Since the affirmation of the shambolic election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the legitimacy burden that the 2023 presidential election placed on his victory at the poll has further heightened the fear that foreign countries are skeptical of having any economic ties with Nigeria
By Miracle Egbo
Keyan-born renowned historian, Professor Ali Mazuri in one episode of his enthralling documentary series, The Africans, left lasting impressions on the psychic of many Africans especially Nigerians when he lamented that at a time when the rest of mankind was focused on going beyond the moon, Africans especially Nigerians were rather finding it difficult getting to their villages. However, the erudite historian is uttering something that is not new, still the foibles of individuals and collective existence of Nigerians were aptly captured in the country’s poor state of infrastructure, particularly her barely motorable roads which citizens of the country, with so much in resources and manpower, find difficult trying to travel from one point to another.
Already in what could be described as thick of what is commonly referred to as the ‘ember’ months, which started from September to December, the yearly nightmare for road users in Nigeria has begun. Not to talk of the annual harvest of deaths and life-threatening injuries arising from road mishaps – often avoidable – which has been a recurring decimal in the country’s nondescript roads and its usage.
The analysis of Professor Mazuri as expounded above explains the continuous skeptical economic ties that the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has wrought in the country since he took over as the president. Few weeks after he was sworn-in, he jetted to United Arab Emirate, UAE for bilateral talk. His administration deceptively told Nigerians that visa ban placed on Nigerians had been lifted, and the non- initiated jubilated. Information at the disposal of this magazine revealed that the government of UAE in reaction to the deception as served by the administration of President Tinubu said that she never lifted visa ban on the country, ditto for another deception that the suspended UAE -owned airline would resume operation in the country. An Abuja based lawyer, Maxwell Opara said that the government of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC thrives in lies and propaganda aimed at hoodwinking the innocent citizens who are too docile to think. He argued that the docility of the citizens was traceable to the weaponization of poverty in the country.
It was gathered that while President Tinubu was in Saudi Arabia for another bilateral talk with the government of the country, securing tentatively billions of naira deals with the business community of Saudi Arabia, the Saudi authority in one breath was saying yes to the deal in another breath was cancelling visa given to 264 passengers on board of Peace Airline on arrival into the country. An informed source told Tentacle that the decision by the Saudi in this regard is not unconnected with the way and manner President Tinubu emerged as the President of Nigeria despite glaring evidence that his legitimacy was in doubt.
However, in what appears as a face saving defensive approach to the Saudi-Arabia scam, the Federal Government has alleged that 18 of the passengers had been banned by the Saudi authorities from visiting the country. The response was coming on the heels of the indication that the House of Representative has concluded plans to investigate the remote and immediate cause surrounding the cancellation of visas that have already been granted. Federal Government admitted that the reason for the withdrawal of visas of 159 other is still at large even when House of Representatives has made moves to unravel the visa scam.
A competent source revealed that many foreign countries that are attracted to the vast mineral deposits in the country and other business opportunities due to the huge market and size of the country , these now are skeptical as a result the legitimacy burden that the shambolic conduct of the 2023 general elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC has wrought in the nation, and has forced potential investors from the developed countries to foot-drag in coming to invest. The poetic promises made by the administration of President Tinubu during campaign and his prose governance is already getting on the nerves of potential investors both local and international.
More scaring to these foreign investors are the judgment delivered by the Appeal Court and Supreme Court on the outcome of the presidential election despite compelling evidence that the victorious at the poll had credibility and identity crisis. The way and manner the judiciary shoved the victory of President Tinubu down the throat of Nigerian citizens was a pointer to the foreign investors that whatever agreement reached might not be respected and running to the judiciary for the rule of the law might be an exercise in futility hence their skepticism in coming to the country to invest. Specifically the INEC had given a guideline on how it would deploy electronic transmission of presidential election results on its portal real time. All over the world it is a convention in law that guidelines from the regulatory authorities should be treated as law. But in its desperation to do the bidding of President Tinubu to uphold the shambolic election, the Supreme Court of Nigeria snubbed at the INEC’s electoral guidelines and ruled that the electoral umpire was at liberty to deploy any means of collation despite its earlier assurances. Thus in subsequent elections INEC does not need to issue any guidelines but to do whatever it pleases according to the Supreme Court rule. The bastardisation of this legal convention has put many potential investors to flight .
According to sources, it is very hard for foreign investors to comprehend that alleged certified forger of his academic credentials is allowed to rule Nigeria. Worse still, the judiciary that suppose to correct the perfidy did not instead it told bewildered Nigerians that it does not matter what you did or who you are in the society, once your party has selected you, you are good to go.
The off-season gubernatorial elections in Imo and Kogi states further cemented the believe of Nigerians and their foreign counterpart that Nigeria is dangerous place to hazard investment in country where rule of law has been thrown to the dogs, or country where crime is deodorized if the elite are involved but criminalized if the dregs of the society are involved in the act.
Whatever is the case, searching for foreign investors would remain a mirage if culture is allowed to devour strategy as breakfast in the country. What would attract investors is when the country is seen applying the rule of law in its dealings with her citizens and by extension foreign investors who are ready but the brutish treatment of the rule of law in the country.
