President Buhari’s New Year Message and Failed Promises
IRail System listened intently to the New Year’s Day Address of His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari (fondly called PMB or Baba), President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I was happy, because Baba touched on a lot of pertinent issues. Baba honestly admitted that Nigeria has a huge infrastructural deficit, which requires attention. He revealed Government’s plans for extensive roadworks and the rail system, and gave some deadlines for delivery of some of the railway projects. Recently, I had a chat with the Managing Director of a Commercial Bank and a Financial Guru, and they both explained to me that the importance of a functioning and efficient rail system in Nigeria, cannot be underestimated, especially if we want our agricultural objectives to succeed, as rail is the fastest and cheapest way to move produce from Point A to Point B. With a lot of bad and unmotorable roads, especially in the rural areas where the agricultural produce emanate from, Farmers are constantly complaining about how expensive it is to move their produce to town, and how they become mostly overripe and spoilt before they reach their destinations. Having a ‘sure banker’ way of moving produce around the country, will be a plus for Nigeria, as it will not only help to reduce the cost of food stuff for the people, increase employment but also boost the export of our farm produce.
Of course, a pessimistic friend of mine asked me what type of rail system Nigeria was building, to which I replied that I did not know. He then pointed out that, rail is intertwined with power supply and diesel supply, both of which the country is still struggling to supply. I did my research and discovered that electric trains are more energy and cost efficient, and in this age of ‘cry against global warming and environmental pollution’, trains powered by electricity, also have lower emissions. But where is the electricity supply to power the trains all over Nigeria, when majority of Nigerians still do not have electricity in their homes? There needs to be an all-encompassing policy, also linking electricity generation with a successful rail system.
Power Supply Baba in his Address, admitted that “power remains a concern”. He stated that as at December 2017, 7,000 mega watts of electricity was generated and as of December 8, 2017, 5,155 mega watts of electricity was delivered to consumers, the highest amount that has ever been achieved. Unfortunately, there was a systems collapse/national grid shutdown due to a fire outbreak, resulting in Nigerians experiencing several days of ‘blackouts’ last week. After giving Nigerians fuel shortage as their 2017 Christmas present, we got ‘blackout’ as our New Year’s gift. Whoever is to blame or not to blame, I wonder how much more suffering Nigerians are expected to bear.
Fuel Crisis Regarding the fuel crisis, Baba blamed it on those he referred to as ‘saboteurs’ (which may very well be so), but he did not address the fact that there’s just something amiss with the fuel importation system in Nigeria. There are several versions of what is responsible for the present fuel crisis which started early December 2017 - which I do not care to regurgitate, but could there be wisdom in the words of Learned Senior Advocate Festus Keyamo, who said in a television interview that “the NNPC are not telling Nigerians the truth”? Now, the Minister of State of Petroleum, Dr Ibe Kachikwu has been quoted in the newspapers as saying that the fuel crisis may linger till 2019. So, if there is lack of electricity and fuel (diesel), pray tell, how will the rail system work?
Rice For those who love Basmati Rice (like my husband) or Uncle Ben’s (like my sister-in-law, Sope), you had better start loving Ofada Rice or Lake (Lagos-Kebbi) Rice. Baba announced that rice importation will stop in 2018. This is probably a good thing, if Government is sure that local production can meet demand. This will certainly create more jobs for Nigerians especially in the rural areas, and help to boost the economy. Honourable Minister of Agriculture, I implore you to kindly ensure that Nigerians have enough rice to eat, before they start to export. We do not want a repeat of the ‘Yam Affair’.
Restructuring The shocker that Baba gave us, was what he said about Restructuring, something to the effect that it isn’t really the case before the court right now, as there are other pressing matters that affect us, like the size and cost of governance. But was the promise of devolution of powers/restructuring, not one of the cardinal points of APC’s Manifesto and Campaign Promises Agenda? So, why did they decide to put it on the back burner, to purportedly face other issues which we already knew also existed and had to be tackled? Don’t they all go hand in hand? Can they not be handled simultaneously? Did APC make false campaign promises that they did not intend to keep, simply to win the election? Funny enough, I watched an interview of the Chairman of the APC, Chief John Oyegun, where he said almost the same thing as Baba on the issue of Restructuring.
Security Baba went on to say that “let me assure my fellow citizens, the security of life and property is still top of our Government’s agenda. We have since beaten Boko Haram. Isolated attacks still occur.....Our Government is really determined to protect all Nigerians in line with our election pledge and promises”. So why the need for $1 billion to fight those that have already been defeated? Possibly because, in actual fact, they may not have been defeated?
