Opinion

NIGERIA@62 YEARS; Dissecting President Address (1)

ABBA DUKAWA

Last week, Nigerians marked 62 years of independence to many, there is no much to cheer as the country still remained a toddler, unable to meet citizens basic needs and to other there is relatively some developments.

Within six decades Nigeria has also witnessed different types of leaders who have moved the country from one stage to the other- positively and negatively and the country has gone through civil war but surviving the war fellowd by decades of military rule.

Politics and other self interest aside, there was no times in the history of the country after the civil war the situations went from bad to worst with coupling evidences of poor leadership which leaves Nigerians with little to rejoice about the country statehood.

Like old stories in a new page of a book, governments at all levels have not been able to show much needed resilient in confronting the daunting challenges bedeviling this country. There is the general assumption among citizens and observers that with so much promise and opportunity, leadership at national, states and local government levels not delivered on its constitutional responsibilities. Had been our late leaders were to resurrect from their grave toady, what will they says about the country they has so much dreamt to be the a force to reckon with among the advance and strong countries in the world but they dream for the country die as they unceremoniously left Nigeria.

There is no gsinsaying if one says , the country is sliding back on a reverse gear rather than going forward.

Our expectation has been taken from us by disastrous leaders we have been unfortunate to have in the past and present. For those of us that grew up in the military system and witnesses the returned to democratic government in the country our generation has seen , bad and ugly side of Nigeria after independence where bad leadership, Corruption, nepotism, with acts of unpatriotic citizens have dragged our country backward.

Even though, I am not listened to Baba’s addressed to the nation but read his 47 paragraphs many time to enable me dissect the address.

As usual, the addressed is full of self glorify as the president Buhari told banditry striking, poverty striking, unemployment/ insecurity striking nation that he remains committed to lift over 100 million out of poverty with such unsupported claims with out reliable statistic from either National Bureau of Statistics or any recognized institutions baffled me and other well meaning Nigerians. Is The administration were that unemployment in the last quarter has risen astronomically.According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

The questions is how could a President of the nation like Nigeria be so misguided in telling the citizens who under going through untold suffering with unsubstantiated facts. In addition to the untold suffering in Mr. president addressed reiterated his administration
commitment toward lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in ten years as the central plank of his second term in 2019.

To be fair, there is no administration in the country that has providing verious interventions with aimed to reduce poverty and hunger in the country such as N-Power, trader-moni, market moni, subsidized loans, business grants or Conditional Cash Transfers like PMB’s government with intend to reduce the poverty in the country but all the intends of policies is far reaching. Instead the poverty to be decreased many non-poor Nigerians falling into poverty and about 95 million Nigerians are expected to be poor by 2022 end in addition poverty reduction in Nigeria appears to have stalled in the last decade, according to both back-casting and survey-to-survey imputation techniques. World Bank reports.

Nigerian at 62 one of the herculean tasks before citizens apart of security challenges is skyrocketed of food prices self feeding talk less of the feeding family has became a serious problem as the foods which is a basic need for every household, has become a luxury.

Even opportune one (workers) things are very tough to them considering the meagre nature of the minimum wage talks less of millions peoples out work Now in the 21st century, the country’s faces similar problems of food inflation which has reached unprecedented heights even common food staples in the country like rice, gari, beans are now beyond their reach. Prices of foodstuffs are now triple then it was before in 2015 without any government efforts control prices.

It is undeniable, Baba’s had good intention in making the country’s to attain self-sufficiency in food but the policy turn out to be miserable to million of Nigerians the current situation have resonated with 1984 acute shortest of foods in the country.

in spite with proliferation of small and medium and large scale rice processing companiess across the country, the price of locally made 50KG bag of rice goes beyond of salary earner. Each passing days, these heartless manufacturing firms and essential commodities’ sellers at hiking prices. In addition, government officials are not seeing the danger or intentionally distorts the reality either on self survival or deceiving him with intention to be in his good book.

Unfortunately, Year 2015 marks as a new dawn for the citizens and the country at large with high hopes and expectations that Baba Buhari would led Nigeria’s turn-around and create the basis for its improved prosperity. No administration in the history of the country has enjoyed citizens goodwill like the present administration. Nigerians remain resolute and tolerant in addition in exercising more patience. The electorates never thought Baba would head a government bedeviled with boggling poor economic policies, poverty, and insecurity, challenges with endless things that are discrediting the administration’s goodwill and the nation at large.

With the ways things are going, it is like Buhari is not the same person Nigerians ostensibly brought into power in 2015. Buhari’s fear factor has gone. Corrupt politicians and civil servants have a free day as the fear if Buhari catch you gone and everyone does as he wishes.

To be continued…