Buhari one-year on the ‘two enemies of the people… Crooks and the government’

HARRY S. Truman supports also stated that “You can’t get rich in politics unless you’re a crook.” The box of politics in the current political arena of Nigeria today (June 2016), is full of crooks. We have not found a Saint to step forward to disagree with Truman that, “Crooks have dominated the political scenes in the country {Nigeria}for a long time and it would take miracle to stop the crooks”. Things are changing all over the world, so the crooks are also changing their tactics, strategies, and deceitful ways, especially in Nigeria, to keep on indoctrinating Nigerians along their cunning ways and manners.

When Citizens of the world gave Buhari the benchmark for his administration’s progress report card in the100 days assessment in office, some praise singers decided to go the usual way of pushing an opportune Nigerian leader towards the pitch. Buhari’s body language does not suggest rolling out the drums in celebration of his one-year in office; as he demonstrated with his lackadaisical 100 days in the office. Buhari warned Nigerians about doing things his ways deviating from the laid down rules and regulations as he skipped the 100 Days of his administration to set the parameter for his administration’s direction. However, the administration celebrated a year of triumph over its perceived political enemy, with no substantial shock absorber to soothingthe sufferings of an average Nigerian.

We remarked then that; “The new measurement contraptions for the hundred days for the Nigerian executive politicians, have been filled with the repression modish governance, especially at the Federal level, leisurely forming the cabinet and ruling in fiat, by telling Nigerians that his actions and decisions outside the dictates of the Nigerian Constitution, are in order. Meanwhile the mass population are jubilating and happy, preferring dictatorship to democratic process.”Buhari refused the benchmark for his administration to attain the yearnings of Nigerians. Unfortunately, Nigerians are not used to Buhari’s Democracy.

Regardless, ‘Buhari has to intelligently support his body language with actions so that Nigerians would continue to trust him, otherwise Nigerians could be goaded’. Nigerians could shake him out of breadth if he does not act speedily.

The towering unemployment level, the skyrocketed prices of commodities including rice and tomatoes, the hike in electricity tariff, the all-time fuel price increment, the unprecedented foreign exchange rates, and, indeed, the general hardship in Nigeria. The bag of rice rose from N6, 880.00 to N19, 000.00; Gas for vehicles was 87Kobo, to N145.00; Basket of tomatoes from N4, 500.00to N42, 000.00; Loaf of Bread, the common poor man food, from N200.00 to N300.00; One Dollar that would be equated to One Naira, from N220 to N387.00 for $1.00. Unfortunately the supply of Light to an average home in Nigeria was for 8 hours, now (June 2016) is zero hour; while a module of Gari rose from N170.00 to N300.00. Nigerians have been religiously advised to prepare for the worst storm ahead and the competency of the current administration to fix Nigeria deplorable economy.

Meanwhile Buhari’s administration wants ‘…the bureaucracy better able to develop and deliver policy; for an independent judiciary, above suspicion and able to defend citizen’s rights and dispense justice equitably; … a legislature that actually legislates effectively and above all …political parties and politicians committed to serving the Nigerian people rather than themselves.’

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Thomas Jefferson once said,“The two enemies of the people are Criminals and the Government”. Unfortunately the two are combined in the Nigeria public service. Jefferson continued,“…so let us tie the second down with the chains of the constitution so that second will not become the legalized version of the first”. Unfortunately the crippled 1999 Constitution was meant to be amended through the gathering of well-orchestrated ‘Surgeons’ to identify the type of Conjoined Twins the country was born with, with proper diagnosis and appropriate surgery on either the Craniopagus,Cephalopagus, Thoracopagu, or the Pygopagustwins, and find sustainable solutions to the fabricated Nigeria problems by its fickle leaders.

Buhari administration unimpressively decided not to have anything to do with the 2014 Confab reports. Nigeria is fading without the implementation of the wise men and women 2014 work.

In all honesty, Buhari has woefully lost its first year in office for lack of very sound macroeconomic policies, believing that something must be done quickly with the frail foundation that is the Constitution. Nigerians should agree on how over 371 ethnic groups in the country are going to live together, tolerating each other’s Faith, before the spongy countryfinally falls apart; the predicted 2015 might be the foundation for its crumbling.

Allowing this administration (2016) a breathing space is what Martin Luther King Jr.described as,“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter”.Supported by While Albert Einstein, that “The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything”.

Remember when the prey is armed, predators will definitely think twice. Nigerians should be awake to their civic responsibilities, for guidingthe administration in the right path.

