Assistant Politics Editor, DANIEL KANU, sets agenda for the cabinet being formed by President Muhammadu Buhari, x-raying how they will respond to the change mantra of the All Progressives Congress.
It took some four months for newly-elected President Muhammadu Buhari to submit names of ministerial nominees to the Senate for confirmation. For most Nigerians, waiting for the release of the names of the ministers was like waiting for eternity. This is because in the past, so much time was not wasted before the names of ministerial nominees were released.
This has left many Nigerians hysterical and disenchanted, leading to all kinds of adverse insinuations by critics, commentators and political observers of the unfolding political drama.
Expectedly, critics poured invectives and tantrums on President Buhari for the delay, just as many contended that his change mantra was not going to provide anything different given the names in the ministerial list, some of which sparked outrage and condemnation because of their antecedents.
With 18 of the 36 ministerial nominess already screened and confirmed by the Senate, it has become imperative to set agenda for them.
Critics have argued that majority of the names on the list were more of patronage for party loyalists rather than the engagement of core technocrats.
Placing the Buhari vision
Explaining his manifesto and vision for Nigeria during the electioneering, Buhari expressed worry that “over 50 years of Independence and despite our vast wealth – abundant natural and human resources, at home and abroad – we as a nation continue to struggle with the most basic needs (food, shelter, water, security sanitation, and electricity, etc.).
“As a nation, we are paralysed by widespread poverty, endemic institutionalised corruption, high level of unemployment, a near total collapse of our educational system and facilities, collapsed and decaying health and ineffective social service systems, chaotic transportation and communications systems and other basic but essential infrastructure, less than adequate institutions of government at all levels resulting to breakdown of law and order, institutionalised insecurity to life and property, and weak, fragile and unstable economy, with non-functional financial institutions, etc.”
The president observed further: “Today, hospitals and universities are struggling with obsolete skills of by-gone centuries, insurgency controls large chunk of the Nigerian territories, kidnapping is now a profession and a cottage industry. For the little and common man and women who helped build this nation, things have never been so bad. But for the corrupt politicians and big moneybags, things have never been better.”
There seems to be strong opinion among political watchers that Buhari, no doubt, is determined to re-engineer the democratic process to eliminate slothfulness, malfeasance, red tape, corruption and other negative acts that had slowed governance and enthroned the regime of impunity in the nation’s public life. This is why political commentators contend that it has become imperative to tread cautiously in the choice of those that will administer the ministries for efficiency.
Setting priority areas
It is obvious there are enormous challenges the new ministers must scale to meet the overwhelming expectations of the populace. In the first place, the views of some Nigerians collated by TheNiche agree that Buhari must ensure that the make-up of his cabinet is akin to a round peg in round hole, for him to make the needed positive change.
There is no sector that needs to be neglected. But given the present Nigerian condition, very critical areas abound that deserves more critical attention. They include: fiscal policy (economy), security, corruption, infrastructure development etc.
Security
The security of lives and property, no doubt, is the primary aim of government. As at today, the country is facing serious security challenge that appears to be tearing it apart.
There is the need to urgently secure the territorial integrity of the nation by addressing capacity building mechanisms of law enforcement agents in terms of quantity and quality, as this is critical in safeguarding the sanctity of lives and property. There is also the need to establish a well-trained, adequately-equipped and goals-driven serious crime squad to combat insurgency, kidnapping, armed robbery, ethno-religious and communal clashes, nationwide.
Security is the primary responsibility of any government, but the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan faced very critical insecurity challenge. Today, the entire North East has become a danger zone with the menace of Boko Haram violent Islamic sect. Most commentators assert that it is a show of shame that more than 500 days, the Chibok girls abducted by the sect are yet to be set free. For a great number of Nigerians, the first major challenge of the Buhari administration will be how to bring back the Chibok girls.
Despite the success the Jonathan government recorded at the twilight of that administration through the renewed military onslaught, Boko Haram appears to have also changed tactics, killing with deadly efficiency.
The new cabinet must do all within its power to bring permanent solution to the insurgency and militancy in the North East, the Niger Delta and other conflict-prone states and areas such as Plateau, Benue, Bauchi, Borno, Taraba, Yobe and Kaduna to engender national unity and social harmony.
Security expert, Patrick Iyorchia, said security is of serious essence that it must be given top priority by the Buhari government because Nigerians, at the moment, are disappointed with the security threat in almost all parts of the country.
Said Iyorchia: “A situation where Nigerians are leaving some parts of the country in droves due to insecurity of their lives is an issue that should not be handled with kid gloves. Without good security, I do not think there is any sector where you can guarantee peace. And when there is chaos, it will cause a breakdown both with the polity and economy.”
The economy and infrastructure
It is obvious that Nigeria’s economy is in a mess. And with the crash in oil prices to a figure much below $50 per barrel, from a peak price of $115 in mid-2014, the economic future of Nigeria can only be bleaker, unless something drastic is done.
Elevation of the infrastructural base, most Nigerians believe, would provide the needed turn-around and positive chain reaction in all other sectors.
United States-based Nigerian medical doctor and gynaetrician, Dr. Anuma Ulu, told TheNiche there is the need to fix the economy. And one of the ways he suggested is by ensuring that the infrastructural base is given a boost.
“If you fix the infrastructural base like the power sector, tackle agriculture, take care of the transport system, health and education sectors, the economy will take off with just minimal good fiscal policy.
