Opinion: The good, the bad and the ugly about Buhari’s war against corruption, poverty alleviation

macfranc007 October 25, 2017 Nigeria News today & Breaking news ▷ Read Nigerian newspapers 24/7 Wale Akinola

Editor’s note: Subair Mohammed, NAIJ.com partner blogger in this latest article, dissects five point agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari, his success and challenges two and half years after he assumed office.

Mohammed is a Lagos-based journalist, who has great passion for writing.

He could be contacted via: mohammedsubair872@yahoo.com

Nigerians sighed with relieve when retired General Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) halted the sixteen years of unproductive and corruption laden reign of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2015 general elections.

Prelude to the elections, retired General Muhammadu Buhari had announced his five point change agenda which if elected, he would implement.

Gracefully, he won the election as he defeated incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan to become Nigeria’s president based on the proposed five point change agenda and his integrity.

And of course, Nigerians were eager for the change in government as it was believed that with President Muhammadu Buhari, the era of economic hardship would be over.

But how wrong they were with this opinion? Little did Nigerians know that there are more to governance than for an individual with personal integrity and good intentions to turn-around Nigeria’s battered economy because success in government transcends individual personal integrity as the attitude and nature of the players involved in government play a prominent role in complementing the efforts of the presiding officer.

Only if Nigerians knew that a book cannot be judged by its cover but by the content of several pages that made up the book.

In his over thirty months of presiding over the affairs of the country, President Muhammadu Buhari (PMB) has performed creditably well in actualising one of his five point change agenda which is; to fight corruption to a standstill.

But, he has recorded not too sound success in diversifying the country’s economy and in providing employment for the youth population.

PMB has also performed below optimal level in adequately securing the lives and properties of the masses and in the provision of infrastructure amenities and qualitative health care facilities.

In one of his several attempts to wrest poverty out of the country, PMB inaugurated the Presidential Advisory Council on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to boost the fight against poverty and climate change in the country.

This move is consequent to the UN General Assembly meeting of September 2015 where PMB joined other world leaders to adopt the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the earth and ensure that all Nigerians regardless of race and colour enjoy peace and prosperity.

But in spite of all efforts and policies by PMB’s administration in grinding poverty, it has been a case of so far, so bad as neither PMB’s five-point change agenda nor the SDGs programme has successfully checked the increasing rate of poverty among Nigerians.

In Nigeria’s political history, PMB is the only leader that has identified corruption as bane on the country’s national development.

The country’s past leaders only paid lips service to the fight against corruption but PMB made an issue out of it and never relent in tackling it headlong without any fear, favour or being bias.

Regrettably, PMB’s focus is so much glued to fighting corruption and blocking economic loopholes so much so that all other sectors suffer neglect to the point that poverty now permeates every aspect of life of the populace.

It is therefore heartrending that PMB is failing in grinding poverty which has attained prominence among the masses.

And of course, this has unfortunately thrown our dear country into a state of hopelessness; a state of endless motion in stagnancy.

Our country is one where the judiciary has monetised and alters the course of justice to favour their allies and the legislature enacts laws not for the masses but laws that protects and favours their situations.

The executive arm of government is not an exception. These are the class of executive pen robbers, an arm where the real action plays out; where the bulk of the nation’s commonwealth are stolen by the ruling class.

Nigeria is richly blessed but her citizens work like donkeys and feed like ants as some states of the federation owe workers salaries running into years.

It is no longer news that many Nigerian parents are unable to put food on the table for their offspring and children of school age roam the street either trading or begging for alms while girls and married women turn to prostitution for survival.

Poverty induced acts like petty stealing, corporate begging by able bodied men and women, and scavenging on left-over foods at parties and eateries by both old and young are common sight in the society.

According to the 2016 report of the United Nation on Nigeria Common Country’s Analysis (CCA), Nigeria, in spite of its vast natural resources is one of the poorest countries in the world as 64 per cent of its population live below 1.9 dollar per day.

The implication of the above analysis is an increase in poverty, moral decadence; crimes while those that believe in dignity of labour turn to menial jobs to survive.

Although, it is often said that there is no justification for crime but when the government has failed in its responsibilities, crime and poverty reign supreme and the result is found expression in various homes where many resort to committing sui*cide as a way to evade poverty.

Recently, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that Edward Soje, a 54 year old grade level 16 officer in the Kogi state Teaching Service Commission committed suici*de by hanging himself on a tree in Lokoja, Kogi state capital as a way out of his financial woes.

The report further stated, six months earlier, precisely in April, Soje sold his car and his uncompleted three bedroom bungalow to meet urgent financial needs but unfortunately, the proceed from these are not enough to placate his financial stress.

While he was engulfed in his financial difficulties, Soje’s wife gave birth to a set of triplets after 17 years of childlessness. But rather than celebrate the arrival of the bundle of joy, Soje decided to commit sui*cide by hanging himself because he had lost all hope of overcoming his financial challenges especially in Kogi State Government paying his 11 months’ salary arrears.

Where lies the pride of the leader when his subjects are languishing in penury and are dying of poverty and bad governance.

There is no denying the fact that PMB has made an indelible mark by reducing the level of corruption in government and in bringing probity, integrity and sanity to governance.

But as much as I recognise this feat, I equally want PMB to step up acts that will lift the status of Nigerians economic wise. Nigerians are suffering and we need urgent bail-out policies whose positive impact will be felt almost immediately by the masses.

Recently on the rising rate of poverty in the country, a member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Hulayat Omidiran (Osun APC) described as unusual the extent of poverty in the land as she said many Nigerians now shamelessly begged for foods.

But, why won’t Nigerians shamelessly begged for foods to survive when bulk of the country’s resources are channel to serve the 109 Senators and 360 members of the House of Representatives.

Again, why won’t poverty reign supreme when the federal government annually allocates huge funds for capital projects but neither the funds nor the projects are executed or seen at the end of the fiscal year?

Why won’t Nigerians shamelessly beg when the government pays monthly ‘dead’ wage of N18,000 to its workers while legislators’ earn N12 million monthly salary without ant sweat.

Nigerians are tired of feeding the political class and public officers who are voted into office to represent the interest of the masses but unfortunately have turned themselves into an object of worship as they feed on the wealth of the country.

While I pray for sound health for PMB, I want to call for the review of the salaries and allowances of the National Assembly members.

The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation And Fiscal Commission needs to review the monthly earnings of the country’s Senators and members of House of Representatives and other public officers as doing this will bring about reduction in the recurrent expenditure and it will allows for enough fund for capital projects.

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And for the President, I want to advice that he appoints trusted and creditable hands to oversee the affairs of the ministry of petroleum and the newly inaugurated Presidential Advisory Council on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) rather than him being in-charge for smooth running. I pray God equip you with the necessary skills and wisdom to be able to lead Nigeria to the promise land.

Meanwhile, NAIJ.com had previously reported that President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday, April 5, launched Nigeria's Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP).

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