According to Bertol T. Brecht, “The worst illiterate is the political illiterate. He hears nothing, sees nothing, {and}takes no part in political life. He doesn’t seem to know that the cost of living, the price of beans, of flour, of rent, of medicines all depend on political decisions. He even prides himself on his political ignorance, sticks out his chest and says he hates politics.

He doesn’t know, the imbecile, that from his political non-participation comes the prostitute, the abandoned child, the robber, and, worst of all, corrupt officials, the lackeys of exploitative multinational corporation.”

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Possibly it is time Nigerians speak out and stop their songs of praise of some deceitful leaders who are opportunists pretending to be leaders, especially in the name of religion, while they siphon the goodies of the people. Nigerians should realize that politicians fight to control God-given country’s resources. The successful ones ought to fairly re-distribute the resources to the people, through the provision of basic amenities for human survival, good roads, workable clinics, good transportation, habitable housing, gainful employment, clean environment, not re-distributing the resources for their personal benefits. Just like the white man did in colonizing the mindset of the people, catered away African resources, while Africans look at the cross. As a matter of fact the second homemade colonization, are now with most Nigerian leaders.

Regardless how it is today with the sufferings and pains, it will be effortless if we continue to speak to the deaf and dumb leaders. Unfortunately, it will be hard to train clown.

Watching a Nigerian TVC program, Monday May 30, 2016, one of the speakers facetiously stated that when ‘corruption’ was in the country’s Governance, especially between 1999 and 2015, Nigerians were flamboyantly and astonishingly thriving, and when ‘integrity’ came in town, things have been very difficult which brings down the country on its knees. It is customary for the operators to take a step forward, and 10 steps backward in Nigeria.

Som ebrainwashed Nigerians continue to sing praises of inept government.

Buhari should not expect every Nigerian as chorus singers anyway, not subscribing to the fact that no one should think the SAME way; leaving room for divergence thoughts, reaching a good decision, will bring about the expected change.

A year into Buhari’s administration has recorded thousands of workers being laid off, with the unfulfilled promise to create three million jobs in a year; the value of Naira is falling drastically, while many states are owing their workers many months of unpaid salaries; pensioners who built Nigeria in their little or fantastic ways have been neglected. It is thoughtless for the Minister for Labor and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, a round peg in the round hole, ‘Noise Makers’, threaten to withdraw operating licenses of any Bank and Telecommunications company which failed to stop mass retrenchment of their workers in this new Democracy.

Ironically, it has been predicted that Nigerian economy is at high risk of experiencing its first full-year recession, since 1987; since the crude production of oil, which usually accounted for 70 percent of government revenue, has been drastically reduced. Exasperating foreign investors are fleeing. Again, electricity output has plunged to about 30th of that of South Africa, sub-Saharan Africa’s second-biggest economy; as attacks on pipelines cut supplies of natural gas to power plants. There is a decline of N793.5 billion in the first quarter merchandise trade closed at N2.72 trillion from N3.51trillion in the fourth quarter of 2015; the first time in the last seven years.

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Fighting corruption in Nigeria is not a child play, it should not play to the gallery. The foundation of Nigeria system is pathetic and it is absolutely and ‘fantastically corrupt’. There is no Saint that would get to the Nigeria public system that would not be tainted in one way or the other. Corruption fight should tackle the structure, in the Constitution.Ironically, it was just reported (June 2016) that Nigeria has recovered looted fund estimated at N204.8 billion, $9.275 billion, 5.92 million Pounds, and 314.649 Euro; translating to N2.987 trillion about N3 trillion.

Let us face it, Buhari’s fight is takinga toll on him,as he proceeds on a 10-day vacation Monday June 6 for Ear, Nose, Throat (ENT) Specialist, to treat his persistent ear infection, which could not be treated in any Nigerian Hospitals, as the country lacks ENT Specialists;or Buhari has some other undisclosed ailments. We pray for his positive response to treatment.
While addressing Nigerians on May 29, 2016, on Nigeria Democracy Day, he looked fragile, and from his imperceptible blurred voice.We pray for God to grant Buhari the peace, strength, wisdom in good health, to address the challenges facing the country. Governing Nigeria, not ruling, is a task for a healthy, energetic, intelligentindividuals to do. Citizens of the world are fervently and jointly praying, for God to grant Buhari good health to complete his mission of clearing up the crooks from the adulterated ‘fantastically corrupt’ Nigeria.

