Congratulations on your victory on the just concluded presidential election in Nigeria. Your victory is a lesson to every Nigerian, that no matter how many times one has tried hard and yet failed to actualize his or her dreams, that if the person does not quit, does not give up, does not conclude that he or she can never be successful, that if the person remains resolute and committed, success will come. You are a historic and monumental lesson of “Never give up.”
Before I continue with this letter, let me introduce myself to you. I am a citizen of Nigeria. I am from Imo State. I am an Igbo man. I am a Catholic priest. I am one of those who believe you and in you. I am one of those who believe that you have the mettle, the steel, the temerity, the political courage and will to transform the country that we all love. I am not one of those who are keenly interested in the religion or the ethnicity of a politician before they can support him or her. All I have always wanted for Nigeria is a good, focused, committed, visionary and incorruptible leader. My support or otherwise for a presidential candidate is never based on tribe or religious affiliation. I have desired and yearned for a president who can right the wrong in the country and help our people realize their dreams. You are a Muslim and I am a Christian, but you have always been my preferred candidate since you have been running to govern Nigeria.
In 2011 for instance, when you contested with the incumbent President, Jonathan Ebele Goodluck, you were my preferred candidate because I have taken my time to research and read about you. Your religion and ethnicity have never wavered or hampered my support for you. After all, we all belong to the same community, Nigerian community. We all belong to the same family, human family. We all belong to the same race, human race. In America, where I minister, I often preach that “One’s skin should not be one’s sin.” In Nigeria as well, no citizen’s sin should be his religion or tribe. No matter where we come from, and what religion under which we worship God, we are all God’s children. An injury to a Christian or a Muslim is an injury to all. The starvation of a Muslim or Christian, is the starvation of all. Injustice to one tribe, is an injustice to all. If there is one thing that life has taught us, it is that we are all in this together. People can discriminate others based on tribe or ethnicity, but human suffering does not discriminate. It affects a Christian as much as it affects a Muslim. It affects an Igbo as much as it affects a Yoruba and a Hausa.
Beloved General, as you get ready to assume the leadership of Nigeria, I believe you already have enough advisors and aides who are talking to you on the best way to tackle the problems of the country. But I still want to join in this conversation about what and what should be done to reposition Nigeria on the path of growth and prosperity. During the presidential campaign, your predecessor, President Jonathan Goodluck was the candidate of continuity, and you were the candidate of change. Nigerians were therefore presented with two choices: Continuity and Change. In the end, Nigerians across the nation chose you, the candidate of change. Please, sir, let this change be a change in the right direction. Do not make Nigerians regret voting you into office. Our people want big, bold, focused and visionary change. They want a consistent and constant change of direction. Nigeria, for too long, has been heading in the wrong direction. Use your executive power to stir the ship in the right direction. You asked our people to give you the opportunity to make them proud, now you got it. The ball is now on your court. We will be patient. We don’t expect a miracle. But we want to see smart, well coordinated and profound thought-out plans on how to rescue the nation.
From day one, you should set a good and intimidating example for your cabinet members and aides. You promised that if elected, you will declare your assets and will ask everyone in your administration to do so. Remember to follow through on that promise. Make sure that those who serve in your administration are women and men of integrity with no questionable character. They should be women and men who are willing to serve the country selflessly… Go to every part of Nigeria and find the likes of the Late Dora Akunyili. I read somewhere that you were the one that recommended her to the former president, Olusegun Obasanjo. There are still several of them in and outside Nigeria. Be careful of appointing people who may have nothing to say to you. Learn from your predecessor who confessed during the campaign that “80% of those advising him have nothing to say.” Don’t shy away from those who will disagree with you. You need a good, solid, committed, selfless and honest team of rivals. You run the risk of being in a difficult bubble if you appoint only women and men who would say “Yes sir” to everything you say to them. A good team of healthy rivals can only make you a better president with a better and holistic appreciation of the Nigerian problem.
