Today, Nigeria stands ragged and worn out on the global highway. Should it look back at the last eight years and try to make sense of the rough road it had been dragged through? Or simply pick itself up and face the future?

The misfortune of the last eight years that was the Buhari regime was foretold. No, not by a fortune teller who might have degrees of in-exactitude. But by the exactitude of lived history. A history that opened the book of remembrance reminding us that this taciturn general who was being propped up on stilts of profane propaganda, wrapped in the borrowed robes of a democrat and falsely presented as an unmatched fighter against corruption, is the same man who for 20 months from 1984 subjected the country to terrors of military misrule.

In 2014, there was Economic Commission of Africa, ECA, conference in Marrakesh, Morocco and we were some two dozen Nigerians attending from across the globe. We had a joint lunch to discuss the approaching 2015 presidential election. I argued that given his past service, Buhari was not a fit candidate. Part of my arguments were that as Military Head of State, he had no atom of respect for peoples’ rights or the rule of law. I cited his anti-media Decree 4 of 1984 in which the publication of falsehood or truth were criminal offences and two journalists were actually jailed under that decree.

There were retroactive laws under which, for instance, three young Nigerians were tied to the stakes and shot for drug trafficking, a crime that did not attract capital punishment when it was committed. I cited his indefinite closure of the country’s borders for no logical or economic reasons, his change of currency which led to much hardship and huge losses as many Nigerians could not change their old currencies due to very poor planning by government. I questioned the integrity he was flaunting; how come he was unable to account for his tenure as Chairman of Abacha regime’s Petroleum Trust Fund? After discussions, the group agreed that the country will be better without a Buhari presidency.

Indeed, how can a country like Nigeria which produced its first university graduate, Olu Atuwase, in 1611, be bogged down with whether candidate Buhari has school certificate or not?

As President, his government failed woefully on security matters. Bandits had so much free rein that it became dangerous to travel in any part of the country. He came into office wondering how a government worth its salt would allow students to be abducted in school as happened in Chibok. But under his administration, we lost count of the number of schools sacked with students abducted. In 2021 alone, students, including children, were abducted from schools in places like Kagara, Afaka, Greenfield (Kaduna) Maranban Damishi and Yauri. Some states like Benue, Plateau and Zamfara have become killing fields.

In terms of welfare, we have never had it so bad with an annual inflation average of 20 per cent. Yes, Buhari increased the National Minimum Wage from N18,000 to N30,000 but in terms of value, the pre-Buhari wage was far higher. For instance, in 2015 a bag of rice was N6,500, now it is N45,000. So while the N18,000 wage could buy about three bags of rice, the N30,000 minimum wage can only buy two thirds of a bag.

I am not saying that Buhari did nothing positive in the last eight years as President; but if a pupil scores an overall 10 per cent in examinations, he cannot declare himself a genius. Therefore, when Buhari in bidding Nigerians farewell declares that he ran a good race as President and had a “sense of fulfilment”, he is merely being delusional.

In a sense I feel sorry for him. Whatever legacy he thought he had over the decades, have been destroyed by the poor advice he accepted to run for the presidency. That was after he had wisely declared in public, following three consecutive electoral defeats, that he would never contest again.

Whatever was left of his much vaunted integrity was completely incinerated three days before leaving office when his government enacted the sickening drama of launching a bogus airline using a company that is still in gestation.

Another of his integrity deficits is that in his second term, he forgot to carry out the annual audit of the country’s accounts. Of course, we have not forgotten that in claiming that he had carried out an agriculture revolution in Nigeria, his regime constructed some wooden pyramids in Abuja, decorated them with bags of rice and falsely claimed Nigeria was now producing rice pyramids like the groundnut pyramids of the colonial era which we exported. Still on agriculture, bandits have so made the country unsafe that many farmers have abandoned the farms and become internally displaced persons.

By the way, what was the hurry in Buhari declaring open the private Dangote refinery two months before the plant is supposed to be ready for preliminary refining?

As part of his farewell speeches, Buhari praised former military ruler General Sani Abacha. This is not surprising because even when the funds Abacha looted are being returned by various Western governments, Buhari says Abacha never stole. He also praised outgoing Customs and Excise boss, retired Colonel Hamid Ali. Some of us see Ali as that military governor of Kaduna State who without following rules, procedures or engaging in discussions, arbitrarily sacked some 23,000 civil servants in the state. We see him as that officer whose name propped up in the Abacha phantom coups designed to eliminate opponents.

Nigerians could hardly wait for this May 29, 2023 date when Buhari departs, and, the mass of the people can, hopefully, begin to breathe properly again. But admittedly, this is mutual. He himself has expressed a number of times that he could hardly wait to flee the Presidency and return to Daura where he has, at the expense of other parts of the country, stacked resources and institutions. He told us in his last week as President that he is in so much hurry to return to the cows he left in Daura in order to tend to the Nigerian people.

There may be a plethora of reasons for this, but an obvious one is that cows can be used as beasts of burden and they hardly complain. Buhari also told us that if we worry him in Daura with complaints, he would relocate to neigbouring Niger Republic which he claims will defend and protect him. So much for a retired Nigerian General who stakes a claim to being a patriot. Goodbyes are usually difficult; Nigerians say goodbye to retired General Muhammadu Buhari. Parade dismissed!

Nigerians all over the world took cognisance of the celebration of the inauguration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima. Although a few Nigerians and foreign dignitaries graced the occasion, most Nigerians were glued to their TV, watching the event widely covered in national and international media. Chief Justice of the Federation Justice, Olukayode Ariwoola GCON, swore in both the President and the Vice President about 11.00a.m.

