After the election fever, media turn to agenda setting

The Nigerian media have turned to socio-economic and political expectations and setting agenda for in-coming government after the heated 2015 election campaigns, which eventually turned out peaceful.

The Nigerian media had opportunity to flex muscles during the general elections, as the various media platforms – online – social media, TV, newspaper, radio, etc. – were used by the various actors according to their leanings in the heated political campaigns that later saw Muhammadu Buhari emerging as the president-elect. They are using the same platforms, but perhaps not in the same degree, to set agenda and create expectations.

The expectations ahead of the swearing-in of the new governments at federal and state levels will obviously assist to make the in-coming governments guard their loins to meet Nigerians economic desires and deliver the dividends of democracy.

Some of the immediate expectations from the plethora of desires of Nigerians as reported in the media include fighting corruption at all levels, providing constant electricity, creating jobs, ensuring security, building institutions, enthroning discipline, taming the Boko Haram menace, effective civil service, providing amenities and infrastructure development to fast track economic growth.

According to a media report, after the euphoria of their electoral victories, one of the major challenges that will confront the president-elect, Muhammadu Buhari and the new governors is the level of debt stock the out-going administrations will leave behind.

The report quotes the Debt Management Office (DMO) that the Federal Government has a stock of $6.445 billion in external debt (N1.29trn at the rate of one dollar to N200)) and another N7.9 trillion domestic debt totalling N9.19 trillion, as of December 31, 2014. “This is the equivalent of two years budget.”

The report further warns that if the huge debt is not properly managed, it can hamper the delivery of democracy dividends.

A newspaper columnist Obadiah Mailafia said the success of the in-coming president will be predicated on his ability to choose his cabinet wisely.

“While our constitution requires that the cabinet reflects the diversity of our federal system, I do not think that the president is bound to select his cabinet team from those nominated by their state governors. In many cases, the latter have prided themselves in choosing weak candidates as ministers so that they would not outshine politically. It is a pernicious system that has ensured that second-rate people have filled the cabinet to the detriment of people of talent and ability.

“President Buhari has to also take time to put together a strong economic team comprising of technocrats of high ability and integrity. His presidency will rise or fall according to the strength and capacity of his economic team. They have to be people who understand both the imperatives of national competitiveness as well as the demands of our twenty-first century digital industrial civilisation.” Also, according to a media analyst, the level of meeting the expectations will dictate voting in the next elections from the electorate whom he described as more discerning now.

Daniel Obi