When the All Progressives Congress (APC) in a keenly contested party primary in 2014 nominated then Gen Muhammadu Buhari as its flag bearer for the 2015 presidential election, not a few people heaved a sigh of relief that at last the man many consider as incorruptible has a real chance to win the nation’s number one seat and turn things around.
The campaign was massive and the mobilisation of voters across the various political zones of the country was also not a small affair.
The support of the North, where Buhari is believed to have a cult like following was massive, so was the support from the South West part of the country, where its political leaders vowed to do whatever it takes to deliver the former Military Head of State.
When elections eventually came, it was not a surprise that the Daura, Katsina State born politician defeated the incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan, despite little support from the South East and South South, thereby making history to become the first Nigeria opposition candidate ever to defeat an incumbent President.
The election of President Buhari was to many people a fulfillment of a dream and the celebration of the victory was clear evidence that, the people’s preferred candidate had won.
The victory of Buhari was made much easier by the campaign slogan of the APC, as they vowed to bring change to an already disillusioned people, many of whom were unhappy with the government and many of its policies.
So, when the APC came with the ‘Change Agenda’ with a promise to make a difference in the nation’s economy within the first six months, ensure uninterrupted power supply, ensure refineries are working and new ones are built within a short period of time, the electorates were convinced that this was what they needed at this time.
However, two years down the line, the achievements of the government and how far it has gone in actualising the promises and upholding the hopes of the people is a matter for the people to decide, considering what it has and has not done.
A peep into its performance shows a lot of ups and downs and many are confused about how really to rate the government two years down the line.
The Buhari administration came into office in the heat of the Boko Haram insurgency and the heightened agitation for the release of the Chibok girls abducted by the Boko Haram insurgents from Government Secondary School, Chibok, Bornu State two years earlier, so it was not surprising that in its first few days in office, Buhari ordered the relocation of the Nigerian Military Command Centre to Maiduguri, this it must be stated contributed in no small way to the success in the fight against insurgency.
The President also engaged in some sort of shuttle diplomacy to neighbouring countries, with a view to involving them in the administration’s resolve to push Boko Haram elements out of Nigeria through a Multinational Joint Task Force and totally annihilate them.
In the early days of the administration there was a noticeable improvement in the power sector, which greatly raised the hope of many Nigerians for better days ahead, but this feeling was short lived as things has since returned to how it was in most places.
The President had vowed in the heat of the return of the Niger Delta militancy and vandalisation of oil installations leading to a drastic reduction in the oil production level that he will treat Niger Delta militants as terrorists and deal with them the way Boko Haram insurgents are being dealt with if they refuse to negotiate with the Federal Government, subsequently, whether as a result of the threat or because of the intervention of leaders of the Niger Delta region there is now significant peace in the region, following fruitful discussions with stakeholders in the region and the involvement of the Vice President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo in the peace talks in the region.
Another mark of success of the Buhari administration was the level of success the military recorded against the Boko Haram and also the administration’s ability to secure the release of dozens of the abducted Chibok schoolgirls. Three of them had managed to escape on their own; 21 were released last year and another 82 were recently released due to negotiations with the terrorists.
The Chibok girls’ release has enormously lifted the spirits of Nigerians and reduced one of the most enduring pains in the national life since 2014.
The Buhari regime’s anti-corruption campaign has also made a huge impact in the country. Probes have uncovered how trillions of naira was lost in the oil industry and also in the name of weapons purchases. In addition, EFCC made huge discoveries of hidden monies; retrieved assets worth billions from former officials and has initiated the prosecution of many high profile ex-officials, including top military brass and even judges.
The administration’s presidential directive given to ensure the closure of all multiple accounts in Ministries, Departments, and Agencies of government, thereby plugging leakages and concentrating all government resources into a Treasury Single Account (TSA) has also been a plus.
While many will want to celebrate the gains so made under this administration, others are quick to point to the many shortcomings of the government, one of it being the fact that it took Buhari eight months to appoint his cabinet, and an additional 14 months for his government to finally unveil its medium-term economic strategy, the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan, ERGP.
This is also coupled with the fact that two years into his administration some boards of government agencies dissolved at the inception of the administration are yet to be reconstituted and many of those reconstituted are fraught with controversies and allegations of the government not following due process and legal provision in the appointments.
Another issue that agitated the minds of Nigerians early in his administration is the fact that despite his electoral promise to reduce petrol pump price from the N87 per litre that he met it, President Buhari increased the price to N145 barely months after coming to power.
