KAYODE KETEFE Your Excellency! I am writing this open letter to you assured that I have the requisite locus standi to make known my views on some issues of national importance. This perceived locus or the enabling platform is multifold. First, I have constitutional rights as a Nigerian to be concerned with issues that shape or have the potential to shape the destiny of my country and speak out accordingly. Secondly, as somebody who actively participated in the electoral process that brought your Excellency to power, I, reserve the right to remain alert and watchful of activities of a regime procured by my precious vote. Thirdly, as a Solicitor and Advocate of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, I am under ethical obligation to uphold rule of law, due process and constitutionalism and to do everything in protection and promotion of these ideals. Lastly, as a journalist, I have the constitutionally-imposed moral duty to "hold the government accountable to the people." Sir, the occasion of your successful one year in office affords a golden opportunity to embark on some performance review; it constitutes an appropriate time for frank discourse on your leadership thus far. Just as it is your prerogative as a leader to lead us to your best of ability. It is also our democratic prerogative as your follower to examine your stewardship and offer our humble advice on how the ship of the state can be safely navigated to avoid all the perilous icebergs that lie in wait. To start with, Your Excellency, only an uncharitable critic would say your government has not done anything good. For example, Sir, you signed some revolutionary bills into laws for the betterment of our country. These include Freedom of Information Act, Minimum Wage Act, Evidence Act; you granted independence to the National Human Rights Commission by signing into law an enabling amendment bill in addition to reformation of the National Industrial Court, through constitutional amendment. Your presidential assent to these bills may appear not important to some people, until they realise that it is "a mere presidential assent" that frustrated the FOI bill from becoming a law as far back as 2007. Among your other achievements are the novel establishment of almajiri schooling scheme in the North; the You Win project for youth empowerment and the introduction and promotion of the use of cassava bread with a view to boost local agricultural enterprises and generate employment. But all these pale miserably into insignificance against the preponderant influences of negatives attributable to acts of omissions and commissions of your government. If we decide not to hold against you our misery for unprecedented level of insecurity in the land via acts of terrorism because of the understanding they are probably being sponsored to project your governance in bad light, still, there are other grim realities that have made us very unhappy and disenchanted. Your Excellency, majority of us are still despairing of all those things that make life meaningful, like food, healthcare, housing, clothing and gainful employment. These are the things Nigerians refer to as "dividends of democracy", and nobody should blame the people, they have been waiting for these things for the past things 13 years of our democracy. They became hopeful after your election last year, but so far, the social provisioning scorecard of this administration has been nothing to write Otuoke about! Secondly, a lot of cynics are deriding your administration's commitment to transparency in public life and genuine passion for fighting corruption. Nigeria still tops corruption list according to the assessment of credible organisations like Human Rights Watch. The probe panels of the various committees of the National Assembly have indicated that public sector is as still as rotten as ever. Again, many are still angry over the perceived callous increment of the fuel pump price imposed on January 1, this year, but more annoying was wanton killing of some demonstrators during the ensuing protest and your deployment of soldiers ostensibly to intimidate the rioters into submission- a development that represents an atavistic resurgence of the military oppression. Furthermore, the way your administration has handled the CJN/Salami saga is absolutely worrisome giving the delicate nature of the matter. The same National Judicial Council's recommendation which Your Excellency purportedly acted upon to remove Salami with dispatch is what is being now been ignored when the Council made a volte face and recommended the learned jurist should be reinstated. In spite of all the above, we still believe in your leadership and still hold to our heart your alluring sobriquet of "Signature of God"; we are not ready (yet) to join the rank of those already dismissing the signature to be a forgery! We would not want a situation as it happened in Ghana some years ago when Ghanaians who used to interpret the Jerry Rawlings' initials, J. J. as "Junior Jesus", later turned around to interpret the same initials as "Junior Judas!" Haa! Those irreverent Ghanaians! I, therefore implore you to use the remaining part of your tenure to focus on people-oriented cum developmental programmes, to give Nigerians some modicum of that elusive treasure, called dividends of democracy. |
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