After the swearing-in ceremony, the President, Ahmed Bola Tinubu, made a speech outlining the overarching philosophy and principles that will govern his presidency and the core areas of focus for the government. A cursory review of his inaugural address will highlight his thinking and possible policy thrust in the coming days and years. This bird’s eye view into his mind will help analysts to predict areas this administration may focus on and how this administration will operate.
The President used his inaugural speech to make promises to Nigerians at home and abroad. These promises form the foundations of analysing his administration and holding him accountable to the people. Although in the past, most presidents have not lived up to their promises, Nigerians still hold sacred such promises they make. We still remember the memorable phrase of President Buhari in 2015 when he promised that he belongs “to everybody and I belong to nobody”.

Whenever Buhari was seen as not being nationalist, people reminded him of his promise. Ahmed Bola Tinubu has made some promises to Nigeria, and Nigerians will hold him accountable for those promises. The President stated that his “administration shall govern on your behalf but never rule over you”. This is the overarching philosophy of this administration. This implies that the President is adopting a “servant” analogy in defining his approach to leadership. He is a “serving” president, not a “ruling” one.

Therefore, he will eschew all dictatorial tendencies and adopt the basic democratic philosophy of dialogue, consultation, and negotiation.

The supremacy of the people and law is a paramount ideology in this administration. This philosophy aligns with all democratic tenets and, if adopted by this administration, will deepen our democracy.

The President embraces all Nigerians irrespective of political affiliations, religious background, and ethnic affinity, for he adopts a new Nigerian Ideal that means that “all I see are Nigerians”, as claimed by the President. He further posits: “As your president, I shall serve with prejudice toward none but compassion and amity towards all”. This Nigerian ideal goes beyond economic and structural development. It embraces the improvement of “our way of life in a manner that nurtures our humanity, encourages compassion toward one another, and duly rewards our collective effort to resolve the social ills that seek to divide us”.

The humanity and personal qualities of the President are seen in his vowing to act without discrimination toward anybody but will show compassion and love to all. He is the father of the nation and will look after all. The President is the President of all of Nigeria and, therefore, he belongs to all Nigerians. To demonstrate this quality of brotherhood of Nigerians, he extended the hands of friendship to all other presidential candidates to work with him.

Fundamental principles that will guide this administration are (a) the reign of the constitution and the rule of law, (b) defending Nigeria from terror and criminality, (c) remodelling the economy for growth through job creation and food security,( d) prominence of women and youths,( e) and champion a credit culture.

These principles are not idealistic but practical, and they are not just psychological and emotional but very concrete. These guiding principles will influence the actions and inactions of this administration in line with its vision for the country. We hope that even in difficult times during this administration, it will abide by these principles articulated in this speech. Principles lay the boundaries for actions and inactions guiding all to a better outcome. In line with the Nigerian constitution and the country’s guiding laws, this administration’s mission is to strengthen “the bonds of economic collaboration, social cohesion, and cultural understanding, and develop a shared sense of fairness and equity”. This mission will reflect in all the policies and projects of this administration, and only by so doing will it achieve its vision of economic and social emancipation in Nigeria.

Breaking down this mission into deliverables is crucial to the success of this administration. This administration must articulate appropriate strategies and tactics to use various policies, programmes, and projects in a coordinated manner to achieve set goals, objectives, and vision. The President promises to focus on core areas that Nigeria is in dire need of fixing.

The President promised that security would be the “top priority of our administration because neither prosperity nor justice can prevail amidst insecurity and violence”. This administration will revamp and renew the security doctrine and architecture and invest in security personnel and equipment.

This administration will target a higher GDP growth rate whilst increasing the GDP per capita. It will achieve this through budgetary reforms, industrial policy reform to favour local manufacturing, improvement in power generation, transmission, and distribution, and encouraging local and foreign investors through investor-friendly policies. These are essential areas, but we know that the devil is in the detail and implementation. 

The President should get a good economic team to translate these economic goals into reality. Unemployment is the bane of Nigeria, and youth unemployment is the catalyst for many social ills and criminality in the country. We must tackle this evil head-on. The President promised that his administration would create meaningful opportunities for the youth by creating one million jobs in the digital economy. The administration will create a Jobs and Prosperity bill to be the policy architect for job creation through labour-intensive infrastructural improvements. This administration must look beyond the digital economy to other sectors. The entertainment industry has been growing and has excellent potential. So are the creative arts, telecommunication technology, financial industry, and health.

We must not only boost the skill base for these sectors for local industries, but we must be ready to produce enough to export high-skill human resources to the world. The impact of such exportation on our economy is significant and is easily seen in diaspora remittances each year. Food security is vital because a hungry nation is an angry nation. This administration promises to create “commodity exchange boards guaranteeing minimal prices for certain crops and animal products” and provide storage facilities to reduce spoilage and waste. It will develop agricultural hubs to increase food production and processing.

This administration will continue the infrastructural development of the Buhari administration by building more roads, rails, and ports. The subsidy removal policy is upheld, and its funds will be re-channelled to investments in public infrastructure, education, and health. The government will strive to reduce interest rates and unify the exchange rate between the official and the black market whilst reviewing the currency swap programme. We uphold these policies and hope that their implementation will benefit all Nigerians.

Besides, this administration’s dominant foreign policy ideology centres on maintaining peace and stability in the West African sub-region and the African continent. It will work with regional and continental supra-institutions such as ECOWAS, AU, and other international organisations to end extant conflicts. Nigeria will be at the forefront of containing threats to peace in the continent and actively lead the continent’s quest for growth and prosperity.

As we celebrate the inauguration of a new president, we should meditate and reflect on the President’s promises to the nation and actively task him to fulfill these promises. We are all waiting to see the details of the direction of this administration, and we hope that it will be transparent in sharing the ideas they want to put in motion to change Nigeria. We welcome this new administration, and I implore all patriots to cooperate with this administration and join hands with our new leaders to build a new Nigeria that will be the pride of all of us. 

