What I would do as president,

First of all, I'd be somewhat of a dictator.  Not the Saddam, or Hitler type, but the do-goodder type.  Democracy may get a little democrazy at times under me.  If I manage to escape impeachment, a lot is going to change for the people.

Any laws that hinder progress have got to go. One such law is the current immunity for governors who commit crimes while in office.

No project has meaning, until a goal has been defined.  The goal of my presidency would be to create a better life for the people.

But what does "better life" mean?

To me it means balanced diet. 
Good schools for high calibre graduates. 
Low unemployment rate.
Affordable healthcare.
Personal security.
Freedom of expression.

Besides better life,
Religion will be de-emphaisized.  Religious people are generally not realistic people.  To them, prayer is the answer to everything.  To me, prayer should go hand in hand with a realistic quest for answers.  Get off your butt and do research.  Don't sit around expecting miracles.  We've been expecting miracles since 1960, but am yet to see one.

Contracts.
Policies regarding awarding of national contracts would be redefined.  No payments until a project has been fully completed.  Also, all costing must be within general standards.  No inflated contracts.  Bids would be approved based on the contractor's good track record.

Internet. 
The Internet is the wheel that keeps the world turning today.

Every building in the country must have a phone.  Just as it is in Russia.  I say Russia, because Russians live many people to a building, like we do in Nigeria.
Every building must have a computer/Internet connection.
Every Nigerian must have an email address.  The email service will pay for itself via advertising at the bottom of each mail sent, just as yahoo does.

Electricity. 
Solar power systems would be mass produced.  Anything public would be fully or partially solar powered, e.g. street lights, government buildings, etc.

Quality Education.
R& would be heavily funded.  The best students each year get to shake hands with the president, and awarded automatic scholarships - a reason to work harder as a student.  Hard work = better graduates.

Biochemistry/Agro departments would be funded to research ways of producing fertilizers from local raw materials.  Importation must be reduced to a bare minimum.  With the availability of fertilizer, food production becomes a cinch.  And with stable solar electricity, long term storage becomes easy.

Security.
Inland security would be boosted with a view toward encouraging tourism.  Tourism = more jobs for locals.  More jobs = more tax revenue for the govenment.

Running water.
Water purification using UV/IR rays would be researched.  That is cheaper than the current expensive and tedious method of chlorination.

Crime.
All state spending must be accounted for.  No more public stealing.  This may be easier said than done, but it's not impossible.

Surprise visits would be conducted on public officials.  Traps would be set through watchdogs, while at the same time avoiding entrapment.  Offenders would be made scapegoats.  With this kind of action, even thinking of taking a bribe would send a chill down your spine.

Bribe givers would equally be punished.  A system would be set up for public officials to randomly ask for bribes.  If you give a bribe, you'd be arrested, and your face plastered all over the newspapers the following day.

419 will be eradicated, and Nigeria's name cleared globally.  I'd personally write the script that tracks an email to its source.

Finance.
No system will work without solid computerised banks.  All banks must become computerized within 3 years.

Well, all of the above is well and good, but where is the money for all this going to come from?

1. Balance our trade deficit with other countries.
2. Plug all the loopholes, making it impossible for wanton embezzlement to occur.
3. Make prisoners work for the government while in jail.
4. Introduce fair income/business taxes.
5. Make better border laws, such that import/export activities become less restrictive.  The more money people make via such activities, the more taxes they pay.
6. Develop Tourism.  Tourisms brings in a lot of money.  Hotels become profitable.  Caterers, car rentals, airlines, trains, handcrafters, zoos, Internet cafes, etc, everybody benefits.  Some tourists may eventually become big investors in Nigeria.
7. Charge a toll for using certain highways.  That'd pay for maintenance.
8. Employ successful business people as government financial advisers.  Carry out periodic audits and fire those that aren't performing well.
etc.

None of this can work of course without having a national database that is accessible nationwide, just like a bank's ATM machine.  With easy access to such database, all of a person's records can be documented.  Your general record becomes your credential for doing anything.  For example, in America, your credit history is everything.  If you have bad credit, life is going to be very tough for you.  With databases, everything in the country becomes efficient, and rapidly implemented.

It seems to be a lot for a president to do within 4 to 8 years.  Yes, that's true, but as soon as you lay down the law as a no-nonesense leader, you would be surprised how quickly people shape up to fit their lifestyles to the status quo.

What is original about my ideas?  The short answer is, nothing at all.
So why isn't the government implementing them?  Huh, I wish I knew.

Although the above is for entertainment purposes only, since I'd never vie for a political office, it does show that our nation can be made better if we had true leadership.

So what would you do as president?

This is not a long post oo my brother!!!!!

