EMERGENCY POWERS FOR BUHARI? NO WAY.

Declaring a state of emergency now on the Nigerian economy could theoretically be a good way to arrest the current cascade down depression but give President Buhari emergency powers?

Capital NO. It will be a monumental disaster and in fact, lead directly into abyss.

One, because the Man himself has rightly admitted over and over that he knows nothing about economics; in fact if one may add, he knows nothing about team work and team spirit to achieve set goals.

Naturally, that is because he remains a soldier, an officer for that matter used to all obeying the last command. "Soldier, that's an order" and all else goes through the window.

For another, his antecedents as military dictator way back in 1984 and actions and pronouncements since coming back to the saddle do not guarantee he is a man who could be trusted with emergency powers of any kind.

President Buhari real qualification for the job he is now doing is self righteousness. He was also that self righteous when he came up with decree four  and approved the importation of 53 suitcases during his first coming at a time he and Brigadier Tunde Idiagbon closed all national borders to avoid any importation of any kind.

For a third, his fight against corruption has been skewed into hammer for my enemies, real or imagined, and kid gloves, or even outright defence for my friends or loyalists.

Yes, Nigeria has since become a shinning test case of the growing failure of democracy as government of the people, for the people and by the people. This is because  we have elected a dictator at heart by the grace of the majority.

Yes, too Nigeria has also become a living test case for the short comings of economics as a social science predicated purely on assumptions of human rational choice and behaviour. There have been too many irrationalities in our choices and behaviour over the years.

Yes too, Nigeria now tries to balance on very slippery ground because main stay of the economy is down at the world market; because insecurity and intimidation rules the waves as in tribal muscle flexing, EFCC brand of investigation; militancy; kidnapping and cacophony of praises and condemnation abound in the social media.

Yes and more to all these but it will be the wrong time to pass any law giving Buhari any emergency powers to solve the economic problems we have. So no one should think of passing any law to that effect.

Instead, it is He, today's President who needs to learn that in human management, incentives work better than orders.

But first, you the leader, helped by your team, must first set down clear priorities for all citizens to see and understand. Then you must come up with incentives to move all who should be moved in the direction you have chosen. It is then, enforcers can once in a while come in to ensure none abuses liberties in the incentives and to monitor progress.

None of these needs emergency powers even in today's Nigeria and certainly not for Buhari.

Perhaps, even our budgeting process needs a drastic change. Now, one hears that 2017 budget framework has been designed based on N290 to the dollar exchange rate, and benchmark crude oil price of $42.5 per barrel etc but pray, why don't we just base income estimates on previous year's actuals and base expenditure on projections?

It may force all governments to project more on actual worse scenario in these times instead of daydreaming especially on income flow.

That way,  surpluses will be reserved till the next year and moving yearly known realities could better determine priorities.