You won May 2011 presidential election fair and square, even though some people and organizations are accusing you of rigging the election. Any impartial observer who watched election returns around the country knows that the result reflected the wishes of Nigerians. President Goodluck Jonathan won in the southern and parts of the northern states as expected, while presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari won in parts of the northern states as expected. He did not actively campaign in the south. The rest of the presidential candidates did not make any appreciable impact on the electorate as election return showed. Thanks to the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Mr. Jega who achieved what most Nigerians thought impossible due to years of disappointments by past electoral umpires.
The president needs to focus on the following priorities in the years ahead
- Power (electric) supply is the most important issue facing Nigeria today. Nigeria cannot develop without steady power supply. Economic activity requires adequate power supply. It is the engine that drives the economy. Factories cannot operate without it. Living standards and condition of the inhabitants will improve with adequate power supply. People need power at their homes or offices for comfort. Foreign investors will have difficulty investing in a country with such epileptic power supply.
Nigeria, a country of about 150 million people produces about 3,700 megawatts of electricity while Iraq, a country of 25 million people produces about 7000 megawatts. Federal, state governments and private companies need to build thousands of power plants across the country for a start. Rehabilitation of inoperative dams and hydro- electric power across the country will help Nigeria in becoming energy sufficient. Forget about nuclear power generation, Nigeria is not ready for that right now. Nuclear plant can become a serious health hazard considering what happened in Japan recently.
- Corruption: Total war on corruption by the federal government is required to bring Nigeria back to life. Corruption is the cankerworm that has torn down the economic, social and moral fabric of the nation. No country can advance with the current level of corruption present in Nigeria today. The era of Nigerian “Big man” or godfather who is above the law and needs to be treated with kids grove should be brought to an end. Nobody should be above the law. Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) should be allocated enough money in current or upcoming budget to establish regional offices in all state capitals with smaller offices in all local government area headquarters throughout the nation. Presence of EFCC officials in all corners of the country with capable staffs will go a long way in rooting out corruption in the country. Current situation where EFCC offices and personnels are located in few states is just not enough. They need to have presence everywhere and operate like the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Corruption needs to be reduced to the barest minimum. Failure to do so will leave Nigeria spinning around in circle.
- Economy: Nigeria economy needs total restructuring. Petroleum discovery in the 1960’s have turned into a curse. Nigerian fortune or misfortune each year is tied to the price of petroleum. Federal budget each year is set at whatever the government thinks will be the world price of a barrel of oil and OPEC quota for the year. So if a barrel price is underestimated, the country runs deficit and vice versa. Petroleum proceeds have created systemic culture of dependency in Nigeria at all levels. It is sometimes called black gold. Federal and state governments sit around and wait for yearly allocation from oil sales. Diversification of our mono-economy is not a serious priority at various levels of government. Substantial part of these allocations are stolen outright and stashed way by various personnels in high offices. Federal government needs to redouble their effort in agricultural production and manufacturing. They need to give incentives and loans to private and foreign companies. Nigeria economic revival is partly dependent on adequate power supply and reduction of corruption. Agitation for more state creation is based mainly on ethnicity and receipt of federal allocations. Some of these states are not economically viable. What will happen to some of these states when oil reserves runs out.
Fourth tier of government in the form of Township governments with councils as legislatures should be created so government will be brought closer to the people instead of creation of non-viable states or local governments. Each town should be allowed to incorporate and become a self-governing entity. People are less likely to steal in their communities because they will have personal attachment to any project executed in their town, and are more likely to vote in honest people. People know each other in most of these towns so they will vote accordingly for the right Township president and council. Local government administration set up as cities and counties are largely responsible for high level of development here in United States.
- Security: Security situation in Nigeria keeps deteriorating everyday. Crime and political violence is rampant across Nigeria. Kidnapping and bombing spreads fear, shock and apprehension across Nigerian population. It portrays Nigeria as an unsafe nation. Nobody will want to do business in an unsafe country. Forget about foreign investors coming to Nigeria in large number if their safety cannot be reasonable assured. No country can guarantee full security for their citizens but must provide a reasonable level of security if they chose to. Recent suicide bomb of police headquarter in Abuja is a testaments that this issue have gotten out of hand. It has been building over the years. Federal, state and local governments have not done much when it comes to security. Each successive riots, kidnappings and bombings ends with little or no arrest. Some citizens even justify violence as legitimate pursuit of economic grievance for their tribe or kinsmen. These criminals have grown bolder and bolder and now kill and maims with impunity. Nigerian police force needs to be restructured from head to bottom. EFCC equivalent for law enforcement officials such as police, customs, highways safety officials and other civilian law enforcement agencies need to be established. Corruption in our law enforcement organizations is rampant and that is probably why a lot of Nigerians do not have much confidence in them.
- Infrastructure: Nigeria roads and bridges are in shambles. These infrastructures have been deteriorating since the 1970’s. It gets worse each year except in few states where some governors are doing something about it. Former governor of Anambra state, Chris Ngige built more roads in three years than his predecessors combined which goes to show that fixing out infrastructure is possible if any administration makes it a priority. Again, corruption hinders infrastructure development in Nigeria to the extent that a lot of road contracts never get completed. Some contract cost are inflated, the difference between the actual cost and profit the contractor gets goes to the government official who awarded the contract. Some officials are so bold and blatant that they award contracts to fictitious companies and embezzle the entire amount allocated to the project.
- Water: Government needs to provide clean and disease free water to its citizens. Provision of water supply needs to be tackled at the regional, state and local government level. Federal government should give subsidies to local governments and monitor water projects being executed by the state and local governments to make sure the money is not wasted.
Nobody expects any president, governor or local government officials to complete all projects and programs during their tenure, but they need to pick two to three things and complete substantial parts of it. Former governor of Anambra state, Dr. Chris Ngige became a political icon in Anambra state because he made road construction a priority during his three years tenure and did a fantastic job at it. Anambra citizens remains grateful to him today and have rewarded him with a senate seat. Nigerians will remember you Mr. President and appreciate your effort if you can make remarkable and lasting impact in their life before the end of your tenure.