But...Yar'Adua Has No Magic Answer
Prince Charles Dickson
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Jos, Plateau Nigeria
There are no magic answers, no miraculous methods to overcome the problems we face, just the familiar ones: honest search for understanding, education, organization, action that raises the cost of state violence for its perpetrators or that lays the basis for institutional change -- and the kind of commitment that will persist despite the temptations of disillusionment, despite many failures and only limited successes, inspired by the hope of a brighter future." NOAM CHOMSKY.
In the last one month, it has been difficult to say that this exactly is where President Umar Yar'Adua is headed towards. Despite the best of efforts, analytical commentaries, sights from the crystal ball and all the rumours, we are yet to get a clear picture. While many have asked for more time, others have questioned how much long do Nigerians have to wait? Many say he has a plan, others say that this man is a stooge.
He has already broken the record for nicknames as a section of the Nigerian pen and columns are beginning to refer to him as 'go-slow' and mind me I have no problem with that in so much that it is not slow and unsteady. But the fear still remains that we may be doomed if this go-slow leads to nowhere. The Ministerial list final made its debut, to many of us we see a bunch of technocrats and to others the unseen hand of Obasanjo was on that list. While some deserve to be given the chance to serve the nation on that list, some other names are simply an abberation.
I cannot fathom what the Ibo man with a Yoruba name Ojo, wants again, neither do I see why Yayhale wants to spoil it now. I also cannot see a good reason why General Abbe after all the positions held both selective, elective, appointed etc does not see retirement. It is stupendous as one of the nominee is facing quasi-criminal charges in a law court. However on a general assessment, it may after all not be as bad as Obasanjo's first cabinet of disaster. The mere fact that we have been spared the agony of the Association of ex-Governors is a good omen.
A cursory look at the Policy thrust of this government is the very essence of my lamentation. For those who have asked for more time, I have argued that a change in government, if free, fair and credible does not mean that government should restart its engine. On the contrary, it calls for a refueling and moving ahead. Our experience is that government has to start all over again and the same old music is remixed and few months after we notice same old thread in actions.
Has it occured to us that the same issues that the last administration sought to solve or made comic of, is the same ones we are facing again. The Yar'Adua government is still grappling with the Niger Delta question, setting up yet another committee. He is still on the Electricity problem, which has seen a metamorphosis from NEPA to PHCN, to God knows what next. Then we have just finished the battle royal of labour and government on the 'touchy' fuel and salary matter.
On the Niger Delta, the President's 90 days is counting and I do not see the magic wand. Inspite the truce called, the kidnappings have continued, it has even become a profitable business venture with high returns, kids are now targets, Plastic companies staff, lecturers that are white and Nigerians that have white pigmentation are not spared. The Vice President has been embarrassed by the 'boys' with kidnaps hours after he had sought their understanding. Can this government end it all?
For Power, I had thought there was an insignificant improvement and as I basked in that euphoria, I was brought back to reality, as electricity has become as scarce as looking for pin in the ocean. And again the date for realizing peak mega watts has been shifted and this also comes with a drop in what has been achieved. How much will the Yar'Adua government spend on Power, will Nigeria cease to be the favourite destination for Gasoline Generator makers.
The story of the sale of our refineries is one for another day, but the truth is that there is no hope, no hope that PMS would ever sell for N50 in the next four years, whether deregulated, subsidized or unsubsidized. Even weeks after the strike, most of us that stay outside Lagos and Abuja can testify that we have not bought at the official rate of N70, prices that went up are still hanging there and perhaps waiting to move further up.
It was Zora Neale Hurston that said "There are years that ask questions and years that answer". Scary as this may be, we are still at the stage of asking questions, leadership and the led have not shown considerable reason for one to believe that answers to the numerous problems hitting this nation is anywhere near the answers. We take one, two and three glorious steps and when the accolades are yet to subside, we take ten, twenty and thirty inglorious leap.
Ordinarily the attempt to form a unity government is one that on the surface could have marked the beginning of a new era, but viewed against the backdrop of our Presidential system in which winner takes all. The fact that the party involved is PDP, the reality that we have never really had an opposition and the lack of a bedrock of principle for the accord to work, the idea is simply a recipe for sealing the opposition that has not been too strong. A government of National Unity actually says a lot about the lack of credibility, it speaks volume of the absence of initiative.
The present dispensation needs to show that it is honestly searching for the solution. Government apparatus should be deployed in its fullest at tackling the core issues that face us as a nation, the common problems which we know are not mysterious but need only a determined effort and collective will to solve.
The Yar'Adua government needs to exhibit the kind of commitment that will persist despite the temptations of disillusionment, despite many failures and only limited successes, inspired by the hope of a brighter future. This is so because whether Soludo reels out the best micro-macro economic statistics of progress, whether the inflationary tables at CBN is beautiful or average, the truth on ground is that the nation would be doomed to repeating the last eight years, not for lack of purpose but for refusal to learn from it.
One of the few achievements in the last mistake called Obasanjo was the fact that few institutions were strengthened by the weakness of that era. Promient among the few was the Judiciary this being against the backdrop of a President that saw the law as a backyard bin of his Ota farm.
The question that needs answers is will Yar'adua not fight corruption with corruption. Will he allow for the continous strides made by the Judiciary. Is he ready for a new improved Police? Any hope that the health sector, industries, power and education will be revived this time around.
Is there any realistic hope that the new sets of Ministers have the magic wand. What really would and can change? I beg to re-echo again that except there is a honest search for understanding, education, organization, action that raises the cost of state violence for its perpetrators or that lays the basis for institutional change. There would be no answers, rather we would continually be plagued by the same questions. May the Almighty Allah save us
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Posted by Robot| 16.07.2007 12:58