THE All Progressives Congress (APC) shot into limelight with a well articulated manifesto. Promises made by the ruling party before taking over the reins of power on May 29, 2015 revealed a determination to take the country to the next level of development and economic buoyancy. And many believed Nigeria was headed for the eldorado.
But, between promises and reality, Nigerians seem to have adjusted to the fact that it is a long way before a turn around can be achieved and the economy set on a path of growth and positive development. Perhaps, it was convenient to blame the lapses and gaps in the APC government’s ability to deliver on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which ruled the country for 16 years until the APC booted it out of power in 2015. Indeed, the APC has found it most conveniently to blame the rot in the system, most particularly on former President Goodluck Jonathan who held sway as the number one citizen for almost six years.
With the euphoria of getting into power almost over, the APC has been faced with the arduous task of having to explain to the people why nothing seems to be working out almost a year since taking over the reigns of power at the Aso Rock presidential villa.
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Economy in doldrums, falling oil prices and consequent dwindling income, lack of money for public infrastructure, insecurity, huge budget deficit and a festering anti-corruption war, among a myriad of other problems are some of the battles confronting the APC-led Federal Government. While Nigerians are beginning to adjust to the harsh reality confronting the government and the entire nation, the APC increasingly makes it difficult, if near impossible to be believed. That is going by the half truths and outright distortion of facts that have characterised its communication strategy since coming to office. There is obviously a cacophony of voices and discordant tune coming out of Aso Rock. Needless lies have become common place among those occupying offices. And this has increasingly resulted in a distrust of the government of the day. Minister of Works, Power and Housing, Babatunde Fashola few weeks ago publicly admitted that “Jonathan constructed more roads than any other President in Nigeria”. He similarly commended the former president’s power initiative on that occasion. However, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo made an obvious volte face on the part of the administration when he confessed in a Church recently that “The Federal Government in the past 10 years did not build a single road. Just repairs of roads”.
Contributing to the debate that the 2016 budget may have been padded, Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed stated thus: “Let me make it clear that nobody can accuse this government of padding any budget. It is factually incorrect to say the budget has been padded”.
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But President Muhammadu Buhari in less than a week pooh poohed Lai’s claim. He declared: “My budget is not what is being debated in the National Assembly. What they have was heavily padded. Never heard of budget padding all my life. It is very embarrassing and disappointing. We will not allow those who did this to go unpunished”.
Perhaps the APC government is finding out, almost too late that there is a huge gap between propaganda deployed during electioneering campaigns and the urgent need to always inform the people about what the administration is doing to ameliorate their sufferings. Whereas propaganda may have been appropriate before the APC took over power, nothing but truth would suffice if the regime intends to sustain itself for four years and seek possible reelection in 2019. This is the burden confronting the party. And one from which it needs urgent redemption.