IS HE THE MESSIAH OR SHOULD WE EXPECT ANOTHER?

IS HE THE MESSIAH OR SHOULD WE EXPECT ANOTHER?

When he emerged the winner of Nigeria’s most keenly contest election, Nigerians were full of expectation and hope. They had a firm conviction that they have finally elected a president that will turn around their fortunes and ultimately emancipate them from the intractable shackles of penury, stagnation, insecurity, abject dejection and despondency. This hinges on their experience of having been disillusioned by successive administrations that made little or no effort towards ameliorating numerous challenges that ordinary Nigerians contend with on a daily basis. At the proclamation of his victory by the electoral umpire, Nigerians felt that they have chosen a president whose antecedents and proclivities portends affinity with the down-trodden and they they were very close to the dawn of  a new nation that is totally sequestrated from oppressive and ferocious leadership.

With almost one year after that historic decision by the people and his emergence as president, it’s as if Nigerians miscalculated and overestimated the president’s capability to transform and ultimately birth a new Nigeria. It is ostensibly that what we envisaged was just a mirage and that the ruling political party probably employed the use of charade or subterfuge in its change mantra it propagated during the last election campaign. In the face of the recent realities it is becoming increasingly glaring that it is indeed not yet “Uhuru”. That which killed mother-cat has vowed that her offspring will never sleep at night. In this piece, Egokorom Owolabi, a public affairs analyst captures the hues and pangs of Nigerians with regards to the policies, programs and the overall inclination of the current administration.

For him, “we decided to entrust our lives and future for the next four to President Mohammadu Buhari because we felt that he had the audacious political will, unflinching sincerity and tenacious nationalistic spirit to steer our nation away from all the odds that perpetually impede our progress and development” it is however devastating that this administration seems not to be yielding the desired result in terms of delivering the change it promised Nigerians. He stated unequivocally that it is time for the current government to get its acts together stressing that the entire populace is fast becoming frustrated with the comatose state of virtually all sectors of our economy and that inflation has further impoverished more families than ever before. He did a sector by sector analysis of the state of the nation starting with the power sector.

He bemoaned the inactivity in the power sector even with Mr. Raji Fashola at the helm of that ministry. He noted that the availability of steady power supply is indispensible in sustaining a vibrant economy. “Without power, industries cannot operate, trade and investments will remain at their lowest ebb” while decrying the abysmal supply of power in the country, he said that businesses are closing down because cost of generating power for production and that strategic measures needs to be taken to save our nation from total collapse. He wondered why the issue of power cannot be surmounted by government notwithstanding the amount of funds that have been sunk in the sector.

Additionally, on the issue of job creation, Owolabi said that “it is no longer news that our graduates and youths roam the streets endlessly in search of what to meaningfully engage themselves with to no avail.” He was of the view that government should channel all funds recovered from previous corrupt leaders to the revival and resuscitation of moribund industries and establishment of new ones. He noted that having billions of naira in the National reserve whilst the citizens wallow in penury is antithetical to government message of change.

Similarly, Owolabi reiterated the importance of security to national development. He maintained that security remains one of the key things every government must guaranty its citizens. According to him, the inability to adequately protect lives and properties lead to social quagmire which is capable of destabilizing any nation.  He urged the government to intensify effort to defeat and dispel the Islamic extremists in the north eastern part of the country so as to restore the former glory of that region. For him, it is rather baffling that the Nation’s Military has failed to replicate what it has done in various parts of the continent at home. He remained critical of other sectors of the nation as well.

In a swift reaction, the state chairman of the ruling party refuted and debunked the notion that the federal government is clueless with regards to fixing the country’s woes. Chief Ochongaloko observed that what the presidency has adopted a gradual but steady approach in uprooting notable impediments stifling our progress stressing that the best way to tackle a problem was to first solve factors that trigger and fester the challenge in the first place. He acknowledged that in as much as the desired transformation of strata of the nation is yet to materialize, the current dispensation has decided to first reform and reorient the people at different levels so as to make them conform, imbibe and ultimately embrace the virtues of integrity and transparency in all their endeavor which will eventually lead to an egalitarian society. He further called on the opposition to refrain from sabotaging the efforts of the current administration but should rather rally round government and support its bid to better the lot of Nigerians.

On the other hand, the National publicity secretary of the opposition party mazi Echidime Onyemachi has maintained that the current administration lacks the required acumen to make any meaningful impact to Nigerians. Speaking at a public lecture last weekend on the topic “the negative effects of accidental leadership” he said that the ruling party was never prepared to rule but came to power sequel to his party’s past mistake and share luck, which is the reason belying its lack of direction and a clear blueprint. For him, “Nigerians have how tasted and seen that they made a terrible blunder when they withdrew support for our party” he concluded by urging the people to endure the present circumstance pending the time his party makes a come back to the presidency.