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Thursday, 2 July 2015

"Dear Mr. President, 30 days is no Joke" - MUST READ ARTICLE

As usual, I am addicted to reading articles. And once I get that good one, I don't hesitate in bringing it to you. Here is another wonderful piece written by Nira Adekokun and published in Punch Niran Adekokun
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Enjoy
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Your Excellency, Permit me the indulgence of this public communication. As you may know, it is the only mode available to a common citizen who desires audience with his leader. This letter is premised on the fact that today is the 32nd day after you were sworn in as President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
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And although a lot of your supporters opine it is too early to assess your government, I hold the view that every single day in the life of an administration should count for something. After all, don’t they say that you see the signs for a good day from the break of dawn? Whether we talk about it or not, time is moving on your administration and none of the 30 days that have passed will ever come back for your pleasure. You met Nigeria in a really bad state and the people had high expectations. Your first 30 days in office should have given Nigerians some things to laugh about; I have not seen you offer anything of sort. Another reason why the first 30 days of your administration should be important is that it formed part of the short honeymoon that your government would have with Nigerians.
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Of course, a lot of our compatriots, whose loyalty to you is without recompense, shut down attempts to appraise your performance, in spite of your promises of accomplishments within the period. I plan to highlight some of the things that worry Nigerians about the seeming lacklustre nature of your administration so far. For starters, the Nigerian economy has continued to take life-threatening blows from about the beginning of the year until we speak when business people, including banks adopted precautionary measures to safeguard their investments they have in the country in anticipation of the elections.
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There were expectations that with the swearing in of your government on May 29, you were going to shortly unfold a policy direction which would energise the economy and encourage productivity. But 30 days on, investors are still faint about the direction of your government, a result of which no one is putting money into the economy. Nigerian banks, known for their penchant for short-term lending, have retreated into a no-lending mode with the effect that those who want to do business are unable to venture.
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As we speak, we have no idea what plans you have for the downstream sector of the oil and gas industry of which reports claim that your administration has incurred an arrears of N56.784bn in subsidy costs. With the goodwill your administration had at swearing in, snuffing life out of this subsidy drainpipe was something you could have got away with without much of a whimper but then, you have other ideas. Although you inaugurated the National Economic Council on the eve of your government’s first month in office, it is clear to keen observers that this statutory body, headed by the Vice-President has nothing to do with your direction as a President.
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A corollary to the above is the pandemic effect of unemployment on Nigeria. You will remember that dealing with this is one of your campaign points. While we do not expect your government to solve this problem overnight, clarity on your government’s economic direction could promote investments which would invariably provide employment opportunities for Nigerians. In the area of the fight against corruption, your government must not delude itself into thinking it has all the time in the world. Those who perpetrate corruption have huge resources and unless they are caught unawares and summarily tackled, they will soon reposition themselves and be able to circumvent your efforts. This is in addition to the fact that you will have to lead by example on this front.
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Another area in which I have not seen much effectiveness is security. Although trips to neighbouring Cameroon, Chad and Niger were the first that you undertook when you were sworn in, (not minding that these were actions for which your predecessor was roundly condemned) we have not seen any reasonable impact of these trips and tons of promissory notes that you brought with you on return from your trip to the G7 summit in Germany. As a man who was part of the security architecture of this country, someone who was said to have put an end to the menace known as the Maitatsine in the 1980s, it is shocking that you have not shown any different way in which you plan to win the Boko Haram challenge yet.
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I understand that you need much longer than 30 days to take control of the situation but you have had more than that. Having suffered an attack in the hands of Boko Haram, I expect that you would before winning the elections, have concrete ideas about immediate steps to take in addition to moving the command centre as you directed at your inauguration.
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Within the last 30 days, records indicate that over 200 people have died in the hands of these insurgents, with hundreds more wounded or rendered homeless. Neighbouring countries that you have approached for collaboration have also been attacked by the insurgents. Worse still, your responses to these attacks have been largely belated and uninspiring.
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And then you seem to have so much confidence in the international community as your trips indicate. You will soon embark on another one to the United States of America on the invitation of President Barack Obama. While it is a good thing that leaders of western countries find an ally in you much unlike your predecessor, I will like to offer that you do not get carried away with the camaraderie that they display. Apart from the fact that the Boko Haram insurgency and other security challenges that Nigeria faces demand some homemade strategies which entail that the President and his security apparatus think out of the box, the US and its allies have failed to tackle terrorist organisations like the Al-Shabaab and ISIS. And so as important as global collaboration is, Nigeria’s destiny rests solely in its leadership which should be under no illusion that any super power would fight its war.
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And then your politics has not been encouraging. While it is good that you have chosen to respect the independence of other arms of government, your aloof disposition to the crisis troubling the party on which platform you were elected is a malignant tumour from which your administration is not insulated. As a matter of fact, it is a problem that will affect your effectiveness. There are even speculations that your inability to appoint people into key offices in your government is due to the level of schism in your party. Something needs to be done fast about this.
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And then sir, I think we have heard enough of the harm that the previous administration did to Nigeria. Now, we get it, in fact Nigerians knew before you told them. I am persuaded that was why they bought into your change mantra and voted for you. Hearing of those things again and again from yourself, your party and aides is beginning to sound like excuses to Nigerians especially as you have prepared for this office for about 12 years. So, kindly roll up your sleeves and get to work, bring those who you should bring to book and move this country forward and let those songs that condemn people without substance stop. Motivate us for progressive action, Mr. President.

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