“The pot is washed today, because it
will cook tomorrow’s meal.” Hausa Proverb
President Jonathan promised Nigerians that 2013 will
be a decisive year in terms of his agenda of transformation. The President has
a passionate penchant for putting deadlines on targets, and his record of
missing both has become something of a record in itself. In the hope, however,
that he intends to make 2013 a real turning point in his administration’s
record, these are a few suggestions he could consider for implementation.
1.
Overhaul the economic management team
Key ministers in charge of the economy, petroleum,
justice, basic infrastructure and image-management are largely working at
cross-purposes. They step on each others’ toes, mainly because they are in
pursuit of different goals. Their inter-personal and official relationships
will continue to be major obstacles in the pursuit of major economic reforms. Remove
them and replace them with others who have less stake in sustaining the status
quo. Sack the entire Economic Management Team, and reconstitute it with people
who have courage, competence and clout to advise and implement real reforms. Do
this before end of March, 2013.
2.
Undertake radical review of 2013 budget.
Engage the national assembly towards radically
reviewing the 2013 budget. A new budget should be reprocessed which should have
at least 70% devoted to capital projects with focus on rehabilitation and
expansion of basic infrastructure and power. Recurrent expenditure should
target payment of only essential services, and remuneration of civil servants.
Spending on security should be thoroughly scrutinized, and should be contingent
on an informed cost benefit analysis. Overhaul budgetary mechanisms to improve
quality of spending and accounting processes. Do not spend in areas where
states are heavily involved. Start end of January, conclude end of March, 2013.
3.
Appoint Ministers of Power and Defence.
Appoint Ministers of Power and Defence who must have
solid records of competence and proven capacities to deliver. Assign then real
them powers and set them targets. Minister of Power should achieve 7000 mw by
September 2013, and Minister of Defence should be directly in charge of
coordination of all efforts to severely curtail or eliminate the JASLIWAJ (a.k.a.
Boko Haram) insurgency by October 2013.
4.
Re-assess economic policy
Empanel a Committee of Experts and Stakeholders to
advise on basic thrust of economic policy between now and December, 2014. Work
with the National Assembly to conclude work on the P.I.B, and engage state
governors to settle issues around excess crude account, sovereign wealth fund
and resource allocation. Adopt an economic blueprint for implementation, with
active participation of the legislature, governors and the private sector which
should cover the period, September 2013 to December 2014.
5.
Fight corruption
Examine your decision-making processes, and identify
causes, weaknesses and persons who make it difficult to fight corruption.
Empower anti-corruption agencies with autonomy and capacity to investigate and
persecute people behind the subsidy and pensions scams and other scams closely
linked with sources of power. Clean up the circle around the decision-making
process, and eliminate damaging influences from powerful people who determine
policy or the fate of investigations into corrupt acts. Pay close attention to
perceptions and allegations of corruption, abuse or waste, and sack Ministers
and other public office holders who cannot improve the image of an
administration with no tolerance for corruption. Achieve visible result by
June, 2013.
6.
Facilitate a popular assessment of the federal system
Set up an Advisory Assembly on the Nigerian Federal
System made up of 5 people from each state of the federation and 30 other
nominees of C.S.Os and N.G.Os to examine the structure, utility, functions and limitations
of the current structure of the Nigerian state. It should advise on short and
long-term solutions to the basic questions regarding the nature of the nation’s
structure, economy and politics, and its recommendations should feed directly
into the on-going review of the Constitution. All persons from States must be
selected by panels involving community leaders, professional groups, youth
associations and civil society groups. State governors should not participate
in selection of delegates. Period: May 2013 – November, 2013.
7.
Review security strategies
Remove all Joint Task Forces and road blocks in areas
where JASLIWAJ (a.k.a. Boko Haram) are active. Replace them with flexible and
intelligence-based strategies. Concentrate on protection of key and vulnerable
points, and encourage communities to engage the insurgencies directly towards
reducing their activities.
Overhaul policing strategies. Adopt a radical programme
for improving intelligence-gathering and purging the police of collaborators
with criminals. Adopt strict sanctions for failure or ineffectiveness at the
senior levels of the security agencies. Improve inter-agency cooperation and
collaboration by removing the current leadership and replacing them with those
more comfortable with creating synergies. Reward diligence and punish
corruption in the police and security agencies. Encourage state
government-police relations, and increase the influence of state governors over
leadership of police at state levels.
8.
Engage JASLIWAJ (a.k.a. Boko Haram)
Establish a committee of respected clerics and
community leaders to advise on how the JASLIWAJ (Boko Haram) can be engaged.
Handle this issue directly. Improve the capacity of communities to work with
government by eliminating the excesses of JTFs. Improve liaison and cooperation
with neighbouring countries to reduce impact of developments in the Sahel on
Nigeria. Address poverty among youth, and take positive steps to regenerate
economic damage in many parts of the north immediately.
9.
Streamline image-making
Improve the manner your administration engages the
nation. Re-assess the values of official and un-official spokespersons, and
take steps to plug gaps in communication outlets and strategies which create
more enemies than friends. Stay at home and address national problems. Visit
the people of Borno, Yobe, Bauchi and Adamawa.
10.
Renounce plans to run in 2015
You will not accomplish anything of value if you
insist on running again in 2015, or if you keep the country guessing. The
opposition, the governors and the media will fight you over your record at
every turn. You will accomplish little with an eye on today’s problems, and
another on the battles for 2015. Focus on improving your performance now, and
improve your capacity to influence who takes over from you in 2015 because you may
have done well.
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