By Francis Sadhere (Warri); Omos Oyinbode (Asaba); Eben Enasco Kingsley (Benin)
With the return of General Muhammadu Buhari into power as democratically elected President, a cross section of Nigerians have spoken out on their expectations from the President-elect.
General Muhammadu Buhari came into power through a coup of 1984 that sent Nigeria’s first elected President, Alhaji Shehu Shagari and all elected government packing.
But in 1985, the administration of General Buhari was toppled and General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida proclaimed himself a military President.
Democratic structures were restored back to the country in 1999.
In his bid to get back to power, General Buhari contested unsuccessfully in the 2003, 2007 and 2011 General Elections. But mother luck smiled on General Buhari of APC in the March 28, 2015 Presidential Election, defeating the incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
On May 29, 2015, General Buhari would be sworn in as democratically elected president.
A cross section of Nigeria are full of expectations from General Buhari with not a few of them reeling out what they expected him to do for the nation and the people.
Toyin Adewole, a student, said the direction in which Buhari takes the country to should be felt in general terms by his 100 days in office. By the end of his first year Nigerians should know where the country is heading to. She called on Buhari to reduce the salaries and allowances of senators and members of the House of Representatives. She said he should block the leakage where funds are siphoned into private pockets.
Ugochukwu Umeadi is a spare part dealer. He said Nigerians are used to speeches, and promises. Besides speeches, she said a lot is expected from the APC Presidency. He also said revenue allocated to state governors should also be checked. According to him, irrespective of the president’s quest for credibility, if state governors are not checkmated, they will still rubbish the president’s image. “I’m especially interested in power generation that is the heart beat of economic boom, and beginning of change. If not we are just chasing the wind and reaping the whirlwind. This resent privatization of power sector is ripping Nigerians off, and delivery is very poor, change most change things”, Ugochukwu said.
Collins Ogheruemu, a banker with one of the first generation banks, said the minorities have had their say and the majorities have had their way. But Buhari should live up to expectation and must hit the ground running as soon as he assumes office on May 29, 2015.
Kelvin Oseyenu, a bus driver, said despite being an APC member, he would say the incoming President General Buhari Must declare all his asset before assuming office, the Vice- President Osinbajo, Ministers, and appointees must declare their asset too. He added that failure to do this then the people will begin to doubt their sincerity in government.
Kunle Shittu, another student maintained that his main interest is education. Shittu is currently displeased with the education standard in Nigeria. Looking at the entire system, he said there is no bright light in Nigeria’s education. Hence, he called on Buhari to strengthen the education system and return the system to its glorious days. Rather than referring to those good days, he said the Buhari’s government should change the system and make it better than it has been. Universities should be upgraded to world class standards. The current rating of the Nigerian universities is too bad.
A Human Rights Activist, Festus Oghenetega, called for true federalism. He condemned the present system where the federal structure is planned to favour some groups at the detriment of others. He said the problem with Nigeria is structure of government. He called on Buhari to restructure the country such that states can harness whatever resources they have to develop their areas and their people. He said most especially, the current regime of clean elections must be maintained and even improved upon.
Raro Aghogho, a car dealer, said Buhari should look at the the problem in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. According to him, now that Jonathan is leaving office, if the area is neglected, the repentant warlords may return to the creeks and resume their job. Buhari should not overlook the area because it is from there Nigeria is earning its living. The Nigerian state has enough time to solve this problem but no one is interested and this calls for a sober reflection.
Obinna Ebube, a business woman said Nigerians already have very high expectations for the incoming government; doing half of this in the first 100 days will assure the masses of the goodies that are yet to come. According to her, “I just pray he overcomes the cabals holding this country down. There is no way he can say all he will do in one address. All I want him to do firstly is to ensure that kerosene starts selling for the government approved price of #50 at least starting from July”, Ebube noted.
Ebube who is from the Niger Delta region of Nigeria said the problem in Niger Delta arises from the greed and hypocrisy of the leaders and those who claim to represent the people. “I want to advise GMB not to look at the faces of Asari Dokubo , Government Tompolo and other ex warlords, rather he should pay a visit to the region to see faces of those living in poverty and hopelessness. All he needs to do is increase the budget of the ministry of Niger Delta and NDDC and ensure that they account for every penny spent.
Gen. Charles Airhiavhere (deflected PDP Governorship candidate) said that; “My expectations are very high because I believe in this government that is expected to sweep out corruption that has eaten deep into the fabric of our society.”
