The Portrait of the Nigerian President (II)

By

Sampson I.M Onwuka

"…since 1914 the British Government been trying to make Nigeria into one country, but the Nigerian people themselves are historically different in their backgrounds, in their religious beliefs and customs and do not show themselves any sign of willingness to unite....Nigeria Unity is only a British intention for the country" by Abubakar Tafawa Balewa speaking at the foundation of Northern People Congress in 1948.

The Portrait of the Nigerian President (II)

It’s the money STUPID! Not the APC dreams of winning the elections or the PDP aspirations of winning the 2015 elections in Nigeria. It is probably in the interest of the APC that the elections in Nigeria was suspended, PDP would have easily won the February 14th, 2015 elections, but the outcome may or may not have created the atmosphere of uncertainty. It however seen to suggest that the security forces are concerned about civil disturbances but to what extent and why? The question that received little attention is the definition of the Nigerian leader or any African leader at this point in the history of the world. Portrait of Nigerian President it's not one that is second to anyone, or subservient to any party or compared to any other office?

Drawing inspiration from Egypt and its pharaohs, it is the picture of Thutmosis III (18th Dynastic) that stands out better as a model for Nigerian President perhaps different from others or common to other countries of the World, for a uniform approach to Nigeria which stand which struggles with its past and its future which need to overcome some of the problems of division.The portrait of Nigerian President is one of humility and self-sacrifice, since many of the people expect only so much for him. Yet the expectations have not been exceeded by the survival of the people and the so called status of the country as Giant of Africa need a new flourishing. The man - at least GEJ - should understand that Nigerians must become a different people if the country stands a chance at surviving, be a different tribe, and must be willing to devote their energy towards building their country away from the cultural attachment with Saudi Arabia and other cultures of interest, such that the new energy of land grabbing going in Africa with Euro papers, may be questioned and may be brought to an end. Although the emphasis on State Governors in a three tier Government. 

Thutmosis III lived long before the statement of Paul for new Christians concerning the 'evidence of things not seen' which a new founders from old colonial West Africa considered a theme for their new humanity. Thutmosis III fits this idea and new humanity, and he is arguably Egypt greatest Pharaoh perhaps in competition with Snefu (master builder ahead of Khufu and Sesotris II and his pyramids into Nubia) as opposed to Osiris who would been the number one - perhaps by misfortune through the interference of Isis as opposed to Seth (Thot's high priest) dismemberment of Osiris with his intestines cast into the sea, Osiris could be considered Egypt's greatest in the line of Mene (Narmer), Userkaf and Imhotep. Osiris like his elder (not younger brother) Seth, was not a Pharaoh. Geb their father was still alive when Isis was brought to Egypt as such either of the brothers were Pharaohs at this time or later. Horus' revenge against Seth was perhaps due to the death of Isis in the hands or at the command of Seth.

Greatness is a personal endowment and product of individual experience and resourcefulness, but an interpreted model it's perhaps a product of the official processes involved in discharge of duty, and in this case, the unifying energies of Mene, triumphs of Ramses II, humanity of Sesotris I and II, majesty of Amenhotep, and decided nature of Hatsheput all combine to inspire visions of leadership or any country and its authority. One person whose history shines and stands out is Tutmosis III and to a extent Snefu, and to this special attention is the preeminence of Amosis I, younger brother to Tartas (Tyreon) and Pharaoh of Thebes who renegade on Avaris on a suicide mission and ended up creating a new Egypt and 18th dynastic. It took Egypt many years to fashion out a country from several African tribes or families of large and extensive existence which coalesced into tribes and then a country, and in large and small definition, Nigeria and what I conceive as new visions for West Africa cannot be spared of the charge and the expectations of their offices or society severed from its destiny. This for me and perhaps all Nigerians begins with a Portrait of a Nigerian President.  

Perhaps Ramses II (19th Dynastic) would have served a better model for a Nigerian President, but given his reputations for war and his diplomatic skills, his propaganda materials robs him of his actual material in the annals of the Greatest.   

