For months, the attention on this page has been on seemingly intractable challenges of Nigerian society. Instructive is the word ‘society’ instead of country. I have said and reiterated the point that nearly 64 years after independence, we have not proved we are truly independent in all three areas of politics and governance, economic self-sufficiency, and social/cultural establishment.
Worse, either by omission or commission, we have made challenges that also confronted other developed nations in their nascent years look unsolvable. The question is: are they really difficult problems to solve? I state with emphasis that our troubles are not insurmountable. They are all solvable challenges if truly we want.
Today, it was my initial resolve to leave out political activities at the federal level and begin to look at states and local governments. It was my intention to take a critical look at the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Nyesom Wike’s latest dance and the message embedded in the rhythm of the song by musical artiste, Flavour, and try to see if it has any correlation with the war in Rivers State between Wike and his protege, Governor Siminalayi Fubara on the one hand and the fight between Wike and the Senator representing the Federal Capital Territory, Madam Ireti Kingibe, to see to what end.
But the spirit in me told me President Tinubu at this time would need all the good advice he could get from those who want Nigeria to run well. It is difficult to say if the President reads newspapers. I have been in the room of power to know that the rule of men of power is to run their shows, not minding what anyone out there cares to suggest. They live on retold stories, second hand news and would be provoked to react when the retold stories look very harsh on their person. Spokespersons do get sacked or redeployed just for this reason. Say I said so.
Those in power and authority who create time to listen to news and read the papers including the social media and take it seriously are bound to turn out far better leaders. Sychophants, court jesters and aides who advice to gain further distort realities on leaders who already live in an utopian world by reason of the high security cordon placed around them in the guise of providing security. We leave it there since advice for leaders isn’t the kernel of our outing today. Rather, the focus is on what President Tinubu isn’t getting right, which is hurting the country and may eventually hurt his rating.
The first would be that the President is missing his first eleven team. The plain truth is that just like Muhammadu Buhari did before him, Tinubu has flooded his inner cabinet and most strategic national offices with individuals “he knows very closely” as a lot of people would say. This is typical of our politics where leaders fear persons outside their inner circle. This trend is symptomatic of cult culture. It is anti-growth. Any very competent citizen from wherever can be recruited to serve any leader and where things are properly ordered, including sound political culture, loyalty of appointees should be to the country and not to your boss.
Now anybody can be an aide to a leader even if we can adjust to suit the level of prevailing consciousness so we can achieve a buy-in of all sections. Nevertheless, competence and capacity are vital ingredients. The President took in his people leaving out the first eleven who are not only very brilliant but who by experience have come to know the country very well enough. Only the plain truth would be enough as we move to give details.
Professor Yemi Osibajo is a political creation of Tinubu, who made him rise to enviable position of Vice President, remove political maneuvering he is far of his mentor in public management and governance. His deft touches while he acted on behalf of President Buhari showed he was well aware where to touch on critical matters and if given power he knew clearly what to do. On security, he gave one touch to the Department of State Security and great sanity returned. He didn’t play around waiting on time which doesn’t solve problems but rather worsens it.
Yemi was open and fearless in visiting trouble spots to ascertain matters first hand. This is the approach Tinubu is missing. Inexperience has made Tinubu join the North in the gambit of seeing “secession” in the activities of Nnamdi Kanu without seeing the main fueling factor, which is frustration arising from criminal neglect of a major segment of the country. I know somebody of Osinbajo’s pedigree around Tinubu would have made a great difference in terms of clear identification of terms and solution applications. The Nigerian space needs consensus building. Unfortunately, Tinubu hasn’t given a thought in this direction, rather he, like most Northern leaders, believes force can knock the country together.
I have had people say Osinbajo rebelled. My answer is in politics there is no permanent enemy but permanent interest. There will always be quarrels and reconciliations. Interest would also clash. As it is said, “after the storm comes the calm.” Tinubu needs Osinbajo. Bisi Akande appears left out. What about Babatunde Fashola? Ayo Adebanjo may not have supported Tinubu, but he isn’t an enemy either. Tinubu needs him. Tinubu needs Akinwumi Adesina and Akinwumi Ambode, just mention a few from his zone.
From the old East he needs Pius Ayim, Senator Adolphus Wabara, Orji Uzor Kalu, Okwesili Eze and Nnia both from the Nwodo dynasty, Ukiwe and the young House of Representatives member from Ideato, Ugo Chinyere. Then Peter Odili, Udom Emmanuel. The North has so many stars known to the President.
The President’s gamble far away from the ideological leaning of his area, especially with the subsidy policy has become too costly. A friend reminded me of his many pieces of advice to President Jonathan, which I have read and think he needs to pick them up and read himself. He said fuel subsidies should go in phases or conditions precedent met, one of which would have included repair of the refineries. This advice was not followed.
This was what the person wrote in the advisory piece: “Economic policies that tend to balance the books at the detriment of the people’s welfare are bad. As there is progressive politics, there is progressive economics, elitist politics and elitist economics, Jonathan tax represents new standards in elitism. Being captive to economic orthodoxy and its local purveyors who look at the Nigerian economy until when it is tied to the apron strings of the conservative orthodoxy, because Jonathan is slave to orthodoxy the people have become enslaved to greater misery.”
What are the new methods? What kind of economic reform is President Tinubu’s administration pursuing? Is it bringing comfort or greater pain? Can subsidy removal without working and productive refineries take us to comfort or greater enslavement.
Can higher taxes in the midst of a closed economy bring new life? This is the big question. To answer these questions I will advise our President to go pick his many pieces of advice to President Jonathan and read them to himself.