@ oasis, all you have done is treat symptoms. You have not solved the root cause of the Nigerian and African problem. I want you to read the Article:
"Early Development" by Marvin Goodfriend and John Mcdermott. Nigeria is largely a primitive economy with most people gaining a majority of their living from subsistence means rather than going to the markets. This is because there is little incentive to deal with the market. This lack of incentive is due to little cash in the hands of many Nigerians. Without a strong internal market there cannot be industrialization, because Industrialization is used to meet the increased productivity needs of a strong market. So your first job as a president should be to improve the internal market. All other things will follow by law of demand. Their will be an increased demand for low level workers for productivity of the market. An increased demand for highly educated citizens to meet the industrialization needs that will follow. Its all about free market and creating methods for making these markets very profitable. Nigeria does not have a strong internal market.

@ayanfe

Good comments. I'm rather lost trying to make sense of it though.

When you say

your first job as a president should be to improve the internal market.

, what does that really mean? How do you improve a market without the cheap goods that people can afford to buy?

I'm sure you're correct, but I'm just not thinking at the same level as you. My plan is geared more toward the millions of people in the cities who purchase their food, rather than grow them.

There has to be more people in the cities than there are in the rural areas. So with the availability of cheap fertilizer, the price of food is bound to come down (otherwise, what exactly determines the cost of food today in Nigeria?). Couple that with solar powered food storage systems, and you have a well-fed population. If America doesn't grow anything for the next several decades, they have enough food in storage for the people. We need that safety net too.

@Oasis
I would have love to be ur Campaign Coordinator for 2007 elections. INEC is till registering New political parties.(On a lighter mood).
Honestly, u have dealt with many of the issues that seems to be the needs of the average Nigerian including some possible way-forward to our Micro and Macro economies at large.
@Ayanfe's contributions too isn't bad.

Well, I was just wndering if we can start developing ideas around this issues. I mean take one issue and discuss it extensively, then let our dearest site Admin (Seun) or another person collates the issue and send it up-front. I mean like giving the govt a white-paper, just like Patitos-gang, my humble thots.

@olat

You raised a very important point, which is to discuss Nigeria's issues extensively. I'm sure that has been done time and time again. However, you added that bringing such discussions to the limelight might have some effect. Who really knows. It might just be ignored by our rulers, since any attempt at developing the country would invariably mean that they have to relinquish their embezzlement power.

There are people both at home and abroad with excellent ideas. Unfortunately, ideas never get past being just ideas.

However, can a delegate of overseas-based + home-based Nigerians make a difference if they contact the president? I don't mind being a part of that delegate.

@oasis
Meeting the President, hmmmm, not necessarily important. Atleast not 4 now.
But what about giving a very good write-ups like say if we have a journalist among us that can always articulate our ideas and do a right up on the newspaers (say once every month). We can be picking a conrete issue - Social, political, economic etc. Infact we can even decide to be bring out issues on IT alone (which can fetch us an early recognition, in my oinion). Then I believe we can make our own contribution however little it may be to develop our own country and liberate many of our own pple. Do u know about Patito's gang. A bunch of brainstomers - Friends of Professor Pat Utomi, a reknown Political Economist in Nigeria. Some of the issues discussed in his programme (usually broadcast on TV) have been developed as white paper for the OBJ govt. Atleast I know 2 pple that has featured un his program who are currently in OBJ's cabinet. Mrs Remi Oyo and Oby Ezeskweli. If u guyz can start brainstorming (I hope u'll have time in the diaspora, we home guyz can always support u to make ONE).

I like these posts. I think no effort is too small or too big to make Nigeria better.
The President mong other thungs need to make Nigerian love the country. When you love something you want go all out to nourish it. Most of us dont believe in the country. We are quick to see the negative traits and always choose to be blind to the positive ones.

its easier said than done look being a president is not easy and is more than just making decisions the problem in this country is there are to many bad eggs and those who want to do good are not has much as does who are there to chop money anyway has for me if i where the president i will sentence to life in prison or better still firering squad all past millitary presidents still alive and any one who has ever worked with them and imunnity will disapear

@oasis

Oga, i b like say u wan die young. Anyway u said it all when u said "If u survive the impeachment" because i bet u if u survive that one they will kill u.

For me, My first job as president will be to buy a beach resort at the carribeans and call the oli companies to a meeting to discuss my own derivative fee and finally relocate the FCT to my village.

Then secondly, I will carry Ghana-must-go and enter the senate to "oil the wheel" and experiment on the consitution to see if we can have a third term or mornach. If that does not work. I will turn into a despot, buy praise singers and a good mr. "FIX IT" who will fix all my problems

Oga, i b like say u wan die young. Anyway u said it all when u said "If u survive the impeachment" because i bet u if u survive that one they will kill u.

We're all going to die sometime, right?  So why not die fighting for your people?
Bob Marley, Ken Sarowiwa, MLK, Abraham Lincoln, Rosa Parks, Murtala, etc, all dead, but their names still live on.  Why?  Because they stood for something while alive.

Nigeria will be Great. It is the will of God. If we all start repairing the present mess from our respective tiny corners, we will meet at the center one day.

