Stabilization of the Naira: President Buhari, Managing Expectations and Overcoming the Sin of Disengagement!

Part One

Leadership is about "First-hand Knowledge" of a given issue - an on-the-spot assessment of major adverse occurrences, empathizing with victims and crafting redress mechanisms as appropriate.

A President must endeavor to confront realities as they evolve; otherwise, they linger and continue to hurt the leadership, causing enormous distractions along the way. President Buhari should not have canceled his planned trip to Ogoni land to flag up the UN-Sponsored clean-up exercise.

Niger Delta is not Sambisa Forest. Gunboat cannot establish the peaceful investment climate germane for an uninterrupted revenue stream as naturally expected from a petroleum-rich region like the Niger Delta.

Make no pretense about it; President Buhari must be seen to feel the pains associated with pollution and environmental degradation. He must exhibit, by any means necessary, a body language that is consistent with the reality or acceptance of the fact that indeed Niger Delta is not a conquered territory.

Addressing or meeting these expectations is fundamental, and it encompasses addressing the lopsided allocation of oil blocks and oil fields executed over the years mostly at the behest of Military dictators of Northern extraction.

Also, the rejection of the Host Community Fund in the new Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) by political leaders from the Northern region is not encouraging. The reasons given by the adversaries of the Clause for their rejection are not consistent with the realities on the ground in the oil-rich communities. A 10% of the net profit made by IOCs doing business in Niger Delta as a set-aside fund for the host communities, referred to as The Host Fund in PIB is not enough to perpetually impede the passage of the entire Bill.

A modern Petroleum regime without a set-aside fund for addressing unforeseen catastrophic occurrences is not sustainable. The not too recent spillage in the Bongo Oil Field in the Niger Delta, as well as the spillage in the US Gulf of Mexico, poses a real test for having a set-aside fund.

In addition, and as a timely warning, President Buhari should not dilly-dally on confronting separatist agitators head-on in their territories with a view to structuring a compromise or restoring sustainable peace.

Managing and Eliminating Disconnect

A situation where a sitting President made more trips to countries outside of Nigeria than he has made to states and cities in his own country exemplifies an attitude of disinterest in the well-being of his subjects.

He didn't go to Chibok to empathize with the family and friends of the returnee Chibok Girls in the captivity of Boko Haram. Family members and the rescued girls were nevertheless invited to Aso Rock. Following his inauguration, the Presidency didn't consider it worthwhile to meet with the parents of the kidnapped girls and the community members. That is the best approach to rekindling hope and a sense of belonging to the grieving community.

Watch President Obama: He has perfected the craft of taking the fight or the message to the enemy's territories. And the impact has been a tremendous success.

On the contrary, our DSS and security agencies who are surrounding our President, would rather he cancel his trip and stay at home for unfounded security concerns, than beef up security around him to meet firsthand with Nigerians. That is the first step to displaying purposeful leadership. It shows that you care. Otherwise, the contrary remains the dominant view. To wit, you love and want their crude oil, but completely deft to the magnitude of their environmental worries. 

President Buhari is not an Emperor. The President's men should realize that and let him loose. Let him loose, guys to feel the love, pains, anguish, affection, and concerns of Nigerians.

The ritualists in the Western region must be placed on the alert. The proprietors of Child Factories (under-age pregnancy for sale) in the Eastern region must be placed on the alert. Heads and Stakeholders of Educational Institutions in Zamfara State must be placed on academic probation. A state whose candidates cannot score more than two or three points passing grade in Federal Unity School entrance examination, when candidates from some other states must score above One Hundred points to pass the same examination, deserve indictment.

Also, University students, academic staff, and non-academic staff in all our universities must be made to understand that the President is not foreign to their concerns and well-fare.

Kidnappers in Edo and Delta must be placed on the alert. Killer Herds-men in Enugu and Middle Belt must be placed on the alert. Ethnic cleansing in Southern Kaduna, Jos, and Benue communities must be addressed.

The President, in addressing each of the mentioned ills, will have to pay a visit to a city at the heart of the crisis to prove to Nigeria that he is indeed in charge - that he can feel their worries. In a similar vein, he must also pick two or three academic institutions for a visit with students, staff, and lecturers. impressing it upon them that no child, staff or lecturer must be left behind.

Talking about the recession; President Buhari, with his presence and body language, can breathe confidence into our stagnating economy for a sustainable revival. The long lines at all the ATMs visible everywhere in Nigeria portray liquidity. In other words, Nigeria's buying power (the market) is real and robust.

Also, consider once again, the profit margin of the Telecom sector, they rake in more money in Nigeria than anywhere in the developing words. Buhari does not need to go cap in hand international fora soliciting for funds. We have the resources, we have the market, and above all, we have oil and gas.

We ought to be better than China if we know what we are doing. We have the resources, entrepreneurs and a huge market for goods and services. China does not have the resources that we have, yet they are prospering and we are hoping.

President Buhari should be engaging and create time to travel out of Aso Rock to socialize with Nigerians. We want to feel your presence, Mr. President. You must be genuinely perceived to be inspiring and caring. That is the Obama Way.

Take a chance on these common-sense suggestions, and I am confident that you will not only restore peace in the country, but the economy will also be rebound on its own. Above all, you will emerge as the best President Nigeria ever had. Merry Christmas.