THE MANY SINS AND MINUTE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF BUHARI
The All Progressive Congress led government within its first year in power, appeared to be more of sluggish in tackling the enormous challenges confronting the nation as well as forgetful of its numerous promises made to the masses during the electoral battle back in the days, prompting critics to put it vehemently to the ruling party that they caught power unprepared. Simply put, overstressed yet, worrisome issues like unemployment, insecurity, poor electricity, and dwindling economy seemed to have worsened within the last one year. There was nothing concrete the government could boast of except for flimsy excuse of lack of fund.
Apparently shocked by what seemed like a lackadaisical approach on the part of the present government in tackling many issues that crept in within the last one year, many who chanted the CHANGE mantra last year are beginning to nurse a resentful feeling at the kind of change they are seeing. There is no gain saying that even the Buharimeter instituted by the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), West Africa, aimed at ensuring that promises made by President Buhari during his electioneering process are kept would have scaled the President below average judging him from the state of affairs in the country over the last one year of his administration.
That notwithstanding, kudos should be giving to the President Buhari's leadership as it started its second year on a promising note with the embarking of the overdue cleaning up of Ogoni land project in Rivers state and the scrapping of the Post Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (PUTME) in just a day. By implication, the cleaning up of Ogoni land project will help to restore lasting peace in the Niger Delta especially now that the Niger Delta Avengers are posing big threats in that region.
Also, the scrapping of Post UTME after experimenting it for 11 years will restore sanity and confidence in the JAMB system and eliminate the incidence of inconvenience caused by taking two entrance examinations for just one single purpose.
A wise adage posited that praises given to a hunter who killed a grasshopper will eventually propel him to kill an elephant. We must however not sing the praise out of proportion, because the need to correct and redirect should come more handy.
Nigeria’s President should come to terms with the fact that Nigeria is in no military era, hence his decisions, policies and actions should be thoroughly re-scrutinized to ensure adherence to contemporary democratic principles.
Buhari should lend more listening ears and heed humbly to the rule of law and stipulations, decision and injunctions of Nigeria's law courts. A case where the Buhari faltered which is worthy of note is the continued incarceration and detainment of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Independent People of Biafra (IPOB) and Sambo Dasuki, Nigeria’s former National Security Adviser, retd. The above mentioned individuals are still held against the backdrop of bail granted them by a Nigeria’s law court. This on its own is utterly wrong, undemocratic and abuse of Rights of affected parties.
The indiscriminate forceful violence rained on agitating factions like the Niger Delta Avengers from the South-south and Biafran agitators from the South-east is one perceived by all as totally uncalled for and a wrong approach which should have been handled using more diplomatic and humane approach. After all, two parties should not go bunkers at the same time and violence is not best match against violence.
The war against corruption is not a step in the wrong direction and the quest for the return of stolen funds is brilliant. What becomes worrisome and worthy of being berated its interference with governance. This government should be more interested with blocking loopholes from whence government officials siphon public funds. Government offices and positions in Nigeria are at present way too lucrative with members of the legislative arm supposedly earning more than the President of the U.S, and other government officers without much ado, can dip their hands into the nation’s coffers and loot without being questioned.
The Buhari led government of Nigeria should also look more into diversification of the nation’s economy which is at the moment mono-economic with all of her interest and dependence on Crude Oil. A report by OPEC rightly revealed that Nigeria’s oil and gas sector accounts for about 35 per cent of gross domestic product, and petroleum exports revenue represents over 90% of her total exports revenue. The nation however abandons many of her other natural resources including natural gas, tin, iron ore, coal, limestone, niobium, lead, zinc and arable land, to mention just a few. This over dependence on Oil (which the international community is fast providing alternative to) has rendered the country’s citizens lazy and less productive.
It will be counted unto Buhari as more righteousness if he can be able to marshal out policies that will emphasize less on Oil and more on other Natural resources like the mechanized cultivation of her endless acreage of arable lands and breeding of animals.
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