Editors note: The change mantra under which Presisident Muhammadu Buhari ran his election campaign was fanatically embraced by millions of Nigerians who were tired of the absurdity that had become the norm.
Never has Nigeria been more in dire need of a savior than at this time. Nigerians wanted change by all means, a better life for themselves and for their loved ones. But in less than 2 months, the most popular man in Nigeria is being tagged ‘Baba Go Slow’. Kesiena Ewubare explains why.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the original author. These views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of omgdailyupdate.com, its editors or other contributors.
Story highlights:
Barrage Of criticisms fro the opposition
Excuses and more excuses
Stagnant Economy
(Naij.com) -After spending seven weeks in office, President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led administration have come under barrage of criticisms from the opposition, championed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The opposition has since May 29, closed marked Buhari, faulting him left, right and centre. Nothing the present administration does appears to get commendations from his critics.
Buhari recently rejected a proposal by the permanent secretary of the state house, Mr. Nebolisa Emodi, to purchase five new bulletproof Mercedes S-600 (V222) cars valued at about N400 million.
The president described the purchase as unnecessary, saying, the ones left behind by the previous administration were fine. This was followed by a 50% pay cut he and his vice, Yemi Osinbajo took, all in a gesture to cut cost.
While some persons described the president’s actions as a good development that other leaders should follow, the gesture on the other hand, appears to have attracted the ire of the PDP.
The main opposition party has lashed at Buhari and his deputy, saying, the cutting of their salaries will not be the only thing Nigerians are expecting from them.
The party in a statement signed in Abuja on Tuesday, July 14, by the its secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, described the rejecting of the 400m bullet proof cars and the pay cut by the president as “cosmetic governance.
The opposition has tagged Buhari’s administration as a government of “all motion and no movement”. In some quarters, the president has been called “Baba Go Slow”. In this regard, let us consider 5 reasons why Baba Go Slow has been tagged on Buhari’s administration
1) The Escalating Boko Haram insurgency
Prior to the earlier tactics of capturing territories and declaring them an Islamic caliphate, Boko Haram has now shifted to a relentless use of suicide bombings as a new strategy. The wave of suicide bombings carried out by the sect in recent times has thrown the nation in a state of panic.
Bomb Blast in Garkida
Boko Haram has intensified its bombing campaigns and attacks on religious houses, markets and public places in Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Plateau and Kaduna states among other places, wreaking havoc on lives and property worth billions of Naira.
The Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, in a Punch report dated July 10, 2015, lamented that Boko Haram insurgency had worsened under President Muhammadu Buhari.
He said:“shortly before the inauguration of the present government, the country had almost rolled back Boko Haram and its activities in every part of Nigeria – from Adamawa to Borno to Yobe.”
This same sentiment is shared by some Nigerians who express fears that the campaign promises Buhari made to flush out Boko Haram may be turning into a dream than reality.
No doubt, Boko Haram insurgency cost Jonathan his reelection, if things continue like this, it may also cost Buhari his presidency too.
2) Fuel Crisis
The fuel crisis witnessed in the last days of the Goodluck Jonathan administration was one of the worst in Nigeria’s history. The crisis saw all sectors of the Nigerian economy come a halt due to unavailability of diesels and other petroleum products.
Nigerians queuing to buy fuel
While the scarcity lingered, the All Progressives Congress (APC) accused Jonathan of being insensitive to the plight of Nigerians. It promised to immediately embark on sweeping reforms in the petroleum sector immediately it assumes power.
In a tale of deja Vu however, the queues are beginning to resurface at the petrol stations under the watch of the same administration that promised to liberate Nigerians from perennial scarcity. This has given room for criticism from the opposition.
3) Delay In Appointment Of Ministers And Other Officials
More than a month after his administration began, President Buhari has given Nigerians the impression that his administration is yet to locate its bearing by its failure to decide on key appointments such as ministers, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), and advisers in key sectors of the economy.
Contrary to his earlier promise to initiate key appointments immediately his administration begins, the APC led government has given a list of reasons to justify the wanton ministerial delays. The party has ascribed the delays to the president’s intention to get the appointment right. It says it wants to guard against appointing the wrong persons in key positions so as not to disappoint Nigerians.
The question begging for answers is, why did the APC administration not figure this out weeks ago after realizing it had won the presidential election? And how long should Nigerians continue to wait while key sectors of the country’s economy lie unattended to?
4) Excuses And More Excuses
Since its inception, the APC administration has earned a reputation for blaming the PDP for its lapses. Rather than brace up and accept responsibility for its actions or inactions, the APC has tied almost all it’s failing to the PDP.
The party has constantly dismissed insinuations in some quarters that President Buhari’s administration is slow by harping that the administration cannot clean the “16 years mess of the PDP in 30 days”. An excuse that can be likened ‘to a story for the gods.’
In another show of storytelling, Buahri in a Premium Times report of June 15, 2015, explained the delay in his appointment of ministers on the late submission of the transition committee’s report on the previous administration to him.
Hear Him:
“I don’t know why people are so anxious about ministers. But eventually we will have (them).
“But the main reason is that I have an interim committee which I agreed with former President Jonathan that the ministers of the outgoing government should hand over their notes or their documents to this interim committee so that a position can be prepared for the new government to start from with clear records from ministers.
“But the ministers knew that they were going but the technocrats, the permanent secretaries and directors and so on, they know they would remain.
“If anything goes wrong they would be invited to explain, but unfortunately the outgoing government did not cooperate.”
Rather than focus on implementing its numerous campaign promises for which they were voted in office at the centre, APC has chosen is crying wolf over spilled milk by blaming the past administration for its shortcoming. This has only added to the perceptions by some Nigerians that Buhari’s administration is slow.
5) Stagnant Economy
Aware that the APC led administration is less than two months in office, Nigerians don’t expect things to turn around immediately, yet, some have already began to hold Buhari accountable for some of the economic reforms he promised to implement in the weeks leading up to the 2015 general elections.
Prior to the elections, the then presidential candidate of the ruling party, described the state of the economy under the PDP as being in shambles, he vowed to turn around the economic prospects of Nigeria if elected in power by ensuring that Nigerians participate and engage in productive economic activities, in order to revamp the economy and create jobs for the teeming Nigerian youths.
In a Daily Trust report of January 17, 2015, the then presidential hopeful at a rally in Jos said:
‘As we all know, agricultural and mining sectors, which had been the major source of our wealth, had been neglected for long by successive administrations.
”Let me assure Nigerians, that if voted into power, we shall revemp these sectors and make them a major source of employment opportunities.
In the same vein, at a rally in Lokoja he promised to revive the Ajaokuta steel company if elected president.
In a PM News report of March 20, 2015, Buhari at a Town Hall meeting with artisans and tradesmen held at the Lagos Television Ground in Ikeja, Lagos, pledged to stabilise the naira if elected. He pledged to do that by ensuring that the country’s currency is equal to the dollar.
“We will stabilise the exchange rate so that entrepreneurs will have cheaper operating cost. This will afford them the opportunity to purchase raw material for their business easily. We will ensure that they have the ability to build factory, employ youths and others. This is common sense. he said
Time will fail us to mention his promise of stable power supply, industries, infrastructures, three million jobs yearly and numerous other promises he made while soliciting votes across the nation.
After raising so much expectation fro Nigerians, none of the miracles Buhari promised has materialized almost two months after. This has lead to agitations among some who fear that the present administration is another sad tale of promise and fail. What do you think, Is Buhari deserving of the tag, BABA GO SLOW?
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