Ending the uncertainty over policy direction
Most of the business owners, managers, academics, journalists and diplomats who listened to Kayode Fayemi, former Ekiti State Governor, speak about economic policy direction of the Buhari Presidency at the Lagos Business School (LBS) Breakfast Meeting last week could be excused if they thought the guest speaker represented the president-elect.
They listened with rapt attention as Fayemi, who was Director of Strategy, Research and Policy of the All Progressives Congress (APC), confidently said all the right things the guests wanted to hear about economic management. The ex-governor ranged wide to the admiration of journalists who went to town to report what to expect of Buhari government on economic policy come May 29 the usual inauguration day.
Then came the rude shock when, a few days after, Fayemi denied newspaper reports quoting him as having articulated the economic blueprint of the incoming Muhammadu Buhari administration at the breakfast meeting.
His media assistant issued a statement claiming that: “While it is true that Fayemi was Guest Speaker at the Lagos Business School (LBS) Breakfast Meeting, he was not there as a representative of the President-elect, General Muhammad Buhari, and neither was he introduced as such.
“Aside this, the various “policies” of the incoming administration purported to have been disclosed by Fayemi by the misleading reports, were mere fabrications as the thrust of discussion at the event was essentially on the campaign manifesto of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and how it was successfully marketed to the electorate, culminating in the party’s victory at the polls”.
Like many other well-meaning Nigerians desirous of a clear departure from the drudgery, decision, revision and reversal that characterize governance and government activities in this country, we are surprised with the denial that followed the reports on Fayemi’s submissions at the breakfast meeting.
We are of the strong belief that the incoming government is one that will hit the ground running and this is why we advise that the president-elect should move fast to put his economic management team in place so that the public is not treated to the kind of denial that greeted the commendable and heroic efforts of the APC Director of Policy at the LBS event.
What this denial points to is the absence of an authorized version of APC’s blueprint for governance and, to us, this is capable of raising the degree of uncertainty about economic policy direction.
The truth is that, notwithstanding the existence of the APC manifesto, it could be argued that economic issues were not vigorously canvassed during the electioneering campaign which is why uncertainty remains about the details of what to expect.
Perhaps, it is too early in the day, yet pertinent, to ask if there will be policy reversals; whether there is going to be wholesale jettisoning of President Jonathan’s economic policies.
Fayemi said at the LBS event that the cardinal agenda of the Buhari government and the over-arching themes will be security, corruption and un-employment, but question needs to be asked whether we are to expect something different in the light of the denial.
Fayemi also assured that the new government will continue with some of the programmes in the Jonathan administration which are considered successful, citing agriculture, but there has to be a stronger collaboration between the federal and state governments.
He also talked about a very lean government that will involve resolving overlapping and redundant ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) largely in line with the Steve Oronsaye presidential committee report.
We welcome this idea and advise that it should not be discountenanced in the light of the denial.