Countdown To Buhari Country

To dance or not to dance

Soon Nigeria will commemorate the birth of a new leadership team, conceivably with a parallel celebration of some vital lessons learned on the road to maturity as a democracy. Regardless of how the story unfolds thereafter, the imminent change of guard in and of itself is noteworthy. It serves as the ‘yes we can’ witness ground for the first time an incumbent Nigerian topmost leadership lost an election its conducted and contested as well. But it will be even more of a teachable phenomenon for the fact that the defeated captain expeditiously engaged the winner in a peaceful ‘good job’ handshake with no tragedy-inducing, sore-loser battle cries.

Nigerians took in several campaign promises, voted their wishes, and commendably switched gears in the continuing search for the best version of their nation. Soon it will be up to the new team to ramp up and speed up progress on this front. Ultimately, what is achieved or lost will depend on what tune the new team dances to, and what band plays in the governance ballroom. What is not in doubt now is that on the essential front, Nigeria is about to become Buhari Country and all Nigerians are on the road to becoming Buhari People. The inescapable implication is that at the collective level, Nigerians will soon be either incrementally empowered or disempowered by the operating Buhari Doctrine. And guess what? Other than Nigerians at home and elsewhere, the CNNs, the BBCs, the Economists, the social media, and the financial world will all be watching, talking, writing, valuing and devaluing in line with what they perceive, hear and see. In summary, what the Buhari team conceives, says, does, or fails to do will all either dovetail into wings with which Nigeria will fly higher, or become the ubiquitous sharp object that caps Nigeria’s wings and sabotages flight. Policies do have real social and economic implications, it turns out.

Who will lend us heart for the gig?

Will Buhari remap Nigeria’s outmoded mission playing field or just paper over its massive cracks and loopholes? Will he air out and socialize Nigeria’s sticky ship of state and pull the nation closer together, or fan the embers of division? Will Buhari now feed starving Nigerian kids or continue to feed the East-West-North-South appetites of Nigeria’s pot-belly political landlords? Will Buhari govern toward a greater Nigeria or dance to the tunes of tribal thriller seeking, religion-peddling and money mongering silo veterans? As these questions saturate the Nigerian psyche, even folks who consider themselves far from being the praying types seem to instinctively pray for both Buhari and the nation.

To preempt Buhari’s governance strategy template, let us return to the essence of the existing Nigerian vision playbook for a moment. The stated vision underpinning Nigeria’s search for its best self is a nation making solid investment toward attaining “great lofty heights,” and building a society that does not shortchange or deceive its youth. Unfortunately, Nigeria has so far scored pretty low on both counts. The elders have proven to be unabashed masters at feeding fat on their grand children’s lunch, the sages equivocate repeatedly for all the wrong reasons, and the statesmen have remained adept at the foxy art of squirreling away the people’s harvests.

Nigerians continue to be promised a nation where leaders “serve with heart and might,” and where “peace and justice” are much more than mere ingredients of empty slogans. So far, this pledge has remained a feast on words rich in poetry but empty of religion. Rather than serve with any appreciable measure of commitment, too many of Nigeria’s front liners still seek to be served on their ‘big-me-small-you’ altars, and many more sleepily occupy very substantive positions with no clear job definitions and no conscience for the mission. Given the history as Nigerians have known it for several years now, what can reasonably be expected when Buhari is handed the mantle? Will Buhari successfully focus his associates on really walking the talk now? Will he turbo-charge Nigeria’s operating economic engine and create the momentum for across-the-board creativity? Will he engage only gatekeepers with ‘heart and might’ focus on what really matters to Nigerians?

To govern a nation from grassroots to greatness is a monumental task no doubt, but this is precisely what meaningful leadership CHANGE entails. Nigeria needs a wholesome economic remodeling that is underpinned by an even more urgent need for philosophical course charting. Hopefully, the thirst to champion this deep-digging will prove to be the ONE and ONLY opportunity that Buhari wanted so badly that he applied and interviewed for the job multiple times.

