₦airaland Forum

Permit me the indulgence of this public
communication. As you may know, it is the only
mode available to a common citizen who desires
audience with his leader.

This letter is premised on the fact that today is
the 32nd day after you were sworn in as President
and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of
the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

And although a lot of your supporters opine it is
too early to assess your government, I hold the
view that every single day in the life of an
administration should count for something. After
all, don’t they say that you see the signs for a
good day from the break of dawn? Whether we
talk about it or not, time is moving on your
administration and none of the 30 days that have
passed will ever come back for your pleasure.

You met Nigeria in a really bad state and the
people had high expectations. Your first 30 days
in office should have given Nigerians some things
to laugh about; I have not seen you offer anything
of sort.

Another reason why the first 30 days of your
administration should be important is that it
formed part of the short honeymoon that your
government would have with Nigerians.

Of course, a lot of our compatriots, whose loyalty
to you is without recompense, shut down
attempts to appraise your performance, in spite of
your promises of accomplishments within the
period. I plan to highlight some of the things that
worry Nigerians about the seeming lacklustre
nature of your administration so far.

For starters, the Nigerian economy has continued
to take life-threatening blows from about the
beginning of the year until we speak when
business people, including banks adopted
precautionary measures to safeguard their
investments they have in the country in
anticipation of the elections.

There were expectations that with the swearing in
of your government on May 29, you were going to
shortly unfold a policy direction which would
energise the economy and encourage productivity.
But 30 days on, investors are still faint about the
direction of your government, a result of which no
one is putting money into the economy. Nigerian
banks, known for their penchant for short-term
lending, have retreated into a no-lending mode
with the effect that those who want to do business
are unable to venture.

As we speak, we have no idea what plans you
have for the downstream sector of the oil and gas
industry of which reports claim that your
administration has incurred an arrears of
N56.784bn in subsidy costs. With the goodwill
your administration had at swearing in, snuffing
life out of this subsidy drainpipe was something
you could have got away with without much of a
whimper but then, you have other ideas.
Although you inaugurated the National Economic
Council on the eve of your government’s first
month in office, it is clear to keen observers that
this statutory body, headed by the Vice-President
has nothing to do with your direction as a
President.

A corollary to the above is the pandemic effect of
unemployment on Nigeria. You will remember
that dealing with this is one of your campaign
points. While we do not expect your government
to solve this problem overnight, clarity on your
government’s economic direction could promote
investments which would invariably provide
employment opportunities for Nigerians.

In the area of the fight against corruption, your
government must not delude itself into thinking it
has all the time in the world. Those who
perpetrate corruption have huge resources and
unless they are caught unawares and summarily
tackled, they will soon reposition themselves and
be able to circumvent your efforts. This is in
addition to the fact that you will have to lead by
example on this front.

Another area in which I have not seen much
effectiveness is security. Although trips to
neighbouring Cameroon, Chad and Niger were the
first that you undertook when you were sworn in,
(not minding that these were actions for which
your predecessor was roundly condemned) we
have not seen any reasonable impact of these
trips and tons of promissory notes that you
brought with you on return from your trip to the
G7 summit in Germany.

As a man who was part of the security
architecture of this country, someone who was
said to have put an end to the menace known as
the Maitatsine in the 1980s, it is shocking that
you have not shown any different way in which
you plan to win the Boko Haram challenge yet.
I understand that you need much longer than 30
days to take control of the situation but you have
had more than that. Having suffered an attack in
the hands of Boko Haram, I expect that you would
before winning the elections, have concrete ideas
about immediate steps to take in addition to
moving the command centre as you directed at
your inauguration.

Within the last 30 days, records indicate that over
200 people have died in the hands of these
insurgents, with hundreds more wounded or
rendered homeless. Neighbouring countries that
you have approached for collaboration have also
been attacked by the insurgents. Worse still, your
responses to these attacks have been largely
belated and uninspiring.

And then you seem to have so much confidence
in the international community as your trips
indicate. You will soon embark on another one to
the United States of America on the invitation of
President Barack Obama.
While it is a good thing that leaders of western
countries find an ally in you much unlike your
predecessor, I will like to offer that you do not get
carried away with the camaraderie that they
display.

Apart from the fact that the Boko Haram
insurgency and other security challenges that
Nigeria faces demand some homemade strategies
which entail that the President and his security
apparatus think out of the box, the US and its
allies have failed to tackle terrorist organisations
like the Al-Shabaab and ISIS. And so as important
as global collaboration is, Nigeria’s destiny rests
solely in its leadership which should be under no
illusion that any super power would fight its war.

