Buhari receives Oseloka H. Obaze’s Prime Witness, Obaze not contesting Anambra Senatorial election

www.odogwublog.com reports that as President Muhammadu Buhari receives the Prime witness , a book authored by Mr Oseloka Obaze, but the worry on the lips of every discerning mind is whether Buhari has read in the last 20 years and would he ever read the book to enable him re-strategize? His last manifesto ,isn't his and how is he able to look at policy information from Obaze...................anyway read for you must be there in either Abuja or Lagos.

Buhari, Atiku, governors and others receive Oseloka H. Obaze’s Prime Witness 
-----says he isn’t contesting Anambra Senatorial election
-----rejects Buhari’s stand on Nigerian youths 

From Odogwu Emeka Odogwu,Awka 

President Muhammadu Buhari may have received an advance copy of Prime Witness: Change and Policy Challenges in Buhari’s Nigeria written by an internationally acclaimed diplomat, public policy expert and former Secretary to the Anambra state Government, Mr. Oseloka H. Obaze. 

The Special Adviser on media and publicity to President Muhammadu Buhari, Femi Adesina received an advance copy book on behalf of the President even as the former Vice President of Nigeria, and Presidential Aspirant Alhaji Atiku Abubakar received the book directly from Mr. Obaze. 

Those already privy to the book have lauded the creativity of the author and former Governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Anambra state, Obaze for painstakingly writing the voluminous public policy book. 

Obaze who runs a policy, governance and management consultancy firm, says he can only add value to governance in Nigeria either by direct participation or alternatively by joining in the debate and discourse on critical issues in Nigeria.  Aside from his new book, his firm recently published a policy evaluation brief titled; ‘Anambra State Education Rebirth: the Peter Obi model', which he co-authored with Chiagozie Udeh and Izuchukwu J Okoye.

Obaze's Prime Witness is scheduled for public presentation by his consultancy firm Selonnes Consult Ltd. and the publisher, Safari Books Ltd. on Wednesday 2nd May, 2018 at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Victoria Island, Lagos and on 24 May 2018 at the Musa Yar'Adua Centre in Abuja.  He is inviting every Nigerian. 

Asked about rumours of his intention to run for the Senate in the forthcoming General election in 2019, Obaze said he has no intentions of contesting any election in Anambra State be it Governorship or Senatorial and urged those speculating that he is coming out for Anambra North Senatorial election to stop as he is now busy with public policy interrogation and formulation, and mentoring Nigerian youth. 

On Nigerian Youths being lazy, Obaze said he differed with the view expressed by Mr President as Nigerian youth are the articulate, innovative and active in the continent, and globally. He said no youth around him or in his employment is lazy, but wondered why the youth elected to prove Buhari right by not protesting that negative comment via civil disobedience by taking the online space. He noted that had Nigerian youth stayed home for two days in protest, the national economy would have shut down.  He decried the collective denigration of Nigerian youth.

Obaze's new book despite its loss leader title, is less political, non-partisan and focuses on public policy challenges confronting Nigeria during Buhari's tenure.  

Excerpts from Obaze's book are instructive: “Buhari’s challenge was in two parts. First, rather than go into overdrive by pushing the policy reform contained in his campaign manifesto and inaugural speech, Buhari seemed fixated with retrospective politicking – making his predecessor’s failings and policies his governance plank rather than governing. Soon enough it became all too evident that the ‘change’ mantra was all about words and exhortation, but hardly about concrete mobilisation.

“Corruption and its insidiousness in Nigeria are real; and fester like a plague that had affected the entire population. Nigerians knew that corruption in their nation had become endemic and that its deleterious impact continued to bedevil Nigeria. This scourge richly deserved to be routed; but by whom? Winning the war against corruption had to be both political and moral. Buhari seemed the best candidate for the job, but the forces arrayed against the desired ‘change’ were huge and vested.

"The crux of the problem is that every ethnic jigsaw component of Nigeria feels sufficiently aggrieved marginalized and therefore, seeks equity via restructuring.

“Since the civil war, Nigeria has never been as polarized as it is now. Restructuring Nigeria is therefore, naturally compelling for reasons, which may include the desire to tweak management, ownership and operational or administrative modalities, with a view to achieving equity and efficiency.

“Nigeria in its present state is analogous to a dysfunctional computer. In both instances, there is evident systemic failure arising from non-responsive applications and institutions not operating as intended. Such instances require a reboot in order to overcome the redundancies.

“Given its badly frayed national aspirations and values, we must accept without being coy, that the nation is faced with two stark choices: reboot instantly or risk systemic collapse and consequent catastrophic failure.”