By Oke Godwin OlaOluwa (OGO)
I wish to congratulate you as you prepare to take the mantle of leadership of this great country. Your Excellency, I understand the past few days will be the most anxious moment of your life. A vision nutured for over 30 years is about to become a reality.
Your excellency, tomorrow, you will be adorn with a new crown and a staff of authority to lead the largest black population of over 200 million people.
Your Excellency, you will be inheriting a country whose debt service obligations has surpassed its revenue. A country with 133 million people living in multidimentional poverty. The 8th most terrorised country in the world with life expectancy of 52 years and 10 million out- of-school children.
Your excellency, As you collect the baton, you are handed an economy with over 50% youth unemployment, food inflation rate of 24%, a foreign external reserve of a paltry 35 billion dollars, a multiple exchange rate regime and current account deficit.
Your Excellency, As you have alluded in your speech, the journey ahead is not a rosy one. Your administration will need to build trust and confidence among Nigerians inorder to implement some harsh policy measures that your administration will be implementing.
Your Excellency, I believe Nigerians will trust your government, if you lead by example. As promised in your renewed hope manifesto, effort must be geared towards reducing the cost of governance. The quick wins, is to give consideration to the implementation of the orosanye report. Also prune the numbers of political appointees and aides to a manageable size among others.
Your excellency, presently, Nigeria has both a revenue and spending problem. A large chunk of government expenditure goes to recurring expenses, with little or no effect on economic growth. In your renewed hope manifesto, you promised to implement a growth based budget, where budgeted expenditures will be tied to growth enhancing projects. To achieve this, you need a team with shared vision, that is armed with the right competency and character. Corruption is a major bane of our underdevelopment. Nigerians will guage your team on their antecedents. The kind of people you appoint will be your first test by Nigerians.
Once again congratulations in advance.
Oke Godwin OlaOluwa writes from Ikorodu
