It is shocking to see Nigerians getting unsettled over what they perceive as “promise and fail” in the present administration headed by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Nigerians are known for their false and failed promises, many aspire to have eyes over their heads. The people are beginning to see the breaking a pledge as one of those normal things in life and it’s no more tragic. The same goes for the high mortality recorded in the country which is almost considered as normal.
Indeed, young people, in what has come to be known as “Yahoo Yahoo” have figured out how to falsify documents, make promises they can’t deliver just to cheat their targets. These same young people are aspiring to occupy public offices and put what they have learnt into practice – siphon public assets.
The individuals who thought President Muhammadu Buhari, a Nigerian who after 30 years as Head of State, didn’t take part in any gainful business would convey the expected change to Nigeria were envisioning.
Buhari, after studying the nation for three decades, he understood that the adolescents are artless. Buhari realized that all it would take was to pay a group of jobless young people to help him, buy a few editors, promise political offices to the voices among the gullible, take advantage of the effectively partitioned religious country and control the very body that conducted the election, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Having contested for the third time, he knew exactly what the people wanted. He knew the power of playing the prophet, he knew the Nigerian individuals could hope constantly for King Joseph among King Pharaohs. Buhari first struck in July 2014 when he diverted attention from the individuals who lost their lives in Boko Haram attack in Kaduna to himself.
The General alleged through his aide that some of his political insurgents tried to kill him. The news of his attack went far and wide while the families of the individuals who lost their friends and families and others who were injured were totally forgotten. Individuals from various parts of the nation paid him an affability visits, daily papers, online bloggers were all at his service, he turned out to be more mainstream than he was before the incident, the belief that individuals were attempting to stop him before he turned into the Presidential candidate overlooking that he had failed three times and topped the chart.
A supporter of Mr. Buhari, Rotimi Fashakin, said the previous head of state was en route to the place where he grew up – Daura in neighboring Katsina state – when he was trailed by the bomber and attacked.
“I’m certain political Boko Haram are behind the attack,” Mr. Fashakin said. “General Buhari was the objective of the attack.”
His second all-inclusive strategy was to claim to be poor. He asserted he didn’t have the cash to purchase his party’s nomination form. He told Nigerians, he got a loan from the bank to buy the form and the people bought it wholeheartedly. He was known as the poorest president of Nigeria since other past presidents were living in affluence.
His third endeavor was to think of the easiest way to con Nigerians and so he made promises he knew he would not keep. The following are the some of the promises:
Public declaration of assets and liabilities.
2. State and Community Policing
3. Ban on all government officials from seeking medical care abroad
4. Implementation of the National Gender Policy, including 35% of appointive positions for women
5. The revival of Ajaokuta Steel Company and generation, transmission and distribution of at least 20,000MW of electricity within four years and increasing to 50,000MW with a view to achieving 24/7 uninterrupted power supply within 10 days.
6. Empowerment scheme to employ 740,000 graduates across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory
7. To provide three million jobs per year
8. Establishment of a free tuition and scholarship scheme for pupils who have shown exceptional aptitude in science subjects at O level to study ICT related courses
9. Provision of allowances to the discharged but unemployed Youth Corps members for 12 months while in the skills and entrepreneurial development programme
10. Making the economy one of the fastest growing emerging economies in the world with a real GDP growth averaging 10% annually
More and more promises..
Read more: The agitation for referendum and Biafra agenda
The president made close to a hundred promises but we will now look at how he has fulfilled the few we have listed.
Asset declaration: Till today, Nigerians don’t know how much Buhari is really worth. He has however, declined to publish what he submitted to the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) and when he was asked by a reporter during one of the media chats in Aso Rock on why he had declined to publish his assets, the president rather questioned why everybody was keen on knowing what he is worth.
