Your Excellency, please give me your ear!

By OMINABO WEALTH DICKSON

As I speak to you on issues relating to democracy and political stability in our country, I give praise to the Almighty God who has kept you alive and has always been your health in times of illness and your strength during weakness. I commend you for being a faithful apostle of anti-corruption crusade; the crusade is timely in this nation which is adjudged to be “fantastically corrupt.” Crusades are not jamboree; all crusades are organized to meet certain needs of people – this could be salvation, miracle, deliverance or revival. 

Your crusade to me captures all these purposes; a strong anti-corruption crusade would definitely bring about the economic deliverance, salvation and revival of the nation’s economy. Anti-corruption crusade would also bring about political and social miracles in the land; because when political and bureaucratic thieves are delivered from the evil of sin, the ordinary man in the street will smile; as there would be money for road construction, and the provision of other social amenities. I strongly believe also that when the economy is of sound health, unemployment and other issues concerning to poverty would be greatly minimized.

Take no thought of what people say, this crusade is necessary. Its necessity is to the extent of the necessity of Nigeria’s corporate existence. The soul of Nigeria has been threatened by greed and other social misfeasance, to this end your crusade should be focused on healing the land from every sin that besets Nigeria.

During the electioneering you anchored your campaign on three basic issues in Nigeria: war against corruption, war against insurgency (provision of security) and revamping the economy. This you have been doing over the one year of your administration and I must submit that there are some successes in these wars, although victory is yet to be completely achieved but victory is at sight with the vigor you have displayed so far. As good as these wars are to our nation’s development, I would want you to acknowledge the fact that Nigeria would not survive on wars alone; Nigerians need food, shelter and other basic amenities. You must work hard to ensure that the fight against corruption translates to the greater joy and happiness of the common man. Nigerians are still waiting for change beyond the rhetoric of everyday that PDP was corrupt and you are cleaning the system.

Concerning corruption and the change government, I wish to inform you that a lot of corruption is ongoing in your government; if it were not so I would have told you. This year’s budget is reported to be the most controversial and corruption-laden in the political history of Nigeria. Job racketeering in government is being institutionalized under your government of change. Recently, the Federal Inland Revenue (FIRS) under the leadership of Babatunde Fowler – your appointee – allegedly secretly recruited 394 staff without prior public advertisement and in violation of federal character principles. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), some months ago, was also allegedly enmeshed in secrete recruitment exercise. Reports in Nigeria show that most of these secret recruitment are done with a view to favoring your party men. This constitutes favoritism and favoritism is also corruption.

Favoritism seems to be a major problem of your government. Shortly, after you came into power, you announced a divisive political theory of 97/5 theory; the former being the northerners who overwhelmingly voted for you in the last election and the later comprising those who voted more for the former President, Goodluck Jonathan. Since you announced this theory, there has been uneasy peace in the nation; especially from the south-south and south-east. This is evident in the many agitations coming from the regions on daily basis.

Under your reign, sacred government agencies such as Department of State Service (DSS) and the military are being desecrated. Your townsman, Lawal  Daura, the head of DSS is reported to be victimizing assumed loyalists of the former president. It could recalled that shortly after he took over as the Director General of the agency he quickly sacked top officers of the agency, also the same organization also sent some cadets packing a month to being confirmed as bonafide  officers of the force. An action many viewed to be persecution. The Nigerian Military also recently compulsorily retired over 150 officers, an action many Nigeria refer to as ethnic cleansing in the Nigerian Army. The Nigerian Army said the retirement was due to “exigencies” owing to cases of corruption and political involvement by some officers of the force but some of the affected officers have maintained that they are innocent; stating that they were never under any form of investigation; sacking them in the guise of exigencies is uncalled for. This action of the Nigerian security agencies portends a great danger in the operation of Nigeria’s internal security; as even the security officers would be polarize.

Your Excellency, the weather of anxiety, mutual suspicion, ethnic distrusts and tribal agitations are looming over the Nigerian social climate. You must act now; by living to the fullest of a civilian president. Please prosecute all suspected criminals; don’t persecute political enemies. Engage all political stakeholders in the Nigerian project irrespective of their ethnic group and political affiliations. Listen to the cries of all disenchanted Nigerians and look for ways to dry their tears It is time you  reassured  the Nigerian people that you are not a northern president but a Nigerian President; now is the time to commence the project of national reconciliation.

My dear President, it is true that Nigeria witnessed changed when you were sworn in as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria last year; a political change, a realignment of interests and loyalty but today Nigerians need more change. Nigerians want physical change, economic change and even economic change in all facets of this nation.