Although many citizens have described President Muhammadu Buhari as a principled leader of integrity, which is what Nigeria needs, the present severe economic situation and harsh impact on the same citizens has hugely affected his popularity rating and public acceptance. To help rescue Nigeria from a general precarious situation and restore positive development, what advice would you give the president as action points?
ABIMBOLA AKOSILE
* What happened to all those Chinese infrastructure deals? Massive infrastructural development is the fastest and most reliable way out of this recession. At least half of our $24 billion foreign reserve should be used to build the road, rail and power infrastructure we need to jumpstart the economy and ensure investor confidence and create jobs for Nigerians.
– Mr. Buga Dunj, Jos, Plateau State
* No doubt, PMB truly is a principled leader of integrity, hence his election to salvage our current ugly situation. To rescue Nigeria from today’s precarious economic quagmire and restore positive development we must honestly re-orientate citizens individually and collectively on our mindset, patriotism, unity, attitude towards all and sundry. We say no to sale of our revenue-generating public assets; instead, agriculture, poverty, the naira, strong regional economies, electricity e.t.c. need urgent attention or invigoration now. God bless Nigeria.
– Mr. Apeji Onesi, Lagos
* PMB must open up. All Nigerians are under his constituency. Super-powers today engage our well-gifted citizens in their God-given wisdom and knowledge to replenish the earth but not so in Nigeria. PMB must go out for those who are there to lead us out of the situation we have found ourselves, rather than listening to people who think they are pure and others are infidels. We are ready to vote for a leader that will lead us to the Promised Land.
– Hon. Babale Maiungwa, U/Romi, Kaduna
* The present terrible socio-economic and political situations in the country seem intractable because we have not made up our minds to do something about them. Our electoral system is flawed and so will always bring in the worst in the society as our leaders. The president needs to involve experts from other political parties and the private sector in his administration.
– Mr. John Ogunsemore, Lagos
* PMB should not downplay the importance of a sound, time-tested economic team at this period of our history as a nation. He should also do more to make government lean and wieldy. A bloated government drains resources.
– Mr. E. Iheanyi Chukwudi, B.A.R. Associates, Apo, Abuja
* The President should see beyond party interest by reshuffling his cabinet because that is the basis of his failing. X-raying Buhari’s appointments so far, you will notice that his political appointments toed the party line and which is against the national development. Therefore I expect the President to dissolve his current cabinet and put the right people in the right place for the sake of development.
– Mr. Acha Moses, Lagos State
* Single Treasury Account (STA) is doing more harm than expected good. There is no money is not in circulation, STA should be discontinued. Nigeria should print her own currency locally, just to get out of recession. America tried the same. Nigerians are eager to know her saboteurs to guard against future elections.
– Mr. Dogo Stephen, Kaduna
* My advice to Mr. President is to adopt household approach and the use of circular flow of income under macro-economics as mentioned by the former minister of finance, Okonjo-Iweala. The Buhari-led government should not be too focused on capital projects at this time of recession. The President, Governors and Local Government chairmen should work in relation to the same goals. People are suffering, not capital projects. Government should stabilise foreign exchange and mixed economy should take place. Lastly, the president should engage experts in economics to manage the system.
– Mr. Obademi Joel, Student, National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Lagos
* No doubt, the president has good intentions but whether he has the capacity or wherewithal to rescue Nigeria out of the present economic quagmire is a different ball game. For a start, the president should run an all-inclusive government where our best and brightest both at home and in the Diaspora will be engaged to resuscitate the economy. Since corruption is cancerous, war on corruption must be total, fought without fear or favour. Above all, Nigerians need divine intervention to navigate out of the present economic recession.
– Mr. Jideofor Paul, FCOE, Zuba, Abuja
* New sophisticated methods of corruption and lootings are being adopted by recurrent high profile perpetrators or criminals especially at the upper houses. Food availability and its security must be ensured to keep insecurity at bay. Energy sector needs overhauling too. Public assets sale must be done with utmost caution. Exchange rates need to be upped urgently. Recession is neither new nor permanent. Let’s check our policies, strategies and learn positively from past mistakes.
– Miss Apeji Patience Eneyeme, Badagry, Lagos State
* Beyond pride and personal motives, PMB can take Nigeria to greatness, if he listens. He should give every tribe a sense of belonging. He should think outside the box to bring in the best brains to serve in his cabinet and reshuffle his ministers. You cannot give what you don’t have; some of his ministers are under-performing. PMB should re-define his economic policy and he must diversify the economy now. Free and fair election is the greatest legacy he must give back to Nigerians.
– Pst. Obinna Osagu, Akure, Ondo State
* He should first and foremost resign.
– Mrs. Blossom Senator-Iroegbu, Abuja
* The president in order to fix the battered economy should close all borders, sea and airports; all the proceeds from our trade and investments should be left in foreign accounts, all the construction companies should be sacked and owners advised to go into politics. Every civil servant in this country must at least go to work once a week and all our law enforcement agents should be drafted to road blocks to check particulars.
– Mr. Charles Egwuonwu, Lagos State
* The President should embrace meritocracy instead of the half-baked brotherly nepotism he is practising.
– Mr. Mark Clement, Calabar, Cross River State
* President Buhari should really find time to get closer to the people and listen to their cries and demands, instead of mouthing bland comments about understanding our pain. The earlier he leaves that insulated cocoon created by his army of aides to feel the actual pulse of the same public that voted him into power, the better he will appreciate how far he has slipped from his vaunted pedestal. He must deliver good governance and create jobs as soon as possible, to avert disaster.
– Mr. Olumuyiwa Olorunsomo, Lagos State
* He was a former Head of State, Elder Statesman for years and contested elections for 12 years. He definitely knows Nigeria like the back of his hand and the way forward.
– Miss Nkeiruka Abanna, Lagos
THE FEEDBACK
Top tip: Revamp infrastructure & policies
Second: Bring tested experts into govt
Third: Listen to the people’s demands
Radical tip: Resign now!
Total no of respondents: 16
Male: 13
Female: 3
Highest location: Lagos (8)
Next Week: Should PMB Replace Some Ministers Now?
Although President Muhammadu Buhari was sworn into power on May 29, 2015, he waited for more than five months before appointing Ministers into his cabinet in October 2015, after a careful and rigorous selection process. Now after a year in office, some analysts believe some of the ministers have not performed to expectation and should be replaced by the President. Do you think it is time for some ministers to be replaced or shuffled, or should they be allowed to stay on to effect the expected positive change?
Please make your response direct, short and simple, and state your full name, title, organisation, and location. Responses should be sent between today (Oct 6 & Monday, Oct 10) to abimbolayi@yahoo.com, greatbimbo@gmail.com, AND abimbola.akosile@thisdaylive.com. Respondents can also send a short text message to 08023117639 and/or 08188361766 and/or 08114495306. Collated responses will be published on Thursday, October 13