State police: This has remained a tall dream
Ban on all government officials from seeking medical care abroad:Well, this is the place we are today. We were not told the president had some health challenge when he was voted into power. They would not have preferred an ailing president given the unfortunate situation which befell late President Umaru Yar’Adua. But this president rode on the crest of “Change” and “integrity” and promised to lead by example by being transparent and accountable to the people. Today, after spending months in UK receiving treatment with tax payer’s funds has not deem it proper to tell Nigerians what health challenge he is grappling with. He has been living Abroad for close to three months while his presidential aircraft is parked at the airport with the country paying a “meagre” $1000 daily. The Presidency, including his theological rationalists have always told us the president is not incapacitated but he is yet to return to work.
A man who vowed and even stopped Nigerians from seeking medical attention abroad is now living abroad doing the same thing he would not allow others to do.
National Gender Policy: Still a tall dream as the National Assembly threw out a bill on it and instead consider a law to censor NGOs.
Ajaokuta Steel Complex: Nothing has happened on the abandoned project and nothing substantial has been added to the country’s power generation and transmission.
Empowerment Scheme: Nothing significant has happened to this promise.
Provision of three million jobs annually: Instead of creating jobs, more Nigerians have lost their jobs and companies have closed shop due to the poor economic policy of the administration.
Scholarship for exceptional students: Nigerians are yet to see the fulfilment of this promise.
Payment of allowances to discharged NYSC members: Still a tall dream
10: Attaining 10 percent economic growth rate annually: Instead of growth, the economy rather slipped into recession.
The Information Minister, Lai Mohammed has consistently defended his boss and lied to Nigerians as if we are all numbskulls. He rationalises everything and would even insult those who insist on finding out the truth about the health status of their president. He said the president deserves a better treatment as if other Nigerians deserve less.
He brazenly insulted Nigerians when he was a guest on Nigeria Info FM Abuja during the “Morning Crossfire” show.
A caller had criticised the government for breaking its own promise to bar public officials from seeking medical leave abroad and questioned why president was in London for the second time in the year undergoing medical treatment.
“My answer is very simple. Mr President is our father, he is the leader of the nation and I think he deserves the best in terms of medical treatment,” Mohammed said.
What Buhari is good at:
Buhari is a stickler; he is great at utilizing power to get what he needs. He was a trooper; he never needed to ask to get anything. He took everything he needed. He realized that this expertise would be useful as a president so he chose to utilize it through the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to as a matter of importance. He uses the EFCC bulldoze his political adversaries, the individuals who declined to remain on his side. They must account for their loots while they were in office.
While the touted war against corruption is raging on, about 80 percent of those who funded his campaign were former members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC). Such people have been forgiven their sins and even rewarded with appointments while those who remained with the opposition party are now being chased about by EFCC. Besides, some of the politicians in the ruling party who had contributed to the sorry state of the country are now treated like angels and admitted to dinner with the president.
Granted Mr. President is fighting corruption and Boko Haram, the truth is none of the big names has been convicted two years and North-east is yet to know peace. None of the battles is near being won. Unfortunately, the government that is fighting corruption has some of its officials stealing funds and food meant for internally displaced persons (IDPs). What a shame of an anti-corruption war! The General who promised to sack Boko Haram mere body language and went on air to celebrate the defeat of the insurgents while insulting his successor cannot now face Nigerians squarely and talk about his exploits in the warfront.
Just like his colleague in neighbouring Cameroon, who rules his country from abroad, Buhari has remained a foreign President that even international media are making a mockery of him and the country.
The Nigerian President is like a vampire escaping the sun, having a fabulous time in the night and disgracing his political foes. He is certainly not mindful of the circumstance in the nation but rather enjoying the luxury and the advantage of being the president.
Or like a chameleon, Mr. President has disguised his way into the nation’s most elevated office and declined to do what he promised while seeking the office.
He is a perfect description of the ghost worker we have been searching for, who earns fat wages and appurtenances without lifting a finger to work.
Ehi Ekhator is a UK based journalist, the Publisher, Naija Center News and can be reached at:
Email: [email protected] Phone: +447459853859