Yesterday, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, was sworn in as the 16th President, Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria along with his Vice President, Kashim Shettima, GCON, at the 7th major transition ceremony since the return of Nigeria to civilian democratic rule in 1999. The event was held at the Eagle Square, Abuja. For decades an episodic military interregnum placed Nigeria in dire straits but 1999 was a turning point for the country. Yesterday’s event was a further confirmation of how Nigeria has managed in the last 24 years, to sustain democratic rule, despite the challenges. Yesterday, May 29, marked the end of an era, and the beginning of another. For about two weeks, President Muhammadu Buhari, as he then was, and his family had been moved to the Glass House. For those who do not know the configuration of the Presidential Villa, the Glass House is a small bungalow, a meeting place, a three bed-room structure, where when a President is in power, he holds occasional meetings, usually of the high state security variety, but when a President is on his way out, he and his family are moved to that small space.

The usual excuse is that the main Villa is undergoing renovation to allow access for the in-coming President and his family who would have taken over the renovation of the residence, the choice of furniture, the selection of dinner-ware, and the arrangement of the seat of power. The more symbolic part of the diplomacy here, is that the Glass House is located very close to the exit and entrance to the Official Residence. One of the major aspects of the theory and practice of diplomacy is symbolic representation. Moving the outgoing President close to a smaller space and very close to the exit gate such as The Glass House at the Presidential Villa, is a subtle reminder that the time is up, the game is over, and that both the President and his family can begin to readjust psychologically. The President and his “main body” (I once explained what this means in this column) would leave the Villa on the morning of the hand-over straight to the Eagle Square, and go through the process of the inauguration of a new term, the main highlights of which are: the handing over of the instruments of governance to a new team, the change of military colours from the old to the new, and the swearing-in protocols in line with Constitutional provisions.

The convoy that takes the President to the Eagle Square would immediately shift to the new President. It is that convoy that will take the new President and the new First lady and their team back to the Villa. A standby protocol team, a different, pared-down convoy, takes the outgoing President to the airport, straight to his new destination as a former President, that is - his home-town. As soon as he is accompanied back home, the same convoy withdraws immediately to Abuja, and reports to the new dispensation. Nigerians are very cynical about how they go about this end of tenure protocol. This being an APC-to-APC transition, President Buhari may well have been allowed privileges that would be denied an outgoing opposition President. In our time in 2015, I can say categorically, that some of the state officials who left with us from State House to Eagle Square did not even bother to follow us to the Airport. They simply melted into the Buhari crowd. Many of them were looking for re-appointments. When we got to the Airport, we were locked out of the Presidential Lounge. The then outgoing President and his departing entourage had to loiter around in an outer space, before we all eventually had to board the aircraft to Bayelsa. The boys who had the keys to the Presidential Lounge had vanished. They became unidentifiable. This was the same Lounge we had used only a week earlier. President Buhari was of course not subjected to such embarrassment yesterday as the reports have shown and that means with his party holding on to power, he has enjoyed the pleasure of a respectful exit. He probably did not even bother to wait awhile at the airport.

This explains all the triumphal ceremonies that we have witnessed beyond state protocol and etiquettes in the last few days in the lead up to the arrival of the new administration. There was much that was beyond the control of the state establishment. Outgoing Ministers brought masquerades to organize and serenade their own farewells. The National Association of Witches and Wizards delivered on their promise that they would be on the ground before May 29 to ensure that there would be no disruptions. Senator Shehu Sani has quipped on Twitter that he was surprised that the witches and wizards were seen in buses, entering Abuja: why didn’t they fly into Abuja with their “osoro moniga” wings? The witches and wizards of Nigeria probably knew better. But now we know that witches and wizards also board buses and trains, and that expands our fears and anxieties. They even staged a street demonstration in support of Tinubu and Shettima. Was February 25, 2023, a witchcraft exercise? Not surprisingly, the Christian leaders of Nigeria have spoken up with Pastor Paul Enenche (Dunamis International Church) quoted as proclaiming that Christian leaders are in charge. What a country! On the eve of the handing over ceremony in Nigeria, we had to be reminded again that religion is a major, divisive issue in this country. It has always been. Nigerian politics is dominated by religion, ethnicity, and every possible centrifugal factor in the books.

Nonetheless, on May 28, on the eve of his departure, President Muhammadu Buhari gave a farewell speech in which he told Nigerians that Tinubu is the best candidate among all candidates and that Nigerians have chosen well. He praised the aggrieved political parties and candidates for choosing “to go to court” and advised that they should accept “the decision of our courts”. Whatever the courts decide, it is obvious that some of the political stakeholders would remain inconsolable as they have shown in their reactions to the ruling on whether or not the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its then Vice Presidential candidate, were guilty of double nomination under Sections 35 and 84(2) of the Electoral Act 2022. Costs were awarded against the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). The Court dismissed the PDP as “a busy body and a meddlesome interloper.” Similarly, the request by the Labour Party that the proceedings at the Presidential Election Tribunal should be televised was dismissed as impossible because there is no such provision in the law. There has been an attempt by the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal to respond to the pressures being mounted in certain quarters that election petitions should be determined expeditiously, and this: when the Tribunal asked the political parties involved in the dispute to consolidate their petitions and that the court would treat the petitions together.