On his part, Hon. Eddy Ogbomo (JP), APC leader Egor LGA averred that; “He should eliminate corruption; to tackle which is the core thing to tackle and by the grace of God he would do it. He should focus on electricity production and create more windows for job.”
Mr. King Omobugie Igbinovia (ED Community Development Ministry of special duty Edo state); “On the expectations, Government is not a one man thing. Everybody must be involved trusting and contributing to see that change is actually effected.”
Alhaji Badamasi Sameh (State Chairman Hausa Community, Edo State) noted that; “He should work out a way he can stop corruption and move the country forward by repaying the trust Nigerians have in him. Let everybody join hands to support the government weather Muslim or Christian we are one Nigeria.”
A Bus Driver, Osazee Ehigie said; “What I expect from him is that he needs to make electricity work. We don’t have electricity and things are expensive. Let him bring down the high electricity bill paid; he should not allow people to use him, he should be focused.”
Mrs. Stella Uhunoma Trader and shop owner at Oba Market stated that; “He should try and make things cheap for poor people and tackle corruption as he has promised.”
The Executive Director of Centre for the vulnerable and the underprivileged, (CENTREP) Barrister Oghenejabor Ikimi, said that; “we call on the President-elect to immediately tackle the earth quaking levels of official corruption, poverty, youth unemployment, insecurity and public infrastructural decay nationwide, as we believe that Nigeria is presently hanging on a cliff.”
In the interim however, we call on the President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari to appoint Nigerians with high integrity into his cabinet, as the task ahead is an enormous one that requires the attention of credible Nigerians whose loyalty first and foremost is to Nigeria. We also call on Nigerians to co-operate with the incumbent President and the President-elect at this time of transition from one government to another in a bid for our dear Nation to witness a peaceful and smooth transition in the interest of our fledgling democracy.
A Warri based radical lawyer and National Co-ordinator, Conference for the Actualization Of Human Rights Barr. Omes Ogedegbe, held that; “while I must join other well meaning Nigerians in congratulating Buhari on his well deserved victory at the just concluded elections where he made history by unseating the incumbent President Jonathan.”
“May I also hastily commend the sportsmanship of President Jonathan who rather chose to congratulate Buhari than listen to some clowns who were threatening to beat the drum of war.”
“Nigerians chose buhari as their leaders not bore out of hatred for the person of Jonathan but as a result of the hijack of the apparatus of government by the rogues in PDP and criminals who were made to see our collective wealth as their inheritance and boasting to Nigerians they will enslave us till a period as short as 60years.”
“Nigerians will be disappointed to see the Buhari governments in the hands of those who have been part of the hijack that bedeviled the Jonathan administration especially as the major players of the APC were the same old brigades that dug the failure foundation for the Jonathan administration.”
“Nigerians are looking up to Buhari to justify this confidence reposed on him by ensuring there is no business as usual.”
On her part, the President/CEO of Morgan Smart Development Foundation (MSDF), Dr. Omawumi Urhobo had this to say:
I must first of give God all the glory for seeing us through a relatively peaceful presidential election in spite of all the fears and threats. This has gone to confirm Nigerians desperate desire for change in the country. I must confessed that not being a lover of the military that I see as being the sources of our Country’s woes due to their long years of military misrule that destroyed all our values system, a study of the behavioural traits of Gen Mohamed Buhari, elicited the confidence that he is capable to midwife the much desired change that the Country needs now. I remember how I enthusiastically joined others to cast my vote for the outgoing president and how I stood and watch in dismay as all the expectations that held great promised for us as a people, were gradually destroyed by the greed of the few who never seem to have enough and succeeded in holding President Jonathan hostage in the last 4 years through unbridled accumulation of illegal wealth through corruption, that eventually culminated in his albatross two weeks ago.
We thank God that with the nightmare now over, we can now look with great expectations to what Gen Mohamed Buhari will bring to the table as he takes over on the 29th of May 2015. During the campaigns that preceeded the election, I observed that Buhari rather than join words with the outgoing government who at some point were behaving as if they were in the opposition, made several promises that I latched on to because i liked what he promised to do for the suffering masses of our great country. I love his determination to tackle corruptions headlong. For solving corruption, All Gen Buhari needs to do is to build strong institutions like the EFCC that will successfully investigate and prosecute all known cases of corruption. All those already facing corruption charges with the EFFC like the Chairman of PDP Muazu, Fani Kayode with the Aviation Ministry charges against him, Fayose, Yaguda and all the others that succeeded in holding Jonathan hostage and a lot more, should all face persecution and if they are found guilty should go to jail no matter how small the amount they stole like we were told during the campaign that Jim Nwobodo stole did deserve to go to jail because what he stole was not enough to buy a Volkswagen car.
