Your Excellency, first of all I want to let you know that on more than a few occasions during the past few months a reminder of the fact that you lost four presidential elections before finally securing the public's mandate to govern Africa's largest, albeit docile economy has been a great inspiration and encouragement to me. Your tremendous achievement reminds me that divine destiny doesn't necessarily mean an easy journey.
A few days ago I came across an article in the Economist - The Secrets of their (Nordic Countries) Success.
The article focussed on two main areas - 1. Welfare, and 2. Pragmatism
It was no surprise to me that a nation with a good welfare system as its' foundation is more likely than not to be a prosperous and successful one.
Why?
Because a government governs best with its' people in tow and in support; and a nation prospers most when its' people and its' government are in unison in Ideology, Desire, and Implementation.
If I were to score the performance of your government so far I would give it 25% - a score based entirely on your desire to build a new nation in which the less privileged are well catered for. I passionately agree with this desire, but unfortunately I'm not able to support your policies because as yet there don't seem to be any.
Has your cabinet actually studied the principles of a welfare state? More importantly are the members of your cabinet fully in support of a welfare state? The unfortunate demise of your first budget suggests there are many within your cabinet that couldn't care less about the less privileged.
Furthermore does the public you serve understand your vision? And the policies / strategies you intend to utilise in achieving it? Surely the support of your cabinet and the people that voted you in is key to your success?!
There's something that political leaders of developed nations have learned to do with such aplomb; and that is winning the support and backing of the public in order to enforce the support of your cabinet. Power is addictive. Once ministers recognise that failing to toe the line can lead to an angry response from the electorate, and thereby a loss of their seat in the cabinet, they tend to behave themselves.
But unfortunately we the public have absolutely no idea what your vision is and even less an idea of your policies. After nine months in office, not once have you addressed the nation -the very people that voted you in - to explain your socio economic policies. A nation is built on the attitude of its people. The attitude of the people is often determined by the Ideology, Policies, and Attitude of the government. The two are intertwined; hence the saying 'you get the government you deserve'.
We have no idea what you desire and how you want to achieve it. All we know is that you dislike corruption. We also dislike corruption; but surely there comes a time when anti-corruption news for breakfast, lunch, and dinner is no longer enough for our well-being??!!
At some point we need to start believing in something else as well - such as a well structured economic policy. What really concerns me is that the statement many have been making for several months, but which I refused to accept is now starting to ring a little too true for comfort; and that is the grim possibility that your government doesn't actually have an economic blueprint. Please please tell me these statements are gravely misguided.
The longer your administration remains silent on the direction we're heading, the less we believe you know what you're doing.
Another prominent feature of successful nations is the ability of their governments to be practical.
Surely it's time to be practical regarding the exchange rate?!! I'm as passionate about self sufficiency as anyone can be, but I also recognise that we cannot be an island. Allowing foreign investments to dry up completely (which is what leaving things as they are will inevitably lead to) is tantamount to economic suicide!
And if you refuse to be practical then at least explain to us why you insist on not devaluing the exchange rate. Is there a cunning plan that will somehow make everything better? Or is this a case of sit tight and hope for the best?
History tells us that no matter how long you sit tight for, you will eventually have to agree to officially devalue the naira. By the end of March the naira to dollar exchange rate will most likely have reached NGN500 to US1, if not more!
I do wonder whether we the electorate are presently behaving like the Israelites did in the wilderness after God delivered them from captivity in Egypt. They grumbled on a daily basis; wondering whether it would have been better to remain in Egypt where they at least had a routine and knew when they would eat. However their situation was fairly different. They knew they were being taken to the promised land.
Does the average Nigerian know where you're taking him / her?
Mr. President, the nation's economy is in a critical state. Corporations are laying people off by the second, small businesses are barely existing, most people are struggling to make ends meet, and to make matters worse nobody has any idea where we're going.
We put our trust in you by voting for you.
It's time for you to return that trust by telling us where we're going, and how you intend to get us there. Kindly reciprocate the trust we put in you by respectfully explaining your plan for the next three years to us - in person, and not through your media spokesman.
We deserve that much.
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