Still the Tribunal has until September 16 before the 180 days provided for in Section 285 of the 1999 Constitution expires. Thereafter, appeals before the Supreme Court have a time-frame of an additional 60 days. We are looking, it seems, at some time before the end of the year. By then, the Tinubu administration would have settled in nicely. Ministers would have been appointed; over 5, 000 possibilities for political patronage would have been explored and fixed. Already, some of the persons who worked on the Tinubu/Shettima campaign have been given national honours in the former President’s last superintendence over that state function. The Supreme Court being a court of public policy is not likely to rock the boat. With what we saw yesterday at the inauguration ceremonies in Abuja, the pomp, the pageantry, the colourful transfer of power, witnessed by leaders from all over the world, even with China, United States and Venezuela whose Vice President was in attendance, it would take an earthquake to uproot the APC from the Presidential Villa. But would that discourage those who have raised serious objections and who do not agree that Bola Ahmed Tinubu was the best candidate on February 25? President Buhari cannot be so sure. The worst that may well happen is that one or two of the most vociferous Presidential candidates would be “offered something” in Nigerian parlance and they would go quiet. The inauguration would be a test of integrity and character on all fronts.

Nobody should be surprised if any Presidential candidate in the last elections accepts the position of a Senior Special Assistant or a Minister. It would be rationalized by his allies that he is committed to serving Nigeria. Others may just accept financial settlements and keep quiet thereafter. In this same country, we have seen former Ministers at the Federal level who went back to their states to serve as errand boys and girls. Opportunism is that other factor that drives Nigerian politics, not ideology, hardly common sense. Indeed, no one should be surprised if the National Association of Witches and Wizards also shows up to demand a seat in the Federal Executive Council!

One other point of interest is the following excerpt from the outgone President’s broadcast at 7 am on Sunday, May 28. “I am leaving behind an electoral process that guarantees that votes count, results are credible, elections are fair and transparent and the influence of money in politics is reduced to the barest minimum. And Nigerians can elect leaders of their choice.” I can hear loud yawns…Yesterday’s inauguration, however, moved Nigeria quickly forward as President Buhari returned to Daura to attend to his cows and sheep, who, he tells us, are better behaved than Nigerians. But while preparing to leave, within two weeks, he had signed more than 11 bills, leaving out the Sexual Harassment Bill. He awarded National Honours to over 340 persons. He re-named airports after historical figures. He took the sole credit for the Second Niger Bridge and the Dangote Refinery. He also got the National Assembly to amend the CBN Act to push ways and means from the 5% threshold to 15% and he pushed the responsibility for removing fuel subsidy to the Tinubu administration. He is now in Daura, probably laughing at us.

The ball is now in Tinubu’s court. His campaign was based on the slogan: “Emilokan”, now the subject of academic inquiries, including an international research project to which I have been invited to make a contribution. “Emilokan” means “It is my turn.” And now it is his turn at the helm of affairs in Nigeria. The Godfather who is now King. A defined life ambition achieved. He refers to it as a “SUBLIME” moment for our country where “a better future emerges with our improved capacity to create that future”. He promised “to mend and heal this nation, not tear and injure it”. He extended his hands of fellowship to all who contested against him in the political process across all divides. “For me, political coloration has faded away. All I see are Nigerians… you are all my people”. This is an APC President who says he belongs to everybody, and hopefully, this one will not compare us to cows and sheep!

His inauguration speech went further to outline and define his understanding of what he called “the new Nigerian Ideal” in the shape of principles and priorities: Security, the economy, jobs, agriculture, infrastructure, fuel subsidy, monetary policy. President Tinubu had not yet finished his speech before the news networks ran with the headline: “Breaking News; Tinubu Removes Fuel Subsidy.” I have tried to take a look at that inauguration speech again. Is there a categorical statement as to the removal of fuel subsidy? Students of language should go back to that paragraph on fuel subsidy and break it down. Compare same to the paragraph on Infrastructure which begins with “We shall…” Go further to the paragraph on “Monetary Policy” and pay attention to the use of the word “need” and “needs”. We are told: “The Central Bank must work towards a unified exchange rate”. Must work towards? Candidly, a well-written piece from the point of view of presidential rhetoric by some guys who believe that they are smart, but there is nothing concrete here that anyone can hold on to. The devil is in the details. If the President has decided to remove fuel subsidy, he must do so in more elaborate details and offer concrete information as to how he intends to go about it. How? When? But just see right on Day One, the confusion that the lack of clarity has caused. What are the key contributions that the Tinubu team has put on the table? Which Central Bank is going to unify the exchange rates? What are the plans to deal with fiscal deficit and debt burden? Sound bites are not enough. While the key sound bites about fuel subsidy removal and a unified exchange rate would give hope to the international financial system that had always asked Nigeria to adopt orthodox economic policies across board, the real taste of the pudding is in the outcome for average Nigerians.

We are dealing however, with people who understand the game of power. If Buhari and his CPC/ANPP wing of the coalition that drove the PDP out of power in 2015, and held on to it for eight years, thought they all got it worked out now, the ACN wing of that coalition and probably the most powerful wing of it, has taken over power. We look forward to the internal drama within the APC superstructure, as the party tries to balance expectations within the party. Beyond that, has anyone noticed that the Yoruba establishment is suddenly aligning with Tinubu? Even those Yoruba leaders who threatened to go on exile have publicly said that they are no longer going anywhere, and that they have forgiven him. When a group of Yoruba ultra-nationalists stormed a radio station, Amuludun FM, in Ibadan over the weekend, trying to reject Nigeria, they were arrested and promptly disowned by the Oodua Nation leadership. A Yoruba man is now President again, Oodua leaders don’t want anybody re-enacting “The Mystery Gunman” incident of the 1960s. The assailants have been paraded in the full glare of cameras even if it is illegal to do so.

