Open Letter: President Buhari and His War Against Corruption

President Buhari

Dear President, 

I would like to take the time to congratulate you again on your momentous victory in the just clinched national elections. Indubitably, your victory bared the nostalgia and hunger for transformation in our Civic political ecosphere. The change of leadership at the Federal level has odorized, revivified and rekindled the sanguinity Nigerians had about a perkier and more auspicious future. A future in which the rule of law, egalitarianism before the law, impartiality and free exercise of fundamental anthropological rights and fortification would be paramount in the schema of our government cream of the crop. A future where Nigerians would enjoy true dividends of democracy in all corollaries. A future in which all Nigerians would be so euphoric to be acknowledged as Nigerian.  

Nigerians, ECOWAS, Africans, and the world at large at the twinkling believes you can bring to pass some of the most requisite changes to the most populous African nation. There are gargantuan things to be done in Nigeria and I personally do not anticipate you alone to dosage all the hiccups in the country. Conversely, I trust you would be candid enough to fulfill your campaign promises-the promises that netted you the victory. 

I have been following with kin curiosity your recent actions , threads on social media and other sources about certain remarks or utterance you made about fighting venality and the actions you have promised to take on this elongated national epidemic combat. I trust you would do a good job and help us win the fight. Frankly, I am one of the million Nigerians who are campaigning for you to bring back the “War on Indiscipline.” However, in doing so, I wish to bring to your attention some issues to consider as you embark on this bout.  

Firstly, corruption is not a human being to be killed once and it is over. Corruption is a hazardous virus that has eaten deep into the very fabrics of our dear country. Just like every other disease, you need to prudently scrutinize it and come up with a dosage that would work. As a General, you know the sophisticated planning and stratagems that goes into winning a war. The same pragmatic and scrupulous process should be applied in your fight against corruption. Considering how cavernous this cankerworm has eaten into our national DNA, the winning would not be instantaneous but it should be well tussled unequivocally. The strategy should be a long lasting and not an ephemeral solution. 

Secondly, as stated above it is my desire or plea and some others for you to bring back the war against indiscipline. I believe that winning the war against corruption is very sacrosanct in building a prosperous and effervescent nation. Winning this corruption war is an imperative tool in jolting paucity out of the biosphere of the country. However, you should fathom that the political dispensation you are leading is not the same as when you were a military General. This is a constitutional and not a decree epoch. Therefore, always seek to work with and within the demesnes of the law. In your exertions to squall the deluges of fraud and make the nation better please remember to allow the rule of law to prevail. Only then would the nation have long lasting win on corruption. 

In the same vain, this is a dispensation where you would get to work with ministers and other government appointees including the law makers. Some of these people, by dictates of the law reports directly to you or in other words, they are under you. Be sure that those you appoint are clean before the law and the masses. Corruption cannot be squalled if indicted, unclean, or perceived to be corrupt folks are appointed.  

In the past, we have seen where leaders who claims to be fighting corruption ends up using state powers, state resources and state institutions to chase their political opponents instead of fighting the actual corrupt ones-some of whom may even be their political toadies. Do not assent a recurrence of such melancholy anecdote incessant in our partisan hemisphere. In my sanguine heart, I know you can make the nation smile again smugly.  

The avowal of your assets publicly is an excellent stride in the right trajectory. The whole nation expects that you would ask those you may appoint to work with you to do the same. Do not use your power to give insusceptibility to fleece criminals nor impede with felonious proceedings either for or against your stalwarts or antagonists. Your focus on this fight is also very important. Many are complaining that you are slow. Remember that was the very motion your predecessor took and before we knew it, he was dancing to the peeving diktats of his party. You are a man of scrupulousness, poise, integrity, fairness, and inflexibility. I hope these attributes would be conspicuous in your dealings with members of your party, the National Assembly, ministers and appointees, policies as well as the national broad-spectrum irrespective of religion or ethnic affiliation.  

Finally, I do want to let you know that I am patiently waiting at the finish line to celebrate or lambast you depending on your performance on the fight against corruption and extremism and your strides on the development of the country. May your governance be one of peace and happiness. Please do not die in office. The nation is not ready to go through another mourning of a sitting president. Do all you can to be healthy and strong and serve the nation well. People may consider your actions so far as floccinaucinihilipilification. But for me, they are significant and important. God bless you. Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria. 

Human Rights and The Constitution

The world these days spends much of its time in campaigning against the abuse of human right or against the abusers of human rights but little or no time is spent in the efforts to educate those abused, individuals or groups of their rights and how to defend them.

Often, in Africa, we compare ourselves with those of the Western world on how human rights are protected, defended and sustained. Yet we forget to learn the fact that much resources are spent tirelessly to educate the Western infant of his constitutional and fundamental human rights even before he grows to be an adult. Why can't we emulate this?

I found it really parochial and absurd that in modern times like ours, we would spend time debating about whether or not to teach our constitution in schools. There is no other time than now to teach the African child his constitutional rights. Let the African child study the constitution as you would want him to study Biology, Chemistry, English, and Business. Let us change our curriculum and start teaching our constitution from primary School.

For only then we would be assured of a society where education and equality before the law, the

freedom of speech and of opinion would be viewed as a crucial element needed to strengthen our falling democracy pillars including their protection and defense.

The campaign against the exploitation of natural resources by exploitative multinationals and overlords who seek to dispose of the nation's property as though it were their own can never be successful if the citizens don't know their rights and how to defend them. The demand of an end to the situation where unaccountable governments and anonymous institutions make decisions affecting people's’ lives without their involvement would yield no progress when the people do not know the laws that protects them nor how the law system works in the country.

the whole credibility and value of the human rights campaign is underpinned by the participation of these concern and other actors of civil society, through their contributions of expertise and awareness-raising, their monitoring and reporting, and the mobilization of public support. The crucial step to making real progress in our campaign against human rights abuse is the enlightenment of the people about these rights. Therefore, let us resolve to teach our constitution now.