Things President Buhari Must Do Before December

FOLLOWING the mixed views that heralded President Muhammadu Buhari’s 100 days in office, Second Republic politician and elder statesman, Chief Guy Ikokwu, has advised the president to ensure that he leaves unarguable landmarks within the next three months. Nigerians were clearly divided on the achievements or failures of President Buhari after 100 days in office. Ikokwu said in six months, Buhari must be seen to have addressed a number of issues, he considered to be non-negotiable Apart from charting an economic agenda and direction he suggested to be known as Nigerianomics, Ikokwu said insecurity and corruption must be fought headlong with discernible results. And the president must get his cabinet in place and avoiding discredited politicians and allies who dominated the political firmament in the last 30 years. Major issues He said: ‘’The president himself has highlighted two major issues: insecurity and corruption. It looks as if it is taking more time than anticipated. The Nigerian public are watching to see if the president as a General can combat the issue of insecurity and terrorism between now and December, 2015. ‘’Most Nigerians believe that since insecurity is a national issue, it must include other zones. No zone on its own can tackle the issue of insecurity and terrorism, which he said are urgent matters. ‘’The canker-worm of corruption is not something that can be cured within 100 days but at the moment, the president has made the issue of accountability his watchword in the sense that all the areas of leakages in the public sector have to be plugged. This has to involve the civil service, trade unions and professional organisations across the country. Credible ministers, cabinet The only clue one can gather at the moment even in the face of non-application of the federal character principle in the appointments made by the president, is he has distanced himself a little bit from the previous public officials and political juggernauts and godfathers, who have been in all political parties since 1990, whether they belong to the peoples Democratic Party (PDP), All Progressives Congress (APC) or any other party or the military as the situation may be. President Buhari should not encumber himself and his administration with the excess baggage of public officers, godfathers, cronies and perverted politicians and retired devious military administrators of the past era of 30 years. Most of them are still alive, unrepentant and very much implicated in our nation’s loss of over $300 billion causing us such squalor, poverty, ineptitude, illiteracy and ill-health.’’ Diversification of the economy, fiscal federalism Ikokwu continued: ‘’Although, he has sounded a note that there is need to diversify the economy and we know these cannot be done in 100 days, most Nigerians believe that within this years, the principle of true federalism and decentralisation of the Federal Government will be in accordance with the desire and expositions of our founding fathers like Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Sir Ahmadu Bello. During this period, the economy was diversified and it was not dependent on oil and Nigeria developmental stride was more than 9 per cent per annum, which means, it is only through true decentralisation and true federalism that we can have better education, healthcare, infrastructure and electricity. ‘’The legislature (National Assembly and states assembly) must begin now and by December restructure the country to fiscal federalism. Since the reports of the 2014 National Conference and constitutional amendment of the National Assembly are now on the table of the National Assembly, it is not a question of starting afresh. The materials are already there. Economic blueprint: Nigerianomics ‘’There is no reason all the zones should not be united to ensure that Buhari succeeds. The president should set up a committee that should give the whole country Nigerianomics so that all Nigerians will know where the country is headed. There should be true federalism, accountability and probity instead of this military system. It was the military that led us astray because our traditions and cultures do not encourage dictatorial situations. We are waiting for Buhari to change Nigeria, 100 days may be too short but they can show the direction. Between now December something must begin to happen’’