The Report of the massive fraud in the extractive industry and fuel subsidy scam should now be followed to its conclusive end and all those already indicted like the children of top PDP Stalwarts should be persecuted. The N50billion Pension Scheme is till begging to be addressed. Corruption has become a cankerworm that has almost destroyed the nation. The destruction of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and the Ministry of Niger Delta that held great promises for the Niger Delta Region was a great betrayal of the founding fathers of this great institutions with the NDDC presently owing over two trillion (N2trillion) to its contractors and with thousands of uncompleted projects for which huge amounts were paid out, littering everywhere in the region. As the region that lays the golden egg for the nation, the Buhari administration should not play politics with these institutions like was done in the past. He must urgently give attention to these institutions to restore broken dreams.
The Amnesty Program to rehabilitate militants was put in place by late Yar dua administration to address youth restiveness in the Niger Delta. This very laudable move by the Administration to resolve the challenges of militancy in the region was hijacked by some few politicians and warlords who do not have the interest of the militants at heart but sees it as a money minting pipeline. To this end money meant for the program was looted at the expense of the large number of militants who were trained and have since returned to the country without any hope of rehabilitation. This Amnesty Program Gen Buhari Administration must gives his urgent attention, more so as the program will come to an end in june this year and the stipend being paid to this huge number of ex militants will stop. I have continued to warn that with the militants acquiring sophisticated training and not being properly rehabilitated, it would seem that the Government by default have used its fund to train more skilled youths who would return to the creeks and deploy their acquired skills to fight the government that trained them unless they are urgently rehabilitated. There is urgency to resolve this time bomb.
There is the endemic poverty amongst the poor women of the Niger Delta who continue to suffer great deprivation even with having one of their own as the president of this country till recently. The conspiracy against the women of the Niger Delta must be urgently addressed by the Buhari Administration as they deserve some respite from their despondency.
Going back to some other promises made by Gen Mohammed Buhari during the campaign is handing over the six (6) jets in the Presidential fleets to Nigeria Airways as part of its new fleet of aircrafts. I can’t wait to see him keep this promise. The One Meal a day promised to all children in primary schools in Nigeria is a laudable one that he should implement immediately he assumes office. All children in this country deserve at least a meal which because of the rampant poverty eludes some homes.
As regard Security that is Gen Mohamed Buhari area of purview so one is in no doubt that he will be able to confront headlong the Boko Haram insurgency and any other threats to the good people of our great Country. He must bring back our Chibbok girls and alive or give us an acceptable explanation for what has happened to the angels.
The Power Sector issue is one area that is vital to grassroots development for the informal sector. There has been a lot of failed promises made and deliberate sabotage in this sector for personal gain which has brought untold hardship to the people of Nigeria. This is a sector I am confidence that Buhari administration will seriously address. I do not expect anything less. The Challenges confronting Gen Buhari as he takes over the Presidency on the 29th of May, are daunting but with the promises of the leaders to give upright and transparent leadership, good governance is achievable.
General Buhari must be wary of sycophants especially does defecting from the PDP to APC now. It can not be business as usual. Gen Buhari needs God’s special grace and wisdom to put together a winning team. He needs all our prayers to succeed.
The obvious question then is where will Gen. Buhari get the funds needed to execute all these laudable plans in view of the fact that the country is presently almost in a state of bankruptcy. I will say that the response of the financial sector to just the announcement of his victory like the reaction in the Stock Exchange and the exchange rate of the Naira to the dollar responded positively to his victory, are good signs. However beyond that, there is the absolute need for prudence in the cost of governance. The present overhead of government both at federal and state level are over bloated and wasteful so must be proned down. The cost of maintaining our legislators is too hugh and must be drastically cut down. All stolen monies from whatever sources must be retrieved. All the savings from these sources will conveniently pay for his programs and more. Gen Buhari must not compromise on this.
Too much of our commonwealth are being held by very few vagabonds and miscreants without pedigrees and antecedents who by default became our political leaders who saw acquisition of power and wealth as an end in itself instead of seeing power and wealth as opportunities given by God to render service to humanity by doing good to the largest numbers of persons. This country needed change and God has given us the much needed Change with Gen Mohamed Buhari. With the cooperation of all the good people of this country especially the poor ones whose needs in life are not much, their prayers are for Gen Buhari to succeed. He will bring to Nigeria the much needed change and God will Help him.
