Kperogi: ‘Challenges Awaiting Tinubu’s Administration, Possible Solutions’

As Bola Tinubu steps into the shoes of former President Muhammadu Buhari, the new leader of Africa’s most populous nation is set to face a multitude of formidable challenges.

Tinubu’s stewardship will be assessed on how effectively he navigates Nigeria through these stormy waters.

Tinubu’s presidency must grapple with the four main spheres of Nigerian life that have been significantly troubled: political stability, economic recovery, security threats, and pervasive social issues.

The unity of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the ruling party, was strained during Buhari’s tenure.

Divisions within the party need mending, and Tinubu will need to display deft political finesse to heal these fractures and consolidate the party’s power.

Nigeria’s economy, crippled by the COVID-19 pandemic, will be a significant focus for Tinubu.

He is tasked with managing soaring inflation, reducing high unemployment rates, and improving the nation’s infrastructure, all while navigating the global shift towards renewable energy that threatens Nigeria’s oil-dependent economy.

In the area of security, Tinubu confronts the daunting task of quelling the Boko Haram insurgency, curbing rampant banditry, and mitigating regional conflicts such as the farmer-herder clashes.

These challenges necessitate a robust and effective strategy to restore peace and security throughout the nation.

Despite its status as Africa’s largest economy, Nigeria suffers from widespread poverty and inequality, a challenge that Tinubu must address urgently.

Moreover, he must improve the nation’s education and health sectors, ensuring that all Nigerians have access to quality services.

Popular Nigerian columnist, Farooq Kperogi, in an interview with Naija News took out time to dish out the challenges Tinubu might face and the possible way out.

What Are The Challenges Awaiting The Administration Of Bola Tinubu?

“The challenges awaiting Tinubu are both serious and various. The most obvious ones, of course, are a collapsed economy, endemic and seemingly intractable insecurity, deepening loss of faith in the personnel and institutions of government, and widening ethno-regional and religious divisions.

“These problems have always existed, to be sure, but they metastasized during Buhari’s ruinous eight-year ungovernance.”

What Do You Think The President-elect, Tinubu Can Do To Heal Nigeria Of Division?

“As I pointed out in a previous column titled “Six Agenda Items for Tinubu’s Success,” Tinubu needs to undertake the difficult task of forgiving his traducers, uniting the country, and prioritizing merit and competence in choosing people into positions of responsibility.

“If, by his policies, he is able to revive the economy, create jobs, and renew or build key infrastructures that can make life a little better for people, most of our bitter divisions will begin to heal.

“In times of economic strife and dwindling resources, people tend to remember things that divide them and exploit this to give expression to their frustration.

“That partly explains why Nigerians have been more divided on Buhari’s watch than at any time in the recent past. So, democratizing economic prosperity is a great way to heal the nation. Another way is to be fair and just to all—and be seen to be so.”

How Do You Feel The Incoming Government Would Strive In Debt Incurred By The Buhari Administration?

“Well, since I am neither a member of the incoming government nor even a campaigner for it during electioneering, I have no idea how they will handle the ponderous debt burden the Buhari regime has saddled Nigeria with, but I imagine that it would be one of the severest tests for Tinubu and Shettima.

“But if Tinubu and Shettima live up to their reputation as people who attract the best to their side, I expect that they will get sound economists to help them navigate this thorny issue.

“I am not an economist, so I am not equipped to advise on ways out of the treacherous debt trap that Buhari has set for his successors.”

What’s Your Take On The Call For Zoning Leadership Position In The 10th National Assembly?

“I am an advocate for distributive and representational justice and inclusive governance. I have written several columns about this. In a complex, fissiparous, multi-ethnic, and multi-religious country like Nigeria, we should always strive to give every collective identity a sense of belonging.

“So, my take is that groups that have no symbolic representation in the presidency should get a concession to produce leadership positions in the National Assembly.

“Having said that, I’m uneasy with what seems like the meddlesomeness of the new executive branch in the choice of the leadership of the National Assembly.

“The National Assembly is an independent branch of government that is constitutionally obligated to serve as a check on the executive. If the choice of the leadership of the National Assembly is manipulated by the executive, we would have an autocracy.

“I get that there’s merit in having a harmonious working relationship between the two branches of government, but harmony shouldn’t be achieved at the expense of having a pliant, rubber-stamp legislature.

“Our experience with the infamously malleable outgoing National Assembly should be a cautionary tale. They approved every ridiculous loan Buhari requested and have contributed to literally mortgaging the future of Nigeria’s youth.

“Every branch of government, however virtuous it may be, needs checks and balances. And that starts with respecting the independence of every branch of government.”

Would You Love To Grade The Achievement Of The Buhari Administration?

“You’ll already know the answer if you’ve been reading my columns. The Buhari regime has been one heck of an unimaginably double-dyed failure. It almost has no redeeming quality.”

How Can Tinubu Put An End To Killings In Plateau, Kaduna And Several Other States?

“First, he needs a knowledgeable and disinterested security adviser who has a wide breadth of familiarity with Nigeria’s security flashpoints. Second, his government should start with a conciliatory overture to parties involved in conflicts.

“He should call leaders and major players in the conflicts, hear them out, and work to sincerely resolve whatever triggers animate their unceasing bloodletting all over the place. He should also read them the riot act and mean it.”

“There is no greater enablement of bad behaviour than the knowledge that there’s no consequence for it. In eight years, Buhari never brought anyone to justice for mass murder.

“It’s the single most important reason insecurity has festered on his watch. Tinubu shouldn’t repeat that error.”