thisday0520

16
MIDWEEKPOLITICS
THISDAY • WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2015
Group Politics Editor Olawale Olaleye
Email wale.olaleye@thisdaylive.com
08116759819 SMS ONLY
THE NEWSMAKER
From This Day Shall So Ye Know Them
The introduction, at the weekend, of official portraits and titles for the presidentelect
and vice president-elect, Muhammadu Buhari and Yemi Osinbajo, by
the All Progressives Congress signifies the advent of the “CHANGE” era.
Olawale Olaleye writes
Although reservations still
abound, it is evident that the
“CHANGE” being offered by the
All Progressives Congress (APC)
may have truly begun to dawn
on the system and indeed, in
all spheres of her body polity. Just many weeks
back, the president-elect, Muhammadu Buhari
was said to have flared up with some people
for inadvertently omitting the title, “General”
from his name.
And in doing this, he was said to have
emphasised that the title meant to him what
SAN is to lawyers or Professor to PhD holders.
His reasons, of course, made sense to a
lot of people because the military remains his
primary constituency, whether or not he is now
a democratic convert.
But his handlers have scored another goal in
the management of this rather innately rigid
fellow. For starters, this says a lot about the
psychology of the minders of the president-elect
as against the predisposition of those on the
other side.
It speaks even more to their philosophy and
school of thoughts. Importantly, it shows that
a larger chunk of those on this side (although
there are a few terrible ones) are more organised,
methodical, good planners and often times,
scientific in their approaches. They are good
thinkers with effective strategy.
Preparatory to assuming office next week,
the Buhari team has unveiled official portraits
of the president-elect and his deputy, Osinbajo
replacing whatever has been in existence before
now. The initiative, the team reckons unfurls
the kind of presidential aura that is to come
with the Buhari presidency.
In addition, the Buhari presidency has requested
to be referenced differently from the General title.
This, unfortunately, may have signaled the sudden
death of the initials – GMB – as the man now
wants to be addressed simply as Muhammadu
Buhari, President and Commander-in-Chief of
the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Outside his official portrait, nothing significant
has changed with the vice president-elect. He
shall be known and addressed thus: Professor
Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, vice-president of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria.
This is, however, understandable. Although
like Buhari, who admires his title as a General,
the SAN title means “everything” to Osinbajo
who became a professor at law in his 20s.
But Buhari had to sacrifice his title to signify
change – the kind of change that an average
person can relate with.
“From May 29, 2015 the President-elect
and Vice-President-elect are to be respectively
known and addressed as Muhammadu Buhari,
President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed
Forces Federal Republic of Nigeria and Prof.
Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, Vice President, Federal
Republic of Nigeria,” a statement by Garba
Shehu, Directorate of Media and Publicity of
the President-elect Muhammadu Buhari Media
Team has said.
Interestingly, in giving kudos to the Buhari
team, the transformation effort didn’t start
with the dropping of his General title or the
unveiling of the duo’s official portraits. It started
immediately after Buhari won the presidential
primaries late last year. His outward and inward
transformation through conscious communication
management as well as his wardrobe has been
both dramatic and stupefying.
There is no doubting the fact that the Buhari
that contested this year’s election was not the
one that slugged it out with outgoing President
Buhari…no longer your regular GMB
Goodluck Jonathan in 2011 or the one that battled
either former President Olusegun Obasanjo in
2003 or the late Umaru Musa Yar’Adua in 2007.
The Buhari of 2015 is a brand new one. And
since he set out on this presidential journey, the
Team Buhari has been more than extra-ordinary,
whether in thinking, utterances or even attitudinal
disposition. The transmutation has been wowing,
the same way the choice of his deputy – a cerebral
professor at law has remained an incalculable
asset to the combo. Osinbajo is unarguably a
huge asset to the incoming administration, an
indication that change is impossible in spite of
However, the change in
name, title or portrait is
merely significant; it has
no bearing with the real
change that the Nigerian
people seek. Although
it could point in some
positive direction, it is not
on its own sufficient. Thus,
the Buhari Team must
not forget that it rode on
the strength of a tripod of
palpable national malady –
corruption, insecurity and
the economy – to becoming
president-elect
Osinbajo…still the cerebral SAN
the stifling political and economic environment.
However, the change in name, title or portrait is
merely significant; it has no bearing with the real
change that the Nigerian people seek. Although
it could point in some positive direction, it is
not on its own sufficient. Thus, the Buhari Team
must not forget that it rode on the strength of
a tripod of palpable national malady – corruption,
insecurity and the economy – to becoming
president-elect.
If the change must transform to what the
average man can relate with, at least, in the
first year in office, addressing the scourge of
corruption with a degree of political will and
leadership is not negotiable. Buhari and his team
must not only set example, they must lead by
example, that way showing that they are ready
to deliver on their promises to the people.
Buhari’s image of an incorruptible is not
enough. In fact, a majority of those who voted
for him cannot relate with that track record of
tackling corruption. But they believed the story
and tagged along with the crowd. For this reason
and more, Buhari must let them have a real life
practical experience of what it looks and feels
like to genuinely fight corruption.
Insecurity has become such a menace that even
the lives of those in power are no longer safe.
Terrorism has only stolen the show; the branches
of insecurity, especially the one that seems to
threaten the coexistence of the Nigerian people
are a legion. Again, Buhari rode through this
on the strength of his antecedents as a military
ruler, who warded off external aggressions at
different times. The time and chance are different,
no doubt, leadership must not be found wanting
here either.
The third of the tripod which is the economy
is now a thorn in the flesh of the federating
units. States can no longer pay salaries much
less fund capital projects. It is so bad that the
federal government is seeking a loan from the
World Bank to fund its local budget, while the
governors want a bailout.
Power as a content in the economy is yet
another huge challenge for the Buhari administration.
Three preceding administrations have
“tried” to fix power but ended up frittering away
the fortunes of the country and inadvertently
encouraging corruption as a budding industry
with escalating poverty index. Power, therefore,
for Buhari is not negotiable. What has made it
impossible must be unraveled and addressed
accordingly if the change can begin to sound
and look real.
Clearly, it a desperate situation and the nation,
is evidently in dire strait. Leadership – uncompromising
leadership is the way out here. Yes,
Buhari can offer it only if not hounded on the
grounds of extraneous political considerations.
Change is an everyday familiar word. Ironically,
it is not actionable in the day-to-day living of
the people. But constructive and developmental
change can be compelled through democratic
means for the collective good of all.
This is why the duo of Buhari and Osinbajo
must neither be carried away by the glamour of
office nor distracted by its illusion; the task of
delivering is not negotiable and the contract is
subject to renewal within a fleeting four years.
Only performance – stellar performance – can
guarantee them another chance to consolidate.
However, as the world now knows and
recognises them by their new look and title
being evidence of change – the real change, the
tangible change – will ultimately stand them
out as a manifestation of the expectations of
the people.