Washington D.C

But listening to Anthony Ogbo on this situation, he maintained that about 30% of PVC cards for many voters in the South-East and South-South and the workers for the poles in the North are yet to return hence the reason for the postponement. It is still possible that PDP under the sweating problems of Islamic fundamentals would have still carried the day since all expectations of better President somehow converge on GEJ with all his many faults. BUT who doesn't have? In the last elections, 2011, many of the PVC cards in the South-East and South-South were also missing and not ready, and the wealth of resources for CARDS was quite expensive for average Nigerians. In my estimate, people such as Anthony Ogbo should be INEC chairmen or Chairperson given elections and active personal life, above all, necessary requirement for the office is meeting for people well stayed between both parties in spite of his Igbo leniency. Like Chimanda Adiche and Professor Charles Soludo complained, the main issues are not discussed at all, it a story concerning the popularity contest and Nigerians are idle on who becomes President. Perhaps they shouldn't be.

Whether the PDP, APC, or some other parties in Nigeria openly defeats and openly withdraws from Nigerian election, or emerges the winners, there are serious issues which actions and not time will solution. After the events of the first coup in Nigeria and the reaction from Fajuiyi who was Governor of West, his death along with General Ironsi Agu, created a leading conception of the negligible levels of tolerance with Nigerians all of the Country who could not afford to purchase the higher loyalty and love of Nigerians which sparked blind devotion to personal value and worth. Communities that did well understood themselves better than others, and were willing to do what was right for its society and its structure. Perhaps such issues are confined to some knowledge of our past, most perhaps, the legends of these individuals from all class of the society do not encourage the celebration of a New Country which was born with the focus on New Humanity which the new reality of economic ‘advantage’ now adheres.

This postponement will however mean that both parties are likely to spend more money in the Country campaigning for the elections with both parties accusing each other of forcing the hands of the voters. Perhaps it is all what it’s about, forcing the hands of the voters whose freedom will be tied to the central meaning and authority of the ruling party. Some people have raised some delicious issues of spending and the fund raising and it seems remarkable that so much money is going to ensure the stay of the ruling party or have APC go the rounds of challenging that power with equally sufficient amount of money. In some sense, there is no second guessing that money play a central role in Nigeria, a case not different from U.S which beggars the question on which party in the nearer future can abolish the total irresponsibility of spending, or for one of the cases which I consider wasteful spending. The budget from last year was not balanced and Nigeria face several departures from its earliest success with its economy, forcing President Goodluck Jonathan and his administration to borrow, sinking Nigeria into dangerous levels of debts. Apparently both in U.S and in Nigeria, the revolutions of the internet and information systems has not materialized, which is suggesting that addition emphasis on the revolution of political campaigns free from too much money is a necessary motivation, in that spirit, that the use and abuse of internet resources such as Face Book, Blogs, Community Portals, periodic email messages, kindle and online Tweets, and other share points to push limits of information and motivation for a candidate, including official due process space and time which prime time television should provide.

If these areas can be cultivated effectively it will reduce the temptation to raise more money than necessary and forestall the brouhaha that accompanies this levels of political animus. For all we care, there are things that a General Hospital Abonnema needs, special attention including the enhancement of affordable road and water ways which could lengthy the few precious life of accomplished or struggling persons of interest. The death of Muna Obiekwe whose family of reasonable affluent means from kidney is suggesting too much about the system and its profound cost. If the situation requires specific comparison with the past, it matters that medicine and public health its equally important, demands more than the trillions wasted on stupid campaign.

Perhaps other parts of Rivers and perhaps new and affordable housing in growing number of residents in these areas including preventive disclosures of possible virus bound items. Hospital and Medical management, and en-pound for metal equipment and hospitals for physically disabled or mentally re-covering, asylum for people consider longer term recovery programs that the advent of Ebola has more than made the difference and then there is the quality of monitoring investment, for local and foreign investment grade, particularly foreign investment group since the country is already overweight on 70% foreign direct Investment (e) and improving the 'Seaports that will require more than a fair share of foreign investors or individual attempts at re-vamping the Nigeria 34 airports, some of it is out of use.

