It is less than two weeks to the inauguration of the next democratically elected President of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Yet, the embers generated by some highly placed Nigerians as they promote the idea of installing an Interim National Government (ING) immediately after the expiration of the tenure of the outgoing president, Muhammadu Buhari is still festering.
However, equally prominent members of the Nigerian community within and outside the country have lent their voices to condemn and chastise those at the forefront of the campaign.
Many of those who opposed the move described it as retrogressive, undemocratic and undesirable.
The ING proponents may, though, have their points considering the fact that there are so many perceived ‘booby traps’ awaiting the incoming administration.
Some of them identified the unresolved issue of petrol subsidy removal, new salary regime for workers, printing of additional new naira notes, proposed national population census, insecurity and several others.
Many of those opposed to ING, however, openly called on the President-Elect, Asiwaju Tinubu to wake up to the reality of the humongous responsibilities ahead of him.
From all indications, he really needs to think faster than the speed of time and light combined if he honestly wants to salvage what is left of the democratic values the country still pretends to be keeping.
Asiwaju must hit the grounds running and take care to implement policies that will ginger and encourage the people of the country to start believing in governance and government.
One of such issues, for example, is that of ‘petroleum subsidy’. Many pundits have submitted that nothing like ‘subsidy’ exists and if it does at all, it is because all the refineries owned by Nigeria are no longer productive. They have remained like this for over 20 years!
The belief of many is that if the ‘mysteries’ surrounding petrol subsidy is openly unraveled, the people of the country will be enthusiastic to cooperate with the administration.
The most biting of all the lingering challenges being faced by Nigerians is that of insecurity and the signature signs are banditry, kidnapping, armed robbery and others.
As if reading the minds of Nigerians, the in-coming president has announced that he would be taking some ‘hard measures’ immediately he is sworn in.
Already, Nigerians have been expressing their views on this and most of them are, in fact, ready to cooperate as long as he is ready to lead by example and with sincerity of purpose.
It is believed that if Asiwaju Tinubu is able to quickly secure the confidence of Nigerians by taking the right steps at the right time, he will surely be able to put those clamoring for ING to shame and get them to join other well-meaning countrymen and women to lift the country to greater heights.
Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria!
