100 Days: Things in place, things apart

Whoever invented 100 days performance bench mark for an elected President in a democracy, certainly had not Nigeria in mind. Understandably U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt coined the term in July 1933, 4 years after the 1st military colonial Governor-General of the Protectorate of Nigeria, Frederick Lugard, brutally put down Aba’s “Women’s War” against his expanded taxation extortionist campaign! Nigeria then was neither independent nor democratic. We must therefore be weary of received wisdom which had no bearing to our historic and contemporary reality.

Given the legacy rot; (as many as 100 million living bellow poverty line, unstable electricity supply, mass youth unemployment, insurgency that has claimed thousands of lives, looted and rebooted public funds and general crisis of confidence in governance) it makes original sense we assess our elected leaders every 10 minutes, every 10 days, every week not necessarily 100 days. In 100 days, we might loose them to non-performance again. Time is of essence in 2015 Nigeria than the depression years of America.” Precious things come in small packages” goes a popular saying. Since inauguration on May 29th, yours sincerely bears witness that President Muhammadu Buhari has made some significant “precious moves” in the direction of good governance in the areas of security, economy and anticorruption. Less than 10 minutes into his inaugural speech he rightly dammed terrorism masquerading as religion, describing Boko Haram “as ...a mindless, godless group who are as far away from Islam as one can think of ”. After naming and damning it he has since gone ahead to tame the monster.

Ben Okri, Nigerian legendary Booker Prize once remarked that; “… our days are poisoned with too many words. Words said and not meant...’.

President Muhammadu Buhari’s words are certainly meant for action. He directed the relocation of the command centre to Maiduguri until Boko Haram “is completely subdued” and this has since been done with spectacular results that set insurgents on the run. Another critical thing in place is improved electricity supply. Again Buhari named it and is taming it without additional dollar spent. Witness him at inauguration; “…a shame that with over $20bn investment in the power sector since 1999, Nigeria generates less than 4,000 mw”. Petroleum products’ price is official at N87 despite the blackmail of subsidy removal, refineries have resumed production with the Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Ibe Kachikwu Group managing director doing what his predecessors refused to do; corporate governance! Fuel subsidy fraud is under attack without subsidy removal; (read; fuel price increase)! Garba Shehu has said (and I agree) that official corruption has reduced by 50 per cent.

This government is set to reduce cost of governance. For once the Revenue mobilization Commission is reviewing the prohibitive pay of legislators downward. President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo actually reduced own pay by 50 percent. Single Treasury Account (STA) for all Federal revenues to ensure greater probity, transparency and accountability in the collection, disbursement and utilization of national funds is ushering in public accounting Renessance. The Federal government resolve under President Buhari to prosecute those who allegedly stole national resources soonest. More than ever before, President Muhammadu Buhari is naming, shaming and damning corruption. Both President Buhari and Vice President Osinbajo made public their respective assets last week. By that singular personal examples, they made the war against graft inclusive, morally compelling putting the probity searchlight on all public holders including themselves. Indeed their real asset is the sincerity and courage for full disclosures. There is a lot of Godliness in the details of their worth. Judging by their disclosures, both the president and his Vice had commendably lived on modest need as distinct from the wholesome greed of Nigerian public elite. The late President Yar’adua gave similar full disclosures of his net worth but not with his then Vice. However with these significant things falling in place, there are still some things falling apart (with apology to Chinua Achebe!)

President Buhari and his deputy, Osinbajo have cast the first biblical stone against secrecy about their assets. It’s time for other elected and appointed public officers such as governors, legislators to follow. We can certainly not claim to have defeated Boko Haram without rescuing the Chibok girls and all other innocent persons held hostage by insurgents. Many families are still turned apart as internally displaced and internally depressed. It is good that President Muhammadu Buhari pledges to revive the textile and garment industries and other moribund labour intensive industries with a view of creating mass decent employment. However many factories are still closed down. November 20th is Africa Industrialization Day. Will President reopen one closed factory on that day?

Three months after the inauguration of the National Assembly, senators and members of the House of Representatives are yet to debate on any bill. Indeed they have adjourned more than twice, paid for jobs yet to be seen to be done. The Naira value is unacceptable low despite spirited commendably CBN’s efforts at capital controls. It’s not so much the rate but the volatility of the daily Naira rate to other currencies. Nigeria needs stable exchange rate for economic recovery. Nigeria has certainly gained its dignity in international arena. But we are yet to articulate our vision for Africa and a peaceful world as articulated in the UN charter.