Leading Nigerian clerics may have been left out of the rush to set agenda for the incoming Muhammadu Buhari administration. At least, on their social media pages, they are not speaking out.
The servants of God may have resolved to give the President-elect a chance to start governance before giving their suggestions, or they are doing so in private.
Few months before the presidential poll, the social media were awash with messages and contentions from the religious community.
Prominent among the issues was a N6bn bribe allegedly offered to unnamed pastors to campaign for President Goodluck Jonathan, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party.
The controversy attracted a response from the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, who took to his Facebook page to warn those who might have collected such money to return it or face the “wrath” of God.
With less than 48 hours to the swearing-in ceremony scheduled to hold on Friday, there are still no words from the clerics. The streams of gospel messages and prayers that have become regular content on the pages have continued.
But on a general note, suggestions on how Buhari could turn around the country’s ailing economy have continued to trend on the cyberspace. Most of them come in the form of open letters.
Topsy.com, a foreign social media analytical site, on Wednesday acknowledged a letter from a Nigerian student in the UK, Adebanjo Aladetan, as a reflection of Nigerian’s expectations.
In the letter, which has gone viral on blogs, Aladetan advised Buhari to appoint his ministers on acting capacity. He said they should only be confirmed after their competence and integrity would have been confirmed.
“Please re-launch the war against indiscipline; avoid involving corrupt politicians of previous regimes at both state and federal levels. Look for capable hands and competent personnel to man the Nigerian Port Authority. Due to lack of competent leadership, Nigeria has lost billions of dollars to other countries that are able to put their ports in order.
“Huge transfers from one bank to another should be suspended until such transactions are verified by the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. The EFCC should be strengthened for the expected renewed anti-corruption war,” the letter noted.
The author also pointed out the Nigerian Police Force as another institution that requires an urgent reform. He urged Buhari to pay special attention to its leadership with a view to making it more efficient in providing security for millions of Nigerians.
Matched with a transparent justice system, he said, Nigeria would achieve a reasonable progress in the application of the rule of law within a short time.
One Chris Otaigbe, also wrote on Facebook on Wednesday, urging Buhari to check the record of the National Housing Fund. He claimed that proceeds from the contribution alone could fund the country’s most critical infrastructural projects.
“The NHF was promulgated as a decree over 30 years ago. I have never heard or seen a house or an estate built anywhere for subscribers to the fund. Can you imagine how much that fund is worth now? Over 30 years of monthly deductions from salaries of Nigerian workers is huge money. Thankfully, the money should still be safe somewhere. That sum will definitely run into trillions of naira,” he said.
On digital platforms, there are thousands of thoughts on the state of the economy and how Buhari should rescue it and put a smile on the faces of Nigerians. Unfortunately, not much is being said about the incoming state governors, federal and state lawmakers, who will be part of the new regime.
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