Dear Mr. President,
As a concerned Nigerian-American, I am writing you this open letter with a heavy heart. I have lived the past 40 years in a country that strives to work and improve. But my roots are deep in the soil of a country that once worked but now thrives in retardation. This stark contrast gnaws at me daily.
Since Nigeria is an elective democracy, I am taking my constitutional liberty as a citizen, notably the right to freedom of expression, to reach out to you.
This open letter is specifically focused on corruption in Nigeria. I would start with a question, sir: Today, as President of the most populous country in Africa and one of the largest economies in Sub Saharan Africa, what are your immediate plans to transform the lives of individual Nigerians?
I don’t mean in terms of revenues accruing to the state or budget allocations to mega construction projects. No sir. I mean in terms of human development indicators like jobs, average household income, disposable income, access to healthcare, affordable education, decent housing and life expectancy.
It appears to me that however lofty your plans may be in that direction, before you can make any meaningful impact on Nigerian lives, the problem of corruption must be fixed.
Without fixing corruption, Nigeria is like a man working hard to make a living but unknown to him, his pockets are torn and leaking. Whatever money he puts in those pockets falls off without trace. So he goes home empty-handed.
Mr. President sir, you don’t have to look far to see how fixing corruption can lift millions of your poor citizens out of poverty and transform the country. China just did it.
According to the World Bank, China has lifted about 800 million people out of poverty in the past 40 years. That’s an average of 2 million people yearly and this accounts for up to 75% of global poverty.
Chinese leaders did this primarily by fighting corruption in government through tougher laws, stringent enforcement and honest leadership by example. As a result, resources for infrastructural development were not diverted to private pockets; government officials lived just like the people they governed; work ethics improved, patriotism soared. No nation on Earth has achieved what the Chinese did in such a short time. And it all boils down to prioritizing the right values.
There are tough laws against corruption in the United States. For government officials and politicians, upon conviction, it is 10 years in prison without parole, plus $10,000 fine and a possible ban from holding public office. As we speak, a former US President, Donald Trump, is on trial for multiple offenses committed before and during his Presidential term. He is not shielded by an immunity clause. It is unprecedented and shows that the justice system is no respecter of persons.
Mr. President, what is the penalty for corruption by government officials and politicians in Nigeria? Please sir, educate me on these laws. How many have been convicted in the past? Who among your immediate predecessors in government are under investigation or on trial for obvious offenses which you and your aides have said created the economic mess you inherited?
Mr. President, it cannot and must not be business as usual. In terms of corruption, Nigeria is sick like a cancer patient and that cancer must be removed for the society to have any chance of survival. No amount of dieting, vitamins or cosmetics can reverse such ongoing malignancy. It will wear out every other organ unless it is promptly and aggressively removed.
Mr. President, the ball is in your court. You have a one in 200 million chance to transform your country. You said it yourself that it is your turn (“Emi Lokan”). So, as Nike would say, just do it! Don’t pass the buck.
Your enemies are waiting to gloat over you when you fail. They will say, “We told you.” But even if you are not afraid of your enemies, please do it for the sake of your friends and supporters who stuck out their necks for you. They might not survive the shame if you fail.
Former US President, Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR), was known as a transformational leader. He introduced the social security system to save millions of older Americans from dying in abject neglect. He did not stop there. He also introduced the health insurance system by which mandatory deductions from employers, workers and the state paid for decent healthcare for the sick and elderly.
Mr. Barack Obama further transformed the USA by removing barriers in the healthcare law which excluded persons with pre-existing health conditions from fully enjoying the health insurance system. Obama’s innovation, codenamed “Obama Care,” is reputed to have uplifted ⅙ of the entire USA population and created a healthier, more equitable country.
The ultimate question, Mr. President, sir, is: What would the Tinubu Presidency be known and remembered for?
Although I am not a fan of yours, I reluctantly acquiesced to the Supreme Court decision to allow you rule in order for peace to reign in the land.
My humble advice to you is, do not take this chance for granted. Do not lead Nigeria with a business-as-usual mindset. Fix the problem of corruption and you will be the transformational leader Nigeria has been waiting for. Every other thing is secondary.
I know this would be a very difficult task, given your antecedents in business, politics and private life. It is somewhat like committing suicide and class suicide all at once. But then, what are you afraid of sir? What have you to lose at this point? What more does a man want from life than success in his undertakings and a noble epitaph?
You have so far made a success of most of your earlier undertakings. Now you have a chance to face Nigeria’s greatest demon. Will you fight or flee? According to James Baldwin, “…Nothing can be changed until it is faced.” The clock is ticking, Mr. President.
Dom Ikeogu writes from Minnesota, USA.
