Most of the times, letters are means of communication between two parties or thereabout but when it comes to a letter of national interest, it is impossible to keep the public from knowing the contents [of the letter and/or memo]. The writing of letters to the president, admonishing him shed the intention of seeking re-election in 2019, has been trending for a while now. First of such letters that commanded huge interest was General Olusegun Obasanjo (rtd) and some weeks later, we have got the memo from General Ibrahim Babangida (rtd). The two ex-generals highlighted the President’s [and the present administration’s] ineptitude to fashion out good strategies and policies that can help fast track development in the nation hence the call for him (President Buhari) to drop his ambition of ruling beyond 2019. While Obasanjo’s letter made wave with some individuals making profit from its (printed copy) sales in traffic, it is necessary that we ponder upon the salient issues raised in these letters. In this wise, I will like to review IBB’s memo- which, as stated, was written to compatriots and not just for the president alone. The letter is quite weighty and touches upon a whole lot of issues- albeit briefly but pointedly- which border on the state of the nation.

Doing away with the old
One of the major concerns raised in the memo is the need to do away with the trend of making leadership revolve round a particular set of individuals thus setting the stage for a new generation of leaders. Recall that Obasanjo also made a remark in line with this view while on BBC HARD talk. Babangida also stressed the need to incorporate intellectual prowess into governance; so, it is not just about calling for a new generation of leaders but those with the wherewithal and/or potentials to aptly engage the country’s resources and bring about sustainable development and thereby setting Nigeria on the course of greatness.
On the other hand, this very issue should not be about President Buhari alone as it also has to do with political parties in the country. Now, more than ever before, is the time to groom a new set of leaders or search out for citizens [within the party’s framework] who have the qualities to govern the affairs of a multi-ethnical nation like Nigeria. We may not be able to have an Emmanuel Macron in a short while but we truly need something different- the best brains should be allowed to rule this nation.

A new dimension to governance
IBB also pinpointed the need to start seeking new ways of doing ways as he talked about the projection towards a dynamic governance that will be in tune with the times we are in. he emphasized that governance should be brought up to speed with the digital age by engaging technological advances and the input citizenry. In his words; “we cannot continue to use old methods and expect new results”. This very line reminds me of the postulation of Albert Einstein that ‘you cannot solve a problem using the same level of thinking you had when it (the problem) was created’ [paraphrased]. There is a need to make clear cut plans [and decisions] in order to give Nigeria a breather.

Giving the electorates an unbiased platform to express their views
It is interesting to see IBB speak about preserving democracy by allowing the electorates to be more involved in the affairs of the country. He envisaged that every Nigerian is a stakeholder in the political economy of the nation, and as such their voices cannot [and should not] be silenced. Quoting him: “Opinions in Nigeria are not limited to the borders of political elite; in fact, every Nigerian no matter how young or old, has an opinion on any national issue”…”I am particularly enamoured that Nigerians are becoming more and more conscious of their rights; and their ability to speak truth to power and interrogate those elected to represent them without fear of arrest and harassment. These are parts of the principles of representative democracy”.

Security issues
General Babangida also decried the fallen state of security in the nation- a situation that has led to the deaths of many innocent citizens across various states in the Federation; this, especially, is in consonance with the growing concerns over the activities of Boko Haram and the herdsmen. He particularly punctured the Federal government’s claim that Boko Haram has been defeated; emphasizing that the menace of the terrorist group is yet to be wholly quelled. In his view, the military have got to launch a full offensive on the group [in the inner fortress of Sambisa forest] rather than waiting to hit them on the counter. Furthermore, he called for the institution of State Police to supplement Federal Police, and also asked that the Federal government look into installing and/or utilizing sophisticated devices for detecting and fighting crimes.
As one would have expected, the barrage of letters [that have been written in connection with the state of the nation] has been generating a lot of tensions and controversies among Nigerians. In the weeks following the release of IBB’s memo, we have seen the Police declaring IBB’s media spokesman, Kassim Afegbua, being declared a ‘wanted man’ [by the Police] only for the IGP to claim it was not so after a N1 billion suit had been filed against the Police.
Again, Nigerians have been questioning the moral rights of the men- OBJ and IBB- from whom these letters emerged as they bring to the fore their past ills- while they were in charge of the nation’s administration. But then, before we harden our hearts and condemn the message and the messengers, it is expedient that we face the truth about how things really are; for it is only after doing so, we can clearly chart a course for a holistic national development. Obasanjo has written to the President, and so has Babangida written to compatriots- of which the President is also one- and have they raised issues we need to look into [without sentiments]? – YES; I believe they have raised some thought-provoking matters, and we [you and I] as stakeholders in this democratic setup cannot afford to be negligent of that.
You can read the full details of IBB’s memo here:
http://saharareporters.com/2018/02/04/babangida-asks-nigerians-vote-out-buhari-2019-read-full-text