CLIMBING OUT OF THE VALLEY

The political atmosphere under the new administration is reassuring, contends Sheyi Money

After years of despondency, the newly-inaugurated President of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has renewed the hope of citizens. After the dark and dreary years in the valley of darkness, the people of Nigeria now have cause for hope. If the morning shows the day, then there appears to be a ray of hope at the end of the tunnel. A politically and religiously polarised and divided nation may have begun the process of healing. She may eventually recover the lost grounds as a result of the divisive policies of the previous administration(s).

Take for instance, the recent appointments of the service chiefs and heads of security institutions of the country.  The Chief of Defence Staff, Major General Christopher Musa, hails from Kaduna State, northwest Nigeria. Major General Taoreed Lagbaja, the Chief of Army Staff, is from Osun State in southwest of the country. The Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Ikechuckwu Ogalla, hails from Enugu State in the South East.  Air Vice Marshal Bala Abubakar, who is the Chief of Air Staff, is from Kano State in the North West. The Chief of Defence Intelligence, Major General Emmanuel Undiandeye, hails from Cross River State in the south-south Nigeria.

The new Acting Inspector-General of Police, Mr Kayode Egbetokun, is from Ogun State in the South West. The National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, who is a former chairman of EFCC, hails from Adamawa State in the North East. Mr Yusuf Magaji, from Kano State, remains the Director General of Department of State Services (DSS).

President Tinubu had earlier appointed Senator George Akume from Benue in the North Central as Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SSG). The appointments made so far, including Special Advisers and Special Assistants, reflect the diversity of Nigeria without sacrificing quality and competence.

Recognising the heterogeneous nature of the country, Section 14(3) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) provides as follows: “The composition of the Government of the Federation or any of its agencies and the conduct of its affairs shall be carried out in such a manner as to reflect the federal character of Nigeria and the need to promote national unity, and also to command national loyalty, thereby ensuring that there shall be no predominance of persons from a few States or from a few ethnic or other sectional groups in that Government or in any of its agencies.”

It is a matter of regret that the previous administration observed the federal character, enshrined in the constitution, only in breach. This created enormous distrust and avoidable tension in the country.

In the last dispensation, it was as if the country was on auto-pilot, a rudderless ship sailing in turbulent waters. Inter-agency rivalries, the magnitude never witnessed in the annals of Nigeria, became the norm. Insecurity spread like wire on a sunny day, leading to escalating food shortages and mass poverty. The quip that ‘business is a coward’ is always true. Hence the last dispensation witnessed a lot of divestments in the country; the unemployment situation became exacerbated.

The mismanagement of the monetary policy worsened the human development indices. For instance, the bungled currency redesign and naira swap led to mass misery and depression. The already challenged small businesses across the country collapsed in millions.

But within weeks of President Tinubu in power, the Student Loan Bill and Electricity Bill were signed into law. The latter is particularly most consequential, as it opens up new vistas for the beleaguered power sector.

A nation in a coma in the last 10 years seems to have been bludgeoned to life by the new administration. Things are moving so fast and in the right direction. The giant feet of a nation hitherto stuck in the mud for over a decade now appears to leapfrog. The political atmosphere is now assuring. I wish the federating states can take their cue from the central government and create reasons for their traumatized citizens to rise from the ashes of despondency and look to the future filled with hope.

Yes, I admit, things are still difficult. The standard of living is appallingly poor. Nigeria’s ranking in the United Nations Human Development Index leaves much to be desired, a cumulative effect of years of mismanagement of the economy. The cost of living is bound to rise, especially as a result of fuel subsidy removal.

The subsidy regime drained the economy. Some marketers would load PMS at the subsidized rates and then divert the fuel to the neighbouring countries where they would sell at a minimum of 400 per cent above the local price. Besides, when government was able to offset the cost of fuel subsidy, it depended largely on borrowing as it lacked adequate revenue to foot the bill, hence aggravating the financial situation of the country. The subsidy regime is like a cancerous cell in the body that has to be removed via surgery, with concomitant pain. With the positive signs shown so far, we can sacrifice our comfort today for a better tomorrow.

It must be mentioned that through deft political moves by the Tinubu administration in ensuring the emergence of a Christian as Senate President, the tension and fears generated by Muslim-Muslim ticket, which, ironically, enjoyed endorsement across the religious divides during the 1993 presidential poll, have now been doused and mollified.

The actions taken so far by the new Head of State, especially with regard to ethnic balancing in appointments and religious sensitivity, have calmed frayed nerves and by all accounts, sit well with majority of Nigerians. For the first time in a long time, the ship of the Nigerian state now appears to be cruising in largely calm waters.

Should we be surprised, given the antecedents of the President? Tinubu is not the typical Nigerian politician; he is a businessman, an accountant, economist and above all, a democracy activist. Not many may recall his struggles against military rule. Tinubu was a member of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), which fought for the restoration of democracy in the country. As governor of Lagos State, he changed the face of the megacity through innovative security architecture, transportation, judicial reforms and friendly business environment, which led to massive leap in the Internally Generated Revenue of the state and better life for its citizens. There is no doubt that he will replicate at the national level the Lagos success story. Tinubu may turn out as the ideal leader that this nation mostly desires and mostly deserves.

Money, a social enterprise development consultant, writes from Lagos