AFRICAN ECON :: THE OPTIMIST VOICE

EDITORIAL

The Shape of Things to Come

April 24, 2010

While this publication does not choose and/or endorse any political party, or group in particular, we do have and continue to advocate for a strong opposition party in Nigeria. This we do believing that it will provide a check to abuse of power primarily. It could also provide an alternative platform for many meaningful goals including saving the country from derailed agendas, neglect of the electorate and the nation, and neglect of the pursuit for meaningful objectives etc.

There are many challenges that the nation face. But we strongly believe that the most important ones have to be addressed immediately. Some of those critical issues to address have become elusive for years due to failures of the ruling elite to responsibly address them. Perhaps the top two are corruption and mismanagement of resources; and insecurity.

The insecurity could be further subdivided into two; lack of security for lives and property across the nation culminating in robberies, thefts, deliberate religious and ethnic crisis etc on the one hand, and lack of security at the Niger Delta region of the country. Niger Delta insecurity threatens the smooth running of the major source of income for the country, i.e. crude oil operations.

The failure in those areas appear deliberate because the problems occur much closer to the people in power. These are not challenging issues for any nation across the world, and it should not be for Nigeria. Yet it has been the case for years.

As for corruption it is tantamount to asking someone to police himself; or as the Hausa proverb goes “entrusting the hyena with overseeing the meat store.”

As we have experienced with the previous administration of the same PDP, when it set up an agency called the EFCC, giving it a degree of autonomy and support necessary to go after those who abused public trust, the goal for eliminating corruption is achievable; thanks in part to an avid chairman, he has demonstrated that with the dedication, right attitude of leadership, and resources, such an agency can clean up the system within just a few years.

As for the security challenges, another crucial problem mentioned, the nation is yet to register any progress since the inception of civilian administration in 1999. The civilian government has to understand the degree of its failures in that regard and pick up the tab as soon as possible. The most disappointing step by the Acting President in this publication’s opinion is his taking not only the same steps that have not yielded results in the past towards tackling the incessant crisis in Plateau State particularly (setting up a commission), but entrusting the leadership of that commission to people that stand primarily accused of sharing the same interest as the perpetrators. That action leaves much to be desired.

All hope is not lost, however, in the struggle for alliance to empower a stronger opposition, with the aim of ridding the country of its impending problems. If reports that CPC and AC have resolved to remain separate political parties, yet forming an alliance for strategy sake is correct, then that is still an option they could choose as long as they have the right attitude and strategy to change the arguable "one party rule" in Nigeria. It serves no one positively to have an all powerful and unchallenged monster of a party which is not ready to allow other institutions meant to provide checks to it operate independently as provided by the constitution.

PDP for one has definitely failed to provide the much needed security for lives and property for teeming Nigerians. People are generally not secured anywhere. Not on the highways, or local city roads. And that insecurity lasts 24 hours, regardless of whether it is day or night. People cannot even enjoy security from the threat of robberies and the resulting loss of lives in their own homes.

The Mega Party movement should keep in mind that people are carefully watching their game. If they play it in the same self-serving ways as the ruling party (politics as usual) giving no regard to the welfare of the electorate and the nation, no one will give them a second look. Unless they demonstrate a different and more acceptable approach to politics, they are not likely to go anywhere.

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