By Helen Ovbiagele

No matter how mature we are or think we are, most of us hate being told ‘I told you so!’  In the past two weeks I’ve been told this several times by friends, and even two readers who sent text messages to me, along these lines.

While not  actually wringing my hands in anguish/regret  for expressing publicly that this government has a lot of potentials and that I was hopeful that they won’t be distracted, but would perform so well that at the end of their tenure, they would be well applauded,  I do feel uncomfortable that the government is considering at all the issue of tenure; be it longer, or shorter; with or without present rulers benefitting from it.  We have no business touching it at all, let alone want to make it an issue to be brought before the lawmakers.

I was shocked when the matter came up in the news the other week, of some political parties allegedly coming together to recommend a six-year tenure for the president and  governors, instead of the current four-year possible two terms.  What?  How did we get there, I wondered.   Is the issue of  tenure our priority at this time?   Of course, there were accusations of ‘hidden agenda’ heaped on the Presidency, which I’m sure they didn’t enjoy.

Then came a statement saying that the current president and the governors would not benefit from the six-year term, if the proposal is accepted and passed into law.  It would come into force from 2015.  Poor consolation to my disappointed mind!   I was so certain when this administration came on board in May 2011, that since the President has been part of  governance from the centre in the past four years, he knows the diverse problems that Nigeria is facing.

That was why I wrote after he was elected, that he was going to hit the ground running because if you woke him up in the middle of the night to ask what our priorities in this country are, I was sure he would be able to  reel them off without asking an aide or looking at a list.

A friend, not only rang to remind me of that piece, but actually paid me a visit to ‘Ha! Ha! Ha!’ with it in my face.

“So, Helen, what do you think now of the people you said would hit the ground running, and get things moving in the right direction again in the country?” she asked.  “They are seeking for tenure of governance to be extended from four to six years, but as a single term.  Is that part of what you had in mind when you expressed belief in their ability to move the nation forward?”

“Well, this issue of elongation of tenure, though not of  their own, seems a distraction which I never foresaw could happen.  I wonder why they brought it up,” I defended.

“Oho! They shouldn’t have thought of it at all, because it’s the least of our problems.  With the problems of various attacks on lives and property in a part of the country trying to destabilise our lives; bad roads, poor electricity supply, no potable water, floods, refuse everywhere, outbreaks of  diseases, etc, that plague our lives,  the mind boggles when rulers, instead of  seeking effective solutions to them, begin to think of  how long they should be in power.  That doesn’t show focus or seriousness of purpose, granted the fact that staying in power longer is profitable to them financially, no matter the state of our economy.”

“Isn’t that typical male mindset?” asked another friend who was with us.  “They think more of how to hold on to power, or  feed their own pleasure than to address the issue at hand.  Don’t you wonder why a man who cannot take adequate care of  the wife/children he already has, feels he needs to take another wife and have more children?”

“That’s not quite the same thing as wanting the mandate that would let rulers stay longer,” I pointed out.

“The principle is the same, Helen.  It has to do with the inability to know one’s priority, and that’s what happens where you have predominantly male rulers.  They stress themselves so much over trivia, that they have neither the time, nor the focus for things that really matter.  At a time when workers want to down tools, and ground the nation, you want to debate how long a government should stay in power.  How disappointing.  Like you, Helen, I did hold out some hopes for this present administration, because it seems to have new blood in it, but if they’re going to be distracted by the inconsequential, then their score card at the end of the day would be very low.  Let’s hope they will get back on course and begin to perform.”

Well, that’s my ardent hope too.  The president must resist the attempts (there will be some more) of those around him to make him lose focus of the goals he had set up for his administration achieve during the four years he’s been given as president.  He must not allow himself to be drawn into any distracting controversies.  I’m sure those who brought up the issue knew just how Nigerians would receive it.  It isn’t that too long ago that there was an uproar about a third term agenda.  Luckily, sanity prevailed, and the idea was dropped.

As if we don’t learn from past mistakes, this administration hasn’t done even three months yet, and then up comes the issue of how many years to stay in government.   Sorry, I can’t see any reason for bringing this up at all.  I’m sure my fellow lay people on the street share my view on the matter.

Is it thought that the issue of tenure would speed up the rehabilitation of our roads; establish good and affordable healthcare;  provide steady and good electricity supply; provide jobs for our young people; improve our educational system; improve security of lives and property around the nation; make our air space safe; bring down inflation, etc.?  One can go on and on with a list of the things that need urgent attention in our country.

Let the relevant political parties, our lawmakers, the hundreds of  advisers in the nooks and corners of the country, the governors, the president, and others in power, come together, and with one single mind,  focus on moving the nation forward in all aspects of life.

This is not the time to indulge in the ridiculous.  Changing the tenure of  government is not necessary.  After all, we’re copying the system which obtains in the United States, and the four-year tenure has been working for them.  They’ve never considered it a hindrance to good performance.

I’m convinced that a government that knows its onions can turn the country around for the better in less than four years.  It all depends on knowing one’s priorities.