We have been told that Tinubu will hit the ground running. He has enough capacity to make quick announcements with regard to key personnel. But the important thing is how he intends to build that “Ideal Nigeria” with all the rot that the Buharists are trying to cover up, and how to fulfil the promise of hope and unity. The journey ahead belongs to us all, whatever shape it assumes. Even with all that excitable, celebratory dancing by the President and VP yesterday, the road may be rough.

Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu (middle) being congratulated by Chief Judge of the State, Hon. Justice Kazeem Alogba (left) while the wife of the governor, Dr (Mrs) Ibijoke watches in admiration, during the inauguration of Governor Sanwo-Olu for second term in Office, at the Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS), Lagos, on Monday, May 29, 2023.

Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, signing his Oath of Office while his wife, Dr (Mrs) Ibijoke (second left) and their children, watch during the inauguration of Governor Sanwo-Olu for second term in Office, at the Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS), Lagos, on Monday, May 29, 2023.

Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu (fourth left), followed by his wife, Dr (Mrs) Ibijoke; wife of the Deputy Governor, Mrs Oluremi Hamzat; Dr Obafemi Hamzat; Chief Judge of the State, Hon. Justice Kazeem Alogba (left) and family members during the inauguration of Governor Sanwo-Olu/Deputy Governor Hamzat for second term in Office, at the Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS), Lagos, on Monday, May 29, 2023.

Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu (left) and Deputy Governor, Dr Obafemi Hamzat congratulate each other after being sworn-in for second term in Office, at the Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS), Lagos, on Monday, May 29, 2023.

I am a very sad man as I write this.I am completely devastated by the ugly news of the rather sudden death of my elder brother, friend, kinsman,soul mate and confidant,HIGH CHIEF RAYMOND ALEOGHO AYAOGHENA DOKPESI. Dokpesi had called me on WHATSAPP at about 1.30am THIS MORNING (29th May, 2023 ).

He called me to discuss friendship, brotherhood and take advice on sundry legal matters. He exuded his usual happiness, vibrancy, and gusto, notwithstanding that he has had some health challenges for some time. His voice was quite rich, steady and filled with laughter, as we taunted and bantered with each other, as we were want to do whenever we encountered each other.

We exchanged chats and spoke up to about 1.50am this morning. So when Chief Tony Akiotu ( GMD, DAAR Communication) and Senator Francis Alimhikhena called me to break the sad news of his death from the very hospital where he was said to have been rushed to, I could not believe my ears. It took another communication from his first son, Raymond Dokpesi,Jnr to melt my lethargic world of disbelief. Was the Ezomo of Weppa Wanno Kingdom's call to me a FAREWELL from him? Did he have the premonition of his imminent death? I do not know. Gosh!!! One thing is clear to me as I grieve: Weppa- Wanno, Etsako, Afenmailand, Edo State, Nigeria, Africa, the black race, and indeed the whole world, has lost an unforgettable and uncommon shining star and gem.

At a mere 71, Dokpesi lived a life of nobility; a life wholly dedicated to the service of God and humanity. He impacted the most vulnerable through his many philanthropic works. In the maritime world,he stood tall and resplendent,earning a Ph.D in Maritime Engineering. He was to become the nullus secondus of the media world where he became a Czar, the Ted Turner of African broadcasting.

Dokpesi indeed pioneered and blazed private independent broadcasting of television and radio in Nigeria and Africa, establishing Raypower and the African Independent Television ( AIT ). It was unheard of that a single individual could challenge and break decades of government's dominance and monopoly of information through radio and television. But,the Araba of Oshoroland and Oghierumhoa of Weppa Wanno Kingdom did just that.

In politics, Dokpesi was a master strategist and iconic tactician. His name vibrated and revibrated across Nigeria for decades in Nigeria's political firmament. He epitomized the soul and spirit of DAAR.Not many Nigerians know that DAAR is actually a reversed acronym of his name- RAYMOND ALEOGHO AYAOGHENA DOKPESI ( RAAD ).

The Ezomo came. He saw. He conquered. He ran a good race. He finished well.

May God grant this legend and collosus eternal repose of his great soul until we meet to part no more. tseee, Itseee lagi Itseee ????.

My position on the state of our country NIGERIA is simple and straightforward. I’m a loyal member of PDP who owes absolute allegiance to Nigeria and its Rule of Law. My political party PDP and others passionately hold the view that the last Presidential election was savagely manipulated by the ruling party APC and the cases are already in courts. Nothing will make me abandon my party on the altar of convenience and profit. Win or lose, I will continue to stand on this principle without any malice or prejudice against those who think otherwise. Democracy is a game of choice and I’m resolutely standing by our candidate, the former Vice President ALHAJI ATIKU ABUBAKAR (GCON) who has taken the honorable and peaceful step of going to court to seek redress. This is the only way we can deepen our hard earned Democracy. Sacrifice is not always convenient but painful. 

I salute and respect The Wazirin Adamawa and others like my dear friend and Brother, former Governor Peter Obi, the Labor Party Presidential candidate, for promoting the best tenets of Democracy in Nigeria and I’m willing to encourage them rather than discourage their onerous quests…

CHIEF DELE MOMODU

Beyond the euphoria of winning elections, and beyond the pomp and pageantry of the ceremonial change of Presidential baton that takes place today May 29, 2023, the real substance of the whole outing is the state of the economy being ‘handed over’ to the new administration.

This is so, because the life, livelihood and well-being (or otherwise) of the entire citizenry depends on the shape or health of the economy taken over by the new administration. It is, therefore, most apposite to not only conjecture but to accurately explore and expose the ‘real economy’ being handed over by the President Muhammadu Buhari administration, after eight years of its (the two-term) tenure.

