PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI: A GENERAL WHO FAILED TO DELIVER
It is less than twenty seven days to the end of his tenure of eight years as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria after making three futile attempts. There is the believe, that contestations for elective offices should be viewed from the broader and more objective perspective of performance, capacity and character. It is based on this premise, that the generality of the Nigeria people especially the most down trodden man and woman hinged their hope for a better deal on the retired General when he was canvassing for their votes.
Therefore, they trooped out enmass in 2015 and later 2019 to cast their votes for him believing, that he will wipe out their tears of the insecurity bedeviling the country especially the northern part of the country where the people are facing the tough challenge of armed banditry, kidnapping etc. As Tunde Olusunle says Buhari’s swansong after his largely catastrophic years as Nigeria’s head, however, consists of inflicting more hurt on the national psyche, rather than contrition for his multiple infringements on our collective wellbeing. For the avoidance of doubt, his score sheet after his eight years stint in office has been serially interrogated and certified wholly disastrous and grossly uninspiring.
His eight years stewardship is a not-too-savoury performance in the estimation of most Nigerians. President Buhari has destroyed the lives of so many Nigerians during his eight years in the saddle. Therefore, it is not surprising that he is now sitting in judgement with his conscience. A man reaps whatever he sow and that was why during the sallah, he is calling on Nigerians to forgive him for his transgressions against the people, who placed too much hope on him.
His fight against corruption is a mere rhetoric as it is the President Buhari who approved for the release of some former Governor’s, who were convicted by the courts for various act of corruption perpetrated by them while at the helms of affairs in their states.
As Buba Galadima, say Buhari’s government has set Nigeria 100 years back with poor governance.
Buhari’s leadership has greatly divided Nigeria along religious and ethnic lines, and crashed economic policies which affected dollar rate badly. He is leaving behind a Nigeria that had been bedeviled by religious and monetisation issues.
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Segun Adeniyi in his column”THE VERDICT” says even though he proposed no set of values beyond a ‘ body language’ that, on the face of recent developments, might have been wrongly interpreted by many Nigerians, Buhari was elected President to serve as a moral compass- a leader who would need no prompting before choosing between right and wrong in the conduct of public affairs. Unfortunately, that is not what has transpired under his stewardship.
The people of Nigeria has slides into object poverty in his eight years rule as the President of the country as people are living from hand to mouth because their purchasing power has drastically reduce.
Out of the promises he made during his campaign in his first term some were not fulfilled as his reign draws to a close by 29 May, 2013. And there is no hope, that his successor though from the same party may continue with what he has started.
Therefore in a nutshell, President Buhari is a General who failed to deliver. He was overwhelmingly voted in by the poor people of Nigeria and who believe in him as the Messiah to bring about radical change in their lives, but the people’s expectations were not met by the outgoing President Buhari.
By Usman Santuraki
Is a Public Affairs Analyst
No 2 Santuraki Close,Demsawo,Jimeta-Yola
Adamawa State
08032332546.
