FORMER Commissioner for Information and Strategy in Adamawa State, Ahmad I. Sajoh, speaks with KUNLE ODEREMI on the administration of President Bola Tinubu, core challenges facing the country, and issues surrounding the ongoing efforts by the National Assembly to amend the 1999 Constitution:

What are your expectations in the new year from the authorities, especially against the backdrop of the severe economic challenges Nigerians went through in 2024?

Honestly, things had been really tough for everyone in the country both the government and the citizens. It’s the first full year of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu government. It was the full year that witnessed the gestation period of some of the reforms outlined when the president took over the leadership of the country. Economically, the country went through some painful adjustment that created a lot of hardships. At the level of government, the president tried very hard to institute reforms related to reducing the cost of governance but a political class used to being entitled did not appear to adjust appropriately. Members of the National Assembly and governors of the sub-national entities prefer to carry on in their usual “business as usual” manner knowing that everyone puts the blame for any adverse situation on the president only. However, even when the president makes effort to provide some positive dividends, citizens prefer to see the bad rather than the good. The new minimum wage award, the local government autonomy and the provision of CNG buses are some of the very laudable achievements of the president that are often overlooked. And because these strides are not properly addressed within the public space, their full values have not been exploited by the citizens.

Security remains a major concern, but as in many other areas, improvements are not fully celebrated. The year also witnessed the full deregulation of the downstream sector of the petroleum industry. Unfortunately, those who vehemently called for the implementation of the Petroleum industry Act PIA found it hard to accept the outcome of such full implementation. Two refineries came on stream within the year and for the first time in the history of Nigeria Christmas was celebrated without fuel queues anywhere in the country. Politically, there were some off-season elections, these electoral processes did not increase confidence in the conduct of our elections or the impartiality of the electoral empire INEC. The debate on the tax reform bills is the most positive public discourse to engage the nation. It shows that Nigerians are willing to speak to issues when the need arises. Sadly though, most of those opposing the tax bills are doing so either out of ignorance or as in the case of some of the governors, out of selfishness. But in whole, it is a healthy debate that signposts a vibrant democracy where citizens debate their future. If this continues with respect to other aspects such as budgetary provisions, then our democracy will improve greatly.

Two things had been affecting the polity negatively all year round. One of them is inflation; it is a huge concern. Rising costs of goods and services have almost wiped out all the gains occasioned by the disposable income available to citizens. Perhaps, that’s why President Tinubu made it a core point of the 2025 budget goals. The second issue is the audible noise about lopsidedness in appointments at the federal level. Even if it relates to perception, it is of major concern for bridging the trust deficit between the government and the citizens. In times like this, perception is often the same as reality because hardships erode deep thinking.

How will you like all those issues that came to the fore in 2024 to shape policy direction in the new year, 2025, especially official thinking? 

The most difficult challenge facing the country is the rising costs of food. It’s a major concern for both leaders and the citizens. A nation is like an army, it marches on its stomach. The president has taken several steps to stem the upward spiral of food prices but it’s been Herculean. No government feels comfortable with hungry people as its citizens. So the most trying period has been felt almost all the year round. All other challenges pale to insignificance compared to hunger-induced poverty.

There are indeed prospects of a new dawn. The policies of the government witnessed a gestation period in the year 2024. The coming year will witness the maturity of these policies. Perhaps that’s why the President predicted a reduction in the inflation figure to 20%. The new tax bills will also reorganize the revenue generation template of the government resulting in greater efficiency in tax collection and utilization. Once inflation goes down, revenue goes up and service delivery improves, the nation will witness positive growth. That’s what will herald the new dawn for the country. Other prospects for a new dawn include increased local refining of petroleum products, increased impetus on Agriculture and the plans by the new Ministry of Livestock Development. Overall, the prospects are looking good in 2025

What do you think is wrong with the much-criticized 1999 Constitution? A lot of Nigerians still blame the military for not allowing Nigerians to fashion out a workable and acceptable constitutional framework that should have placed civil rule on a firmer ground.

The whole document represents a major lacuna ineffective governance. For as long as part two that speaks about fundamental objectives and directive principles of state policy is non-justiciable, then we do not have a constitution that seeks to serve the people of Nigeria. Why will the constitution provide certain rights such as the right to education for example to the citizens but make the provision of these rights discretionary on the part of leadership? That is the biggest lacuna in the constitution.

Another major discrepancy is the existence of local governments as provided for by the Constitution. It took the bold initiative of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu 24 years after to use the Supreme Court to begin the process of freeing the LGAs from the vice grip of the governors. Why will the constitution allow such a major lacuna to exist all these years? This constitution provides leadership more entitlement than responsibilities. As a matter of fact it provides little responsibility, but a huge quantum of entitlements and discretionary powers to the leadership at all levels. That is why the leadership even at Institutional level appears to operate outside the aspirations of the citizens. That is also why it cannot midwife nationhood for Nigeria as a country. A nation is a collection of people with shared aspirations and values. This constitution only confers shared aspirations for the leadership and certainly, not the citizens.

On the question of amendment of the constitution, first I don’t believe we need to amend this constitution. What we need is a total review. Secondly, I don’t believe the beneficiaries of the privileges and entitlements conferred by this constitution will ever change it to revert these entitlements to the citizens. What they will do as they have always done is to make cosmetic changes that increase their hold on the power levers.

Will they make changes that confer rights to service delivery to the citizens? No. Will they make changes that reduce the cost of governance? No. Will they make changes that impose transparency and accountability in government expenditure? No. Will they make changes that improve the credibility of our electoral system? No! Will they make changes that eliminate transactional politics which gives leadership to the highest bidder? No!

Will restructure the country in order to provide for greater responsibility on the part of the federating entities? No! These are some of the major changes required to make the 1999 Constitution a document that serves the best interests of the citizens, and because all previous amendments did not touch on these issues. I have my doubts if the current attempt will touch any of these issues.

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