By Adisa Adelye

Those who voted massively (PDP and non PDP members) for President Jonathan would, no doubt, would somehow unhappy with the names being rolled out by the media on the composition of the Federal Cabinet.  If the list is approved by the Senate, the President should be seen as a shrewed politician and a party loyalist, and not what many of his supporters would have preferred.

If the names mentioned are approved, it is certainly the triumph of party hegemony over national interests.  It is the supremacy of principle of rewards for party loyalists or rejected parties in their respective areas.  If the Nigerian Constitution enjoins each State to be represented in the Federal Cabinet, the Constitution does not tie the hands of the President in the nomination of capable hands outside the political clans.

On the other hand, if the President finds it impossible to form a genuine and strong national government because he could not convince the lively opposition to join him, he might not be wholly blamed for looking inside his own party. It may not be correct to blame him for any type of cabinet he chooses to work with.

Those who prefer a more radical cabinet to tackle serious national issues would fervently wait for divine grace to help President Jonathan to be able to build a formidable team out of the motley crowd of rejected politicians, re_cycled ministers and the neophytes.

The only trust is that the element of ‘goodluck‘ would always be with the President, even when it appears he might be taking false steps.

As it was reported in The Guardian last Saturday, a spokesman of the deadly Boko Haram has rejected the offer of dialogue with Borno State government and the Police.  Many organizations including the formidable ACN party called for a useful dialogue with Boko Haram to preserve the unity and stability of the country in a politically volatile environment.  There seems to be two options to a dangerous situation: a dialogue in a situation where there is a legitimate and constitutional demand and the use of force to suppress anybody or organization that is a menace to individuals and the country.

It is up to the Federal Government to weigh the options and take whatever action is required firmly and quickly.  The Rumanian Government in the 1920s, after fruitless pleas with its terrorist organization, had to call on the military (not police) to crush the rebellion. And it was done ruthlessly and quickly, too.  There should be no threat to the structural foundation of the country either for political, religious or ethnic reasons.

If the present (1999) Constitution is proving inadequate to maintain political and economic unity and stability, President Jonathan should convey a Conference to look into the objectionable aspects of the Constitution or examine in full, how we should exist as a Nation of many Nations.

The exercise could end up as a United States of Nigeria.  In such a desirable conference, representatives of Boko Haram, Delta Militant Group and other agitators can participate and share their views.  Any delay in realizing the threat to the security of the nation is a deadly delay.

However, in a situation where the priority is placed on forming the Cabinet first and other things later, it will be nice and safe to touch on some crucial issues for the attention of the new government.  The old cabinet was accused of being mediocre, howbeit conscientious, to some extent.  It was unable to solve many of the principal issues that would now surface as new crucial issues.

One of the old issues that could not be ably tackled is the subsidy question.  To the old regime, the answer in its very simplistic form is increase in price, like the one envisaged, increase in electricity tariff to attract foreign investment.  The plight of Nigerian electricity consumers (industry or household) who have lived too long in darkness is to pay more because their leaders know no more than increase in price.

What happens if the price hike does not banish darkness as it had been twelve years ago? The infliction of punishment on the Nigerian people is a sad reflection of poor economic sense or lack of it, of a nation which wastes its oil resources on frivolities and expects other frugal nations to solve its self inflicted problems.

The other problem on the question of subsidy is what has not been fully explained as ‘oil subsidy‘ which gulps about N500 billion annually.  The subsidy arises because of imbalance between consumption and locally produced petroleum products.  Since present consumption exceeds local supply, the deficit quantity is being imported at higher costs.

If the foolishly created subsidy is removed as recently advised by some governors, the consuming public will have to pay the difference between the imported price and the local price.  The suffering public which is yet to enjoy the enhanced minimum pay of N18, 000 would face harsh life.  The answer to oil subsidy lies in widening the source of local supply through making existing refineries to work at maximum capacity and, providing extra refineries by allowing the existing marketers to run and invest in new supply points.

It looks as if it is goodbye to the period of bright days and easy monitoring of springtime of the election period, and welcome to a summer of epileptic supply of electricity and rising petroleum products prices.