PMB As A Caring And Considerate Leader -By Louis Okoroma

Louis Okoroma

However, the view among Nigerians is that to complete the qualities that would truly make him that Leader in whom Nigerians would be justly proud, PMB needs to also adopt fairness and equity in all that he does. The 1999 Constitution of the Republic prescribes these for whoever is a Leader at any level. Moreover, at his eventful inauguration, The President raised hopes on these when he declared that he would be President of all Nigerians by belonging to all and no one in particular! Everything possible has to be done to ensure that the mention of the name Buhari, brings smiles in equal measure to the faces of all Nigerian citizens irrespective of ethnic, religious or political affiliation. That way the brand Buhari, and the Change that he represents would not only endure but be sought after when he must have left the stage.

A careful analysis of the actions and moves of President Muhammadu Buhari since he came to power on May 29, 2015, shows a political leader who has been transformed. Buhari’s reputation as a leader was hinged on the fact that he is a disciplinarian, Mr. Integrity and a no-nonsense personality who would not hesitate to send any corrupt or fraudulent person to jail. Much of this characterisation of the President was made by both the media and those who remember the action of the military government that he headed with the late Brigadier-General Tunde Idiagbon. Before Buhari took over then with late Idiagbon as deputy, Nigeria had come to a sorry pass and was sick. It did not take long when they took over for majority of Nigerians to heave a sigh of relief because the actions and moves of that government kept everyone on their toes.

Today’s Buhari, is no less a disciplinarian and a man of action. The point is that unlike in late 1983, he is now, a much older person, operates in a democratic set-up with checks and balances and where decisions and policies are made with consensus and the Constitution in mind.

While President Buhari remains a disciplinarian and no-nonsense person, qualities that have been impacting on the disposition of Nigerians in all walks of life since May 29, 2015, the Buhari of today is a more caring, considerate and empathic person. These qualities means that the President’s love for the nation and its people now finds expression in other ways than merely arresting people and clamping them into prison. In this second coming of this accomplished soldier and political leader, criminals and enemies of the country who participated in the present pauperisation of the Nigerian people may only go to jail if they fail to take the opportunities provided by the transformed Buhari for restitution. For example, President Buhari has set up an anti-corruption committee to deal with the deep-seated corruption that has brought our country to its knees by providing opportunity for people who have defrauded the country to come forward and explain themselves. The committee has already sent out invitations to those who know they have cases to answer to appear before it of their free-will and get fair hearing, failing which they would have themselves to blame if the government has to come after them!

President Buhari finds it hard to understand how any group of Nigerians given the opportunity to govern the country like those of the previous government could have abandoned their duties to commit the crimes they did against the people via corruption and looting of public funds. For this reason, at various times, PMB made it known that he will not only run a lean and transparent government but will do everything humanly possible to recover stolen public funds as well as maintain frugality in spending. Buhari’s belief in frugality and utility as against unnecessary extravagance, informed his refusal early in the life of his administration to allow the proposal by civil servants in the State House to replace his official cars. PMB told the bewildered officials that the vehicles he has at the moment, inherited from the previous administration were good enough. This is not the kind of response that civil servants in today’s Nigeria are used to getting from their political leaders.

President Buhari has also offered to reduce his salary by 50 percent and was prepared to get his aides to comply with the voluntary reduction in pay. However, he was told politely that he cannot do so because his salary and those of other workers or servants of the State were fixed by law. One would tell the President not to worry. The magnanimity and concern is noted. Moreover, what brought our economy to its present sorry state is not about salaries but the illegal looting of the treasury and diversion of government revenue by those trusted to protect it.

PMB’s concern for law and order, as well as safety of lives and property of the citizens, against the backdrop of inadequate personnel in the ranks of the police force, compelled him to order that 10,000 more policemen should be recruited to beef up the force with a warning that the recruiting authority should not extort the would-be recruits.

Another issue on which President Buhari’s attitude of care and consideration is positively affecting things, is on the Niger Delta amnesty. Though the amnesty programme would officially come to an end this December, 2015, the President in his wisdom has decided not to terminate it. Rather the programme is to be re-structured and more investment made in it so that the nation continues to benefit from many of its good aspects. By this, trouble makers would not have any excuse to create disorder on account that the programme has been suspended.

Yet, another action of a transformed Buhari which depicts his new caring and considerate nature is the vexed issue of cleaning up of the oil spill in Ogoni land. Recently, PMB ordered that the clean-up of the oil spill which polluted the environment and put the inhabitants of Ogoni land in economic despair should be carried out. The report prepared by the UN Environment Programme has been ready since 2006, and only needed a responsible government to say yes to the clean-up. No one did for whatever reason until now in 2015, when the apostle of Change, Muhammadu Buhari gave the order. All things being equal, the long-delayed environmental clean-up and rehabilitation will commence soon.

It should be noted that President Buhari’s action on the Niger Delta is not derived from the usual politics of the moment. Rather it is borne out of his fatherly care, consideration and commitment to the welfare of all Nigerians. In a booklet titled, My Covenant with Nigerians, in which he set out his ideas and agenda on how to govern the country, PMB declared instructively that “I believe that protecting the livelihood of our people in the Niger Delta should transcend our interest in its oil.” To this end, he pledged as follows: (a) To commit himself and his administration to the protection and regeneration of the environment in the Niger Delta, and to ensure that oil companies comply with global best practices on environmental protection. (b) To sustain and streamline the human capital development in the Niger Delta, especially focusing on youth and women. (c) To reform investment in infrastructural development of the Niger Delta and ensure that the NDDC is held accountable to its mandate. From the foregoing, it can easily be deduced that under PMB, the Niger Delta should get ready for interesting times and a good deal.

However, the view among Nigerians is that to complete the qualities that would truly make him that Leader in whom Nigerians would be justly proud, PMB needs to also adopt fairness and equity in all that he does. The 1999 Constitution of the Republic prescribes these for whoever is a Leader at any level. Moreover, at his eventful inauguration, The President raised hopes on these when he declared that he would be President of all Nigerians by belonging to all and no one in particular! Everything possible has to be done to ensure that the mention of the name Buhari, brings smiles in equal measure to the faces of all Nigerian citizens irrespective of ethnic, religious or political affiliation. That way the brand Buhari, and the Change that he represents would not only endure but be sought after when he must have left the stage.

Louis Okoroma, journalist and public affairs analyst writes from Abuja.