Buhari’s 100 Days Of Anti-Graft War

During his campaign at
the 60,000 capacity Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, Igwuruta-Ali, near Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, President Muhammadu Buhari said he would tackle corruption, security and economy which he identified as the problems Nigerians are facing today, pointing out that they have gathered competent hands to manage the economy and tackle security.
The country has been brutally vandalized in so many perspectives or areas of the people’s life, including the economy, insecurity and corruption. Buhari’s focus on corruption and the fight against it seems to have robbed Nigerians of their expectations from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) government within the first 100 days in office or power. While I am not against the anti-graft war, it is necessary to remind  Mr President of other teething challenges facing Nigeria.
Globally, the most debated aspect of the practice or utility of democracy is the question of the relation between democracy and economic development. Good governance is achieved in a country or state when the right politics is practiced. Nigerians need someone who understands the pains of the masses to preside over their affairs as the president. It takes someone who understands the pain of the people to proffer solutions to their yearnings and aspirations.
Realistically, there is so much pain on the people and we need someone who truly understands and cares for the people. If we don’t get the politics right, we cannot get the governance right. Election is not just about winning but the work to do-building infrastructure, empowerment of the citizens, uniting them, provide education, health, roads job creation, and provide for all to reduce poverty, among others.
Many Nigerians are groaning under hunger and poverty, which causes serious concern and problems for good governance. Lack of development and progress is hurting all parts of our country. The Federal Government must drive development close to the people, empower the states to handle the development of their people so that the country can balance up again. Over concedistract or divert Buhari’s attention from attending to other crucial national issues.
In as much as Nigerians have high hopes  in the president and pledged their support to him, by virtue of his election as president of Nigeria, Buhari should ensure that all the facets of the country are carried along irrespective of who voted for or against him. He should remove the fear of discrimination among the people in terms of development bearing in mind that with the cooperation and support of the people, his administration will meet up with the challenges of the nation and ensure better governance that cannot be surpassed even after his tenure. Any attempt by Buhari to succumb to political pressure and back pedal on his earlier promises and other things may trigger crisis in the country. To be forewarned is to be forearmed, so also, prevention is better than cure. So the time to perform is now.
The recent bickering between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the ruling APC over Buhari’s achievements within his first 100 days in office as president is abysmal. The APC had accused the former ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) of pervasive corruption that needed to be cleansed before Nigeria will be able to actualize its potentials. The PDP in its response accused the presidency and the APC of deliberately restoring to diversionary blackmail and overused excuses to shy away from providing answers to the salient issue of unprecedented damage done to the nation’s economy in its 90 days in office.
The PDP said that rather than hide their heads in shame for poor performance in the last 90 days that has resulted in the sudden economic retrogression, the worst ever experienced by the nation, the APC and the Presidency continue to grope and look for excuses. PDP National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh in a statement on Sunday, August 30, 2015 had said discerning minds were appalled that instead of providing answers to issues of economic retrogression, the Presidency and the APC have resorted to wild allegations and insults to attempt to cover their ineptitude and divert attention from their list of bogus promises which they have no intention to fulfill.
The APC in a statement issued in Abuja on that same day by the National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Muhammed said: “Those who would rather give comfort to the looters by dismissing the media exposure of looting cases as more hell-raising should realize that no sane person can be silent in the face of what is unfolding as the worst cases of brazen stealing of public funds in Nigeria’s history”.
In a reaction to Buhari’s attack on the former President Goodluck Jonathan, Ministers who served under him told Buhari to stop the unwarranted attacks, saying that it was wrong for the Buhari administration to cast aspersion on Jonathan and the ministers who worked under him, deliberately discrediting the monumental achievements and the innovative measures it adopted to tackle corruption in the country. They said it was also wrong for the new administration to portray each and every member of the Jonathan administration as corrupt and irresponsible.
There is need for the Federal Government to urgently address the infrastructural, environmental, economic, socio-political, educational, water and health deficiencies in parts of the country. The Federal government should also direct its vision toward investing in housing and transportation especially in rail to impact on the people and create the environment for which private sector enterprises will thrive.
There are a lot of problems facing Nigeria which the Buhari administration must attend to alongside the recovery of looted funds, which include involving in economic development, build more rails, water transportation, roads construction, make people build their houses, by bringing down the cost of building materials and house rents as well as cost of transportation.
Past administrations paid lip service to the welfare of Nigerians which bred criminality and the Boko Haran or militancy in some parts of the country. Nigerians are looking upon Buhari to make a difference in the country in all the sectors and not just fighting corruption.
The questions on the lips of Nigerians are when will the fight end for them to begin to experience the much talked about change? What will happen to the monies being recovered from the looters. Will they be properly channeled into the developmental needs of the country?
Nigeria needs massive infrastructure and human capacity development. Our people need agriculture to survive despite oil so as to diversify the economy with the uncertainties surrounding oil revenues. Society cannot grow properly unless the people are properly educated from the primary, secondary and tertiary. Nigeria must look inwardly into diversifying the economy as that will bring about sustainable economy.
Nigeria’s under-development is due to government’s failure to harness all the abundant natural and human resources in their developmental plans. The present administration should take advantage of the abundant potentials manpower and resources in the nation for optimal benefits. The Federal Government should make the development of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) sector a top priority in government policies. It is important for the present administration to pay more attention to the development of domestic-oriented industries in the country, just as there is need for government to develop or evolve a well-articulated Industrial Revolution Plan (IRP) as well as an Enterprise Development Programme (EDP) aimed at ushering in a new era for industrial sector development in the country.
It is necessary for the manufacturing sector to strengthen its competitiveness and capacity. This will help to position the sector to take advantage of the opportunities and challenges arising from global and regional developments in trade investment. The mining sector is another money-spinning mechanism that could contribute immensely to the growth of the economy. That mining activities contribute or account for only 0.3 per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Products (GDP) does not speak well for a country such as Nigeria that wants to liberate her people from poverty, unemployment and better economy.
Some people may not understand the difference between development and economic development  or growth. This is because they are often used as though they mean the same thing. Sometimes, development is used where economic growth would be more appropriate. The rule of law, the consent of the governed, accountability and transparency are universally accepted as being elements of political development. That is why most of those in the country’s leadership do not know when their political behaviour belies their democratic claims. They get confused so their performance is limited.
Politicking is a pioneering work which reflects the rudimentary development of a country, so it is pertinent to note the need to work meticulously to facilitate the redelivery of good governance that will manifest in abundant jobs, strong economy and improved welfare and security for Nigerians.
It is high time both the PDP and the APC stopped the pursuit of lies, criticisms and unwarranted propaganda and blackmails, and focus on bringing qualitative development to the people. Having nothing to mark his first 100 days in office is a clear signal that Buhari is failing Nigerians and that the whole days were in vain. While Nigerians are not against any effort of the President to investigate all allegations of corruption, it would have made more sense if he took steps to put in place one or two remarkable monuments or infrastructure. The first 100 days in the life of a president or governor of a state is traditionally significant as it is a yardstick for measuring good governance .

Shedie Okpara

President Buhari