He
who rejects change is the architect of decay. The only human
institution which rejects progress is the cemetery. ~Harold Wilson
Throughout history, change, of any definitive
status-quo, has never come easy. Change is always resisted
especially by those rabidly opposed to its undefined outcomes for
different reasons. Indeed, individuals and nations have gone to war
to resist change throughout history. Even so, change, like the
inevitable transition between life and death, remains the only
constant factor in our lives. It is the interlude that is open to
debate. What we do within the same interlude not only determines the
quality of the change we desire, but also, unfortunately, reflects
the doggedness of our resistance to it.
To millions of supporters of the All Progressive
Congress (APC), who celebrated widely across the country when
President Muhammadu Buhari was elected President last year, no one
should understand the significance of change better than the
Chieftains of the party. But the reality has not reflected anything
close to their enthusiasm for a rapid departure from the decadent
ways of the deposed People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
Today, almost a year into the presidency of Muhammadu
Buhari, millions of Nigerians who could hardly wait to see the back
of the PDP in 2015, have been forced to go on the defensive in their
support of his administration since the turn of the year. That is
simply the plain truth. Anyone who is trying to tell the president a
different thing is not helping his cause. Even the APCs youthful
supporters in the social media appear to be losing their enthusiasm
to defend the change mantra with their typical effervescent swagger
presently.
By contrast, their PDP counterparts seem to be
relishing the negativities attributed to the APC with their ‘we told
you so’ innuendoes. It did not matter that the international oil
glut and its attendant negative effects on the domestic economy and
social conditions were not created by the APC. It mattered even less
that it was not the APC government that failed to diversify the
economy or shamelessly refused to save for the rainy day.
To the PDP and their allied supporters of the old
order, the change initiatives the president has warned will take
time are meaningless and they appear eager to exploit every
misfortune to discredit the current administration. They want
Nigerians to focus only on the epileptic power supply experienced in
recent times; the high cost of forex and the rampant insecurity in
the land especially the frequently reported clashes between farmers
and Fulani herdsmen.
The latter, of course, suits the PDPs well-rehearsed
strategy of exploiting ethnic and regional tensions for political
capital. It backfired last year, but in their desperation to malign
the APC, the PDP, and its supporters appear not to have learnt any
useful lessons. The calculation is that if the APC ‘change’
disposition could be significantly discredited before its programmes
begin to bear fruit, the better it would be for the PDP ahead of the
next elections in 2019.
For that reason, the whitlow of the Southwest, Ayo
Fayose, could go to any lengths - even the ridiculous extent of
denying the abduction of the Chibok girls – to smear the current
administration. A series of seemingly uncoordinated events are also
threatening to eclipse the massive successes of the military against
the Boko Haram insurgents in the North East.
I have already mentioned the suspicious frequency of
the reported clashes between farmers and Fulani herdsmen, but
mention must also be made of the resumed militancy in the
South-South and the heightened rate of kidnappings across the
country. No one should dispute the fact that after sixteen years of
unrestrained debauchery in the highest offices in the land, the PDP
has more than enough resources to inflict maximum damage to the
ongoing efforts to clean the Augean stables.
For PMB and his administration, regaining the
momentum especially in the realm of public perception is crucial.
Sadly, we have arrived at the junction where his good name and solid
intentions are no longer enough in the face of the saboteurs he is
currently confronted with. The traitors have no intention of playing
by the rules. It is now time for PMB to show his sterner side. The
gloves must ultimately come off. He must win a series of battles
before he has the chance to implement the lasting change he
promised.
The first battle the President must win is the
virtual Civil War in his own party the APC. It is now apparent that
a majority of its members merely rode to power on the crest of
Buhari’s overwhelming popularity but never truly believed in his
leadership principles or the change he promised Nigerians.
And the battlefield for this particular battle is
undoubtedly the National Assembly (NASS) where Bukola Saraki is
presently ensconced like a Pharaoh. He leads a renegade group of
Senators and lawmakers who routinely defy the position of their own
party. He also conveniently masks his naked political ambition under
the guise of protecting the independence of the NASS.
The president should know that the fight against
corruption means nothing to this bunch. Their antecedents clearly
suggests that if there is one thing they dislike with a passion, it
is the notion of transparency and accountability. If the president
is not prepared to fight dirty, then he must get an enforcer to do
the job for him. There is too much at stake here.
Next, PMB must find a way to fish out Tombolo from
his hole in the creeks of the Niger Delta. No matter what he says
about his inclination to embrace peace the evidence on the ground
suggests that the exact opposite suits him best. Besides, the
existing status-quo has denied him the use of his private Navy and
his lucrative contract patrolling oil pipelines. Unless he is
speedily apprehended, we may as well brace ourselves for prolonged
fuel crisis and disruption of essential gas supplies to our power
stations.
Next, it is worth reminding the president that his
signature war against corruption will only begin to make sense when
some felons begin to take up residency in Kuje prison. As PMB knows
all too well this battle is at the heart of almost everything that
has gone horribly wrong with the nation and he cannot afford to
fail. The war against corruption is vital because of its impact on
the overall health of the economy, development of critical social
infrastructure and, of course, insecurity brought about by rampant
unemployment.
Obviously, the fight against corruption is dependent
on other factors beyond the control of the president and we need to
appreciate that. The battle the president must win here is how to
get the judiciary to reform itself while also hoping that the
Nigeria Bar Association finds a way to purge itself of the rogue
lawyers that continue to cast a slur on their noble profession.
The final battle is one PMB can win easily because it
occurs right under his nose. He must summon the courage to summarily
sanction any of his political appointees proven to have engaged in
any acts of impunity. Acts of impunity irreparably damaged the PDP.
It risks doing the same to the current administration if left to
fester.
Key Battles PMB Must Win
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