We commend Nigerians for maintaining peace despite the inadequacies of the 2023 general election. The outcome of that election has deepened our leadership deficit. It has deepened pessimism and divisions in the land. Hope is at its lowest ebb. The outgoing President, Muhammadu Buhari, had deepened this pessimism and divisions with his nepotistic style of leadership. The new administration should not widen this gap. The incoming President, Bola Tinubu, has a huge task of reconciling Nigerians. He should not be parochial. Elections are over. He has to be truthful to himself first. Then, he has to be fair and ensure that justice underlines whatever action he takes.
It will not be unkind to say that Tinubu will face the toughest job in the world. Though the problems are many, they are not insurmountable. He just needs to hit the ground running. Some of the problems we still face as a country include insecurity, epileptic power supply, poor economy, poverty, hunger, ethnic and religious divisions, and comatose health and education sectors.
In the area of the economy, the rate of inflation, for instance, is currently 22.2 per cent from about nine per cent it was in 2015. Unemployment is 37.7 per cent. Youth unemployment is worse. It is about 53 per cent and is projected to rise further. The naira is so weak now that it exchanges for about N750 to a dollar in the black market as against N197 it exchanged for in November 2015. Many companies have either closed down or relocated as a result of harsh business climate in the country. The debt profile rose from about N12.2 trillion in 2015 to about N46.25 trillion today. Over 133 million Nigerians are multi-dimensionally poor.
The new government should avoid these economic pitfalls. It should avoid profligacy, diversify the economy and provide the enabling environment for businesses to thrive. In the area of security, it has an uphill task. Almost every part of Nigeria is bleeding from insecurity. Terrorists and bandits have killed thousands of innocent citizens. Not even innocent children are spared the ordeals of kidnapping which has become rampant in recent times.
Good enough, Tinubu promised to tackle these major problems in his manifesto. Top among his eight-point agenda include national security, economy, agriculture, education, power, oil and gas, and transportation. He promised that Nigeria under him would export more and import less; that he would strengthen our naira and our way of life. We urge him to fulfill his promises. He should start by tackling corruption through putting round pegs in round holes. He should recruit competent people with experience to drive his programmes.
Our new governors have their jobs cut out for them as well. Each of the states, for instance, has its peculiar problems. For some, it is insecurity. For others, it is huge debt profile or inability to meet financial obligations. The governors have their manifestos. They should follow them strictly. They should remain focused on finding solutions to the problems of their people and ultimately delivering dividends of democracy to them.
Our democracy, which comes with a lot of hope, has come to stay. Nigerians have had enough of hardships and deprivations. They don’t want to hear any blame game this time. Leaders should roll up their sleeves and deliver democracy dividends to the people.
Restructuring is one area this new government should not gloss over. The political system needs to be restructured so that no group feels alienated in the scheme of things. Even the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) needs to be restructured to make it truly independent. The security architecture of the country deserves restructuring to make it more inclusive and efficient. The electoral system should be reformed to curtail the influence of moneybags in grabbing political positions. Education and health sectors should be reformed such that the perennial doctors and lecturers strikes should be a thing of the past.
There must be a programme of action and it must have timelines. One major way a leader can succeed is to recognise that he is accountable to the people. This is the time Nigeria needs the best talents it has. The sovereignty of the people must be restored. We have capable men and women who can change the situation. While wishing the incoming administration the very best, we advise it to learn from the mistakes of the previous administrations.