the way most Nigerians want it, is finally here.

For the first time in as far back as into the era of previous administrations under the then ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) which lasted for 16 years, Nigerians began to see an Acting President who is humble, sincere and honest enough to descend from that seemingly bewitched ‘Tower of Babel’ called the Presidency and to shred off the usual notorious circle of gain-and-self-seeking but power drunk political voodooists who traditionally surrounds the boss to begin to engage directly with those that truly matter – the people.

Nigerians saw an Acting President who would not sit in the comfort and false security of the Aso Rock Villa and wait for delegations to come over but goes out of his way to both visit and interact with them face to face as against relying on media aids and other government functionaries who usually would end of infuriating the people with their falsehoods. Nigerians saw an Acting President who is prompt in addressing issues that affects them and empathizes with them in the spirit of brotherhood and nationalism.

For example, in only a couple of weeks of being in charge, the Acting President had not only visited virtually every single state in the restive Niger Delta region from where over 90% of the nation’s wealth is derived; but sat down with the people and listened to their complaints whilst promising to find lasting solutions as desired.

He was also quick to empathized with the good people of the South East by condemning and apologizing to the people over the recent attacks by suspected Fulani herdsmen in the region while not leaving out the unbecoming acts of the military also in the region. This gestures did eventually calmed down a lot of nerves in the region, even if temporarily but at least were far more welcoming than the usual provocative, exasperating and seemingly assenting  silence while those atrocities took place.

The Acting President personally visited the frequently attacked Southern Kaduna communities and held meetings with both representatives of the warring factions and stakeholders while promising to find lasting peace to the problem. A highly commendable move which the boss did not deem fit to even talk about let alone embark upon despite the outcry by Nigerians. In fact, the Acting President mentioned and apologized on behalf of the government to affected communities where the herdsmen attacks had taken place nationwide; although I was personally a little disappointed because he never mentioned my home community of Koh in Girei Local Government Area of Adamawa state which was attacked by the herdsmen leading to the brutal murder of two uncles of mine on that same fateful day.

It would also be recalled that when the Nigeria Labour Congress-led protest was held nationwide over the untold hardship that Nigerians are being subjected to, the Vice President did not ignore, pretend or kept numb about it; he responded appropriately, “…We have heard you loud and clear…” he said.

That response was quite reassuring to most Nigerians.

The Acting President was also quick to do the needful by signing a number of bills into law, even as he engage with stakeholders across board on matters concerning security, the economy and of course the well being of Nigerians. He refused to isolate or insulate himself inside the cozy and heavily fortified fortress of the Aso Rock Villa which has been masterfully designed to shut out wailing Nigerians.

What’s more, the Acting President was also quick to avert what would have been an looming constitutional crises which possibly might have engulfed the nation by forwarding the name of the then Acting Chief Justice Walter Onnoghen to the Senate for confirmation as the substantive Chief Justice of Nigeria just before the expiration of the 90 days period as required by the constitution during which he was to stay in acting capacity.

Similarly, whether it was his boss’ own idea or just a mere coincidence as claimed in some quarters, the value of the Nigerian Naira did for the first time in the span of this administration showed some appreciable signs against the US dollar and other world currencies in the parallel market to the delight of even the average Nigerian. However, proponents of the Acting President have equally countered the claimed saying it was following the intervention of the acting president that the CBN was forced to adjust its policies and adopt a new and more transparent foreign exchange management procedure which is now yielding the desired results.

So much lessons to be learnt already I guess, but they are lessons worth taking to heart by the boss. For example, having returned to find a somewhat redefined and re-enlightened Nigerian populace who have tasted a bit of something they truly did enjoy and appreciated, it will be a great disservice to them if the boss would in any way be seen to even attempt to digress from this wave of goodwill his administration has been gifted under the leadership of his Vice President.

To this effect therefore, the President must endeavour to both learn and continue in the practice of direct engagement and communication with the citizens – that is a far better approach than resorting to the use of military might or outright shunning of Nigerians as it is seemingly typical of the boss. The boss must feel free and obligated to visit any part of the country to commiserate with the people and address issues affecting them at all times and not necessarily only when his immediate and ethnic constituency is affected such as was perceived to be the case when he personally visited Zamfara state and inaugurated a special task force to deal with the menace of cattle rustlers in that part of the country.

The boss must learn to speak out on issues affecting the lives of Nigerians whether he perceived of them as serious or not and desist from his taciturn attitude to such issues even if his fellow kinsmen were the suspected culprits. He must will willing and ready to reach out to Nigerians, embrace dialogue and operate an open-policy government that is all-accommodating.

All said and done, I will at this point tend to lend credence to the position of some loyalists of the boss who argued that the boss is obviously an old man and coupled with his poor health condition, he is certainly not fit enough for the kind of rigorous engagements some Nigerians expect of him. In response, I would agree but only to the extent that the boss is definitely not too old or sick to at least speak to Nigerians if and when the need arises. I’m pretty sure Nigerians would very much appreciate that gesture from their beloved president, these folks just need to know what is in the mind of their leader on any given issue and at any given time and I don’t think this is too much to ask for by any citizens.

The boss must also learn to be flexible without necessarily losing grip of his principle, integrity and of course rigid stance on issues including the war against corruption if he must succeed at that. He must also learn to make all Nigerians feel loved and appreciated by their President irrespective of what part of the country they come from and especially in their moments of greed or loss even if accusing fingers point back to his own kinsmen. The boss must always rise to the occasion whenever the need arises to condemn every act that is condemnable and repugnant to naturally justice by personally being on ground to commiserate with affected Nigerians at all times.

Frankly speaking, if only the rest of Nigerians who are victims of suspected Fulani herdsmen attacks, pipeline vandalism and oil spill pollutions, Boko Haram attacks and even natural disasters have gotten a similar treatment such as was meted to victims of cattle rustling in Zamfara sate by the boss for instance, perhaps there would be no room for the kind of acrimony in the country today.

“There is indeed the urgent need to open up the political space boss; it had almost reached choking point before you embarked on your medical vacation.”

Ultimately, the boss is back and is no more in charge than he was even while away on medical vacation as his lieutenant whom he put in charge in the person of Prof. Yemi Osibanjo has indeed been a dependable steward and has given a very good account of himself and even more importantly has not let his boss down. Obviously, even while the boss was away, the Acting President had not anything outside what the boss would have wanted him to which means they have all along been tagging along and now that the boss is back Nigerians would love for that synergy to continue and if it does (as I’m pretty sure it would); hopefully therefore, the boss’ medical vacation would have been worth the while both to himself and to the Nigerian people and nation as a whole.

God bless Nigeria.

Assaprogopwa is an Abuja-based public affairs analyst, journalist and writer, blogger and an Online Enthusiast.

contact: assaprogopwa@gmail.com