The denials on the part of the Federal Government of the APC electioneering pledge of paying N5000 to poor, unemployed Nigerian, also created room for distrust of the government, though the government has since redefined the category of people who will qualify for the payment and claim that it has started paying the money in some states.
Another issue that the government has had to contend with on regular basis since assumption of office is the controversy over budget.
The first budget of the Buhari administration worth N6.08trn budget was not passed until after several months following allegations of padding and that crisis claimed many casualties both in the budget office and at the National Assembly.
In August 2016, the Nigerian economy was declared to be in technical recession with many believing that the administration’s poor handling of the economy facilitated such.
The President signed an agreement with the Chinese government to improve Nigeria’s power infrastructure and also agreed to a 50 million Euro (about N11.15 billion) loan with the French government for capacity-building and upgrade of power training facilities. Despite the much celebration of both actions, the effect is yet to be felt in the sector.
The Buhari administration has also been accused of playing double standard in appointment of top officials into key government position, alleging that it has been aimed at favouring a certain part of the country, an allegation that the government has not been able to successfully defend.
There is also the issue of trying to shield its top officials accused of corrupt acts, for example in January this year, President Buhari wrote a letter to the Senate, clearing the now suspended Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Babachir Lawal over grass-cutting contract allegations.
Government in the letter defended Lawal and gave reasons why he could not be sacked as demanded by the Senate, but recently he was suspended by the same government, perhaps after more convincing facts emerged and a panel was set up to investigate the allegations.
Also the President defied the Senate on the two consecutive rejections of the nomination of Ibrahim Magu as the Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and has so far ignored advise that he be replaced.
The Buhari regime’s anti-corruption campaign has been criticised for placing too much emphasis on spectacular raids and high profile arrests rather than institutional and system reforms that could curb corruption in the first place.
The biggest minus of the last two years, according to political watchers has been economic recession. With the steep fall in government revenues due to a fall in international oil prices, the criminal sabotage of oil facilities by Niger Delta and the alleged squander mania of the Jonathan years, the national economy has experienced several straight quarters of GDP decline, high inflation rate and steep decline in the naira’s value against foreign currencies.
Many states and local governments also piled up arrears of workers’ salaries while in many states and at the federal level, tens of thousands of pensioners went unpaid for months for end.
Another issue that is agitating the minds of the people is the activities of Fulani Herdsmen, who have in the last two years killed many people across the country and destroyed farm lands and despite outcry from many quarters, not much has been achieved by security agencies in apprehending the culprits, making some persons to suggest that they may be emboldened to continue carrying out their dastardly act because they have the backing of their Fulani brother who is the President.
It is unfortunate that in the midst of the major challenges that still face this country, President Buhari suffered bouts of ill health that rendered him mostly unable to exercise his presidential mandate since January this year.
He was away from the country for 49 days in January to early March, did very little when he came back, and has been away from the country again now for nearly a month. In Buhari’s absence the lot fell on Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, who is doing his best, but the administration’s cohesion, long term planning and firmness of purpose are all affected by the uncertainties of this situation.
Speaking on the achievements of the Buhari administration in the last two years, factional chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Hon. Adegoke Savaldor said that so far the government has failed in delivering on its promises.
He said, “So far we hardly see what they are doing on their promises, they promised us that immediately they get there we should give them six months and naira and dollar parity will become one to one, but today naira to dollar is about N500 in the market, the government rate that they claim they are selling nobody can access it and people are now complaining, things are difficult. Look at the security issue everywhere in the country.
“Now, look at our economy, it is dwindling down every day, they say we are out of recession, what is the difference between when we had recession and now that we don’t, a bag of rice is almost N20,000, something we use to buy for N7,000 or N8,000, what is then the difference, electricity, no improvement, there is nothing positive that they can point to.”
However he said that despite that not much has been achieved, that the government has made some successes, but that their failures far outweighs their success, “But, there is no way they cannot have their plus, but when things are not good things are not good, when they are not up to 50 percent you cannot say it is success. Everything has to be measured to expectation. It is absolutely impossible for any administration to sit down and not do anything.
“He might be a very good person and the sympathy is even on his health now, I feel bad when somebody get to this type of position and he start having health issues, any right thinking person should feel for him, so we have to take his job as our job, everybody must stand up and if somebody is doing a bad thing we have to say it, it is like he has donated his life to us, because I can assure you that if not for the stress of this office he might not be this sick, he might have his issues, but it can be manageable, but the pressure and the type of responsibilities he chose to take it is now affecting his health,” Savaldor said.
