Military intervention; never again!
Very dominant in the public domain, especially in the social media platforms in the last couple of weeks was coup scare against the government of President Bola Tinubu.
Even though, the military has stoutly denied the unpalatable story through its Ag. Director of Communication, the fact remains that such destructive and very expensive rumour has some iota of truth.
Also, the Chief of Defence Staff, Brigadier General Christopher Musa has reprimanded the harbingers of the coup scare, labelling them enemies of the country’s nascent democracy, as well as warning them to retrace their steps, failing which the full wrath of the law would brought upon them.
But, the stand of the two military chieftains seem a familiar rhetoric, as generality of Nigerians expect the purveyors of the damaging rumour to have been cooling their kneel by now in the custody of DSS, while awaiting prosecution.
It’s important to note that, such distraction in the nation political sphere didn’t just start today.
Top members of the opposition groups flew the same kite when the collation of results of February 2023 presidential election was on the threshold of been concluded, when it was becoming apparent where the pendulum of victory would swing.
The same group also clamoured for the military takeover or interim government arrangement, a couple of weeks to the inauguration of the President Bola Tinubu.
Are all these not enough circumstantial evidences the security needed to have rounded up these disgruntled elements and agents of darkness?
How on earth would any sane Nigerian canvass for the intervention of military government in this critical time in the nation polity?
For the avoidance of doubt, its military adventurers in the nation polity that have retarded the country march to economic prosperity, political emancipation, as well as general growth & development.
We vividly recall the nine years directionless government of youthful General Yakubu Gowon, who in his height of lack of intellectual acumen and governance-knowhow, affirmed to the global community that Nigeria problem was not lack of resources but, how to expend the resources.
Obasanjo/Yar’Adua/Danjuma era of about four (4) years was less salutary, as the trio and their lieutenants made sure they looted Nigerian treasury of such a quantum that would last even their 4th generation, leaving Nigerian citizenry completely improvised.
Of course, we’re conscious of the state of wreck and collapse the combination of Ibrahim Babangida and Sani Abacha left Nigeria in terms of maladministration and gross mismanagement!
Theirs remain the darkest spot in the annals of Nigeria polity, as the country continue to battle with agony and pains on account of their combined 17 years of locusts, palmerworms & caterpillars brought on all the nation’s facets of development.
At this juncture, it’s also important to make reference to ugly political developments in the entire South American, a continent where military regimes are dominant.
Except in Brazil, all other countries in this continent are been superintended by military junta. From Argentina to México, Chile, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, Uruguay, it’s the same tale of political woes, squalor, poverty, anguish, oppression of the lower class, decades of mismanagement and maladministration, as well as general underdevelopment!
Interestingly, this is the closest continent to United States of America and ordinarily should have their citizens enjoying same awesome standard of living as Americans, but, this is a mirage on account of the continent romance and preference for military government.
Even though, this writer is conscious of harrowing experience of millions of Nigerians consequent upon the worsening exchange rate of domestic currency (₦) against other currencies of the world, particularly ($), the soaring prices of all the food items, the unaffordable electricity tariffs, the astronomical increase in the cost of building materials, the general downturn in the nation economy and the frightening collapse in the nation security architecture, nonetheless, I insist that military intervention is not a plausible and viable option for Nigeria.
It’s instructive to note that Tinubu administration inherited $7 billion foreign exchange obligations, from the previous administrations.
Indeed, the new CBN governor recently confirmed that of the humongous foreign debts, about $2.4 had issues, ranging from invalid import documents, entities that didn’t exist, account parties who requested for foreign exchange and indeed got more than what they asked for, and some that didn’t even ask for any, but, got huge allocations.
On a related note, the disgraced immediate past CBN governor. Godwin Emefiele was embroiled in a ₦30 trillion financial infractions, a huge sum unraveled by the appointed CBN Independent Auditor, Sam Obazee.
The same Emefiele recently returned about ₦4 trillion to the Federal Treasury in a plea bargain transaction.
As I put this piece together, the senate is in the middle of investigating immediate past president, Muhammud Buhari of whopping ₦22.7 trillion ways and means debt, larger proportion of which had reportedly been totally mismanaged and appropriated into private accounts.
There are other breathtaking and mindboggling infractions by the CBN under Emefiele that has necessitated economy to be tottering and almost in the state of collapse.
It was also reported that several trillions of Naira were printed and pumped into the economy without productive backing under Emefiele watch.
Meanwhile, government recently confirmed that billions of dollars meant to fortify and strengthen security architecture were squandered and plundered by the previous regime’s top government officials and top echelon of military.
It’s already in the public domain that this administration inherited an already collapsed industrial sector, as most companies in the country have relocated their business operations to conducive business environment in neighboring countries where the cost of production is much lesser, and security is guaranteed.
There are other challenges the present administration are facing that for want of space, are not accommodated in this Write-up.
The above are the economic, infrastructural and political, as well as social challenges this administration inherited from successive governments.
And, despite the enormity and quantum of the challenges, President Tinubu has since his inauguration, taken the bull by the horns, remained undaunted, unperturbed and undeterred and more importantly, bluntly refused to complain to any one, preferring to move on confronting each challenge one by one.
He’s been to almost all the nooks & crannies of the world in pursuance of attracting investments to the country.
He has almost concluded solving the challenges dogging the path of nation’s refineries.
Dangote Refinery which hitherto has been dilly-dallying with Nigerians is almost back on track. Port Harcourt and Kaduna Refineries rehabilitation are almost completed.
More strikingly, Ministry of Finance and CBN are making valiant and spirited efforts to put economy on the path of recovery. Unprecedented efforts are being deployed at stabilizing the domestic currency, as well as significantly control the spiral inflationary rate.
The regime of synergy in fiscal and monetary policies is back.
The president has declared war on food scarcity, mandating the state governors and concerned stakeholders to work in collaboration for the purpose of bringing an end to the challenge.
The Commander in Chief of Armed Forces recently engaged and warned the Head of Civil Service of Federation and Body of Permanent Secretary(s) on the need to stop forthwith bureaucratic delay that policies aimed at betterment the lot of citizenry always encounter in MDAs. He demanded for immediate result in this regards.
Of course, president has continually been on the neck of CDS, Service Chiefs, NSA and other concerned security chieftains to work in tandem to ensuring the nation’s territorial integrity is fully protected, as well as security of life & properties.
He has given them express mandate to rescue the nation from the clutches of banditry, kidnappers, insurgents and other criminalities that are holding the nation by the jugular.
In a short while from now, we’re convinced that the president will reshuffle his cabinet, replacing those ministers who have no business at all, in this government with new set of men with characters, patriotic zeal, result-oriented, vision and technical know-how who would collaborate and complement him to open a new vista in all facets of nation developments.
This writer is therefore passionately appealing to Nigerians to give this president ample chance to reinvent, rejig, refocus and reposition this nation and turn its economy around, as well as other infrastructures that have become prostrate.
Collaborating with him remains our best option if we indeed desire the nation to enter into a new path of prosperity.
Kola AMZAT (FCA, FCIB, ACTIN, ACS, MBA)
CEO, WKA Consulting,
09077509348
