LETTER TO ASIWAJU AND HIS SUPPORTERS

By Mayowa Lala

First of all, it will be appropriate for me to introduce myself as a staunch supporter of Asiwaju and I am glad that he won the previously concluded presidential election. It is also noteworthy to remind you that I am not just a regular type of supporter. I don't support people blindly for the sake of self-interest or whatever, but I support people who have substantial track records of successful ventures. Achievement of tangible results is what made Asiwaju to win my heart.

INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH

In his RENEWED HOPE manifesto, Asiwaju talked extensively about infrastructures. We know that more than 90% of our economic activities in this country are run by private enterprises. But transportation, electricity and broadband infrastructures are majorly affecting these private enterprises. Therefore, we need to get serious on this. You have reiterated in your manifesto that you will partner with the private sector to build these major infrastructures instead of totally leaving the task in the hands of the public sector. I think this is commendable.

The private sector had proven to be better manager of funds than the public sector as we've seen in various cases in recent years.

There are local private funds that can get involved in financing infrastructural development even if they have to blend up with some international funds.

If there is any need to take a credit facility to facilitate these infrastructural developments forthwith, we are better off obtaining such funds in local currency.

It has been discovered that the financing of infrastructural development with foreign currencies will further impoverish a country. Why? When infrastructures that do not generate foreign currencies as revenues like airports and seaports are financed with foreign currencies, but you are obliged to pay back the credit by converting your local currency(which is less inflation-proof) to the foreign currency(which is more inflation-proof), who is gaining and who is losing here?

Therefore, we think most infrastructures that generate local currencies should be financed with local currencies. We must be careful with the credit facilities we obtain for infrastructural development.

FRUGALITY, FRUGALITY, FRUGALITY
I heard with one ear that you, Asiwaju want to cut off fuel subsidy and channel the funds more into education, health and security. Way to go, sir.

Continue by cutting useless expenditures from government spending. Delay gratification for political office holders. Moreover, this is all about service to our Fatherland. Stop buying SUVs for all these Babariga wearing lawmakers.

Where is the spirit of patriotism and service in all of these bogus allowances apportioned to these lawmakers when most of them can’t engage themselves with intellectual rigor?

We have been asking for the rationale behind the setting up of this bicameral legislative system. We know that it is easier, less costly and less cumbersome to manage a unicameral legislature. Is this bicameral legislative system not wasteful?

Track government spending to the last kobo. We need stricter policies on government spending. Frugality, frugality and frugality.

THE DANGERS OF SYCOPHANCY
Asiwaju followers must sit tight and start asking Asiwaju a lot of questions. You cannot afford to be sycophantic supporters. And I hope Asiwaju himself will be wary of excessive praise singers, it is such praise singers that get the leaders to become irresponsibly egoistic and far removed from reality.

There is a high tendency for most people to obsequiously continue their adulation of Asiwaju for selfish gains. Naturally, humans are more likely to suckle up to their rich or highly placed principals. But as much as respect is morally correct, we know that sycophancy is dangerous for any leader in any sector of life. The higher an individual climbs up the social ladder, the lesser people such individual will find to confront them with honest feedbacks. People will naturally make it seem as if Oga or Baba can never be wrong, and Oga will unconsciously, but gradually dissociate himself from reality and start performing abysmally.

I do not want to belong such class of sycophantic followers and at this point where we need thoughtful leaders, we can’t afford to be such followers. We need to engage Tinubu productively if we have trusted him to be our leader. But I also know that there is a margin between disrespectful throw of banters and constructive engagement with a leader, and therefore we must be guided. We cannot afford to be a horde of illogical and headless bunch of locusts when presenting our points of dissension. Thank you.


Mayowa Lala is a software developer and head of operations at High Performance Technology Consulting, Abuja.
mayowalala@gmail.com