By Vincent Essien
In less than a fortnight, Nigeria will usher in the 5th democratically elected President of our current democratic cycle, who will lead us into to 25 years of uninterrupted democratic rule, a critical milestone in our national history. Nigeria’s democracy has grown in leaps and bounds, and one of the positive takeaways from the 2023 National elections, is the heightened level of citizen awareness and involvement in the democratic process.
The evolution of the Nigerian political space, has created new dynamics and challenges, which have now been placed on the shoulders of President-Elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu and our entire political establishment. It is an obligation that I expect him to discharge creditably, as he is perhaps the most prepared, tested and equipped personality to step into the office of President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
However, the office comes with very formidable and in-built institutional minefields that can overwhelm and disorientate even the most focussed of minds, as we seek to navigate and build a national consensus to propel our nation into the global force that the world has been waiting for. Nigeria has an inevitable destiny as a major player in the comity of nations, and there is no better time for us to begin to play this role than now, when the world is almost inevitably moving into a new season of intricate global crises, with the Russia/Ukraine, a re-emerging Middle East conflict between Israel and its familiar Arab adversaries and with Sub-Saharan Africa threatened by multiple burgeoning conflicts in West Africa and now the Sudan. Asiwaju’s international reach and Pan African tentacles, will be called up as the world will urgently require Nigeria’s full commitment and domineering role in the resolution of international conflicts, with particular emphasis on ensuring the stability of Sub-Saharan Africa.
A major positive is that Nigeria will be having a President with very strong views on contemporary international issue such as Climate Change and the need to transition into cleaner energy and which countries should bear greater obligations in this regard. Asiwaju has repeatedly emphasized that the growing economies must not be unfairly burdened even as the world must commit to lowering global emissions and fossil fuel consumption. The alternative would put Nigeria in a disadvantaged position, at the time when we are boosting our Oil and Gas reserves and positioning ourselves as a major global gas supplier, in a global economy destabilized by the Russia/Ukraine conflict.
Already the Trans Saharan pipeline is in the works while we are also being courted by Morocco to commit to yet another $25 Billion pipeline that would take our gas into Europe. This is the right moment for the reigns of power in Nigeria to be vested in a man, with proven capacity to deliver outstanding projects, which will be needed to drive the transformation of Nigeria into a critical block within the Global energy mix. The foundation has already been laid with the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) already driving reform of the domestic Oil and Gas economy and the Dangote Refinery scheduled to be commissioned next week, which should enable President Bola Tinubu undertake a reappraisal of Nigeria’s expensive petrol Subsidy program.
However, Nigeria’s capacity to be considered as a reliable long term Global Partner will also be assessed on our capacity to assure the world of our own long term stability and ability to manage, even if not able to completely eliminate, our internal and regional security threats. The in-coming administration will inherit a Nigerian military that is in a much better place, courtesy of the commendable efforts of out-going President Muhammadu Buhari, who has undertaken the most comprehensive make-over of Nigeria’s defense capacity since the Nigerian Civil War.
It is one that has boosted the operational platforms of the across the Army, Navy and most especially the Airforce. This is a program that must be sustained and boosted by new administration, with concurrent policy of reorganisation of our national security architecture. These include initiating fresh and deeper constitutional reforms that will decentralise Policing to the lower tiers of Government, and doubling up on the current program of ramping up ratio of Police personnel to the populace, to within acceptable levels. Following through on the policies contained in the Renewed Hope Agenda including relinquishment of Police from personal security functions and vesting that critical service in other specialized State VIP Protection Agencies, that will be adequately funded, and supported by commensurate payment by private citizens that may require such services. This is in addition to the need to adequately re-orientate the Nigeria Police Force, and completely terminate the Barracks system as we follow through on our Police Reforms, so as to enable personnel live freely within the community.
One can also take confidence in the fact that in confronting our National security challenges President Bola Tinubu, will have support from a Vice President that comes with a background of confronting daunting security challenges. Borno State has made what must be considered a remarkable turnaround in relation to its security challenges, and the foundations were laid under the government of Vice President Elect Senator Kassim Shettima.
The security strategy of winning hearts and minds, as contained in the Renewed Hope Agenda has been well implemented in Borno State, especially as the root cause of most of our Internal security challenges have been attributed to state neglect, which has given room for insurgent groups to occupy and dominate swats of ungoverned spaces within our territory. The perception that any segment of the country is not on equal footing with the others must be erased from point of inauguration of this government, and thankfully we have a President that has built a network in every part of Nigeria.
There is no point restating the fact that the primary obligation of government is the security of life and property and the in-coming government of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is ready to brace up to the challenge of uniting and securing our great nation, that will restore Hope and confidence to the Nigerian people.
MR. VINCENT ESSIEN, Lawyer, Student at the Blatvinik School of Government Oxford University
A member of the Board of Trustees of the APC Professionals Forum