For sure, the past eight years has seen Nigerians experience the worst and ugliest of times; some sort of mixed bag—that weigh more heavily on the bizarre and ludicrous. Yes, as the exiting administration is packing up, it has busied itself in the past few weeks with the commissioning of many projects across the country (some, yet to be fully completed). Apparently, these give a façade of ‘ending well.’ At the same time, however, it is practically on its knees, asking the National Assembly to approve more loans for it from the World Bank, the IMF and other multilateral institutions. A World Bank publication (‘Nigeria Public Finance Review: Fiscal Adjustment for Better and Sustainable Results) vividly gives a true picture of the nation’s finances/economy as the handover date draws near.

According to the publication, Nigeria is at a critical historical juncture: “a deteriorating macroeconomic framework is at the root of its low growth, heightened economic volatility, and scarce job creation.” At this point, a liberal excerpt from the publication is appropriate: “Nigeria has vast potential, but despite this, four major factors have adversely affected its macroeconomic foundations and, in turn, social and economic development.

First, an over-reliance on oil exports, coupled with oil production challenges, has reduced fiscal revenue, and increased macroeconomic volatility. Second, a deteriorating security situation has discouraged both public and private investment. Third, restrictive trade policies, weakness in exchange rate management, and costly subsidies that mainly benefit the wealthy have hindered the country’s macroeconomic performance. Finally, global shocks, including previously the 2015 oil price crash and more recently the COVID-19 pandemic, have exacerbated pre-existing weaknesses in Nigeria’s fiscal framework and growth model.”

Obviously, the above copious quote from the World Bank publication by the close of 2022 aptly captures practically all the macroeconomic challenges of Nigeria, including those that predate the Buhari era. But must such ‘inherited’ problems be handed over to a new administration, even in worse shapes and forms? Again, the World Bank publication asserts that the four highlighted problems (above) have reversed important development gains made by Nigeria. “Notably, the inflation-adjusted income of the average Nigerian today is roughly the same as it was in the 1980s…meanwhile, rapid population growth that has not been matched by economic growth caused the number of poor Nigerians to rise from about 68 million in 2015 to an estimated 80 million in 2019.” And by end-2022, the multidimensionally poor in the country, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) , had hit over 163 million!

Now, talking about the worth of the income of the average Nigerian, national minimum wage was about N18,000 in 2015 and inflation rate was about 9.80 per cent; today that minimum wage is N30,000, inflation has assumed a hyper-level, standing at 22.22 per cent as at end-April 2023. This is an 18-month high! And ludicrously, in the same month, the outgoing government “approved” increase in allowances to various categories of Federal civil servants, ostensibly to assuage the biting soaring cost of living. But all these amount to tokenism, and too little, too late. Thus, the issue of public workers and ‘non-living wage’ is one of the ‘booby traps’ to be handed over to the new administration on May 29.

Specifically on the hyperinflation rate, the World Bank ranks Nigeria as one of the countries with the highest consumer price index (CPI), placing it (Nigeria) as the seventh highest in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2022. Available data show that when President Buhari took over the mantle of leadership in 2015, petrol was selling at N87 per litre but today, as he hands over, a litre goes for anything between N196 and N210 (depending on the location), despite the sustenance of subsidy by the administration. Cooking gas prices also shot to N822.5/kg from N250/kg eight years ago, while electricity tariffs had been hiked to N70 per kilowatt per hour from about N27/kwh—despite incessant power outages.

Today, the oil and gas sector that has been the mainstay of the Nigerian economy in the past five decades is immersed in confusion, marked by declining crude production, oil theft phenomenon, and unprecedented spate of vandalism, among several others. Incidentally but absurdly, President Muhammadu Buhari who is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, has also been the substantive Honourable Minister of Petroleum Resources in the past eight years. Reports show that rather than remaining the highest oil producer/exporter on the African continent, Nigeria has lost the seat to Angola. Nigeria has consistently failed to produce/export up to its Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)-allocated quota.

Due to the confusion in this crucial sector, plus the impact of the global “Energy Conversion” initiative, many International Oil Companies (IOCs) have in recent times surreptitiously pulled out of Nigeria.

Even the so-called Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) that President Buhari enacted is too weak and left too many concerns unaddressed. In fact, PIA, in its nitty-gritty, might end up stifling the growth of the industry and cause more bad blood among stakeholders, especially the oil bearing communities. In recent years, many local and foreign investors in Nigeria have either whittled their investment in the sector or taken it elsewhere.

Worsening insecurity in Nigeria is also not helping matters. It is this state of confusion and life-threatening environment that Mr President will be handing over to the next administration. And this, rather than help pull the economy out of the woods, could worsen the fiscal profile of the country that is already mired in a deleterious debt trap. At the latest count, Nigeria’s outstanding public debt is conservatively put at over N80 trillion, with almost 100 per cent of Government revenue going into debt servicing!

The import of the troubled and beleaguered oil sector as at today is that the country will remain critically challenged in terms of foreign exchange earnings, since Nigeria still depends on crude sales for over 90 per cent of its forex income. In all honesty, the Buhari administration in eight years did not do much to encourage the effective diversification of the Nigerian economy. In other words, apart from crude oil sales, not much forex is earned from any other source. However, although some credit must be given to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for its recent initiatives to encourage non-oil exports, the much-expected augmentation or displacement of oil as the lone key forex earner is yet to be achieved.

The in-coming administration must therefore go beyond mere mantra and lip service, and fully embark on a non-oil export drive; that is, an export-led development strategy, with a strong ‘value addition’ plank. Nigeria for too long has been a rentier economy—where so many practically produce nothing and yet become ‘wealthy’—while majority live in abject poverty. This has got to change; the economy must become productive, and reward productivity!

