‘‘Therefore, a new democratic system must be installed. This is a fact that cannot be contested. If Nigeria is ripe for vigorous shaking, it is now! To reverse Nigeria’s steady drift towards imminent disaster, a drastic comprehensive system reconnection is needed”- Quoted in Nowinta’s book, 2009: Where We Are (page 117)
Pebbles with Igbotako Nowinta
In my book ‘Where We Are – A Call For Democratic Revolution in Nigeria’ I indeed called stridently for a democratic revolution in the country, having seen the unparalleled destruction wrought by both military and civilian rulers.
Then on March 28th 2015 via the presidential election, the voters in Nigeria decided to do what they have never done before by dethroning a sitting President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan.
By that singular historic action for the first time in the history of Nigeria a peaceful and commonsense democratic revolution was recorded, thereby bringing into absolute reality what I had called for in 2009.
With the coming of President Muhammadu Buhari as the democratically elected Head of State of a country that has passed through the valley and the shadow of social, political, economic deaths since 1960, many Nigerians have been optimistic for a drastic turn around in governance.
Truly President Muhammadu Buhari has made his vow real about fighting the monstrous corruption ravaging the health of the country.
Today the fear of Buhari has become the beginning of wisdom as hope is gradually being rekindled in the minds of a greater number of Nigerians.
But with the caliber of personalities that made the president’s ministerial list after our expectations have been raised above the roof, I am beginning to see the fact that party politics may not allow him to go very far in cleaning the Augean stables in Nigeria.
Therefore the type of drastic revolution I envisaged in my book may not come to fruition under his tenure as the likes of Generals Olusegun Obasanjo, Theophilus Danjuma and Ibrahim Babangida, etc. are lurking around the Aso Rock Presidential villa to canvass their parochial agenda.
What does Audu Ogbe, Ogbonaya Onu, Chris Ngige, Osagie Enahire, Rotimi Amaechi, etc. have to offer the people of Nigeria afresh?
For crying out aloud because of the level of rot and decay successive administrations have deposited in the polity we need vibrant, focused and uncompromising individuals to clean the terrible state of things with President Buhari.
What has simply happened with the Ministerial nominees already cleared in the Senate is that the President has only compensated those that sponsored his 2015 presidential election campaigns, thereby sacrificing his honest intentions on the altar of partisan politics.
I don’t really blame President Muhammadu Buhari by coming up with the type of characters he listed as his Ministers.
I am sure he was more or less pressurized by powerful forces that made up the historical merger that gave birth to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
In as much as much blame will not be heaped on the door steps of President Buhari, I think he forgot that he has the greatest obligation to the Nigerian electorate that defied all odds to end the clueless and directionless regime of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan on March 28 2015.
The drama that was recorded last week inside the red chambers of the Senate during the screening of the Ministerial nominees to me was a dress rehearsal carefully orchestrated by both the Presidency and the leadership of the Senate.
The drama in the Senate was staged in order for President Buhari’s Ministerial nominees to have a smooth sail like greased pig. If not majority of those that were interviewed would have fumbled before the people of Nigeria.
I saw a situation where the would-be Ministers had been informed beforehand of the types of questions to be put before them. Indeed, I saw many of the Ministerial nominees reading from prepared text.
The likes of Babatunde Fashola, Audu Ogbe, Osagie Ehanire, Ogbonaya Onu, etc. had their way with the Senators because they were able to dramatize their views.
By passing the so called litmus test of the Senators is not enough guarantee that they would be able to work on the same page and pace with President Muhammadu Buhari in his declared war against corruption.
Now that the hawks within the All Progressives Congress (APC) have had their ways or seem to be having the upper hand with the Ministers to be by twisting the hands of President Buhari, the onus now rests with the electorate to ensure that the fight against corruption is not derailed midway.
It is equally the responsibility of the people of Nigeria to demand the removal of any Minister who is found wanting in the business of running the country.
If anybody asks me I will say without blinking my eyes that Rotimi Amaechi will eventually make it in the Senate as a Minister under President Buhari.
In all of this I passionately urge Mr. President never to forget his electoral promise to the people of Nigeria.
President Buhari should never compromise his agenda to fight corruption with professional party men or women.
He should never hesitate to give any erring Ministers under him the boot at the appropriate time, otherwise the consequence will be great.
The lesson of Jonathan’s disastrous governance is still very fresh in the minds of all Nigerians, including Mr. President himself.
Nowinta wrote, Where We Are: A Call for Democratic Revolution in Nigeria
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