The Mix Change Nigeria. Once Sweet, Now Sour?
The year started with screams of victory and a groundswell of optimism. On May 29th 2015, Nigeria swore in a new head of State, President Muhammadu Buhari. It was a day layered with more history than it has come to be known for. It was the first time that an incumbent President was handing over power. It was a new ruling party in our entire sixteen-year democracy. For our new President, the General, for whom the fourth time – not the third – was the charm after having run for office relentlessly the past three consecutive elections. he was familiar to us all. he had once occupied this position, though previously wearing sepia aviators, with stars on his shoulder in a starched green uniform. he had jailed dissenters. Citizens were whipped into orders and queues. Food was rationed. he asked the country for a fresh start, for a new beginning. We believed it to be so. he was a no-nonsense man. he was incorruptible. he ‘belonged to everybody and belonged to nobody’. One year into his government, Style Correspondent AYODeJI ROTINWA looks back at his ascension and reviews how the past one year has been as a nation under the General…
He was the change that 15, 424, 921 (53.96%) Nigerians wanted and voted for. Before him, we had endured a (former) President under whose watch over 250 school girls were stolen from their dormitories by terrorist sect, Boko Haram and remain missing, nearly 800 days after. The same sect went on to bomb THISDAY Newspapers headquarters, National Police Force headquarters, all in the capital city, Abuja, the President’s residence, legislature, a heartbeat away.
Before him, we saw a (former) President suspend his Central Bank Governor, for daring to reveal that $20 billion was missing from the nation’s treasury, his response being if such a large amount ever went missing, “America will know, they will tell you where it is, it is their money…”
Before him, we watched a (former) President on national television, with presumably, the entire country watching, (at least those that had electricity running or had enough fuel for their generators) explain to the country that stealing is not corruption.
After a postponement, electoral violence, an intense campaign that split the country atimes along religious, ethnic fault lines, a sitting minister physically interrupting the vote count process (again on national television) and millions of Nigerians note pads in hand calculating results, in front of their TVs, on the 31st of March 2015, President Muhammad Buhari was announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission as winner of the election.
One year in power and after the message of change, most Nigerians would be hard-pressed to say they have seen or felt any but there are facts to consider. BUHARI V. CORRUPTION
The President has made good on his promise of fighting corruption. Not a day passes in the country without a former or serving public official, elected or appointed or industrialist or member of high society, announced in newspapers as being in the sights of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, suspicion trailing him or her, like a shadow. Trillions in Naira are to be recovered. There have been no convictions. A lot has been said about the President’s preoccupation with corruption, and whether it distracts him from running the country. Many forget that that they are the same thing. To run the country, an economy he inherited that had been fleeced, he needs money. Tidy percentages of it lie in offshore accounts in the Caribbean, are fixed in property in Hyde Park, or are buried in the underground vaults, water storage tanks of public officials for safe-keeping as the Federation’s bank accounts are apparently not competent. Every minted note of national heroes recovered is potential for owed salaries to
Surely, we did not expect the seeds of economic mismanagement, poor planning and insecurity sown, watered and sustained over the past sixteen years of our democracy to be uprooted out in 365 days. We voted in a man, not a wizard but the clock is ticking.
be paid, investments to be made, to be saved for a rainy day or added to costs of running the country. BUHARI V. BOKO HARAM
The President has also shown steely intent in suppressing, dismantling and extinguishing the threat of the Boko Haram terrorist group and has proven he’s ready to take hard decisions to do so. He fired all his service chiefs, including the head of the Army, who had been previously recording defeats without consequences. This decision has seen the Nigerian army recover territory where Boko Haram terror prophets had previously thrived, diminishing their advance, their men and hopefully, their resolve to put an end to our Western way of life, ergo, to kill us all. One of the Chibok girls kidnapped two years ago have been recovered, alongside 41 other hostages mostly women and children, taken by the terrorist sect.
Hope is once again the seedling that stretches to find the sun. BUHARI THE JETSETTER
President Buhari has also come under fire for his jet-setting, and apparent stubborn decision, to attend global conferences, initiate, sustain foreign relations close deals on behalf of the country in person when he could easily nominate representatives to do so. The return of his recent travels to China specifically reportedly delivered $6bn in additional investments to Nigeria.
Yet, is it enough? NIGERIAN ECONOMY V. BUHARI
Yes, it is true; the president inherited an economy (and bank accounts, wallets, wooden reserves, kept under beds) that was on the brink. The Naira was facing devaluation. Also, he cannot control (?) the price of oil that dived so sharply into the red and so incredibly, that serious - albeit darkly humorous - comparisons were being drawn between the prices of a barrel of oil and a bucket of KFC chicken.
With the guidance of President’s Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele, inflation in the country has gone up to 13.7 percent and our GDP growth rate for first quarter 2016 is negative -0.36 percent and unemployment rate is up to 12.1 percent. One quarter of negative GDP growth means we’re halfway on the road to recession.
Yet, patience is required. This is another fact. Surely, we did not expect the seeds of economic mismanagement, poor planning and insecurity sown, watered and sustained over the past sixteen years of our democracy to be uprooted out in 365 days. We voted in a man, not a wizard but the clock is ticking.
The President has three more years (barring a second term run) to sow new seeds of promised change, grow them and share the dividends amongst 160 million Nigerians.
May the fruit be in our favour.