Oyegun’s hopes on APC’s fortunes

President Muhammadu Buhari’s 100 days in power fell due on Friday, 4th of September 2015. In a very unique way, the government managed to come away with a largely positive evaluation, even when activities of the period have been remarkably different from the norm. For instance, usually by the end of the 100 days, most major executive positions would have been filled, in this government only a handful of appointments have been made and they have received mixed reactions with claims of being lopsided, thereby provoking posturing from ethnic and clannish champions.

The government is judged to have done well on account of its prosecution of the following agendas-namely anticorruption crusade, fighting insecurity and providing employment. The anti-corruption campaign has been a runaway success as treasury looters have been made to return stolen funds and soon they would be arraigned in the regular courts to answer for their behaviour. An anti-corruption committee has been empanelled to draw up the modalities. The campaign against insurgency has received the needed impetus with the provision of the required weapons to do the job, an ingredient that was curiously lacking before this government took over. The result is that Boko Haram has been wrong footed and substantially reduced in effectiveness, still it is wreaking havoc in limited areas of the Northeast.

In the spirit of the 100 days, I joined a group of seasoned senior journalists who had been invited for dinner with the APC chairman, Chief John Odigie Oyegun and a handful of his colleagues in downtown Abuja to discuss his party’s fortunes and the government prospects. Bespectacled in traditional babanriga with a cap to fit, it was obvious he was coming from another important function. The discussion was free ranging- dwelling on the party, its government, the president, and his relationship with the national assembly, particularly the senate and the reportage Buhari and his government have received so far and many other issues. Chief Oyegun came across as guarded, responding to questions with a level tone devoid of any emotions with remarks that sometimes ended with rhetorical question as if expecting someone to fill the gaps or offer a position different from his. I put that to his public service background which demands that you keep your views to yourself but if you must comment then put it across as briefly as possible.

You expect the politician in him to throw caution the wind and offer a free ranging view of the party and the government. His was short and straight to the point view on the issues. Not for him any extraneous comment that could be misconstrued and misinterpreted. On the party, the well known fact that its current lack of cohesion has to do with it being merely a movement formed from a multiplicity of tendencies, including true seekers for change, disgruntled Peoples Democratic Party members (PDP) down on their luck in their party who now saw the APC as a way to claw their way to back to relevance and position and other elements with their own agendas, was reiterated. All these tendencies are now tearing at the soul of the party. Chief Oyegun concluded that indeed the “party is not yet a party,” even though it has formed a government, the party is still going through its formation. He did not think that fact should necessarily affect the performance of the government.

Creating a more disciplined party to rid it of charlatans, disrupters and power grabbers would be arduous and tortuous, at the end however the party that emerges would remain “progressive and people-oriented,” he noted. On the seeming discordance between APC’s policy and the action of certain state governors acting in a way perceived to be punitive on the people that put them in power, he said the party was working to ensure policies at the state level are streamlined with those at the centre. The overriding interest of the party is to ensure its governments do not fail; therefore it is ready to make erring executives in the states to fall in line. He noted that the fear that since the party rode to power on the coattail of the charisma and the magnetism of the president, the party’s fortune is fraught once he is no longer around, was misplaced because right now the party is working hard to build a party that would not depend on individuals but on its policies and programmes.

The Buhari government, he said is not a plodding “go slow” one at all, that was why as soon as it took over it did not waver on what it must do to restore the credibility of government-through frontally combating corruption. Public wealth stolen must be returned by whosoever is found to have taken it. And the culprits are sure of answering for their deeds. Punishment must be one way of stopping the obscene level corruption has reached. Punishing graft also is a way of healing the psyche of Nigerians who because of the odious attitude of those in power now assume that stealing or embarking on anti-social deeds such as armed robbery, kidnapping etc are acceptable behaviour. Thus government is bent not only to improve the quality of life of the people; it also seeks to return the country to the verities that made Nigerians virtuous when the country started out as a nation through appropriate policies and programme.

On those holding the view that despite government’s anti-corruption and security policies much has not been done to reveaL where it is headed, Chief Oyegun urged people to read the APC’s manifesto, adding that the government is decidedly left -of- centre in orientation, with the welfare of the people on the top of its concerns. He noted however that even so the high expectation of the people while justified should be realistic, considering the prevailing circumstances of the country-dwindling revenues, an economy in urgent need of restructuring to reorient it to become self sufficient and self sustaining. He noted that the media has done very well thus far in explaining government actions, policies and programmes, still as it gets into a more concrete implementation of its programmes, the media would have to do more in moderating the high expectations of the people. This APC government has no illusions about what Nigerians want, and it has sworn to work toward achieve the lofty goal but it will need patience, understanding and appreciation of the work that it entails, adding that it is the job of the media to create this understanding in the people.

I came away with the impression that the APC chieftain and his colleagues are fully aware of the demand Nigerians are making of them. But being realistic men of vast experience they know ambitious goal setting while achievable through purposeful government could be a victim of unforeseen circumstances. Such can come from a further plunge in revenue base as has already happened to oil prices, making government scale back the budget it inherited. Developing other sources of revenue cannot happen in the medium term, it is a long term plan. All these considerations explain the call on the media to help in moderating the high expectations of Nigerians. Yet, being reasonable people Nigerians know and would appreciate a purposeful government working to better their situation, with or without media intervention.