President Goodluck Jonathan makes way for his successor Muhammadu Buhari today.
Nigeria, having pulled off another peaceful civilian-to-civilian
change of government through the out going president's acknowledgement of defeat, certainly has sent out to the world an assuring
sign of a maturing democratic culture. The campaigns are over; power has
been delivered by the electorate to the All Progressives Congress
(APC).
In this very first evidence of change the electorate has fulfilled their part, and commendably so. Now is the turn of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Buhari to fulfil their promises.
The air is filled with great expectation and the question arises: can the APC manage well its success vis-à-vis the people's desire? It is hoped that will not turn out like parties that seek power first, and begin to think of what to do with it.
The party must be truly ready not to rule but to govern Nigeria for the greatest good of the greatest number of her citizens.
For this is what the electorate voted for, pure and simple. Much has been suggested privately and publicly on what the Buhari government must do to get Nigeria back on track.
There is obviously no shortage of ideas including those this newspaper has articulated many times before now. Without sounding alarmist, the clock has started ticking for the Muhammadu Buhari-led government to begin to deliver on its election promises.
While no one is under the illusion that President Buhari has a magic wand to conjure up the disappearance of the enormous, multifaceted problems he inherits, Nigerians have a right to expect from and see, in spirit and in fact, the new government immediately signaling that change is here now.
Buhari has been reported lately to say that all Nigerians should begin to get used to the notion that it is no more 'business as usual' and that 'Nigeria has entered a new dispensation [and] 'my administration does not intend to repeat the same mistakes made by previous governments.'
The point is well made and it is well taken by Nigerians. Signs and symbolisms are powerful means to give teeth to these statements and the new President is better advised to take a number of immediate measures to this end.
First, beginning with the content of his inaugural speech, President Muhammadu Buhari must articulate a pan-Nigeria agenda that inspires hope of a better nation and that sustains the enthusiasm over the vision of a new dawn and a new direction that his election gives reason to perceive.
The presidential election showed that Nigerians are willing, ready, and able, to follow, support and sacrifice for a leader who earns their trust.
After all, trustworthiness is the basis of genuine leadership. An elected president is the only political office holder armed with a fully pan-Nigerian mandate; Nigeria, not at all any section of it, is now Buhari's turf to watch over, protect, manage and above all, to serve.
This president must say and do all the right things to continually to earn the trust and support of Nigerians south and north, east and west, of every tribe, tongue and faith.
The nation seems broken now. Buhari must mend it. There are divisions across various lines. Buhari must unite all. Second, there is wide agreement in the polity that the apparatus of government consumes an unacceptably disproportionate share of public spending with no commensurate output to so justify.
As a leader voted into power on account of his widely acclaimed moral authority, Buhari must bring his disciplined and frugal lifestyle to bear on governance especially at this time of lean resources.
In short, starting with the presidency where numerous do-nothing aides feed fat on public purse, where a fleet of jets lie idle, where a lengthy convoy of expensive vehicles accompany the President in the name of 'entourage', where tonnes of money are expended on needless renovations and a wasteful construction of new banquet halls, where billions of naira are voted every year for feeding at the Aso Rock Villa, the list could go on endlessly, Buhari must immediately reduce drastically the cost of governance to free funds for the truly important and urgent areas of development.
In this very first evidence of change the electorate has fulfilled their part, and commendably so. Now is the turn of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Buhari to fulfil their promises.
The air is filled with great expectation and the question arises: can the APC manage well its success vis-à-vis the people's desire? It is hoped that will not turn out like parties that seek power first, and begin to think of what to do with it.
The party must be truly ready not to rule but to govern Nigeria for the greatest good of the greatest number of her citizens.
For this is what the electorate voted for, pure and simple. Much has been suggested privately and publicly on what the Buhari government must do to get Nigeria back on track.
There is obviously no shortage of ideas including those this newspaper has articulated many times before now. Without sounding alarmist, the clock has started ticking for the Muhammadu Buhari-led government to begin to deliver on its election promises.
While no one is under the illusion that President Buhari has a magic wand to conjure up the disappearance of the enormous, multifaceted problems he inherits, Nigerians have a right to expect from and see, in spirit and in fact, the new government immediately signaling that change is here now.
Buhari has been reported lately to say that all Nigerians should begin to get used to the notion that it is no more 'business as usual' and that 'Nigeria has entered a new dispensation [and] 'my administration does not intend to repeat the same mistakes made by previous governments.'
The point is well made and it is well taken by Nigerians. Signs and symbolisms are powerful means to give teeth to these statements and the new President is better advised to take a number of immediate measures to this end.
First, beginning with the content of his inaugural speech, President Muhammadu Buhari must articulate a pan-Nigeria agenda that inspires hope of a better nation and that sustains the enthusiasm over the vision of a new dawn and a new direction that his election gives reason to perceive.
The presidential election showed that Nigerians are willing, ready, and able, to follow, support and sacrifice for a leader who earns their trust.
After all, trustworthiness is the basis of genuine leadership. An elected president is the only political office holder armed with a fully pan-Nigerian mandate; Nigeria, not at all any section of it, is now Buhari's turf to watch over, protect, manage and above all, to serve.
This president must say and do all the right things to continually to earn the trust and support of Nigerians south and north, east and west, of every tribe, tongue and faith.
The nation seems broken now. Buhari must mend it. There are divisions across various lines. Buhari must unite all. Second, there is wide agreement in the polity that the apparatus of government consumes an unacceptably disproportionate share of public spending with no commensurate output to so justify.
As a leader voted into power on account of his widely acclaimed moral authority, Buhari must bring his disciplined and frugal lifestyle to bear on governance especially at this time of lean resources.
In short, starting with the presidency where numerous do-nothing aides feed fat on public purse, where a fleet of jets lie idle, where a lengthy convoy of expensive vehicles accompany the President in the name of 'entourage', where tonnes of money are expended on needless renovations and a wasteful construction of new banquet halls, where billions of naira are voted every year for feeding at the Aso Rock Villa, the list could go on endlessly, Buhari must immediately reduce drastically the cost of governance to free funds for the truly important and urgent areas of development.
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