Does Nigeria Need Zoning At This Very Critical Moment? -By Tai Emeka Obasi
Believe me, I am ever a proponent of zoning political offices across boards of all levels of elective positions. But believe me again, I equally desire that such exercise should never murder competence on its altar.
A country that has come to the point of using every dime she earns as revenue to service debts is at crossroads of utter despair. A society in such exceedingly dire straits should really not bother itself with zoning. The concern, and a very huge one at that, should be to find a leader that stands the best chance of turning around our ship sailing dangerously into the dungeon of extinction.
If this is why the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP has decided to throw its 2023 Presidential aspirations open to all zones, I support them 100%. However, such support will only stand firm if the party truly considered the following scenarios.
First, this is about the only time during our electioneering process that a former military head-of-state is not part of the jostle to become Nigeria's president since the berthing of this Fourth Republic. And believe me once more, it's not by choice. Nature has caught up with them. Our former military leaders are either resting in the graves or too old to take over from incumbent President(General) Muhammadu Buhari. Maybe we will finally rid ourselves of dictatorship witnessed in our so-called democracy from 2023.
Therefore, in looking for that capable Nigerian, we must jettison anybody with a military background. Why? Because they still retain their antecedents even after changing clothes from khaki to babariga or senator suits. The only major thing they seemingly learned about Nigeria's democracy is the secret of how to get things done their own very way without physically raising the gun. When the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC was created, Nigerians heaved a sign of relief. Little did innocent civilians of dear country suspect that the Presidency was creating their own secret army that would blackmail, intimidate and force politicians, particularly those at the National Assembly, to toe any path the Presidency threaded in policy making, planning and execution.
Despite the successes recorded by President Olusegun Obasanjo, particularly in the areas of communication and de-politicising the Nigerian Army, the application of the EFCC transformed Nigerian system into military democracy, a hurrenduous practice where any executive bill or desire got expressly passed. Where Ghana-must-go bags failed, subtle visits by the EFCC did the magic. Think that this very Presidency that created the EFCC had four Senate Presidents either impeached or clandestinely removed within eight years of the tenure as well as almost succeeded in amending the Constitution to accommodate third term possibilities ...then understand how wrongly footed our dear country stood by allowing a full-fledged Army General to lay the foundations of our Fourth Republic.
Instead of curbing corruption, the coming of EFCC seemingly increased it, as our public servants learned to steal double of their intentions, as half of the loot was allegedly being kept aside for settling the bully Commission.
One of the leading aspirants in the race to the 2023 Presidency has severally lamented in different fora that we're borrowing for consumption instead of production. Corruption is a major consumption pipeline of the borrowed funds. This same aspirant emphasised that once we get a leader that is not corrupt that the menace would be curtailed by 70%. And I believe him.
I also believe, even when this great aspirant hasn't mentioned it, that 20% out of the remaining 30% can effectively be curtailed if the same non-corrupt president forces the EFCC to strictly do the job they were created to do without undue presidential leaning. The remaining 10% can be managed along since it will be very difficult to find any workable format that will tame the Civil Service, our grandmothers of corruption, who are so negatively crafty to be completely reorientated in this generation.
Hence, our main concern is to get a Nigerian who has a proven record of having handled a public office without any proven iota of corrupt enrichment. Yes, we must look at aspirants, who have handled public offices before, especially in executive positions. Interestingly, we have majority who are either past or serving governors, past or serving vice presidents and even a former president is heavily being rumoured to be warming up. Let's concentrate on this impressive pool. Let's dispassionately look at their achievements, or lack of it, in office vis-a-vis the perilous situation we find ourselves.
There may be those who haven't handled such executive offices before, who could come in and do a good job but the situation is so dire that we're past gambling times. Let's concentrate on those we know their antecedents regarding issues of public trust.
Why we should look from the pool of those that have handled executive positions before is basically because insecurity is about the most major issue bedeviling the nation presently. Can we look at past records of these men to know if anyone of them has been in and effectively handled such situations before?
From this pool we start looking for a completely detribalised Nigerian. The major reason why our dear country is excessively corrupt is because of our huge tribal differences. Every tribe seems to see the entity Nigeria as an elephant carcass, which should be approached from all angles with sharp knives to garner as much meat as your strength possibly can. Let's look for that Nigerian whose past records in public service did not exhibit any act of nepotism.
Then let's look deeper to unearth that man who has a very firm record of diligence in planning, budgeting and execution. When same aspirant I mentioned earlier shouts about cutting costs of governance, this is where he is seriously concerned. A sizeable percentage of our consumption of borrowed funds is embedded in witting practice of poor planning, over budgeting and terrible execution. Excessive wastes are involved in bogus governance system. Is there a man amongst the aspirants, who has the ability to be very firmly precise in utilising public funds for the people? Let's go for him.
If we get these aforementioned qualities in one aspirant, then many anxious Nigerians will certainly be quite very convinced that we have got a president Nigeria needs in 2023.
A man I know, who is thankfully an aspirant, has these qualities and even more. He comes from the Southeast zone. His name is HE Peter Gregory Obi. A thorough examination of his private and public life, especially during the eight years he served as governor of Anambra State, will convince any honest citizen that this call is most suitable in today's Nigeria.
Whereby this particular zone has been clamouring for the Presidency since 1970, Nigerians, progressives Nigerians, should just use this opportunity to heed to that yawning in true spirit of Reconciliation, Reconstruction and Rebuilding embedded in that clarion declaration of No Victor No Vanquished.
The PDP should start by surrendering their ticket to this man, who presently has the highest public appeal of all aspirants to not only win the General Election but also save this country from her pathetic slumber.
Over to you, PDP delegates. You already have a clear route to getting back to power. Muster the courage and make that call.
#NigeriaNeedsPeterObi.
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