And then your politics has not been encouraging.
While it is good that you have chosen to respect
the independence of other arms of government,
your aloof disposition to the crisis troubling the
party on which platform you were elected is a
malignant tumour from which your administration
is not insulated. As a matter of fact, it is a
problem that will affect your effectiveness. There
are even speculations that your inability to
appoint people into key offices in your
government is due to the level of schism in your
party. Something needs to be done fast about
this.

And then sir, I think we have heard enough of the
harm that the previous administration did to
Nigeria. Now, we get it, in fact Nigerians knew
before you told them. I am persuaded that was
why they bought into your change mantra and
voted for you. Hearing of those things again and
again from yourself, your party and aides is
beginning to sound like excuses to Nigerians
especially as you have prepared for this office for
about 12 years. So, kindly roll up your sleeves
and get to work, bring those who you should
bring to book and move this country forward and
let those songs that condemn people without
substance stop. Motivate us for progressive
action, Mr. President.

www.punchng.com/opinion/dear-mr-president-30-days-is-no-joke/

Ok o

Mtscheeeew.

You people should stop being silly. Baba has come out to give you reasons why he needs to take his time before appointing anybody to be a part of his government. Jonathan's inability to sit and think through delicate issues such as appointment cost him a second chance. When you bring in scallywags, thieves and all sorts of people into your government, doom is near and this Baba knows and he's trying to guard against.

Infact, baba should chill till September to save Nigeria cost. Appointing ministers now, they will be paid, each of them will appoint tens of Special advisers and hundreds of people to work with them and all these will be running into hundreds of millions of naira. Nigeria needs that money. Mr GEJ left nothing in the treasury so we need to be frugal and not spendthrift.

Succinctly, Baba ride on. We understand it's for the best and those who do not understand can take a stroll to the nearest lagoon. Kapish.

lemme park here

b

Quite objective. Same thing most of us have been saying but the obsessed Sai baba chanters like one of those above me won't want to hear.

We at least need policy directions for the economy, oil and gas, fight against corruption, security etc so we can at least know where we are headed.

So far it has been like visionless, directionless leadership. No wonder most peeps say the presidency is on autopilot.

Bolade005:
Mtscheeeew.

You people should stop being silly. Baba has come out to give you reasons why he needs to take his time before appointing anybody to be a part of his government. Jonathan's inability to sit and think through delicate issues such as appointment cost him a second chance. When you bring in scallywags, thieves and all sorts of people into your government, doom is near and this Baba knows and he's trying to guard against.

Infact, baba should chill till September to save Nigeria cost. Appointing ministers now, they will be paid, each of them will appoint tens of Special advisers and hundreds of people to work with them and all these will be running into hundreds of millions of naira. Nigeria needs that money. Mr GEJ left nothing in the treasury so we need to be frugal and not spendthrift.

Succinctly, Baba ride on. We understand it's for the best and does who do not understand can take a stroll to the nearest lagoon. Kapish.

Donate your brain for scientific research.
You are clearly wasting it.

Op , with the exception of all the photos in alleged foreign trips, what other evidence exists that PMB was allowed to take power?

Can you list any evidence that PMB is the person running Nigeria?

OKDnigeria:
Permit me the indulgence of this public
communication. As you may know, it is the only
mode available to a common citizen who desires
audience with his leader.

This letter is premised on the fact that today is
the 32nd day after you were sworn in as President
and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of
the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

And although a lot of your supporters opine it is
too early to assess your government, I hold the
view that every single day in the life of an
administration should count for something. After
all, don’t they say that you see the signs for a
good day from the break of dawn? Whether we
talk about it or not, time is moving on your
administration and none of the 30 days that have
passed will ever come back for your pleasure.

You met Nigeria in a really bad state and the
people had high expectations. Your first 30 days
in office should have given Nigerians some things
to laugh about; I have not seen you offer anything
of sort.

Another reason why the first 30 days of your
administration should be important is that it
formed part of the short honeymoon that your
government would have with Nigerians.

Of course, a lot of our compatriots, whose loyalty
to you is without recompense, shut down
attempts to appraise your performance, in spite of
your promises of accomplishments within the
period. I plan to highlight some of the things that
worry Nigerians about the seeming lacklustre
nature of your administration so far.