With Buhari’s administration enshrining power on the EFCC, ICPC, CCT, CCB, and the judiciary, to fully launch offensives against corruption and its agents; the Nigeria House of Representatives, on Tuesday, May 31, 2016, stripped Nigerian President, and empowered the National Assembly, to appoint Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal members; serve for a term of five years; subject to renewal for another term only, instead of upon attaining the age of 70; and could exercise disciplinary control over the chairman of the Bureau. That is another way of checkmating the corruption in Nigeria, the National Assembly’s style.

As a matter of historical fact, Buhari funded the 2015 campaign from his ‘ranch resources’; while his supporters rolled out the financial and moral supports from their ‘private resources’, not from the public. While the ‘probe’ will bring out the deceitful ‘fantastically’ truth.

Buhari’s skewed appointments in his ’round peg in round holes’ point out that North West has 28, North East 8, North Central 5, South West 5, South South 6, South East 1. Nigerians equally pray for the quick recovery of three Ministers, Education, Adamu Adamu, Women Affairs, Mrs. Aisha Alhassan, Environment, and Ibrahim Jibril.

We gave him Fair mark on his fight against deadly terrorist Boko Haram, with his diplomatic trips to Niger, Chad, Cameroun and Benin Republic;at least disabling its ‘flying wings’. Boko Haram killed thousands of Nigerians and destroyed inestimable valuables, while its occupation of 14 Local Government areas in the North East has been reclaimed.

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We pray Nigeria does not die a natural death under the attacks of Boko Haram, other mysteriousTerrorists, Herdsmen, Niger Delta Militants, MOSSOB agitations, with tears running on the cheeks of an average loyal and devoted Nigerian, the contrariness of the lawmakers, sneaking the Federal Sharia Court of Appeal law into the divisive 1999 Constitution, as amended. These aggressors, blowing up the oil pipes, killing people articulating their concerns, the herdsmen, and Boko Haram imposition of Islam, display the believe that no one has the monopoly of violence.

On the assumption of office in May 2015, Buhari went on foreign tripslike a chicken just let out of the cage; just like his former colleague on the assumption of office in 1999, until the National Assembly glued Obasanjo on domestic issues.Unfortunately, the current National Assembly has seriously been infected with incurable virus against the executive.

Investigations showed that the President travelled outside the country for about 17 times in 2015, and 13 times as of May 2016. The trips took him to Niger Republic, Chad Republic, Germany, South Africa, United States of America, Benin Republic, Ghana, France, India, Iran, Malta, Cotonou, United Arab Emirates, Kenya,Ethiopia,Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Malabo, and Equatorial Guinea. Other countries are the People’s Republic of China,London, with a jocular message icing his ceaseless trips with the title that Nigeria is ‘fantastically corrupt’.

The trips have not brought food on the table of an average Nigerian, in the face of the hardship plaguing the country. Buhari administration is at cross-roadson how to getNigerians out from the poverty dungeon.

Buhari should stay home to address domestic glitches, and borrow from Mahatma Gandhi in his fight against corruption, “All amassing of wealth or hoarding of wealth above and beyond one’s legitimate needs is theft. There would be no occasion for theft and no thieves if there was wise regulation of wealth and social justice”.

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In addition Socrates once advised, “The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new”.

Buhari administration from May 2015 to May 29, 2016, has been given Poor rating in the Federal Ministries of Manufacturing, Aviation, Energy (Power, oil and gas), Construction/Housing, Money Market/Finance, Capital Market, Telecommunication, Health, Education, Sports,Roads, and FAIR inAgriculture,Maritime, Security and Railway. In effect, Nigerians should be cautious of songs of praise of their leaders should be reserved till after office, when their putrefactionswould come out, which would be too late to correct, anyway.

Nigerians should respectfully, for those who deserve it, point out lapses and shortcomings of their leaderswhile in office for better performances, than what the country has witnessed since its ‘fantastic’1960 independence.

Nigerians should continue with their fervent prayers, for God to unshackle the manacles of man-made impediments to the country’s growth, caused by the voracity and selfishness of the swashbucklers who claimed to be leaders. Nigerians are faced with skirmishes, hindrances, and encounters to their moment of serenity times of which overshadow their happiness.

Buhari should be advised not to approach the Delta Militants with the use of force like Boko Haram, it is of different species, as military approach could aggravate the situation. He should build upon Yar’Adua’s tactic.

In God we trust.