When Nigerians trooped out over a year ago in their millions to elect President Muhammadu Buhari, many had in mind a man that would rescue the soul of the country from the lovers of filthy lucre and a nation on the cusp of economic recession. So, they defied the rains and the scorching sun to boot out a bumbling incumbent president. Their voter cards proved a potent weapon. Their votes counted. Behold, Buhari conquered the highest office in Nigeria and that birthed hope for millions a country in dire straits.
To many, a vote for Buhari is a vote to terminate poverty, corruption, economic hardship, insurgency and all the problems that beset Nigeria. But are Nigerians happier now? Truth be told, these are not the best of times for Nigeria and Nigerians. Nigeria is facing a serious economic crisis. Price of crude oil has plummeted drastically in the international market; fuel price has gone up from N86.50 to NI 45. Prices of food stuff have hit the rooftop, we have a negative GDP for the first time in many years, and many states can’t pay salaries. And like the Biblical Moses, many Nigerians are asking Buhari to take them back to Egypt.
The uncomfortable truth many hate to hear is that Buhari did not create the mess we have found ourselves. What we suffer today is a result of years of planlessness, death of visionary leaders, elephantine wastage and corruption in high places. But these are the reasons over 15 million Nigerians employed Buhari and sacked the former occupant of the nation’s highest office.
Nigerians saw in Buhari a firm man with a robust trust capital. He is expected to correct the mistakes of the past, lay a solid foundation for a new Nigeria and take Nigerians to the Promised Land.
While it will be uncharitable to say nothing has been achieved in the last one year, a great number of Nigerians still long to see the CHANGE, the ruling party promised in the run-up to the elections.
Though it is true that the expectations of Nigerians have largely not been met, no fair-minded Nigerian will pass a verdict of failure on a president that has yet to get halfway into his tenure.
It is true that the economy is down. Very much so. We are going through one of the most difficult times in history. And sadly, the common man is the worst hit. He doesn’t get humongous salaries and security vote like elected political office holders. Yet, inflation eats up the little he earns.
Beyond the sad tale of pain and anguish, what Nigeria is going through provides a lesson in prosperity management. Time was when we earned three times the amount of what we currently earn from crude oil. Those in the power loop failed to save for the rainy day in our period of boom. We failed to build refineries. We failed to diversify our economy because the black gold made us extremely comfortable. Corruption walked on all fours. Now, it is back to reality.
Let me confess that Buhari is one president I don’t envy right now. For a president that is patriotic, masses-friendly with integrity as his biggest selling point, Nigeria should be grinning because we have the right man occupying the highest office in Nigeria but the economic realities are enough to make a strong man appear weak. It is a good thing that Buhari and his team are not just standing akimbo while they watch as things go down. Worthy of note are the steps taken in the last one year to diversify the economy. In the run- up to the last general elections, one of the campaign promises of the APC (the president’s party) is to diversify the economy. It is therefore heart- warming that concerted efforts are being made in the last one year to revive the mining sector. One of the fruits of the desire and determination to get the mining sector working is the $1billion the Ukrainian government is willing to inject into Ajaokuta steel company that has been moribund for years with a view to reviving the plant.
Currently, officials of the Ukrainian government are meeting with the relevant people in Nigeria for the realization of the planned takeover of the plant. According to president Muhammadu Buhari, Nigeria spends $3billion on importation of steel every year despite the huge iron ore deposits in the country.
This sad narrative is bound to change when life is eventually breathed into the nation’s moribund steel companies, especially the Ajaokuta steel company.
However, one remarkable achievement of the Buhari government is the success it has recorded in curbing the activities of Boko Haram element. Today, the murdered peace in the troubled northeast region has been revived. Boko Haram is gradually becoming history. If someone had told me a year ago that this would happen so soon a year ago, I would have told them to go back to sleep. Change is indeed the only constant in life. Who would have contemplated hosting a football match in a stadium in Maiduguri a year ago? The good people of the northeast sure can see CHANGE.
Sadly, just as Boko Haram is in its dying days, another brand of terrorism has reared its ugly head in the last one year. Not that Nigerians were not familiar with the activities of the Fulani herdsmen before now, what is crystal clear is that they have become more brutal than ever in the last one year. Then, we have the Niger Delta Avengers who are blowing up pipelines for no sensible reason. The activities of violent herdsmen and Niger Delta Avengers deserve condemnation from all.
Away from the troubles of Fulani herdsmen and Niger-Delta Avengers, the fight against corruption is another area the Buhari government has scored high. Of course, Buhari can’t clamp down on suspected law breakers like he did some thirty years ago when he was in khaki. He is now ‘constrained’ by the law. In one year, we have seen a superb comeback of an EFCC and ICPC that could neither bark nor bite in the last administration. Monies are being recovered in billions by the nation’s anti-corruption agencies from those who invaded our treasury. Those who dipped their filthy hands into the public till are now confessing like old witches. We now know how corruption can render a country’s army impotent. Or how would one describe the confessions of Sambo Dasuki and the gang over the mismanagement of defense funds? Moreover, worthy of note is the implementation of the Treasury Single Account (TSA) which has helped to a large extent in keeping fingers of corruption away from our common wealth in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAS).
Regardless of the challenges the country is currently facing, what is hard to fault is President Buhari’s commitment to getting Nigeria out of the woods. He may have won the war against Boko Haram. He may be winning the war against corruption. But we also need him win the war against grinding poverty, disease, epileptic power supply, hunger and economic hardship as quick as possible. These are the wars Buhari must win for CHANGE to make sense to ordinary Nigerians.
Ladelokun wrote this piece from Abeokuta, Ogun State.
