Gịnị bụ atụmatụ gị iji mezigharịa ọrụ ndị ọrụ gọọmentị ma meziwanye ọdịmma na nnyefe ọrụ?

We would have been guided by my robust reform agenda as encapsulated in 'My Covenant With Nigerians', my policy document that sought to, among others, protect our fragile economy against much deeper crisis by preventing business collapse; our document had spelt out policies that were consistent and coherent. We would have sequenced my reforms to achieve fiscal and monetary congruence. Unleashing reforms to determine an appropriate exchange rate, cost-reflective electricity tariff, and PMS price at one and the same time is certainly an overkill. Add CBN’s bullish money tightening spree. As importers of PMS and other petroleum products, removing subsidy on these products without a stable exchange rate would be counterproductive. We would have been more strategic in our response to reform fallout. We would not over-estimate the efficacy of the reform measures or underestimate the potential costs of reforms. I would recognise that reforms could sometimes fail. I would not underestimate the numerous delivery challenges, including the weaknesses of our institutions, and would work assiduously to correct the same. I would, as a responsible leader, pause, reflect, and where necessary, review implementation.

I would have led by example. Any fiscal reform to improve liquidity and the management of our fiscal resources must first eliminate revenue leakages arising from governance, including the cost of running the government and the government procurement process. I (and members of my team) would not have lived in luxury while the citizens wallow in misery. We would have communicated more effectively with the people, with civility, tact, and diplomacy. Transparent communication with the public is essential to build public trust, which in turn is important to ensure that the public understands what the government is doing. We would have consulted more with all stakeholders to learn, negotiate, adapt, and modify, among other policy goals. We would have demonstrated more empathy. My Reforms would wear a human face. We would have been more strategic in the design and implementation of reform fallout mitigating measures. I would not run a ‘palliative economy’ yet, we would have robust social protection programme that will offer genuine support to the poor and vulnerable and provide immediate comfort and security to enable them to navigate the stormy seas.

SPECIFIC MEASURES We would have undertaken extensive reforms of the public sector institutions to maximize reform impact. We would have placed special focus on security viz: •Commenced on day one, the reform of security institutions with improved funding, and enhanced welfare. My Policy Document had spelt out a Special Presidential Welfare Initiative for security personnel that we would implement •Adopted alternative approaches to conflict resolution such as diplomacy, intelligence, improved border control, deploying traditional institutions, and good neighbourliness. We would have launched an Economic Stimulus Fund (ESF), with an initial investment capacity of approximately US$10 billion to support MSMEs across all economic sectors. How would this have been funded? Details are in my Policy Document. Alongside the ESF, we would have launched a uniquely designed skills-to-job programme that targets all categories of youth, including graduates, early school leavers as well as the massive numbers of uneducated youth who are currently not in education, employment, or training.

Third, adopt a gradualist approach in the implementation of the subsidy reforms. Subsidies would not have been removed suddenly and completely. It is instructive that when I was Vice President, we adopted a gradualist approach and had completed phases 1 and 2 of the reform before our tenure ended. The incoming administration in 2007 abandoned the reforms, unfortunately. The majority of the countries that review or rationalize subsidy payments adopt a gradualist approach by phasing price increases or shifting from universal to targeted approach (Malaysia, 2022 and Indonesia, 2022 -2023). In many EU economies, complete withdrawal often takes 5 years to effect. The gradualist approach allows for adjustments, adaptation and minimizes disruptions and vulnerability. Fourth, implement a robust social protection programme that will support the poor in navigating the cost-of-living challenges arising largely from reform implementation. We would’ve invested the savings from subsidy withdrawal to strengthen the productive base of the economy through infrastructure maintenance and development; to improve outcomes in education and healthcare delivery; to improve rural infrastructure and support livelihood expansion in agriculture; and develop the skills and entrepreneurial capacity of our youth in order to enhance their access to better economic opportunities.

Here is why my approach is different, in plain terms: I believe reform must be judged by one test alone, does it improve your daily life? Any reform that doesn't has failed. My plan is to reduce the cost of energy, transport, and food so your wages buy more, not less. As the manifesto states, reform must be sequenced, supported, and humane, so you are not pushed further into hardship to get there. Government's duty is to protect you and strengthen domestic production, not expose you to shocks.

On making reforms felt in your pocket and home, I have said that a competent government should be able to protect both the producer and the consumer, and that economic reform must have a human face, affordable food, cheaper transportation, accessible healthcare, decent jobs. My plan is to reduce the cost of energy so your salary buys more, reduce transport costs, and reduce the cost of moving food, so your family keeps more of what it earns. I believe every policy, from economic reform to security to social protection, must be measured by its impact on citizens, and that reform must be sequenced, supported and humane, so that Nigerians are not pushed further into hardship in the process. I will not treat budget reviews or reform rollouts as a one-time announcement. I am prepared to pause, reflect, and where necessary, review implementation, rather than assume reforms are working simply because they have been announced.

Nigerians don't just want promises, they want a plan they can measure, and that is exactly what I am offering. On security, I will begin, from day one, the reform of our security institutions, with improved funding and enhanced welfare, including a Special Presidential Welfare Initiative for security personnel. Alongside this, I will use diplomacy, intelligence, better border control, our traditional institutions, and good neighbourliness to resolve conflict, rather than relying on force alone. On jobs, I will launch an Economic Stimulus Fund with an initial investment capacity of approximately $10 billion to support small businesses across every sector of our economy. I will also launch a skills-to-job programme for every category of young person, graduates, early school leavers, and those currently not in education, employment, or training. Alongside this, I have spoken of a financing programme for start-ups and entrepreneurs, to move young Nigerians from dependence to enterprise, from unemployment to productivity, and from palliatives to prosperity.

On police welfare, I am determined to reform and reorient the police into a true public service, moving away from a regime-protection force to one focused on citizens like you. Part of this means demilitarizing the police: gradually ending barracks as the default way officers are housed, and decentralizing deployment so mid- to lower-level officers can serve closer to their states of residence. I also intend to increase the number of police officers nationwide, working toward the international standard of one officer for every 450 citizens, through a phased national recruitment and training programme at the federal, state and local levels. This is how we strengthen community safety and improve the welfare of the men and women who serve. On pension reform, my commitment to pension dignity covers every retiree, police included. I intend to rebase legacy pensions to reflect today's cost of living, correcting years of erosion, and introduce a minimum pension guarantee so that every retiree receives a living income, not one that leaves them living like beggars. I will link pension adjustments to inflation over time to protect purchasing power, and prioritize timely and consistent pension payments across all levels of government. A lifetime of service should lead to security, not hardship.