I agree with the need for independent and sustainable food production. This is an essential component in most industrialized countries where the government more often than not subsidize the farmers. Another important requirement is the need for a basic functioning government, with corruption reduced to a minimum(corruption can never be completely eliminated! ) The government will provide the basic function of (real) taxation, policing and legal protection. And finally power, we need this for any attempt at industrialization, which leads to jobs, which leads to raised standards of living, which leads to less infighting and ethnic/tribal suspicions etc, All of Nigeria's problems cannot be solved in one fell swoop, but any president that can provide these fundamentals will equip Nigeria with a solid foundation for growth and, dare I say it, prosperity.

All of Nigeria's problems cannot be solved in one fell swoop, but any president that can provide these fundamentals will equip Nigeria with a solid foundation for growth and, dare I say it, prosperity.

Very well said.

For those who know some chemistry, there is a type of reaction called Exothermic Reaction. These types of chemical reactions can often sustain themselves energy-wise until completion. However, the reaction needs some energy in the beginning to get started, called Activation Energy.

Nigeria today is like an exothermic reaction that has the potential to do great once it's set in motion. However, Nigeria needs a strong leader that'd supply it with Activation Energy.

I do not want to be made the president of Nigeria.

First of all I will loot as much money as i can to last me incase they impeach me, am not going to opt for bein a messiah, feed my pockets first, other things follow

Hmmmn, you've said much,but i did not see anythng on corruption, you need help when u r dis post but thats part of the solution.

if am made the president of Nigeria,i will make a decree that ''Every girl that breaks a man's heart will be flogged on her bare buttocks 24 strokes of the cane,and any man that breaks a girl's heart will be given a gold mendal after serving life imprisonment for 18 years.

If i happen to get there, i'll murder d spirit of discriminatn,
*make pple work 4 money while free bonus is available.
*Will Neva depend on crude oil
*24 hrs light,
*buy 2 get 1 free,+ve projectn

If I become the president of Nigeria, I will invest so much money into building of world Class standard prisons.

I think we will be needing some many of that, but in the mean time before the prisons are completed, i will convert all the

5 start hotels into prisons, where i will send every corrupted Nigerian.

Then every state to control their resources, will be the next thing

on my agenda. To be continued, am sure i will be dead by the time I finish the second agenda.

kellygirl:

if am made the president of Nigeria,i will make a decree that ''Every girl that breaks a man's heart will be flogged on her bare buttocks 24 strokes of the cane,and any man that breaks a girl's heart will be given a gold mendal after serving life imprisonment for 18 years.

na wa o kellygirl which man do u bad thing wey u go carry national issues mix with things of the heart
that means u will do things like giving vals day a public holiday!

i will bring her to the 1st world from the 3rd world.

In regards to present corruption et al

Would you accept to be the opportunity of being the

PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA

Don't forget the disadvantages o

Cos I know ya;ll's mind is on the money

Awon ole

.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

For me

NO WAY

am sorry but I got better things doing

Why do you think I will spend billions of dollars building Prisons. If i catch you , God forbid

Even generations unborn will read about you in there history book.

@oasis

There has to be more people in the cities than there are in the rural areas

You really are joking right

You don't need a lot more people in the urban areas than rural areas, the urban areas are too congested already. You simply develop the rural areas so that the rural poor wouldn't be migrating to urban areas looking for work which does not exist. Why do you think there are too many "agberos" and "ashewos" around? this guys probably moved in from the rural areas expecting a better life and employment in the city and they found none. If Nigeria started by developing the rural areas and increasing the standard of living by investing heavily in Agriculture (you can start by giving free tractors, trailers, harvesters, fertilizers and training the rural populace) and a lot of light industries like shoe and textile industries. The govt should also invest in a lot of food processing plants as this would create a lot oof employment in the rural areas, then the taxes from this companies would be used to develop the countryside and provide them with top quality free education, world class health care.
Also, the govt should create an awesome transportation network that would connect the urban areas with the rural areas and establish property taxes in the cities. This would drive people from the cities to the rural thereby decongesting them and subsequently reducing pollution, crime and lawlesness.

You want to know what I will do right?

I will first of all oder all the past president, governors, Police chiefs, chief Justice, most past ministers to be kill right after I became the president of Nigeria. I will change Nigeria federal capital back to Lagos or to Edo state.

I will impose death penalty on bribing and corruptions! Arm rubbery will get 10yrs in prison, Drugs dealers will get 15 years in prison.

I will hunt all cults leaders and kill them all and band cults from all university. I will band all idles or what ever public sacrifices. I will band idle worshiping in the public places.

I will rule the country as a minitry man for at least two years and then ask Nigerians to vote.

This is exactly how I will rule Nigeria if I am president of this COUNTRY!! And I want the people that have the opportunity to rule just like this.

It's easier to follow than to lead.