Okeke, an economist, sustainability expert and consultant on business strategy lives in Lagos. He can be reached @ This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

In his enriching leadership vade mecum, ‘’From Third World to First’’, the Singaporean enigma, Lee Kuan Yew wrote he knew that Singapore would not survive the pressing challenges of the time if citizens’ attitude to governance, communal responsibility, institutional constructs, and the country did not change. To break the conundrum, Kuan Yew embarked on a series of disciplined and seminal reforms -- literally pulling water out of stone.

Singapore is a petite country -- with a population of about 2 million at the time of Kuan Yew and over 5 million as of 2021. However, the country is diverse, multireligious, multicultural and multiracial. The critical problems of nationhood, schisms, ethnic and religious tension, racially motivated violence, recriminations, fear and suspicion of ethnic domination, mutual suspicion, lack of accord, and vicious conspiracy theories were a string of Gordian knots asphyxiating the country when Kuan Yew became Prime minister.

Although two disparate cases, these vexations in old Singapore are the obstacles in the way of Nigeria’s social evolution, peace, and progress today. Principally, the Lee Kuan Yew example shows there is the place of leadership and there is the place of followership in building a country. Citizens have as much responsibility as the leadership. But it is fundamental for the leadership to be the rallying crucible; to be the trigger and nucleus for nation building.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is in the saddle. It is a new dispensation. Renewed Hope is here. And the hope and expectations of Nigerians will not be cut short. Under President Tinubu, Nigeria shall thrive and triumph over every devilry and sinister machination. Nigeria shall prosper and the land shall know peace. The land shall bear fruit for all citizens, and our democracy nourished, and unity strengthened by our commitment and persistent resolve.

President Tinubu has begun on a very fine note. His disposition since he won the 2023 presidential election has been one of a unifier, comforter, and builder. He said prior to his inauguration: ‘’I seek a nation founded on justice, peace, prosperity for all, regardless of religion, region, ethnicity, and class. I seek a Nigeria that is for all Nigerians.’’

No Nigerian leader, in recent history, has shown this stuff of forthrightness, attunement and expansiveness at such a capricious time as now in the life of the nation. The president is clearly in full cognisance of the magnitude of today’s pesky challenges.

He has started well with accenting that which binds us together; by emphasising our strengths and unity, by holding out a hand of fellowship to all, and by affirming his place as the father of all Nigerians. A single speech can go a long way in determining the trajectory of things. It can establish trust, inspire hope, and patriotism. Martin Luther King Jr stirred a nation with his ‘’I have a dream speech’’, and Abraham Lincoln mobilised American consciences with his Gettysburg Address. A single speech can go a long way.

We cannot minimise the enormity of the task before the president. There is a gasping economy that needs a fillip; there is insurgency, kidnapping and banditry gnawing at the entrails of the country, and there is discordance, prejudice, and strife. The president has a full plate already and he will need all the support he can get.

It may be a tall order for some, but we all need to support the government to succeed, and as well hold it to its promises. Nigeria making progress means the government must succeed. It is our bounden duty as citizens to ensure that Nigeria makes progress. This is not a time for needless distractions and subterranean plots, but for solidarizing and communalising.

Nigerians across stations, persuasions and ideological and political leanings will need to play their role to keep the wheel steady and in forward motion. The civil society, the media, and we, occupiers of the office of the citizen, have our part to play. Nigeria is our collective patrimony. It is our responsibility to make it work. It is our responsibility to help the country heal.

In the book mentioned earlier, Lee Kuan Yew said what I found to be profound about the evolution of the media in Singapore and how it helped in building the country.

He said: "In the 40 years since 1959, the Singapore press has evolved away from the norms set by the colonial government. We brought this about by laying down out-of-bounds markers, mostly for our English-language media. They had been influenced by the British editors and reporters who used to be their superiors in the Straits Times group. It took many years before a younger generation of journalists in the 1980s recognised that the political culture of Singapore was and will stay different from the Western reporting styles and political attitudes of the American media, always sceptical and cynical of authority. The Chinese and Malay press do not model themselves on newspapers in the West. Their cultural practice is for constructive support of policies they agree with, and criticism in measured terms when they do not."

I know the Nigerian media is bubbling with a good number of patriots, and as an institution, it rises to the occasion when there is an urgency to steer the ship away from the tempest or the precipice.

We all need to rise to the occasion. We all have our part in healing Nigeria. But the leadership will need to set the tone and clear the path for citizens to follow. I believe it will.

God bless Nigeria.

By Fredrick Nwabufo, Nwabufo aka Mr OneNigeria is a media executive.

No doubt, so many Nigerians batted eyelids on the outcome of the presidential election that took place on 25^th February, 2023.  Consequently, there was uncertainty about the possibility of the swearing – in of the President- elect. However, whether there are issues about the election or contestation that Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu should or shouldn’t be sworn-in is another kettle of fish entirely.  Now that he has been sworn- in, Tinubu must now face the onerous task of establishing legitimacy for his government. Below are some of the proposals for the new government:

GOVERNMENT OF NATIONAL UNITY

In order for the Tinubu’s government to enjoy legitimacy it must rid itself off the lure to seek selfish ambition and select men and women across political, ethnic and religious divide who will be totally dedicated to providing social services to the people. Therefore, Tinubu must form a government of national unity, which suggests he must be magnanimous in his administration by involving people who are dedicated to see Nigeria work in spite of their political affiliations. This would no doubt bring about reconciliation amongst the different political divides that have engaged in vitriol electioneering. Tinubu must now begin to reconcile, reunite and reconstruct.  

NATIONAL SECURITY

The Tinubu superintendent government must provide solid national security. Nigerians live in fear nowadays in the midst of high-headed terrorism and banditry. Farmers cannot go to their farms; Nigerians cannot ply the roads confidently anymore and enjoy the comfort of safe and pleasurable travels. This government must secure Nigerians, their lives and properties. One veritable way to do this is the establishment of state police. The Nigerian Police that is centralized and concentrated should be decentralized and removed from the exclusive list. In fact, security should be contained in the residual list which will afford the states and local governments the opportunity to control their own police. The Nigeria police trust fund should be well funded in order to recruit and train police adequately and also be able to procure security machinery and equipment.