Baba talked about kidnapping, but I was shocked that he failed to mention or give any credence in his Address, to the growing menace of the Fulani Herdsmen (or whoever it is that is attacking the people of Benue State), their violence, cruelty, criminality and murderous rampages. Government needs to treat this matter with the gravity that it demands. Why was it so easy to proscribe IPOB, which did not have a reputation for violence, calling it a ‘Terrorist Organisation’, meanwhile suspected Miyetti Allah people/ Herdsmen who stand accused of unleashing violence all over the place, are left by the authorities to continue their killing spree? The last vicious outing in Benue State, brought tears to my eyes, when I saw some photos that went round social media, of helpless women including a heavily pregnant woman, slaughtered like their cattle. It seems that the issue of security has been politicised. If not, why the absolute silence on Herdsmen? Yes, they have the right to graze their cattle, but in accordance with the laws of the land. No, they do not have the right to continue to senselessly maim and kill innocent people in Benue State and all over the place, destroying their farmlands, in the name of open grazing. Miyetti Allah and their Herdsmen, should march to Abuja, to Aso Rock and the National Assembly, to air their grievances (which I cannot deny the legitimacy of - they do require grazing land), instead of being so vicious.
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, Section 14(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended in 2010)(the Constitution), which provides thus: “the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government”, is contained in Chapter 2 of the Constitution which is not justiciable. So, as impressive and important as this provision sounds, it is little more than decoration. About 50 people were said to have been killed in this New Year attack in Benue State. 16 people were gunned down in Rivers State, on their way back from Church on New Year’s Eve, while a Paramount Ruler was killed in Kaduna State. I choose to believe that, we are bound by the provisions of the Constitution, justiciable or not. Government should step up to its responsibilities, in this regard. There should be no ‘sacred cows’.
I watched the interview of a Youth Leader in Benue State. She said that the Federal Government has been silent on the Herdsmen issue, and they do not know Government’s stand on it. She said it was so bad in their State, that you really cannot go to bed at night with two eyes closed, for fear of being attacked, killed and looted by these Herdsmen. Yet Baba did not deem it fit to even mention the topic! It is a matter that is too important to ignore. It is a matter that is gaining rising importance, and if something is not done to curb it, we may have another Boko Haram issue on our hands.
Baba commented that Government’s clean up program in conjunction with the United Nations in the Niger Delta, is making satisfactory progress. I thought to myself that it was indeed good news, until I saw people from Ogoniland being shown on television, protesting that Government had
“WHY WAS IT SO EASY TO PROSCRIBE IPOB, WHICH DID NOT HAVE A REPUTATION FOR VIOLENCE, CALLING IT A ‘TERRORIST ORGANISATION’, MEANWHILE SUSPECTED MIYETTI ALLAH PEOPLE/ HERDSMEN WHO STAND ACCUSED OF UNLEASHING VIOLENCE ALL OVER THE PLACE, ARE LEFT BY THE AUTHORITIES TO CONTINUE THEIR KILLING SPREE?”
not commenced the clean up in their place!
Promises Nigerians are just about tired of empty promises being made by successive governments. APC too, has joined them, with its shifting of the goal post and constant making of excuses. It is time to ‘walk the talk’. We are tired of Committees being set up on any and every issue that arises, every little thing, all to no avail. From Baba’s Address, it is obvious that Government has its work cut out already.
I heard someone say that for the 2019 elections, he doesn’t want APC or PDP to win. Having just returned from Dubai where he spent Christmas with his family, and seeing the sights and the level of development that has taken place there since they discovered oil in 1966 or so, he is campaigning for Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, VicePresident and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai, to come and run for the Presidency here! We all know that this is not possible, but all these people are available to share their wealth of knowledge and experience with us, if we are oblivious of the proper steps to take.
However good Baba’s intentions are (and I do know that he is somewhat compassionate and does have good intentions for Nigeria), they are simply not enough to turn the country around. Intentions must be backed with good, coherent, cohesive, effective plans, that must be properly executed. In the words of General Raji Rasaki (Rtd), “acson, acson la fe” (we want action, action).
Towards the end of his address, Baba stated that “we all have a collective responsibility to strengthen our democracy and entrench the rule of law” - Kwarai! (Exactly). I concur with Baba. Let us start with Government obeying court orders, and releasing those whom the courts have granted bail, but still remain in custody.