The wheel of progress in our nation is progressive; this is because the “progressives” are in power. But beyond the rhetoric of name and the fantasy of change; can we really say that our nation is making any meaningful progress?
For me, it would be wrong to argue that there are no changes in Nigeria since President Muhammadu Buhari came into power, to deny change is to deny the obvious because Nigeria has not been static for the past one year – Nigeria is moving but where it is moving to is where I don’t quite understand.
Is Nigeria moving forward or backwards? Is she moving from left to right? As a nation, are we moving upwards or downwards? Although the direction of change may be uncertain but there is a consensus among many Nigerians that the administration of Buhari has brought about many changes both negative and positive.
Today, there is deterrence for corrupt practices in government, looters of public funds are reported to have returned and are still returning their loots willingly. Transparency and accountability in the public sector is said to have improved. The implementation of the Treasury Single Accounts (TSA) has helped blocked leakages in Nigeria’s financial institutions and increased government savings. However, what I don’t understand is why the hunger and poverty index should be on the increase despite these changes.
It is not fair to say President Buhari is not working with the improved security level in the nation. The dreaded terrorist group Boko Harm has been degraded, hence one is compelled to conclude that, when a retired general rules, a country is guaranteed of peace. At least those in Abuja and its environs can sleep with their two eyes closed. If not for anything, the Boko Haram leader Shekau has been killed four times by the Nigerian Military, Shekau has equally resurrected four times. Also, operation Crocodile Smile has been smiling violence out of the Niger Delta region, though its simile has not been able to make vandals idle when it comes to pipeline destruction.
The paradox however, is that in the midst of this national peace, innocent lives are being wasted without restraint. From Zamfara to Enugu to Kano, Niger, and even to Benue, Nigerians are made to understand how worthless the lives of citizens are.
Garba Shehu, Spokesman, to the President, only recently told Nigerians that what is manifesting in Nigeria is part of the change that Nigerians voted for. In an article titled: “Is this the change Nigerians we voted for? Yes, it is!” The Presidential aide went into vain rhetoric on how President Buhari has performed credibly within the past months of his administration.“Victory over Boko Haram has brought peace not only to Nigeria but to the countries in the Lake Chad region. The world leaders are still at work trying to contain the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, ISIS, which threat sadly continues to become more potent but President Buhari has achieved what world leaders have failed to achieve” (Emphasis mine) Garba Shehu wrote.
The Presidency at such a time has been busy with fantasy of accomplishing political feats which even world leaders haven’t been able to attain. “How many people have given a thought to the possibility of Nigeria doing something that the combined strength of Europe and America have failed to do?”Garba said. Could this fantasy be the reason why security operatives have failed to curtail the violence herdsmen met out to innocent citizens? Nigerians should now understand why the killings of innocent lives by herdsmen and other religious fanatics is going unchecked by security operatives?
In his treatise Garba Shehu went further to state the superlative performance of his boss: “The currency liberalization and the deregulation of the petroleum products sale will make President Buhari one of the best presidents till date. The removal of subsidies on the petrol products has saved the government more than two trillion Naira annual expenditure in this respect.
“President Buhari’s foreign trips have brought many things to the country. He has energized our foreign policy. Beyond the enormous goodwill reaped from “resetting” age-old but damaged relations with neighbors and distant partners and friends, the President has attracted foreign development assistance and direct investments (FDI). It is generally accepted that good foreign relations bring foreign direct investment.”
The irony however, is that these policies of the President have not improved the Nigerian economy, inflation rate has move from single digit to double digit, Nigeria has moved from being the largest economy in Africa to the third largest in the continent. Am really confused that despite the many foreign trips of President Buhari and other bilateral agreements entered with world leaders, Nigeria’s economy has found itself in a `technical` recession. Garba suggests that this paradox is what makes “President Buhari one of the best Presidents till date”
Another line that I found interesting in Shehu Garba’s essay is: “President Buhari should be credited for the unblemished record of his ministers. This is a government that has stayed above scandal for a year.” It is laughable that the Presidential aide would be celebrating because ministers have not been found in scandals. Has Nigeria become so fantastically corrupt that the absence of scandal from ministers is course of celebration?
Garba may not even be correct when it comes to scandal and President Buhari’s ministers and some of his principal aides. At least there have been many reported scandals about some of the President’s principals staff, it could be recalled that President Buhari in one occasion had to personally defend some of his aides.
There is change in Nigeria! We have a President who feels the plights of the ordinary people. His simplicity is unheard of; he is not like past leaders who were obsessed with materialism and comfort. In this administration, ministers and other public officials have been admonished from flying first class flights. Nevertheless, President Buhari often boards a chopper from the Villa to the Abuja International Airport whenever he is travelling. (A distance of 20 minutes’ drive from his residence) What an exemplary leader!
One of the evidences of change of this administration as captured in Garba’s exposé is reflected in the following sentences: “Wherever they go these days, in London, Dubai, Beijing, Washington, New York or Tokyo, Nigerians get the good feeling of being asked the question, how is President Muhammadu Buhari?” This to me is comic, how do pleasantries Nigerians living in diaspora exchanged with their friends abroad become milestone of achievements?
How does statements made in London, Dubai, Beijing, Washington, New York or Tokyo, became evidence of the change Nigerians voted for? For the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) scattered about in different Nigerian cities how does the phrase “how is President Muhammadu Buhari? Guarantee them shelter and food, the unemployed Nigerian youths seriously eager for employment would such a question meet their yearnings for? For the mother who eagerly waits to be reunited with her daughter from the captivity of Boko Haram members would she be interested of answering the question “how is President Muhammadu Buhari?”
Maybe the next time I go to the market to buy goods and I discovered that prices of commodities have gone up again; I should simply ask the seller “how is President Muhammadu Buhari?’Prices of goods and services are likely to go down in most markets in the country the moment sellers hear the phrase “how is President Muhammadu Buhari?” This is a great economic mystery but herein lies the paradox of change in Nigeria.
So Nigerians, “how is President Muhammadu Buhari?”
Written by Ominabo Wealth Dickson.
@ominabowealth
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