A Nude Yearn for A New Year!

 

Happy New Year to all Nigerians. I align with your naked hearts, bare mouths and unclothed words that convey our candid collective desires of a less burdensome economy and functional society in year 2025 unlike the old year – 2024. What we yearn for are normal things, which unfortunately, have been missing in our nationhood for forty years or more, making the current ‘abnormal’ situation appear as ‘normal’ features of the Nigerian society. Using this and other media to reach those in authority about year 2025, therefore, here is our natural request for a new breath, or fresh air, in 2025 - a nude yearn for a new year!

On one hand, it is a fact that many occupiers of public leadership positions in Nigeria may not necessarily have the quality and character of good leaders. On the other hand, it is fair to point out the reality that many inhabitants of Nigeria are also far from been called good citizens. Despite this dual shortcoming, it is ironical that the latter group (the governed) that receives the shorter end of the stick and is a mirror image of its leaders, has enormous expectations of the former group (Federal, State and local government office holders) whose greater end of the stick is represented by green and/or red official pens and tinted vehicles with green-coloured number plates under the shield of coloured-uniform agents. Due to the global notion that everything rises and falls on leadership, basic elements that can make our country’s governance ‘engine’ more functional and as a result, significantly improve the living conditions of majority of Nigerian citizens are our unambiguous cravings of our leaders in year 2025 – a nude yearn for a new year!

Will it be out of place to desire a ‘complete’ alignment (handshake) of each Nigerian’s National Identification Number (NIN) with intentionally digitized databases of existing service-providers - commercial & other banks; Nigeria Immigration Service; Nigeria Correctional Service; National Social Register & its State equivalents; National Population Commission; Joint Admission Matriculation Board; West African Examination Council; National Health Insurance Authority, State Health Insurance Agencies & Private health insurance organizations; Electronic Medical Records of public & private hospitals; General insurance companies; Nigeria Police Force; State-owned and/or community-run security outfits; Federal & State Judiciary etc.? - a nude yearn for a new year!

If the National Identification Management Commission (NIMC) pulls out a citizen’s name alongside his/her NIN with the press of a computer button, can we have at the end of year 2025, a functional system whereby all the records (non-criminal & criminal) of all relevant services related to that citizen appear on a screen? - a nude yearn for a new year!

Is it possible to put aside doubts of partisan misuse of State police in 2025 by building consensus across political party lines represented in both the red and green chambers of the national assembly and thereafter, the State houses of Assembly to hasten the resolution of constitutional impediments to subnational policing? Can the average Nigerian cop be one professional who is neatly decked in uniform (cap, shirt, trouser, footwears), duty belt (to hold many accessories), bullet proof vest, flashlight, baton, handcuff, body camera,  rubber gloves, breath analyzer (for alcohol detection), radio (for communication), internet-enabled electronic device (for entry & access to certain data real-time), pepper spray, taser gun (to deliver electric shock), knife, ammunition (cartridges, bullets etc.), handgun/pistol holster (gun-holders strapped to belts for safe-holding), handgun/pistol (and not war-like AK 47 rifles)? - a nude yearn for a new year!

Does government (Federal & States) intend to ramp up power generation capacity, investments in transmission infrastructure and phased shift to complete market-determined tariffs by distribution companies? And will 2025 be the last year for Nigerians to elatedly scream “Up NEPA’ – a transgenerational Nigerian slang for restoration of power supply after previous disruptions? - a nude yearn for a new year!

Is there a possibility of practical delivery of a stronger healthcare system with deeper interest in, and efficient strategies to curb unorthodox quasi-health services at patent medicine stores, traditional birth homes, mission homes, and traditional bonesetters? Can the State and Local governments be more empowered legally, geographically, administratively, politically and economically than the Federal government to take on these healthcare regulatory tasks at the subnational level where Nigerians live?  Can 2025 usher in a remarkable milestone in the local production of commodities used for public health programs such as HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis etc.? - a nude yearn for a new year!

Can we have functional local government authorities with elected officials whose legal, geographical, administrative, political and economic paraphernalia are not subjected to the whims and caprices of an emperor Governor but are completely derived from the country’s constitution? Can these grassroot offices resume real time contribution to development beyond payment of salaries of local government workers? - a nude yearn for a new year!

Will the three tiers of government respectively embrace (and be ‘seen’ to embrace) transparent, accountable and efficient public procurement systems that enlist, approve and execute cost-effective contracts for construction of roads, bridges, rails, airports, seaports, government buildings etc.? Can they ensure substantial annual appropriation & release of project funds to contractors to minimize/eliminate prolonged contract durations that allow for criminal & clandestine siphoning & wastage of public funds under the umbrella of “price variation”? - a nude yearn for a new year!

Is it feasible to craft, implement and monitor a sustainable framework for large-scale mechanized farming, irrigation of farmlands, public- & privately owned agro-storage facilities, agricultural insurance, agro-processing factories for value-addition, functional agro-cargo airports and exportation of finished agricultural products for foreign exchange returns? - a nude yearn for a new year!

Can we have shorter convoys of cars conveying political office holders and have the drivers of these official vehicles (like police vans and military vehicles that are ‘not’ on emergency services) obey traffic lights and be well-behaved on our roads? Can the Independent National Electoral Commission ensure that votes truly count? Can we usher in a new education philosophy focused on skills-acquisition and not paper-certification? Will pious Nigerians begin to read their holy books (Bible and Quran) with unbiased minds to understand that fornication, adultery, alcoholism and substance use are not the only 'sins' but that the forbidden list includes contract inflation and several systemic manipulations that clandestinely and fraudulently enrich many political office holders, civil servants and government contractors who turn around to celebrate these immoral acts as smart work or business breakthroughs (or  ‘testimonies’)? - a nude yearn for a new year!

As I close, permit me to use the titles of my monthly articles published in 2024 as a summary of our desires. Nigerians yearn for relief in 2025 in fuel, forex, food, fitness & football. Nigerians want police helicopters at Nigeria’s headquarters to become more useful in hunting criminals than hosting ceremonials. Nigerians demand that those in authority expedite actions towards affordable & stable power, knowing that a generators-driven economy produces generations driven to extremity. Nigerians long for a Federalist nation anchored on fiscal federalism to encourage lucrative liberalism within the 36 states, Federal Capital Territory and 774 Local government Areas. Nigerians request local production for national possession of HIV medications and test kits in Nigeria. Nigerians ask for public service reforms that ignore the highfaluting and ignite the low-hanging initiatives such as an ICT-driven public service with compulsory & functional institutional email addresses, designated phone numbers for all Ministries, Extra-Ministerial Departments & Agencies that extends to public schools, healthcare facilities etc.

All these and more form our nude yearn for a new year. I so submit!

Dr. Adetolu Ademujimi is a Medical Doctor, Health Finance Specialist, Author, Reformer, Coach, Public Policy expert and social entrepreneur who can be reached in Abuja via adetoluademujimi@gmail.com