But for medical insurance (medical insurance) to work, Jobs has to work SS2; Social Security 'make easy the age of social security' at least place the 'Grid System' and sometime in the Past, Forbes - listed five Great Investment that anyone can make in Africa but none the mentioned investment has long life if there is no political stability in Nigeria or the Regional West Africa. The damage to the housing industry is undiagnosed and housing projects promote the credo Re-denomination all these may not happen given the dollar to Naira ratio, and with all due respect to the large house foreign investment – which in real time is not real money – the weight of any nation, particularly developing nation-, is carried by local businesses and local investment and this group which are often neglected amount for the larger percentage of any economic transition of any country. Simply put, develop or encourage the local sector and you will find real time investors more comfortable with long term investment.

Once, it is the due diligence towards enabling Small Business Administration and financial bus stops, small business investing companies and Crowd, or Angel Investing are financial instruments and items that are not purchased from high grounds, it only and gradually transition from one form to another and maturates overtime. No IPOs will suffice the steps if it intends on climbing. The financial instrument from banks and from private investment or financial institutions should be present and running in Nigeria, especially now the traditional lending between business to business and between businesses to private is no longer at ease in Nigeria or in many parts of the leading economies.

The lending business should not be facing competition especially at the very early stages of such country, the current 'Capital Gap' to 'Corresponding Investment Opportunity' is out of sequence in spite of the enormous restriction on Credits in Nigeria, and in the end, start up services between the states are articles or interest in the country, and where the financial department should be making the greatest efforts. Foreign Direct Investment in Nigeria has taken over new forms of administration of office and in many cases and for different reasons, the act of buying a PVC card for 10, 000 Naira in Nigeria it’s as important as job creation in spite of the trillions of naira that is used for other things such as INEC. But this is the country which we find ourselves and why?

Investment in Nigerian markets also requires education and financial literacy and under the new programs slated to meet these projects, there are much more the finance and investment ministers can actually do. We may no longer achieve any form of output in Agriculture if tons of produce from local farmers find their way on the next ship overseas. Like the President once hinted, you cannot place any form of embargo what farmers intend to do with their produce, that it was really up to them. The reason why the area of Agriculture and the production of Soy Milk and other root crops make their way to India and to Asia may be reduced to profits from exchange rate and if the trend continues, accounting for returns on Agriculture which the common citizenry will prefer any day to other things will be quite difficult.

Although the arguments can be made elsewhere about the relative failure of Nigerian Investment group and categories and about the failure of the businesses in Nigeria in current dispensation,….there are investment vehicles that the both ministers; Ngozi Okonjo-Iwela (Finance Minister) and Olusegun Aganga (Investment and Trade) have their business made combined in a rather simplified form of existence and rational, that a look at some of the structural business cycle and orient, involves part of the estimated theory and studied…in helping the growth of local businesses in Nigeria, particularly the area of Investment and Trade. Reading her latest books ‘Reforming the Unreformable’(2012), the involvement in turning round some of the circumstances surrounding these Nigerians in Nigeria, she did not make the argument that her agenda for Nigeria is perhaps an IMF program, used to transition local military economies to free markets. But in the last few months some of her tactics have been tested and some of wonder at the general accounting and audit society, which has no merited the independence or individuality of those in office.

From the regional situation and guarantee of progress, we have a foremost economic plan for 36 states and not A FEW STATES. This is what made ex-president Yakubu Gowon exceptional although for him or in spite of him, NORTHERN Nigerian military authority seem to have blossomed in Nigeria. There are various interest groups from around the world doing business in US, some of the latest fact may suggest that Asia is essentially leading the direct investment clauses for many business interest. One of which is the area that is associated with growing Nigerian businesses from local investment category of Pre-IPO, to standard IPO markets for or from the Nonpoor. Investment in Nigeria is not always projected towards foreign investing crowd many of whom operate under-investigated entities. When they are consulted - assuming they are - they sail from some underground and unheard off board-room to Nigeria, and arrive Nigerian with no intentions of buying regular shares or toe private placement, rather are interest with their papers to buy out preferred stocks in the most lucrative Nigerian businesses.

