Introduction
It is no longer a testimony that Nigeria’s
post-election Cabinet selection takes as long as 6 months. Abuja has moved into
a deliberate and questionable handling of decisions despite resounding goodwill
of voters. With little concrete initiatives and or nuanced policies, Abuja is
compelled only to talk devoid of accompanying walk. This atmosphere of
stationary leadership is generating sustainable uncertainty, confusion drawn from
inexperience and blunders with serious domestic and international consequences.
Two of these decisions are discussed.
Policy Desert
The first 6 months of President
Muhammadu Buhari has arrived and is going for good with serious gaps on all
levels. The most evident part of these gaps is the dearth of fresh policies to
back up rhetoric. For a very weak country with long record of poor
administration and lack of continuity, there is expectation of immediate
assault on problems and issues through initiation of new realistic policies to address
specific targets.
Unfortunately a government devoid
of working Cabinet failed the test and this is unhealthy development. More so
the impression is glowing negatively mistakenly pointing hands on hapless civil
servants. The administration is displaying poor grasp of the situation, lack of
attention to scope of problems and disconnection with time. Above all there is general
apathy towards policy to the point of allergic reaction with 3 years and 6
month left for the administration.
Wastes Opportunities
There is a conclusion that strong
states infrequently attack their citizens while focusing most attention on
other states. For weak states resources are mostly invested in attacking their
own citizens, hence their foreign policy is a masked regressive domestic
policy. In the case of Nigeria 2 recent decisions by Abuja suggest a gloomy
state of affairs with negative implications. It is very clear that an unstable
and uncertain state cannot run a credible foreign policy, this is the case for
Nigeria. Opportunities are waste while confusions are made out of
inconsequential subjects.
In such situation where points of
decision-making are blurred and responsibility is nearly absent, lines of
decision communication are fed to hapless law-enforcement agents to execute
without proper consideration, discussion and reviews. Issues that deserve to be
cascaded for Cabinet Meeting deliberation are demoted to a single individual
probably without experience, exposure and qualification.
The above description fit well
considering the recent impounding of an artistic bus commemorating the 20th
anniversary of Mr Ken Saro-Wiwa execution. The reason for impounding the bus
and hijacking the 20th anniversary by Nigeria State remain nebulous and
suspect. If proper decision-making structures were in place at the Federal Level
and the issue was raised under national security flag, public diplomacy and
foreign policy implications could have been raised. Questions on cost-benefit
to Nigeria foreign image would have been reviewed with input from foreign
ministry and independent experts.
In view of the fact that the
execution of Mr Ken Saro-Wiwa brought weighty attention to Abuja from abroad
with various global stakeholders especially in the West continuing to raise the
issue as a black mark on the country, a nuanced decision would have been taken.
Ignorance of public opinion is dangerous.
The main questions would follow
related lines; how will the anniversary be exploited by foreign partners and
domestic interests? What is the implication for domestic instability? What are
the medium and long term impacts? Mind you all things being equal there are
feeds from both foreign and domestic arms of national intelligence agencies, and
if necessary Nigerian missions abroad. The security agencies should be able to
provide comprehensive risk report with associated geographical disaggregation
of potential hotspots and temporal variables.
In the absence of these
processes, a decision by an individual or a cabal was rushed out with a single
result of public relations disaster further diminishing an already discredited
barometer. Nigeria is made to reconfirm the status-quo of being weak, unstable,
uncertain and regressive in the comity of nations. Such situation was avoidable
and unnecessary.
The next blunder is the arrest of
a Nigerian, Mr Nnamdi Kanu, for being behind illegal radio broadcasts
advocating an alternative geopolitical entity. What is interesting with the issue
is the currency of Boko Haram continuing offensive against positions, holding
territories and killing Nigeria with weak albeit limited counter-attack from
Abuja. Another background is the hyped corruption narrative with all the
suspects around and continuing to engage with their trade unmolested,
unquestioned and not arrested. From ethnic and class dimensions, the earlier
argument on weak states is reinforced.
This young man has no standing army, did not launch any violent campaign, has no evidence of embezzling public resources/funds and probably never served or held any public/political position. All he has is his ideas, words, sentences and medium for wider dissemination. For Abuja to fall into the school-boy trap of expressing being threatened & acting on it is complacent and worrying. Similar description could be made for Mr Ken Saro-Wiwa's 20th anniversary bus. Those who allegedly threaten Nigeria daily concentrate within the President's vicinity.
This blunder reflects similar
display of ignorance, celebration of incompetence and inexperience. Bearing in
mind the recent past election outcomes, the long running ethnic dimension of
politics, the touchy relationship between Nigerian State and the Igbo Nation; a
nuanced approach would have been deployed in the handling of such a sensitive
issue.
In a sophisticated and capable
administration, proactive ‘soft’ solutions would have been used to counter then
broadcasting output. The first item on the list would have been to make an
emergency working visit to the Igbo Nation for at least a week from where
important national decisions are signed off. In view of the economic situation
and corruption, announcement of fresh policy input on employment and job
creation including tangible short-term benefits would have stolen the thunder
from the opposite. Imposing sanctions on seating governors to respond immediately
& professionally with realistic implementations of viable actions is not
beyond Abuja.
Arresting the young man only
confirmed his view that Abuja is irrational, weak, disorganised and
inefficient. His continued detention elevated his status within and beyond the
country giving his case a wider platform than he could have imagined. Even the
UK government was embarrassed and compelled to deny any alleged contribution
and support. Quite a diplomatic feat for the arrested fella! Other western
capitals and their chancelleries in Nigeria must have taken note of this
serious development.
Young people of Igbo Nation and
from other nations in Nigeria are watching with interest for potential replay
if suitable. There is no doubt that the arrested young man posed no security
risk to the Nigerian State. He even offered an important platform for State
governors of the Igbo Nation to rise up to the challenge and respond with
evidence of Nigeria’s viability through provision of sustainable employment,
accessible & quality public service and efficient public infrastructure. Another
avoidable waste!
Conclusion
In the final analysis the current
administration is punching above its weight and has displayed deep and worrying
trend. These 2 examples highlight incompetence, lack of focus, incoherence
understanding of political power and weak view of due process. As time
progresses with these kinds of decisions from Abuja, most of the population
will simply switch off and coast along for the next election in 2019.
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