When you take over the mantle of leadership, avoid any form of witch-hunting. Forgive all those who insulted you with your age. Forgive those who insulted you with your religion. Forgive those who accused you of being one of the sponsors of Boko Haram. Forgive the rabble-rouser in Ekiti State, Governor Ayodele Fayose who threw everything in the kitchen sink at you. Forgive the dramatic out-going First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan who called you “brain dead.” Don’t pay attention to campaign comments. That’s over now. It’s a new dawn!
While on the campaign trail, you variously promised to tackle and eradicate corruption. There’s no Nigerian who does not know that the big, huge, giant and humongous elephant in the Nigerian room is CORRUPTION. If there is one area that the outgoing president colossally failed, it is in this area. While millions of Nigerians suffer untold hardship, those who work and walk in the corridors of power feed fat. For you to be able to fight corruption to a stand-still, EFCC must be made independent in every sense of the word. I don’t think there is any cogent need for multiple agencies to fight corruption. You may eliminate ICPC (Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Commission) and use all the human and financial resources to equip EFCC. The anti-corruption agencies have been in a coma for too long. They need to be awakened and revived. You need an incorruptible and uncompromising individual to run it. EFCC must be alive, busy and active again. The Commission must wrestle with the demon of corruption in every path of the country. It must extend its reach even to the local governments. The so called local governments are just places for local corruption. The idea of a local government was to bring the government closer to the people, to impact their lives and solve local problems that communities cannot solve by themselves. But they have become a locus of embezzling huge sums of money meant for local developments. EFCC or whatever agency you want must be ready and courageous to take the fight even to the pit of hell against this cancer called corruption. It’s eating deep into our system. Corruption should not be allowed to become a norm in our society. It must be fought in every step of the way. Like I said before, EFCC must be truly independent and the chairman or chairperson cannot be arbitrarily removed by the president. A bill can be sent to the National Legislature to make this happen.
If your administration is able to conquer or reduce corruption in government, several billions of dollars will be saved, and that money can be used to rebuild the country. Nigeria is the largest market in Africa. If constant and uninterrupted power supply is achieved, the economy will grow faster than anyone can imagine. Foreign investors, will, without doubt, come to Nigeria to invest; this will in turn create jobs for our people. When that happens, unemployment will go down. Crime rate will reduce. Nigerians will be happy and proud of their country. It will be good morning in Nigeria.
Like the former President, Olusegun Obasanjo pointed out in his congratulatory message to you, a lot of harm has already been done to several many national institutions like the military, education, healthcare etc. If corruption continues unabated, you may not have the needed funds to repair, fix and reform the overall economy. If the looting of the nation is not stopped, there will be no fund to constantly equip the military to fight Boko Haram and other manners of terrorism. If the financial and economic plundering of the nation does not stop, there will be no enough money to fix our roads, build and rebuild the infrastructures and to invest in agriculture. The outgoing administration claims that under its watch, Nigeria has become the largest economy in Africa. But what manner of economy is that that the citizens do not feel? If indeed Nigeria is the largest economy in Africa, then it is a jobless economy. It is the largest economy of hardship, abject and unspeakable suffering, and hopelessness for many. The so called largest economy is the same economy where 70% of the citizens live on less than $2 a day. The largest economy in Africa that Nigeria claims to be exists only on papers. Millions of Nigerians have not felt or experienced it yet.
President-elect, you have your work cut out for you. It’s not going to be easy to turn the page. It’s going to be difficult. But if you and your administration remain steady and committed, four years from now, Nigerians will want the change to continue. But if you disappoint them, four years from now, there will be a new clamor for another kind of change. I believe you can do the job. I believe you will not tolerate corruption. I believe you can fix Nigeria. While growing up, I experienced you as a military head of state. When you came into power, the system was so bad. You declared War Against Indiscipline and Corruption. You brought some order in the society before your government was overthrown by General Ibrahim Babangida. You have done it before, you can do it again. But this time, as a legitimate and dully elected president. So many Nigerians including me will be praying for you to succeed. If you succeed, Nigeria succeeds. If Nigeria succeeds, Nigerians succeed!
May God grant you good health, wisdom and courage to heal and rebuild our dear nation!
God bless you!
Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR, a Catholic priest, writes from Baton Rouge, LA, USA).
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