Why Nigerians are not appreciative of Buhari govt

I find it imperative to acknowledge the appreciable gains on infrastructural development, especially in Southern Nigeria by the Buhari administration. I pray that Allah grants Baba more wisdom, understanding and political will to do the needful. In 2015, there were excitements and hope of citizens that the country will have a sense of direction but all the enthusiasm has waned. No government in Nigeria’s history has enjoyed citizens’ goodwill like the present administration.

Even though the Buhari administration introduced many programs, like Anchor Borrowers Programme, to alleviate Nigerians’ hardship, unfortunately the targeted citizens could not benefit because briefcase farmers and those close to the power hijacked it.

Even the Conditional Cash Transfer program for the poor and vulnerable households did not get to its target. With all sense of highest esteem to Mr President, the level of poverty in the country is unspeakable talk less of lifting 10.5 million people out of poverty – farmers, small-scale traders, artisans, market women and the like in the last two years.

Kano and Kaduna were the hubs of the nation’s textile industry, having grown up around Bompai industrial area I know how Gaskiya and Bagauda Textiles worked on three shifts. But now they are dead and most painful Gaskiya is a shadow of itself same with United African Textile in Kaduna; perhaps, CBN’s N50 billion Textile Sector intervention facility did not get to the real textile companies.

Reviving the economy remains herculean task, the country suffered two recessions following the fall in crude oil price in the international market which and naira devaluation.

It is under the watchful of the perceived Messiah that our domestic and foreign debt reached unprecedented level in history. Before the current debt when the administration came in 2015, the debt was N10 trillion. Now the nation’s overall debt stock increased by N191 billion in the first quarter of this year, representing a 0.58 percent increase from N32.916 trillion as of December 31, 2020. The debt stock increased to N33.107 trillion by the end of March 2021, according to the Debt Management Office (DMO).

The  security challenge the country had in 2015 was Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East but now insecurity has escalated to almost every state making life unbearable and no one feels safe either at home or on the road. Nigerians are alienated, angry and fed up with the way the insecurity escalated. For over six years with PMB as captain of the ship, insecurity has menacingly ravaged the country.

Regrettably, Nigeria’s corruption perception index published by Transparency International has nosedived and the fight against corruption has become a mere political statement. In spite of alleged celebrated high profile corrupt cases, six years into the administration, there was no conviction of the alleged looters in this high profile corruption. Anti-corruption agencies and the fight itself are more like toothless bull dogs that can only bark but cannot bite.

If the president himself is not satisfied with the economic policies of his administration there is no reason for ordinary citizens not to be critical of the administration as they are languishing in extreme poverty, battling with daily survival due to unprecedented inflation in the country reaching highest. 

Those entrusted with public offices may not necessarily be honest to tell truth to power but anyone who wants to know should go to market and listen to people’s conversation and even without listening one could see the anger in their faces.

As a Nigerian that believes I don’t have any other country I can call my country than Nigeria. I and other millions of other patriotic Nigerians are not happy with the way things are going. More than any time in the history of the country coexistence, after the country’s bitter 30 months civil war, our country has never been in a very critical condition like now. 

We are facing danger of fragmentation, succession threat, kidnapping and other related crimes; all these have remained a distraction to the administration, wailers and hailers. The administration came to power through the change mantra with its top cardinal promises of economic development, fighting insecurity, corruption, job creation, power, health and infrastructure.

For sake of history and the country to judge the administration fairly, let captain of the ship regain his past hard earning status of being a strong and no non sense General., Let him do any things to prevent the worst happening in remaining two years of the administration.

Abba Dukawa,

Kano

[email protected]