The lack of faith in the business of these Nigerians in US and Europe is part of the Strain on that economy. Put it clearly, the growth of Nigeria as an economic balance sheet, is one economic community that has a lot to do with. I mean the whole process is so easy that nearly anyone can have a field day in Nigeria as a foreign investor. What the Nigerian Government has done in the past 10 years requires no large frame and looking glass to prove their point about the country. We are suggesting that lack of adequate funding for any of the Nigerian owned but US based institutions and businesses and adding the recent war against illegal bunking of Crude Oil and drugs, there are reduced questions about the future of Nigerian Crude oil. Beginning with (a) Finance and organization with due respect to banks and the debt or equity based interest of the federal government (b) Internet Network Structure which some feel has received attention in the last 10 years, yet has nothing to offer in terms of new programs and software such as Security Software or any programs that allow the rest of us to more about our business.

Someone was asked what are economic advantages of Nigeria to others?

For sure, we may indicate that the seemingly plausible condition that places Nigeria as a poor country, it’s an argument that will impossible to grasp from Lagos or from Abuja, or from Kaduna or Kano, and we mention this (both in what is actually obtainable now and in terms of resources), that even cities such as Calabar and Port Harcourt but I encourage better argument in future with just as clear and concise argument. There is that wholesale dependence on Crude Oil and above all, there is the general lack of DEFINITION on what Nigeria truly is as a people and a culture. The definition await the right President and the right attitude, perhaps, perhaps some Nigerians in later years who may no longer be called blacks or Nigerians, who may perhaps assume other colors. It is here even at this period when Nigeria is turning from the older and poorer ways of doing business to new reality, of founding fathers of the country. Obafemi Awolowo, Alhaji Ahmadu Bello, Alhaji Tafawa Balewa, and by default Odumegwu Ojukwu didn't quite believe in the country and all of them made acidic arguments about the no entity which they describe as Nigeria. Many of them have long left the stage but the seeds of failure and of division which they planted are growing and may yet be harvested in 'grapes of wrath' or perhaps not. This is the destiny that awaits GEJ or Buhari, both of whom are facing decline to earth and gravity in of itself. The puzzle is on the question of poverty in Nigeria and beyond..."To Whom Does the Bell Toll" in West Africa? It tolls on We the Nigerians and our failures.

Nigeria is very young, so young that is not very easy to redeem the Portrait of a Nigerian President from the list of very recent ex-officio. Of course, the more recent belated Musa Yarduwa may for instance rank ahead of Obasanjo, largely because of the man's political wish for country and how he went about it. In essence, we can say that we are yet to find the Portrait of Nigerian President at least in Person and in Idea. If we rate the Presidential ex-officio according to their devotion to public duties, we would have missed the mark on the deciding influences of the Presidents.

Of leaders who made to the office of Nigerian President, three of these names stand out as political examples for our time, if not for the portrait of the Nigerian President. These men are Nnamdi Azikiwe, Shehu Shagari, and A. Tafawa Balewa. I choose these three because of the serious devotion to Nigeria and to people of Nigeria, especially diplomatic devotion. Some will wonder why I placed Shagari ahead of Balewa, and my answer is that in spite of the fact that Tafawa Balewa was a gentleman prime minister, he noted to have been very divisive in many ways and in early years of the Republic. Abubakar Tafawa Balewa speaking at the foundation of Northern People Congress in 1948, he made these comments which has not been forgotten "since 1914 the British Government been trying to make Nigeria into one country, but the Nigerian people themselves are historically different in their backgrounds, in their religious beliefs and customs and do not show themselves any sign of willingness to unite....Nigeria Unity is only a British intention for the country"

Perhaps, only perhaps the next three would be Aguiyi Ironsi, Yakubu Gowon, Goodluck E. Jonathan and M. Buhari. Some will say that Gowon needs to be deleted from group and Babangida inserted among the later three, I agree with them but at the absence of much successful presidents in Nigeria, Gowon is perhaps the best example of Nigerian President, his oversight proved dangerous for the South-East and South-South but his point it’s not to be taken lightly. For it may yet seem that Buhari is the fourth and not Gowon. But times have changed, so changed that if Nigeria in seeking any meaning hint of survival, he must take into cognizance the moral collapse of the world, a collapse that is so Black and White that they may not be able to understand the desperate security conditions of the nation’s let alone begin an Industrial Revolution.