Let us sing a new song

Let us sing a new song, a new song of hope, of revival, of new ethical and moral values embedded in respect for the rule of law and innovative economic policies that respond to the experiences and realities of the Nigerian people. The other day, five Peoples Democratic Party governors defected to the All Progressives Congress. The media reported it as an earth-shaking event and many commentaries fed on it. But in this defection, what is new and how will this change the poor living conditions of the people? Nigerians are still waiting for the APC to tell us what change it hopes to bring to the country if it is given access to presidential power.

The emphasis for the new party should have been to market its policies and programmes as contained in their manifesto. What are the programmes on education, health, housing, labour, etc, as a party that sees itself as a viable alternative to the ruling party? One would expect the APC to have some shadow think-tanks and intellectuals providing alternative viewpoints on raging national issues. How would an APC federal government respond to the ongoing strike by ASUU and the crisis in the education sector? Even though APC is not in power at the centre, it would have been very good to know of its solutions that would satisfy all stakeholders and thereby move the education sector forward. Did we witness strikes in states that are under the control of governments that have now metamorphosed into APC? How did they solve their own labour challenges? Yes, I recall that Lagos State had endless strikes by medical doctors and the government responded by sacking or threatening to sack doctors the same way Supervising Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike, has read the riot act for lecturers. So, where is the procedural and substantive difference? We need best practices worthy of replication from these states so that our hope can be rekindled in a better future in the event they come to power. Nigerians want lively and intelligent debates comparing and contrasting different policy positions so as to leave them with real choices based on a bouquet of alternative frameworks. If however, the difference is that Mr. A removed his PDP dress and wore a new dress called APC, then it is not only unfortunate but shows the lack of depth in the Nigerian ruling class. Are the states governed by the five defecting governors model states in terms of good governance? The new party must therefore unveil its manifesto pointing out the differences between it and the one already in power.

Let me take the liberty of a few examples. We need a road map that will ensure that we stop importing refined petroleum products within four years from 2015. It is not just a road map on paper but one that has concrete directions of financing, sustainability and feasible implementation. If other countries in West Africa are building new refineries and maintaining existing ones, how did they do it and how do we learn or copy from them? Is there a plan for a Nigerian car with a minimum of 60% local input? If the Indians and Chinese are building local cars, what can we learn from them? Can we get the equivalent of a cheap and durable people’s car that is affordable to even those on the minimum wage? What about the housing sector that defines our livelihoods. Is there anyone out there thinking of how to give Nigerians mortgages that will be repayable over 15- 30 years? The current approach of cash-and-carry housing which demands that an individual produces the entire resources needed to build a house upfront is a sham and has led to the serious housing deficit. Since 1999, which opposition party-governed state has created any viable mortgage scheme for its citizens? And who is actually thinking about creating one? Nollywood and our music industry, although dominant in Africa; can our politicians think deep on how to move the entertainment industry to the next level because the industry seems to be stagnating for some years now. I do not mean calling the leading lights of the industry to a meeting and getting them to endorse a presidential candidate. I mean a plan to get the industry to grow and expand to new markets; mechanisms to ensure that artists get paid reasonable royalties for their intellectual property so that more jobs can be created in the sector.

We need a new song in political life and governance. Corruption has reached the high heavens. Is there any direction from the new political party on how to tackle corruption by sending thieves to jail and recovering looted funds, with the thieves made to apologise and government giving guarantees of non repetition? What resources are available to states under the opposition parties and how have they used same? For instance, given the same soil and climatic conditions, how much does it cost to tar a kilometre of road in state A being a member of the new party and state B belonging to the one in power? This information is needed for us to benchmark performance and determine whether we are not jumping out of the frying pan to now jump into the fire. Nigerians are tired of sloganeering, playing on words and whipping up sentiments about the ethnic group, religion, etc of presidential candidates. We need solid information backed by empirical evidence to be able to make an informed choice.

To be factual, the major disagreement between the governor defectors and their party is not about any principles. It is about the presidency in 2015. Who gets what between the regions? It is about control of party structure and dictating to others. The way PDP politics is configured is not about internal party democracy. It is not about giving party members the opportunity to determine their candidates and leaders. It is a culture of imposition and suppression of others. Thus, the governors normally have their way as the “leaders” of the party at the state level. They were un-moveable movers who determined who goes to the Senate, House of Representatives, State House of Assembly and local government as chairmen and councilors. But for many of them, the party structure had been taken away from their control by the overlords in Abuja. So, the issues between them are not about one party member, one vote, it is about who should hold the cane and use same to whip others into line. This indeed is a big shame and there is nothing democratic about a struggle for supremacy in a winner-takes all contest.

Nigeria is in dire need of alternative paradigms and frameworks of development that could be tried since the current ones have failed. We need men and women of intellect, with the right “can do” spirit, nation builders and creative leaders. We do not deserve those who simply aspire to power simply because they believe it is their turn. Pray, their turn to do what? May be, to continue the looting of the treasury. There must be a difference between the old and the new.