Buhari And His Technocrats

 

At the risk of eulogising, I must write the truth with verifiability, the things President Muhammadu Buhari in his technocratic ministers is doing to turn the country around in this austere time. My writing is pro bono Nigeriae and not personal.

 

There is always a mix of the good and the not so good in everything we do as humans because mankind, his limited horizon, time and intelligence have an end. President Buhari cannot, therefore, be expected to know it all. At best he will get some right and some not so right, even with an ensemble of “good thinkers”. I wasn’t with him until Mr. Fashola joined his cabinet, a known technocrat, and given the point responsibility of providing electricity for the industries, offices and homes. Electricity is the root and soul of the society. It was not surprise going by his incredible track record in Lagos. Today the difference is clear, though I would have loved to see  ex-governor of Akwa Ibom, Senator Akpabio in the first eleven who also finished meritoriously in Akwa Ibom state. I am to be proved wrong.

 

The benefit of having these technocrats is that they will so finely finish their duty that their successors will risk a “boo” and “pure water sachets” on their faces if they ever perform less. Then everybody is a winner. It happened in Anambra state after Dr. Ngige’s exit, and it is happening in Lagos this moment after Fashola’s exit; ditto for Akwa Ibom, and the President can be said to have struck the right chords because of Mr. Fashola. Please follow me; I want to be proved a liar.

 

Throughout the history of the Super Eagles of Nigeria, I personally remember the name Rashidi Yekini, (late) who scores at least a goal in every tournament no matter the opponent. It was such that in any tournament it was certain he would score a goal. Equally, Emmanuel Amunike had same delivery capacity. The duo ensured victory.

 

Certain persons in a team always make the difference. I can say so of the Minister of Power, Works and Housing in the President’s team eliciting hope? In all my adult life as a bona fide Nija man, I have not had the experience of working and sleeping with electricity with “almost” a whole day, not counting duration, for many months now. Now I sleep at night long enough with electricity and work with it in the office long enough as well; I don’t mean 24 hours flow yet, but enough for work to be less stressful and have an unusual good night’s rest. This level could have been surpassed but for the laissez faire philosophy of work of the derelict Nigerian worker who still doesn’t care that his dereliction will cause hunger and suffering in the land.

 

But because the Power Minister, a technocrat, gets jobs done and in good time, (Lagos example) little is felt of this lapse. When he was appointed a super minister making him the most honourable minister, it raised eyebrows and questions asked of why electricity, housing and infrastructure, the soul of the society will be left with one man. That was for those who know little about how technocrats work in a system. It could pass for the greatest foresight of our president to date. In what was a norm, electricity was not always expected; you take it when you see it, usually few hours a week or none at all. In my home town in Idenolga (Ideato North LGA) for example, we have had not a minute of this product for years in an APC governed Imo state. This has not stopped me from giving the President an honest assessment/rating. I live in Lagos, the cause and measure of this appraisal.

 

However, using Lagos, the commercial hub of Nigeria as my model, the success rate of electricity supply here is phenomenal. Lagos is said to consume about 70% of electricity, petrol and other public services produced in Nigeria today; such that the satisfaction of the Lagos consumer is already above the midpoint of national statistical measure of success, all for the President and his technocrats, even as the times are stressful for the government and the people. No one in the major cities of the country will dispute this fact or he is factually dishonest to all of us.

 

By ordinary common general foresight, using no divinity or academics, it can be predicted that better electricity supply, the root of industrialization, is very near even though the building of electricity is a slow venture requiring time, no rushing.

 

Previous regimes since Democracy, which worked at this essential service at full time of eight years, failed to reach this point in assessment, and we are still in the middle of the first term. In comparison with the past, it is pleasantly more in only half of first term. Already, the Gross Domestic Product, GDP, has been noticed to swing, not downwards anymore, because production engines are coughing up to life; the service industry is awake, costs of production are on the decline and Industries can pay their corporate taxes with less prompting. New employments, (the measure of success of Government) have been reported, all because of electricity availability like never before.

 

Electricity supply, though not yet in full supply, is creating more employment, but when the Railways and Agriculture come aboard soon, with their bandwagon effect on employment opportunities, it will be Hosanna!

 

There are agitations in the land that can cause a big bang and your good works are derided. We don’t want this. Win them over as our father without fuss, because they represent “pains”. This, in my opinion, will usher in the lasting peace and progress hoped for but never realised since independence. History will favour you.

 

***