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Last week, the Muhammadu Buhari administration marked its second year in office. Two underwhelming years, maybe a few highs but far too many lows, according to popular opinion.
To the average Nigerian on the streets, the last two years have been characterised by hunger, anger, frustration and profound disappointments from a government that promised so much and heralded change. People hoped they expected that the All Progressive Congress-led government would wave its magic broom and sweep out all previous and existing sufferings, ushering in prosperity, job, and food in full measure.
Maybe the people’s hope and expectations were unrealistic. Perhaps, it is the government of President Buhari that was overrated.
I recall on assumption of office, and for a year, the government went on a blame gaming spree, accusing the immediate past administration specifically for being responsible for Nigeria’s problems, claiming it was taking its time to scrub off the mess left by the People’s Democratic Party’s 16-year rule since the return to democracy. I also need to emphasise that the previous administration was dismal and it was rightly voted out as a consequence. Still, two years after, there’s little to show for in terms of tangibles by the new government.
Again, word on the street is not that things are becoming palatable. It is that “we don’t even understand what these people are talking about. Nothing seems to have changed not even food prices and you say we are out of recession?” to quote a frustrated father of four I spoke with who declined to be cited by name.
Truth is, the promises have been and continue to be mouth-watering but getting them to fruition is one thing Nigerians are waiting and praying for. You know how your father returns from a trip and tells you he has goodies packed in his boxes for you, yet seem to take so long for him to unpack the boxes. As he opens them you realise it is not what you expected. And then he tells you someone may have switched the original contents. Still, he reassures you that he is trying to find that person and make him return the goodies. All the while you are dying of hunger.
Unfortunately, it seems that a lot of government officials are still in denial of what Nigerians are going through. They continue to sing that the Buhari administration has delivered on its promises, or simply put they continue to hail. Don’t blame them. Perhaps, because they are on the other side of the table. But patience is running dry very quickly and it was displayed on May 1st, workers day, when government officials were chased out of the venue of the workers’ parade in Abuja.
It took two whole years for the government of the day to settle down to the real business and like I said before, even the ministers are only beginning to really get a hang of their jobs. Some of the
ministers are now more confident about what they are doing. So they have successfully learnt on the job.
For me, the key highlights in the last two years is the administration’s inertia to take off, the record levels of which the naira fell to, the thousands of job losses due to the economic recession, the record inflation that drove up food prices and not to leave out the president’s numerous trips (the President spent more time outside of Nigeria). Also in two years,106 girls of the over 200 schoolgirls abducted from Chibok on April 14, 2014, returned home, marauding attacks by Fulani militias in the middle-belt and south of the country skyrocketed, kidnapping peaked, cases of suicides became rampant, and stories of people, driven by hunger, stealing pots of soups and foods from their neighbours or complete strangers while still cooking, and the worsening power blackouts nationwide. Those are some of the realities of the last two years.
That said, let us leave the past behind and look to the future. It is a countdown. By this time next year, the airwaves will be inundated once again with more promises ahead of elections in 2019. Please keep an open mind.
I like how the government is now paying attention to the small foxes that eat the vines, those little things that stifle and complicate doing business in Nigeria. Mostly those from bureaucratic bottlenecks. And this brings me to the next line of discussion.
After the Acting President Yemi Osinbajo signed the three Executive Orders meant to ease the process of doing business in Nigeria and ensure an improved business environment, there have been series of workshops and seminars focused more on those who are directly involved, i.e. the civil servants.
The Acting President has met with ministers, heads of agencies, permanent secretaries all on the subject of ensuring that processes of registering and generally doing business in the country are made less complicated and without undue protocols.
However, a similar meeting organised by the Office of Head of Service went haywire. Before now reporters wrote how the different halls used at the State House for events had started to gather dust from lack of activities after the President’s return from his 49 days medical vacation. Recall that after he returned activities that had peaked when he was away, went to zero. So, Thursday, another of those sensitisation workshops, this time for the Assistant Directors, Deputy Director, and Director cadre, was organised and you can only imagine the chaos that went down. Neither the Acting President nor the Head of Service was at the event.
You see, I don’t think that hall, let alone the Aso Rock has seen that kind of crowd before. It was scary. The civil servants received the memo from the Head of Service and all rushed to attend obviously to avoid being punished as the government has harped that henceforth it will invoke existing laws to ensure strict compliance with the executive orders.
The organisers planned for 800 people and over 3,000 of them stormed the conference centre at the Aso Rock where the event was scheduled to hold. The security personnel on duty were overwhelmed. They had to call for backup.
At first, it looked like there was a protest going on, except that the security personnel manning the different posts were screening the officials one after the other. The civil servants were frustrated and they complained bitterly about why the event had to hold at the State House in the first place. I heard that of the junior cadre held at the International Conference Centre (ICC) and wondered why they decided to bring over 3000 senior level officers to the villa, the appeal? I have no idea.
When the atmosphere became unbearable, the Assistant Directors were asked to leave while the meeting proceeded with the Deputy Directors and Directors.
So, it will seem everyone is eager to make a change by following through with the new executive orders. It will be refreshing to see civil servants actually following through with the new ease of business processes. You too should read up on them so that you will know what to expect.
Elizabeth Archibong