Buhari’s immediate challenge ought to be clear to both the come-back-kid himself and to all Nigerians. How does the man of the hour hit the ground running On ALL FRONTS so Nigerian everywhere can follow his lead? How does Buhari retool the racetracks so the end result of all the running and cheering is the bagging of medals of honor rather than ones of ill repute? Hopefully, the new administration will not be one more that largely starts and ends in political high offices and television screens, until election seasons return. Nigerians must now be engaged fully by their government. And they must be challenged to bring their ‘A’ game by leaders who lead by example rather than by words not backed by boots-on-ground commitment.

Who obeys when Nigeria calls for center players?

How does Buhari the man evolve into Buhari the grandmaster of Nigeria’s renewed corporate call (for nationhood) obeyed? How does the President-Elect begin to unpack his campaign promises into a reality-checked and actionable vision roadmap? How do we go from a vision map to orchestrating credible and purpose-driven steps with the power of rippling synergy across the entire nation? How does the new administration elevate the dynamism of competitiveness, meritocracy and boundless industry? How does Buhari plan to relegate the divisive and inherently corrupting culture of ethnic and chieftaincy mentality in national affairs?

The result of each step the Buhari team models ought to be easily analyzable in terms of sound cost-benefit justification. Whether it is a move aimed at reducing unemployment or one aimed at diversifying the economy, the focus must be on governing with certifiable data rather than with childlike suppositions. Ultimately, passing grade must be reserved for only actions that add independently verifiable value to the system. And if Nigeria’s much talked about fight against corruption is to be elevated above the comical, the cash flow financing all levels of Nigeria’s governance processes ought to become transparent enough to be explainable to a 10 year old. If not, corruption will quickly resurge and high-five its club patrons with renewed exuberance, wearing a different garb no doubt, but still wreaking the havoc that all swear is what impoverishes Nigerians and hurts the national stock price the most.

The ultimate gift exchange

Nigerians and Buhari have consummated a very pivotal gift exchange. Since this exchange marks the very important beginning of a new era, it is vital that no one misses the inherent import of the changing season. On the one hand, Nigerians have re-gifted Buhari with the hallowed privilege of leading their nation’s so far checkered quest to defeat mediocrity and emerge as a substantive global player on both the economic and social fronts. Buhari and his team need to understand the driving spirit behind this quest for what it really is, particularly with regards to the Nigerian youth seeking to play honorably and successfully in a globalized world.

Simply stated, young Nigerians, and of course their perennially hassled parents, have a deep yearning for a national operating code that is anchored on equity, and spurs the inalienable freedom to dream big. Nigerians particularly seek to emancipate from being social dwarfs in their own country. And they have been so undervalued because their leaders operate with foggy lenses and are guided by indecipherable codes that nobody credible will endorse or proudly own.

On the whole, progressive Nigerians thirst to build smart and agile nation able to leap into orbit and finally path ways with its collective ‘backward-ever’ culture. This culture is reminiscent of a splintered society that has walled off its social potential in semi hostile sectional fragments, each fragment seeking to assert itself as a nation. To understand how fast Nigeria needs to dump this culture, try imagining that your hands are uncompromisingly convinced that they are all the you there is. Try imagining also that your hands are equally convinced that your legs and eyes are nothing but enemies that must be cut to size. How far will your hands take you if all they seek to do is keep your eyes shut and your legs tied?

At the other end of the bargain, Buhari has offered his shoulders and asked Nigerians to trust and make him the Chief Architect of their best hopes. Will following him lead Nigerians to their promise? Will Buhari’s vision lenses be magnified enough to see the compelling possibility of the entire Nigerian space? Will his shoulders be sturdy enough to carry Nigerians to higher ground? Some Nigerians categorically retain their doubts, waiting to see to believe. Can’t blame them, can we? Most Nigerians say YES nonetheless, and this is a great launch pad. All told, both believers and doubters seem to end their reflections on Buhari’s second coming with BY GOD’S GRACE or INSHA ALLAH.