FOOD SECURITY

Trailing behind the need for solid national security is food security. Tinubu has boasted in his campaigns that he would provide food in abundance for Nigerians. At a certain campaign he promised to make agbado, ewa, cassava, available in quantum. This speech made so much headlines that a meme was carved out therefrom that is now used by most Nigerian comedy skit makers as soundtrack.  This is the time to show that he was not gaffing, he must now ensure that his team puts all hands on deck to de-terrorise the entire geopolitical regions where farmers have been driven out of their farm lands by terrorists and bandits in order for these farmers to back and begin their work of providing food for Nigerians. This government must provide incentives for farmers in the form of loan to purchase farming apparatuses, chemical substances and every other farming implement to boost agricultural production. The bank of Agriculture should be made to provide easy access to obtaining loans and should be devoid of any form of bureaucracy.  

ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE

The roads in Nigeria to a very large extent are still deplorable. The new government must consolidate, in a more intense degree, on the Buhari- led- government’s attempt to construct roads and rails. There are many towns and villages that are cut off from modernity because no accessible road. Transportation in Nigeria is a hassle because there are no sufficient good motor able roads and road transportation is heavily concentrated. It is not just enough for this government to construct roads, it must provide the enabling environment to diversify transportation.  While we urge the new government to interface with states governments, give approval for the construction of federal roads within states and thereafter reimburse such expenses, Government should invest in and diversify transportation- invest in all means of transportation and run transportation parastatals.

EDUCATION

Nigeria’s education system needs total overhauling. There should be provision of compulsory and free Universal Basic Primary Education. This should be made mandatory, especially in the Northern parts of Nigeria where illiteracy is exacerbated. Nigeria’s tertiary institutions should be incentivized by increasing their annual budgetary allocation in order to take care of the learning environment, procure modern learning technology and facilities and improve working conditions of staff. It would be very elating for students to be given bursaries to students.  A nation with the kind of Nigeria’s education system is doomed to scientific cum technological mediocrity, economic and political instability, socio-cultural upheavals, religious bigotry and a deep sense of collective poverty and inferiority complex.

HEALTHCARE

Nigeria’s healthcare sector should be among the least in the world. This is the reason Nigeria’s ‘’Upper Class’’ – politicians, high rank government officials, rich business tycoons, celebrities and church hierarchies- go for medical tourism abroad. Punch News Paper recently carried out a survey that estimated Nigeria’s medical tourism for the last six years to be over 7 billion dollars. Approximately, 1.2 billion dollars go out of Nigeria yearly for medical reasons because government has refused to bolster the healthcare sector. Just imagine the humongous amount of money that leaves our economy for medical tourism!  Tinubu must bolter the healthcare sector by investing huge amount of money into it, healthcare workers must be well remunerated, the era of paying five thousand naira as hazard allowance to Doctors should be jettisoned. The Japa syndrome that is worrisome to all is majorly experienced in the healthcare sector because of government nonchalant attitude towards this sector.  Also, this government must have the courage to place a ban on medical tourism for government officials, so that due attention will be given to Nigeria’s healthcare sector.  

POWER SUPPLY

The necessity of power in any economy cannot be overemphasized. The Asiwaju led government must   seek concrete ways of making power available, affordable and consistent in Nigeria. Power is the success behind every economic growth and prosperity of any nation. It is a shame that Nigeria cannot boast of steady power supply at this age and time. Bola Ahmed Tinubu berated the Peoples’ Democratic Party for not been able to solve the issue of power for over sixteen years in power during one of his campaign speeches. Thus he said  ‘’the PDP ‘’couldn’t make a down payment for a roasted corn,’’ in way to say, as little as  electricity,  PDP couldn’t solve it, in spite of the huge amount of money they claimed to have pushed into it. We look forward to ‘Uncle’ Bola Ahmed making a ‘’down payment for a roasted corn’’. He must seek to increase the output of the megawatts produced by the hydro and gas- fired power plants by providing enabling environment for all stake-holders in this regard.

FUEL AVAILABILITY

The crises of fuel scarcity and exorbitant price have plunged most Nigerians into frenzy. To make matters worse, this came on the heels of Naira scarcity. The average Nigerian today lives from hand to mouth. These policies that remind Nigerians of the vestiges of the Buhari’s administration must be obliterated within a twinkle of an eye in order for this government to be accepted. This government must be able to solve the fuel issues ranging from its subsidy to the now ununiformed pump prices across the nation. The common man must be given preferential option in all decisions to be made in these regard. Appropriate forex laws and policies should be made and enacted to make Naira compete with the dollar healthily. To do this, this government must revive our moribund refineries, our steel companies in Ajaokuta and Warri respectively. This government should not entertain any form of consumerism but be seen to take concrete steps in improving its production capacity that would ginger export.

CONCLUSION

Nigerians want Nigeria to work for all. Nigerians want to be employed and be paid good enough salary and allowances, they want to live in good homes, go to good schools where they will be taught to compete globally. Nigerians want to access good transport system as their counterparts in Europe and America; they want to live in homes lit by uninterrupted power supply; Nigerians want to eat good food, drink portable water, have access to good healthcare facilities, they want to travel and be safe. Nigerians are yearning for security in all sphere of their lives. This is the function of government! Tinubu’s government must do just these for Nigerians and nothing more!      

Father Timothy Etsenamhe, is the Deputy Director of Social Communications, Catholic Diocese of Auchi, Edo State, Nigeria