President Buhari, welcome back from another overseas travel as you return to the Nigerian people who by your own admission are now experiencing harsh economic realities. In fact, they are catching hell.
In recent times, across the Nigerian communities there is unprecedented number of violence-based theft cases with unique style.
In some of these criminal violent incidents, thieves and abductors while operating their crimes make it clear to the victims that they are hungry for food. True.
President Buhari, criminals or what other names you call them are stealing food out of starvation. Some of these armed raiders not only fill their stomachs, but they also take some foodstuffs and drinks as well as their victims.
President Buhari, with food insecurity everywhere in Nigeria, its impact on violence is becoming so disturbing for all. Mr. President you need to be aware that the worst indicator of poverty is hunger.
Mr. President, just some hours ago in Ogun State, Punch News reported that “Gunmen abduct two Ogun clerics, eat prepared food, demand N15m.”
These armed thieves during their raid and abduction “went to the kitchen and ate the food the clerics’ wives prepared with all the meats in the soup.” Sir, you know meat adds to protein which then provides energy and helps build and repair the body’s cells.
Mr. President, your security men including local hunters, are now searching for the hungry thieves and abductors in the bush. Na wa! We are now turning to hunters’ law enforcement agents. Fine, why not just institute State policing now.
I guess soldiers and other security officers will join the search. But here is the good news. At the time of ending this writing, it was reported that the food-happy thieves and abductors have released the two clerics after their families paid N2.2 million ransom instead of the N15 million. This occurred in spite of the ‘efforts’ of the police and hunters to arrest them.
Mr. President, I feel very sorry for you and your administration because you seem to have a distorted psychology of the society and its challenges as you think high aggression tactics by your security chiefs and their operatives can end all these insecurities. That’s a lie -Na lie.
President Buhari, to the amusement of the people and the world your government keeps claiming it is doing its best and succeeding – but the reality does not support it.
As part of the usual denial or blame game you may say that past regimes had the same societal issues but this time it is different. Really.
There is severe food scarcity with prices rising beyond the reach of the people who are equally faced with surging violence, and other all-round challenges.
Not long ago, to the shock of the world, one of your Ministers rebuked domiciled Nigerian civilians, calling them ‘cowards’ for not fighting armed hungry and violent criminals. Incredible!
Mr. President, there is growing public anger over food scarcity and violence, and you do not need to replace your military high command again.
President Buhari, in a psychological brilliant manner you recently said ethnicity and religion are not always to blame for Nigeria’s troubles but the people. You are super right! Our psychology or attitude stinks.
In line with your observational psychology, as we face a deteriorating homeland, instead of sacking respective heads of the army, navy, and air force again, focus on your Ministers.
Globally, you are known as a no-nonsense leader, so, to create a functional system, start looking inside your Ministers’ work. It could be that many of the nation’s policies and interventions are not realistically been properly executed by some of your advisers or ministers.
It is time to start asking for resignations and sacking troubled ministers. As you rightly asserted, let’s look beyond religion or ethnicity and remember that each Minister serves at the pleasure of the president. For example, in the face of worsening civilian insecurity the programs under the ministers of defense and justice are not working efficiently. Heaps of failures are represented all over and under the ministry of interior. Reports on communication and the situation of human rights in the country are terrible. In the areas of education, labor and policing their respective policies are producing lackluster results and highly noted failures.
President Buhari at the end, you alone will be judged about the good, bad, ugly things that happened under the current administration. Nigerians don’t expect government to solve every problem but in times like these we need to see competent ministers.
Especially in those spaces where respective policies have not helped the domestic economy regarding food security, education, employment, and criminal justice. Demand for some resignations now or carry out outright sack against ineffective ministers.
On a psychological note, Nigeria as a young democracy could gain from a system in which the President’s ministerial nominees serve on a temporary basis (first seven months) pending Senate approval.
That will enable the President and the nation to see how liked an acting Minster is, is the acting Minister’s performance liked, how bad or good is the job he or she is doing, and whether to keep them and seek Senate confirmation.
I see this tactic as a very smart way to help the President create flexibility and a chance to see if the acting ministers are the right people for the jobs. It is very important that the President personally and professionally like persons filling different positions in his cabinet. We need ministers who will help the President and Nigeria fight to end problems of hunger, inadequate social welfare, backward education, poor housing, unemployment, jail outbreaks, human rights abuses, poor energy, and insecurity. One way to measure if these ministers are actively working for the people, is for the President to randomly visit their offices as early as 9 a.m. in disguise.
Mr. President, for your notice bad Ministers love it when you travel out. We must be better. You need a good team now. To quote Elon Musk, the South African-born American entrepreneur, we need Ministers that will work like hell!
John Egbeazien Oshodi who was born in Uromi, Edo State in Nigeria, is an American based Police/Prison Scientist and Forensic/Clinical/Legal Psychologist. A government Consultant on matters of forensic-clinical adult/child psychological services in the USA; Chief Educator and Clinician at the Transatlantic Enrichment and Refresher Institute, an Online Lifelong Center for Personal, Professional and Career Development. A former Interim Associate Dean/Assistant Professor at the Broward College, Florida. The Founder of the Dr. John Egbeazien Oshodi Foundation, Center for Psychological Health and Behavioral Change in African settings. In 2011, he introduced the State-of-the-Art Forensic Psychology into Nigeria through N.U.C and the Nasarawa State University where he served in the Department of Psychology as an Associate Professor. The Development Professor and International Liaison Consultant at the African University of Benin, and a Virtual Faculty at the ISCOM University, Benin of Republic. Founder of the Proposed Transatlantic Egbeazien University (TEU) of Values and Ethics, a digital project of Truth, Ethics, Openness. Author of over 40 academic publications/creations, at least 200 public opinion writeups on African issues, and various books. He specializes in psycho-prescriptive writings regarding African institutional and governance issues.
John Egbeazien Oshodi wrote in via transeuniversity@gmail.com
