“On the regional front, Buhari will score more
votes than Jonathan in the entire North West and North East and Jonathan may
struggle to record twenty-five percent in even a couple of them. The North
Central will be a battle ground but Buhari will still have a slight edge. The
South West will vote massively for Buhari this time even including Ondo and
Ekiti states but Jonathan will record up to 25 percent in most of them. The
South South will shock Mr President as Buhari will record minimum of 25 percent
or more in Akwa Ibom, Cross River and Delta States and win more than 50 percent
in Rivers and Edo States because of the Amaechi and Oshiomhole factors. In the
South East, Buhari may shock pundits by recording up to 50 percent in IMO
state, about 25 percent in Anambra, Enugu and Ebonyi States. Will the core
supporters of President Jonathan, made up of militants and possible soldiers of
fortune allow power to slip from their hands, just like that, without putting
up some riotous protest in defiance and to delay the inevitable”- Dele Momodu, January, 2015.
The elections have come and gone, losers have
counted their losses as against the wild insinuations by pundits like Dele
Momodu. The only prediction he got right was that President M. Buhari would
win. It was a hard fight and defining moment for Nigerians all over the world,
even the electoral commission was accused of unfair dealings. Remember the
elections were post poned from February 15th to April 11th.
The PVC distribution and a plethora of problems did not deter Nigerians from
casting their votes when the time came. Nigeria’s fault lines have been more
than exposed as the regions voted accordingly. We have a Jonathan Goodluck to
thank for the famous call to Buhari conceding defeat even before the final
results were announced. To the Dele Momodus; tarry a while and deeply understand
Nigeria before they making “blanket predictions” about an election that they
had a very limited control over.
Yes, I said limited because “they” the media were
part of the conflict that almost pitched regions and ethnic groups against one
another. Unguarded statements from the Edwin Clarks, Asari Dokubo, Ex-President
Obasanjo, Sam Nda Isaiah, Adamu Ciroma, Coomasie and the Arewa Consultative
Forum increased the polarity of the Nigerian nation. These men should know
better than to indulge in aporia about Nigeria’s political fortune. Many old
wounds were re-opened as the battle raged on in virtually all fronts.
Now the baton of leadership has been handed down to
the new president and his party of change advocates. I am among those who believe
it is too early to start criticizing the government but it doesn’t in any way
mean we would abdicate the duty of critically looking at developments within
the political space, issue based criticism will hold sway in the long run as we
move beyond the electioneering period. Governance started immediately he (PMB)
assumed the mantle-ship of 170 million people. Nigerians and the world are
expectant of a near miracle within the next 1400 remaining days of his tenure
before deciding if a second chance would be granted.
Very tough decisions need to be taken to urgently
address many of the evils that befall the nation, chief among which I would
consider the following:
1. REVENUE LEAKAGES & OVER BLOATED
WAGE BILLS AT ALL LEVELS.
2. OIL RELATED ISSUES:
3. SECURITY:
4. ECONOMIC VIABILITY OF STATES:
5. HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT RATE:
6. MERIT BASED PROMOTIONS IN THE
CIVIL SERVICE:
7. HIGHER EDUCATION STANDARDS
This may sound like a cliché as you look at the 7
points raised but it is just all I could come up with at the moment. It is an
endless list no doubt, but we have to pick some very crucial end points to deal
with. The countdown has begun as 22 days into a new administration has just
elapsed.
Sami Okpolagha
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