HOME / COLUMNS / SATURDAY COLUMN / GEN. BUHARI TO THE RESCUE? Gen. Buhari To The Rescue? Capt. Daniel Omale — Dec 20, 2014 | 10 Comments If Tompolo, a militant/ terrorist, is now in charge of the security of our Maritime, then it’s time for real change in our political direction. It’s rather unfortunate that Nigeria, a country of over 170m would relegate its military force to second fiddle and allow a known terrorist to handle the security of the nation’s maritime. Tompolo’s company, Global West Vessel Services, has just bought its seventh warship for the security of our maritime at the expense of the Nigerian Navy and other security agents in the nation. I have not read former President Obasanjo’s newly released memoirs, “My Watch”, but it’s obvious that he has every reason to regret his actions while in government. Every rational thinking Nigerian is aware that President Jonathan is doing the best of his ability and, pushing him to exceed his ability may not be that easy. Unfortunately, the best of his ability might not be what is necessarily good for Nigeria. I am equally of the opinion that if Jonathan Goodluck has rational people around him, with good intention toward a united future for Nigerians, he would have reconsidered some of his unrealistic policies. Nigeria is at war with Boko Haram; an insurgent group, which Mr President, himself, has acknowledged the presence of saboteurs, as his core reason for the persistent insecurity in the country. If these saboteurs are greater than our military intelligence, then we surely need a new commander-in-chief. In his acceptance speech two weeks ago, President Jonathan finally admitted that there is corruption in Nigeria. He had hitherto denied any form of corruption but mere theft. If he is voted in February 2015 to continue to lead the nation, he promises to fight corruption this time. This is a paradox. From denial to acceptance within a few months shows inconsistency of policy and lack of the required knowledge of the governed. The President’s party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is a symbol of corruption in every real sense of the word. Every election under PDP is rigged; party leaders at every level of government are corrupt and lawless. No single PDP contestant has won a clean election to any political post since the inception of democracy in 1999. Election results are always manipulated to favour individuals with more financial or political influence in the constituency, usually with the consent of the party heavyweights at the centre. It is therefore difficult for Nigeria to change its corruption syndrome under the same regime. The war against insecurity is mere lip service; saboteurs are the same perpetrators of the scourge, and since everyone is profiting from the lingering terrorism, there will never be an end to insecurity under the same government. Profiteering from the blood of the dead has consequences; but only the wise would realise this adage. Another four years in the life of a nation might not sound much, but at the current rate of unstoppable bomb explosions everywhere in the northern part of Nigeria, few human beings will survive until the 2019 elections. The PDP has shown that it is incapable of leading Nigeria to a safe destination, where unity and economic prosperity for all will reign. After fourteen years of poor leadership and very bad governance, it’s time for change. The level of divide among Nigerians is unprecedented; South- South, Niger Delta, North, and so forth are clear signs of a polarised polity, a society without unity. In just five years of this administration, Nigeria has witnessed more regional and tribal sentiments than any other government in the history of this nation. Goodluck’s humble beginning which every Nigerian can relate with, would have shaped his leadership qualities, but he has allowed greedy and misleading clowns to dictate the future of Nigeria for him. This government is merely serving the interest of a few cronies whose ultimate desire is to loot available public resources. And, in the name of divide and rule, they have established a parallel regime to serve those considered as the rightful owners of Nigeria’s oil deposits. If Tompolo’s company is now bigger and more effective in curbing oil theft in the Niger Delta area, then the escalating daily crude oil theft of about 400,000 barrels would have subsided by now, but the contrary. Still, Mr President’s kinsmen are more important to him than the majority of Nigerians whose lives are under threat by terrorists. Good governance is an indeterminate term used in international development literature to describe how public institutions conduct public affairs and manage public resources. Governance is “the process of decision-making and the process by which decisions are implemented (or not implemented)”. The term governance can apply to corporate, international, national, local governance or to the interactions between other sectors of society. The concept of “good governance” often emerges as a model to compare ineffective economies or political bodies with viable economies and political bodies. The concept centres on the responsibility of governments and governing bodies to meet the needs of the masses as opposed to select groups in society. Liberal democratic states, concentrated in Europe and the Americas, are often used to set the standards to compare to other states’ institutions when talking about governance. General Buhari’s victory in the just concluded primaries under All Progressive Alliance (APC) is a testimony to his honest character and a symbol of hope for a hopeless society. Nigeria’s economic/ social situation has deteriorated so badly that it is almost impossible for a new government to salvage it in the first four years of assuming office, but a positive redirection or change of course towards clearer skies would suffice for now. General Buhari and his party should save Nigeria from PDP’s corrupt regime. leadership.ng/columns/396461/gen-buhari-rescue
Posted on: Sat, 27 Dec 2014 12:40:58 +0000
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