The Fourth Attempt

Dear Buhari,
Four times you contested for presidential elections in Nigeria. At the fourth attempt, we the impoverished masses granted you the opportunity to preside over Nigeria once again. We voted for you at the fourth attempt out of frustration and disillusion. And also out of sympathy. You wept for presidency and our dear nation before the 2011 election.

Today, you have it because the citizens desperately crave for change. For four tenures, the PDP led administration failed us woefully, looted the treasury and left us wondering whether good governance was rocket science. With the trillions of naira squandered in the last four republics, we feel raped and raped and raped.

For four tenures, they told us stories of stories regarding the electricity and energy sector while siphoning millions of dollars to private pockets. What a shame that the cacophonous sound of generators still crack our subconscious each night in Nigeria. What a shame that we still queue at the petrol stations with kegs and cars to buy fuel in Nigeria. What a shame that the ministers of power and petroleum still received remuneration without clear cut terms of reference and evaluation.

We have committed the next four years into your hands. Make the next four years a memorable one. If need be, perform miracle by appointing expatriates to man the ministries of power and petroleum for the next four years. We have lost faith in fellow Nigerian's ability to run this most abused ministries. We can't bear to see you appoint another Nigerian, old or young, technocrat or politician to revive the electricity and energy sector. Previous administrations tried fellow Nigerians four times and failed four times. If you stamp out the monumental corruption in the power and oil and gas sectors and guarantee steady electricity and fuel, be rest assured of our votes in 2019. We the electorate hire and fire at will. You and other elected public officers are our employees.

With a heart full of pain and regret, we urge you to dismantle darkness and scarcity of petroleum products in Nigeria within the next four years. It is your fourth attempt and we assume that you are ready and equal to the task. Sorry if our expectations are unreasonably high. It is because of the manner with which we have been battered and raped by previous governments. We got our eyes on you and we will not tolerate excuses and fictitious stories of stories. Focus on electricity and energy, assemble the best teams to assist you in achieving this belated dream. We don't really care which individual or party is in power for the next for years. We want to hear the polluting sound of generator no more and witness fuel scarcity no more. We are not asking for too much.

If you offer brilliant young people opportunity to serve in your government, we will appreciate you. If you decide to practice gerontocracy, we won't mind. The experience of elders can never be over emphasized. Good governance does not depend on age. All we want in the next four years is tangible result as regards power and oil and gas. We have set the agenda for you. Do not disappoint us. We will not hesitate to boo you out of Aso Rock if we remain in darkness by 2019. Power is said to transient but it belongs to the people. Work for our interest because we voted for your universally acclaimed integrity, honesty and experience. Give us a reason to smile again and become proud of Nigeria. We are highly optimistic that with you on the saddle, Nigeria will be great again.

As the president of Nigeria, we trust your tested capability, we believe your sincerity of purpose but we got our eyes on you. Put your hand to the plough, don't look back and make the next four years positively count for us your children and grandchildren and for all of us. Beware of the sycophants and charlatans who brought Aso Rock to disrepute in the last four years. Congratulations on this victorious fourth attempt. Somebody say baba. Baba!

Uzor Ngoladi is the author of Toxic Eucharist.

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Articles by Uzor Ngoladi