The currency of hope
By Ronke Bello
Without doubt, Nigerians are religious and that in itself is great. After all, faith is hope’s greatest ally and with both, anything (good) is possible; that’s why a deep thinker once described the interdependency of both great virtues in this way: “Hope is praying for rain, but faith is bringing an umbrella.”
Napoleon Bonaparte’s famous words, “Leaders are dealers in hope,” remain as relevant as ever especially as amplified by our President, His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the protagonist of the “Renewed Hope Agenda” who recently at a meeting with Corporate Nigeria gave one of the strongest hope sermons of modern age when he asserted that, “The renewed hope agenda is alive and well, for without hope there is no development. Without hope there is no life and without hope there is no salvation.”
Gone were the days when silence was active and passive at the same time, which left citizens more confused. To be effective in this current age, leaders must understand that instilling hope in their teams and citizens can lead to increased motivation, a willingness to tackle challenging tasks, and ultimately, success. Hence, despite the tough time our nation is going through with our administration working ceaselessly to resolve the multifaceted challenges, one thing we can’t take away from the current leader is that he is engaging the people directly and in real time.
The President has said repeatedly that he came prepared and needs the cooperation of all to move us forward and towards that egalitarian society Nigerians deserve; and true to his words, on policy formulation and implementation, we have witnessed the handlers of the economy initiate fast acting policies that have been able to strengthen our Naira, a good development from the scary free fall it was experiencing.
Our hope is to see all other agencies of markets, the consumer protection board, etc. arise to their duties as Nigerians already believe that ours is where whatever (prices) goes up never comes down. It will be good to see prices of foodstuffs, petroleum products and other crucial commodities return to the reach of average Nigerians. Yes, there are still challenges in some areas, especially insecurity, for only people who are alive can be hopeful. But we trust that all is being done to return our country to a secured and peaceful nation. This presidency is busy, the president is busy and hope is gradually (even though suspiciously) being renewed in the people.
The MDAs seem rejigged as programs, events and statements are issued daily, while Nigerians have also come alive by being partners and participants in how they are governed. An instance was the uproar that greeted the new electricity tariff. A policy still being debated and analyzed while Nigerians on Band A are literary counting the promised 20 hours electricity supply, which I doubt any household has enjoyed since April 1st when the policy was introduced. The policy hopefully was thought out; its implementation should now match that.
We have moved from the “God dey” or “Suffering and smiling” era as coined by the late pan-Africanist and globally acclaimed Afrobeat maestro, Fela Aníkúlápó Kútì. Today Nigerians have become emboldened by the renewal of hope. They ask questions, they demand answers and leaders of various MDAs are now daily on multiple media programs explaining and seeking buy-in for their agencies’ policies. Gone were those days that as young broadcast journalists, we pursued government officials and even trip over on long wired microphones and all one got was, “We don’t talk to the press”. Suddenly and helpfully, communication has become the art of governance and in real time. Indeed, it is a new day.
In addition to heads of the MDAs, another Nigerian I would like to salute at this point is Nigeria’s First Lady, H. E. Sen. Oluremi Tinubu (CON). Apart from having hit the ground running with various programmes, especially the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) aimed at uplifting Nigerian women, youths and children, she has also remained very visible and vocal in giving the much needed assurance of hope.
As the first year anniversary of the Tinubu administration beckons, it will be a good place to evaluate how well the government has performed in all areas while receiving a feedback in what has now finally become a participatory democracy. Apart from the traditional broadcast by the President and other social programs (which most times are elitist), it will be good to see well planned various debates, town hall meetings and briefings where the led can interact directly with leaders. After all, leadership and governance is all about the people, for “a leader without followers is only taking a walk” as John Maxwell says.
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Those of us that worked hard as members of the campaign team that brought this government into place should also pat ourselves on the back. Hope was ours to market, and we are eternally grateful to our voters. This hope we must sustain as the government journeys forward.
With due respect to a section of my people in the North, hope might be failing as encapsulated in the 2027 call by some respected leaders. Dr. Bello Matawalle, a true northern leader in every sense as former Governor of Zamfara State and Minister in the present dispensation, immediately and rightly lashed out and even issued a wake-up call to all appointees from the North in the Tinubu administration to defend the government. I think he needs to repeat that directive or suggestion often, because 2027 shall come, God willing, and we shall by God’s grace be here.
In conclusion, I agree with a popular saying that “Words should be weighed, not counted.” As such, no matter how little that whisper is or how premature the issue seems, a leader’s ear must ring with the voice of the people. Nigeria is a great nation and the people a blessed people, our leaders simply need to keep riding the storms, while bringing out the ingenuity and can-do spirit in the citizens; as these will give and establish hope – not just as a mantra, but as an act that through good governance can be seen, felt and touched.
- Bello, Ph.D., an academic, publicist, policy analyst and author, writes from Abuja.