Buhari Failed Us As A Nation

BY OLATUNBOSUN AWONIYI

One of President Muhammadu Buhari’s key messages to Nigerian citizens during his 2015 presidential campaign was that the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan was polarized by insecurity, rampant official corruption, ethnic paternalism, nepotism and mismanagement, among other things. 

On every occasion during Nigeria’s election campaign, assurances were given that if  elected President there would be a positive change in the country  in the areas of life and property security, ending the relentless supply of university professors and the supply of energy to epileptics and provides plentiful and relatively cheap food, affordable housing and employment opportunities for Nigeria’s vibrant youth.

Less than 16 months after taking office, the country continues to plunge into endless insecurity, which includes terrorist attacks and assassinations by the notorious Islamic State of West Africa (ISWAP) province, Boko Haram and gunmen. Corruption in various forms within government institutions has also increased, food prices  have skyrocketed,  electricity supply has fallen, Nigeria’s unemployment rate is alarmingly high, the naira has collapsed incredibly and the rate of armed robberies are alarming, to name a few.

Hundreds and thousands of people died at the hands of terrorists, bandits, kidnappers and police brutality.Terrorists and hooligans are killed almost every day. People cannot travel freely from one state to another without fear. Most Nigerians cannot afford foods like rice, beans, yams, bread and other staples intended for ordinary people.

Before this government came to power in 2015 the price of a sack of rice was N8,567, now the price is N27,000, a sack of beans is N23,000 but now costs between N40,000 and N50,000. it was N199.0151 to the US dollar is now 414.924 naira to the US dollar at the official exchange rate, while in the parallel market it is over 570 naira to the dollar. The pump price used to be 97 naira per liter, now it costs 165 naira per liter.

In fact, the prices of all commodities, transportation fees, electricity tariffs, house rents and much more are constantly increasing and are unaffordable for  most Nigerians.

Education levels continue to fall as our federal universities are underfunded and there are constant industrial action by  university professors and workers demanding that the government adequately fund our universities.Universities in Nigeria  were closed for almost a year in 2020 due to the university staff strike (ASUU). In February of this year, the  union  again went on what it called a “broad” four-week  strike. If we are not careful, there is a risk of another long strike  because the government has not yet solved all the pending problems.

The corruption this government has promised to end before it came to power in 2015 has been met with impunity. This government has repeatedly disclosed that it buys ammunition and weapons to fight terrorists, but the military still complains that the terrorists have more sophisticated weapons. The question is: where are the various sophisticated weapons and ammunition that the Nigerian military is said to have bought for millions of dollars to fight the rebels?

In addition, human rights violations and government disobedience to the rule of law are more common in Nigeria. Those who criticize the government for the situation in the country have been harassed, arrested or harassed, as in the case of Omoyele Sowore, a human rights activist and founder of  online news agency Sahara Reporters, who was arrested by  Nigerian State Security  for calling for a Protest titled “RevolutionNow”.

As of 2019, he remains in prison in Abuja, the federal capital of Nigeria,  and  the Department of State Services (DSS) has taken his phone and money without a court order. Despite the announcement of the December 8, 2021 ruling by the Federal Court of Justice in Abuja, which ordered the Department of State Services to immediately unblock his phone, the government agency did not comply with the court’s decision.

The federal government’s disregard for the rule of law is widespread. The harassment, arrests and ill-treatment of peaceful protesters and journalists since this government was formed in 2015 is worrying.

During the last term of his predecessor, Goodluck Jonathan, the then presidential candidate, along with other prominent politicians, human rights activists and organized trade union groups, took part in peaceful anti-government protests in 2013 and 2014 and none of the protesters, including journalists, were arrested by Nigerian police or other government agents harassed, arrested, or abused. The authorities at the time allowed the demonstrators to express their views and feelings about the situation in the country at the time.

In 2015, Nigeria’s foreign debt was $7.35 billion, but in 2021, our foreign debt was $37.96 billion.

Our community is not evenly divided as some parts of Nigeria enjoy increased government patronage at key federal agencies due to the nepotistic nature of this government. Since taking office in 2015, the President has continued to oppose the Federal Character Commission Act enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which promotes the principles of  proportional distribution of all bureaucratic, economic, media and political functions at all levels of government. The North, to which the President belongs, concentrates most appointments.

The situation in Nigeria’s in terms of insecurity, corruption, human rights abuses, food costs, unemployment rates and more could overwhelm the country ahead of the upcoming general elections in 2023.

In Nigeria, most people suffer from starvation for lack of proper health care. Crime rates are alarming, the future of young Nigerians is at stake due to the country’s high  unemployment rate, businesses are closing due to production and operating costs. Only politicians and their cronies who have easy access to public money feel more comfortable since they can steal public money at will.

It is time Nigerians deserve  good health care, affordable housing, transportation, quality education at all levels, uninterrupted power supplies and social support, among other things.

With general elections approaching next year, I believe that Nigerians will use their voting rights to set the right course for the future of this country and elect leaders who will do what the nation needs.