MERITROCRACY

YOMI EDU

Hope Restored

Many of us found it difficult to support or vote for a continuation of the APC government in the 2023 National Elections. We had witnessed the first four years of non -performance under the Ruling Party from 2015 to 2019 but took another leap of faith in 2019 and returned them to office in 2019. We did not adhere to the words of the world-famous acclaimed Genius Albert Einstein who was quoted as saying “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.”

Indeed, two out of three Nigerians that went to the polls, voted against the ruling party. It was an eight-year period in our political history that brought ethnic and religious division to a new level in our dear country.

The ruling APC government won in 12 states with about 37% of the total votes cast – not exactly a popular Mandate.

We had placed so much hope in President Buhari and the ruling APC administration but were let down woefully. Certainly, the Buhari administration can lay claim to having completed many projects left uncompleted by previous administrations but will find it hard to show anyone projects initiated and successfully completed in its eight-years tenure.

President Buhari will be remembered as a man of the people, a patriotic and honest leader who spoke to the experiences of ordinary citizens, but one who was loved and accepted by most.  Ultimately, he will not be remembered as one of Nigeria’s most effective leaders.

The inauguration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu brought renewed hopes for the country. The first salvo was the removal of the unsustainable fuel subsidy, which has for years drained the treasury of our most valuable natural resources and denied funds that could have been used to improve our health and educational sectors amongst others.

The next courageous action was the removal of the multiple foreign-exchange rates and the immediate re-unification of the rates. The multiple exchange rates deterred the much-needed foreign direct investment and boosted the black market.

The new appointments on the security side will hopefully, step up efforts and take a more aggressive, multidimensional approach to eliminating terrorism, kidnapping and other violence activities in many parts of the country.

However, the biggest elephant is still in the room. It is a complex, but necessary one – the RESTRUCTIORING of our Federation.

Meritocracy was promised by our new President, but with the exception of a few names, the recently announced nominees for ministerial positions clearly shows that politics continues to play a significant role in the decision making process and clearly shows that political debts are being repaid. While this is by no means peculiar to this administration, the current situation in our country requires a different approach. Our newly installed President, instituted as then Governor of Lagos State, a model of meritocracy which laid the foundation for the progress Lagos has achieved to date. Meritocracy is a political, social or economic system in which individuals are assigned to positions of power, influence, or rewarded based solely on their abilities and achievements. At no other time in our history has this been more imperative to the future growth and recovery of our great nation, Nigeria.

Elections have come and gone, and it is time to put National interest above all personal interest. Politicians should sheathe their swords and as a nation, we should be patient with the new administration.

In a democratic setting, opposition parties have a vital role to play. They are our watchdog. They must offer constructive and not destructive criticism of any perceived detrimental actions of the government.

Four years will soon be upon us, and another election will stare us in the face, God Willing.

We must hold our elected official accountable and seize the moment when it arrives and go out en masse to either reward an effective and successful government or throw out one that has failed its people once again.

In the meantime, our hopes are slowly being restored by President Tinubu’s administration, but these are early days, and the jury is still out.

We should all put our differences aside, refocus our energies and pray for the success of the new administration.

It is in our collective interest.

May the Almighty bless our Motherland.