By Sunday Osanyintuyi | @SundayOs
I had proposed a different topic for this engagement. But reading through various opinions online and offline gave me a change of mind. More importantly, I didn’t want to appear as another talk on the matter. In a political driven nation like Nigeria, where so many issues emanate daily, one cannot but take a deep thought and reflect on our progress as a people.
There have been so many vilifications, praises and jabs about what the current administration’s 100 days in office stand for. Some opined it has been motion without movement while others view it as “no change in any form”. No doubt the All Progressive Congress (APC) and the Presidency have come out reeling the achievements of the present administration. The SSA Media and Publicity to the President, Garba Shehu, has stated clearly that some documents including the 100 days timeline delivery didn’t emanate from them. Who did it? I think the party needs to streamline its policies better and communicate such with clarity going forward. When such document was rife online, it would have been a matter of policy for the party to state its side knowing such didn’t emanate from their campaign office. This defiance amounts to simple deception for Nigeria and Nigerians.
Definitely, this current set of leaders sacked the previous people because of the “change” promised Nigerians. Most Nigerians, before the last elections, were sick and tired of everything the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) represented. The party had 16 good years to transform the fortunes of the nation, but chose the opposite. So when those vilified comments were coming in for APC, one could clearly understand Nigerians anger. Truth be told, not all comments against APC should be viewed with goggles of politics as some were based on the timeline promised by the party. The party’s leadership needs to have a muse over all its promises to Nigerians lest the evils that befell the out gone party, PDP, confront them come 2019.
In my view, 100 days under President Muhammadu Buhari could be likened to laying a foundation for a three or four storey building. For experts in that industry, it is taken for granted that same rigour and intelligence will not be for a bungalow. With a decayed nation left behind by past governments, not just by the immediate administration, it will take reasonable time to lay a solid foundation for a better Nigeria. Everyone must appreciate this fact. The president promised us change and we voted for it. Doing or running government affairs the old way but expecting different results will confirm us as insane.
For any nation that hopes to develop, merit is valued above sheer traditions. We have played around with the term “federal character” in running affairs of this nation for too long. It is time to break down this wall. The idea of federal character in itself is not bad but the execution has been the problem. I am convinced the brains behind that idea never imagined our level of depravity as a people. Most federally appointed individuals have used the positions to transform their personal pockets to the detriment of general interest. Such must stop, if this government wants Nigerians to see it as serious.
By and large, the 100 days of the current administration have not been complete waste for Nigeria but may not be the same for All Governments in Power (AGIP) individuals whose survival depends on corruption and stealing from government. In the coming days, PMB administration should make life more uncomfortable for these cabals while making Nigerians lives better.
Developed Nigeria is possible!