For starters, the Nigerian economy has continued
to take life-threatening blows from about the
beginning of the year until we speak when
business people, including banks adopted
precautionary measures to safeguard their
investments they have in the country in
anticipation of the elections.

There were expectations that with the swearing in
of your government on May 29, you were going to
shortly unfold a policy direction which would
energise the economy and encourage productivity.
But 30 days on, investors are still faint about the
direction of your government, a result of which no
one is putting money into the economy. Nigerian
banks, known for their penchant for short-term
lending, have retreated into a no-lending mode
with the effect that those who want to do business
are unable to venture.

As we speak, we have no idea what plans you
have for the downstream sector of the oil and gas
industry of which reports claim that your
administration has incurred an arrears of
N56.784bn in subsidy costs. With the goodwill
your administration had at swearing in, snuffing
life out of this subsidy drainpipe was something
you could have got away with without much of a
whimper but then, you have other ideas.
Although you inaugurated the National Economic
Council on the eve of your government’s first
month in office, it is clear to keen observers that
this statutory body, headed by the Vice-President
has nothing to do with your direction as a
President.

A corollary to the above is the pandemic effect of
unemployment on Nigeria. You will remember
that dealing with this is one of your campaign
points. While we do not expect your government
to solve this problem overnight, clarity on your
government’s economic direction could promote
investments which would invariably provide
employment opportunities for Nigerians.

In the area of the fight against corruption, your
government must not delude itself into thinking it
has all the time in the world. Those who
perpetrate corruption have huge resources and
unless they are caught unawares and summarily
tackled, they will soon reposition themselves and
be able to circumvent your efforts. This is in
addition to the fact that you will have to lead by
example on this front.

Another area in which I have not seen much
effectiveness is security. Although trips to
neighbouring Cameroon, Chad and Niger were the
first that you undertook when you were sworn in,
(not minding that these were actions for which
your predecessor was roundly condemned) we
have not seen any reasonable impact of these
trips and tons of promissory notes that you
brought with you on return from your trip to the
G7 summit in Germany.

As a man who was part of the security
architecture of this country, someone who was
said to have put an end to the menace known as
the Maitatsine in the 1980s, it is shocking that
you have not shown any different way in which
you plan to win the Boko Haram challenge yet.
I understand that you need much longer than 30
days to take control of the situation but you have
had more than that. Having suffered an attack in
the hands of Boko Haram, I expect that you would
before winning the elections, have concrete ideas
about immediate steps to take in addition to
moving the command centre as you directed at
your inauguration.

Within the last 30 days, records indicate that over
200 people have died in the hands of these
insurgents, with hundreds more wounded or
rendered homeless. Neighbouring countries that
you have approached for collaboration have also
been attacked by the insurgents. Worse still, your
responses to these attacks have been largely
belated and uninspiring.

And then you seem to have so much confidence
in the international community as your trips
indicate. You will soon embark on another one to
the United States of America on the invitation of
President Barack Obama.
While it is a good thing that leaders of western
countries find an ally in you much unlike your
predecessor, I will like to offer that you do not get
carried away with the camaraderie that they
display.

Apart from the fact that the Boko Haram
insurgency and other security challenges that
Nigeria faces demand some homemade strategies
which entail that the President and his security
apparatus think out of the box, the US and its
allies have failed to tackle terrorist organisations
like the Al-Shabaab and ISIS. And so as important
as global collaboration is, Nigeria’s destiny rests
solely in its leadership which should be under no
illusion that any super power would fight its war.

And then your politics has not been encouraging.
While it is good that you have chosen to respect
the independence of other arms of government,
your aloof disposition to the crisis troubling the
party on which platform you were elected is a
malignant tumour from which your administration
is not insulated. As a matter of fact, it is a
problem that will affect your effectiveness. There
are even speculations that your inability to
appoint people into key offices in your
government is due to the level of schism in your
party. Something needs to be done fast about
this.

And then sir, I think we have heard enough of the
harm that the previous administration did to
Nigeria. Now, we get it, in fact Nigerians knew
before you told them. I am persuaded that was
why they bought into your change mantra and
voted for you. Hearing of those things again and
again from yourself, your party and aides is
beginning to sound like excuses to Nigerians
especially as you have prepared for this office for
about 12 years. So, kindly roll up your sleeves
and get to work, bring those who you should
bring to book and move this country forward and
let those songs that condemn people without
substance stop. Motivate us for progressive
action, Mr. President.

www.punchng.com/opinion/dear-mr-president-30-days-is-no-joke/