Open Letter to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu
His Excellency
Sen. Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR
President and Commander-in-Chief
Federal Republic of Nigeria
Aso Rock Villa
Abuja
Dear Mr. President,
POWER IS TRANSIENT AND TIME IS SLIPPING AWAY
As we step into a new year, I am compelled to share my thoughts on the state of our nation. As the National Chairman of the Young Progressives Party (YPP), I have witnessed firsthand the struggles and triumphs of our great nation.
I must commend your administration’s efforts in certain areas. The Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, has been a shining light in your administration, driving efforts towards local government financial autonomy. One of the reasons development has been stagnant at the local level is because this tier of government has been hijacked by governors who have turned themselves into emperors, forgetting that power is transient.
However, this landmark achievement will not be complete until the conduct of local government elections is no longer the responsibility of the State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs). This can be achieved if you support our position that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should take over this responsibility for the purpose of equity and fairness.
Similarly, the Minister of Internal Affairs, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has introduced technological innovations in several agencies under his ministry, especially the Nigeria Immigration Service, where passport procurement has become seamless. In addition, the recent introduction of e-gate technology has helped streamline the immigration process and improve border security.
The FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, has also made significant strides in infrastructure development. Sadly, for every achievement he has made in the FCT, he has eroded due to his several indiscretions and impunity in both the FCT and his home state, Rivers. Mr. President, I urge you to call the FCT Minister to order and moderate his actions, which, if allowed to continue, are capable of causing political unrest and further making your administration unpopular.
Despite these achievements, our nation still grapples with significant challenges. The rest of your cabinet members have, unfortunately, failed to impress, and their underperformance has contributed to our economic woes. The current GMD of NNPCL, Mele Kyari, is a prime example of this underperformance, with his failure to revamp our refineries and policy of fuel importation shrouded in secrecy, one of the fundamental reasons PMS is beyond the reach of ordinary Nigerians.
Why you have refused to probe the NNPCL, like you did the CBN, is still a mystery, considering the subsidy scam under the leadership of past GMDs, including Mele Kyari, is partly responsible for the current hardship being faced by Nigerians.
According to the latest World Bank report, more than half of the population lives in poverty, with over 129 million Nigerians wallowing in abject poverty. Under your administration, the inflation rate is at 28.92% as of the time of writing this letter, and the purchasing power of millions of Nigerians has been eroded due to your hasty implementation of the fuel subsidy removal and Naira floating policies, which exacerbated our economic hardships.
The consequences of these policies are evident in the recent stampedes in Abuja, Ibadan, and Anambra States, which highlight the increasing poverty levels under your administration, where food is no longer a necessity but a luxury.
While you continue to appeal to Nigerians to bear the hardship and endure the pains of your anti-masses policies, your actions and those of your overbloated cabinet say otherwise. For a country that borrows to finance its annual budgets and grapples with multi-dimensional poverty, with over 18.3 million out-of-school children, does it not worry you that rather than cut the increasing high cost of governance, you continue to increase the same through needless spending on a new Presidential jet, yacht, SUVs, renovation of the VP’s residence, sponsoring pilgrimages, and debauchery in Aso Rock in the name of refreshments?
The challenges are enormous, no doubt, but you can do more than you are currently doing. The first step is for you to reassess your leadership style and make radical changes in your cabinet. Reviewing your policies on fuel subsidy and floating of our currency may not be a bad idea. Avoid listening to those sycophants in the corridors of power who do not mean well for this nation. It is essential to cut the cost of governance by revisiting the Oronsaye report, and it must be done with sincerity.
We cannot continue to do things the same way and expect a different result. Judicial and Electoral Reforms are inevitable if you must leave an enduring legacy. The latter can be addressed by adopting most of the recommendations in the Justice Uwais Electoral Reform report, in addition to some of our party’s recommendations submitted to the NASS Committee on Electoral reform where we proposed the compulsory transmission of election results to the IREV portal, independent appointment of INEC officials, and unconditional vacation of seats by lawmakers after decamping from the platform upon which they won elections. We are concerned about the threat of Nigeria sliding into a one-party state due to the constant defection of opposition lawmakers to the ruling party and you should be concerned too because of the future of our democracy.
Judicial reform on the other hand must be carried out with patriotism because the perceived rot in the judicial system, which is like cancer, if allowed to fester will eat away at citizen’s faith in democracy. Remember your Excellency, that the judiciary you fail to reform today, while in power may fail you tomorrow, when you are no longer in power.
On the spate of insecurity in the country, we commend the armed forces for their tireless efforts in tackling this hydra-headed monster that has now become an existential threat. While we continue to pray for the repose of the souls of our gallant men and women who have died in the line of duty, you must be deliberate as the Commander-in-Chief to demand accountability in the use of funds allocated to Defence. The welfare of our military personnel must be prioritized with massive investments in intelligence, technology, and modern hardware if we must win this war.
It is demoralizing when our soldiers in the frontline are not well motivated and terrorists seems to be more motivated and in possession of superior sophisticated weapons than the Nigerian military. Mr. President, avoid playing politics with insecurity and do not hesitate to fire service chiefs who fail to meet required expectations.
On the issue of tax reform, it is a wonderful initiative that couldn’t have come at a better time but while at it, we emphasize the need for wider consultation and engagement with key stakeholders to resolve areas of disagreement.
In conclusion, Mr. President, Nigerians have been patient, but their patience should not be taken for granted. Time is running out and according to Robin Sharma, it is slipping away like grains of sand never to return again. As you move into the second half of your current tenure, we urge you to take decisive action while time is still on your side to address our nation’s challenges as highlighted in my letter and consider the suggested solutions for the sake of posterity.
This is wishing you and all Nigerians a happy and more prosperous 2025 filled with pro-masses policies!
Sincerely,
Comrade Bishop Amakiri
National Chairman
Young Progressives Party (YPP)
