NIGERIA@62 YEARS: An Analysis Of President Buhari’s Day Address (1), By Abba Dukawa
AREWA AGENDA – Barely a week ago, Nigerians far and wide celebrated the 62 years of their country’s independence, an anniversary many are of the opinion that there is not much to cheer for as the country still yet to match up to the status of the “giant of Africa” it prides herself, especially with the inability to meet citizens basic needs.
In a scenario that has a semblance of different strokes for different folks, others feel there are relative developments to heave deep sighs of relief about.
In the last six decades,s Nigeria has also witnessed different types of leaders who have moved the country from one stage to the other, either ways; positively or negatively. Not also forgetting the fact that the country has gone through the regrettable civil war, but survived it to remain a single entity and decades of military juntas.
By being realistic and not rhetoric, there were no times in the history of the country after the civil war the situation went from bad to worst with bare evidence of poor leadership which leaves Nigerians with little to rejoice about the country’s statehood like it is today.
Like old stories on a new page of a book, governments at all levels have not been able to show much-needed resilience in confronting the daunting challenges bedevilling this country. There is the general assumption among citizens and observers that with so much promise and opportunity, leadership at national, state and local government levels has not delivered on its constitutional responsibilities. Had our late leaders were to resurrect from their graves today, what will they say about the country they have so much dreamt to be the force to reckon with among the advance and strong countries in the world they dream of the country dying as they unceremoniously left Nigeria.
There is no gainsaying if one says, the country is sliding back on a reverse gear rather than going forward. Our expectation has been taken from us by disastrous leaders we have been unfortunate to have in the past and present. For those of us that grew up in the military system and witnessed the return to democratic government in the country our generation has seen, the bad and ugly side of Nigeria after independence where bad leadership, Corruption, nepotism, and acts of unpatriotic citizens have dragged our country backwards.
Even though, I have not listened to Baba’s addressed to the nation but read his 47 paragraphs many times to enable me to dissect the address. As usual, the address is full of self glorify as president Buhari told banditry striking, poverty striking, unemployment/ insecurity striking nation that he remains committed to lifting over 100 million out of poverty with such unsupported claims without reliable statistics from either National Bureau of Statistics or any recognized institutions baffled me and other well-meaning Nigerians. Is The administration where that unemployment in the last quarter has risen astronomically? According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
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The question is how could a President of a nation like Nigeria be so misguided in telling the citizens who undergoing untold suffering with unsubstantiated facts? In addition to the untold suffering, Mr. president addressed reiterated his administration
commitment toward lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in ten years as the central plank of his second term in 2019.
To be fair, there is no administration in the country that has provided various interventions aimed to reduce poverty and hunger in the country such as N-Power, trader-moni, market moni, subsidized loans, business grants or Conditional Cash Transfers like PMB’s government with intend to reduce the poverty in the country but all the intends of policies is far reaching. Instead, poverty to be decreased many non-poor Nigerians falling into poverty and about 95 million Nigerians are expected to be poor by 2022 end in addition poverty reduction in Nigeria appears to have stalled in the last decade, according to both back-casting and survey-to-survey imputation techniques. World Bank reports.
Nigerian at 62 one of the herculean tasks before citizens apart from security challenges is skyrocketed of food prices self feeding talk less of the feeding family has become a serious problem as the foods which is a basic need for every household, has become a luxury.
Even opportune one (workers) things are very tough to them considering the meagre nature of the minimum wage talks less of millions of people out work Now in the 21st century, the country faces similar problems of food inflation which has reached unprecedented heights even common food staples in the country like rice, gari, beans are now beyond their reach. Prices of foodstuffs are now triple than it was before in 2015 without any government efforts to control prices.
It is undeniable, Baba’s had a good intention in making the country attain self-sufficiency in food but the policy turned out to be miserable for millions of Nigerians the current situation has resonated with 1984 acute shortest of food in the country.
despite the proliferation of small and medium and large scale rice processing companies across the country, the price of a locally made 50KG bag of rice goes beyond of salary earner. With each passing day, these heartless manufacturing firms and essential commodities sellers are at hiking prices. In addition, government officials are not seeing the danger or intentionally distort the reality either on self survival or by deceiving him with an intention to be in his good book.
Unfortunately, the Year 2015 marks a new dawn for the citizens and the country at large with high hopes and expectations that Baba Buhari would lead Nigeria’s turn-around and create the basis for its improved prosperity. No administration in the history of the country has enjoyed citizens’ goodwill like the present administration. Nigerians remain resolute and tolerant in addition to exercising more patience. The electorates never thought Baba would head a government bedevilled with boggling poor economic policies, poverty, and insecurity, challenges with endless things that are discrediting the administration’s goodwill and the nation at large.
With the ways things are going, it is like Buhari is not the same person Nigerians ostensibly brought into power in 2015. Buhari’s fear factor has gone. Corrupt politicians and civil servants have a free day as they fear if Buhari catches you have gone and everyone does as he wishes.
To be continued