“I am optimistic that President Buhari, with the confidence he has restored, will turn things around with a good ministerial team,” Ulu noted.
Buhari’s government will face the challenge of diversifying an economy that remains largely oil-dependent with over 95 per cent of foreign exchange earnings and 70 per cent of government earning coming from crude oil export. Poverty is put at 71 per cent of the population, and unemployment is at underestimation of 28 per cent. There are also reports that what is left of Nigeria’s badly depleted foreign reserve may be unable to cover more than four months of import.
Growth forecast for the year 2015 has been reviewed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to five per cent down from seven per cent. A substantial cut too has already been effected in capital expenditure in the budget down from N1.3 trillion to N627 billion in the 2015 budget, with debt servicing even more than the amount budgeted for capital expenditure. External debt is put at $9.5 billion.
For many political observers, the new cabinet must maintain sound micro and macro economic policy environment, run an efficient government and preserve the independence of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
There is also the need to restore financial confidence in the citizens and the world, by putting in place a more robust monitoring, supervising, and regulating of the financial institutions.
More importantly, there is the need to make Nigeria’s economy one of the fastest-growing economies in the world with a real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth averaging at least 10 to 12 per cent annually.
Corruption
Corruption has been a bane in this country for many years. It is a major issue. And the level of corruption at the moment is unprecedented. Past governments seem to only have mouthed the fight against corruption; but in practice, little or nothing is done to punish offenders. As a result it has become a way of life for public servants.
There is need for transparency in governance. As Buhari has pointed out, “we must kill corruption or corruption will kill Nigeria”. This is because the monumental corruption that abounds today must be tackled head-on, and the judiciary under the Attorney-General must rise to the challenge.
Constitutional lawyer, Fred Agbaje, at different fora, has advocated transparency in governance, insisting that “leadership must deal with corruption in Nigeria” if they must make any headway to recovery from the present mess the nation finds itself.
For him, the Buhari cabinet must rise up to the challenge that corruption has posed.
“Corruption is a malaise that has eaten deep into the fabric of this country, and it is like the 37th state of Nigeria. Leadership must deal with it frantically. For me, it is a major agenda to be tackled if we must make any positive move forward,” he added.
Oil and gas industry
The oil and gas industry sector is in complete jeopardy and there is need to revive and reactivate the nation’s minimally performing refineries to optimum capacity.
In the view of critics, there is the need to make the industry one of the world’s cutting edge centres for clean oil and gas technology, producing leading world oil and gas technologists, scientists, with mega installations. These resources are expected to get the best support.
There is need to modernise the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and make it the national energy champion. Unbundling the sector and breaking it up into more efficient, commercially-driven units is necessary to enable it tap into the international capital market.
There is also the need to enforce the government’s master plan for oil companies to end flaring that pollutes the air and damages the communities and people’s health, ensuring that they sell at least half of the gas they produce in Nigeria.
Power
Electricity is central to the development of any nation. Despite this obvious fact, past governments have continued to play politics with the power sector.
The immediate past government led by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), with over $18 billion spent, failed to provide universal access to electricity for most Nigerians in the 16 years it held sway.
President Jonathan initiated the Roadmap on Power Reforms and the implementation of that road map ensured the full privatisation of Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN). But that smacks of fraud. That privatisation left in its wake epileptic power supply and constant unwarranted estimated bills. The government also issued bail-out to the private sharks in the tune of over N300 billion.
Buhari has promised to generate 40,000 megawatts (MW) in four years. That means, at least 10,000MW must be added yearly.
Nigerians have expressed sadness that many rural communities are still not connected to the national grid almost five decades after Independence. Power has remained the engine room for development, and unless the Buhari government takes power sector seriously, Nigeria’s development will continue to foot-drag.
Education
There is this unanimous claim that the nation’s education as at today is of low standard, lacking in quality. According to experts, the challenge in the education sector is to fully review provisions of the Universal Basic Education (UBE) Act, with emphasis on gender equity in primary and secondary school enrolment while improving the quality and substance of schools through outcome-based education that addresses the individual, family and societal roles in education; and the skills and competencies that go with the responsibilities.
The majority opinion is that Buhari’s government must target up to 20 per cent of the annual budget for this critical sector while making substantial investments in training quality teachers at all levels.
Also, there is the need to implement a performance-based education predicated on outcomes, skills and competences as against the current certificate-based qualification.
A teacher, Mrs. Ambrose Abiodun, said any nation is as good as its education sector. She told TheNiche that the “education sector must be given serious attention because the decay has been alarming. They must ensure that the candidate to man this sector as a minister must be one that knows the problem and can offer solution.”
Agriculture and health
These are also two critical sectors, stakeholders agree, that need serious intervention.
A nation that can feed itself, commentators say, is a happy nation.
Last line
There is unanimous opinion among respondents on areas to give priority attention. Security, economy, infrastructure development, power, oil and gas, education and healthcare made the list.
Senator Ben Murray-Bruce, representing Bayelsa East senatorial constituency at the National Assembly, recently offered what he called “common sense advice” to Buhari on how to treat his ministers.
Murray-Bruce advises that Buhari “must ban his minister of works from travelling by air within Nigeria” if he desires to have Nigeria’s road infrastructure, which has been generally accepted as below par, improved upon.
The Silverbird Group chairman urges the president to ban his health minister from seeking healthcare abroad, should the need arise. This the senator believes will make the minister to commit to carrying out needed reforms in the sector as well as ensure equipped and functional hospitals that can deliver services equal to global standards.
