About two years ago, Nigerians made a choice to replace the former ruling party in the country, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), with the incumbent All Progressives Congress (APC) as the vanguard of the government at the centre. The choice then, as it is now, was not to elect an individual, region or geo-political zone but to elect a political party which had promised them change.
What the APC did was to educate Nigerians on the tragic manner the country was being governed. In earnest, Nigeria tottered towards an eclipse that left the economy hanging dangerously on the edge of a precipice. Cajoled by the
firm resolve not to mortgage their future anymore, Nigerians decided to vote for change in the 2015 elections.
But one thing about human nature is that acting beyond one’s comfort zone in a bid to reshape the future has never been easy. How do you explain to a man that the delicious food he eats everyday was being prepared with borrowed money, and that if he continues that way, his children, even grandchildren, will not be able to foot the bill in the future? He will simply conclude that you have only come to deprive him of his comfortable and luxurious way of living.
He explained that the national treasury had been mercilessly looted by past regimes. Can a country which was confined economically and politically for 20 years recoup all the things it had lost throughout the years of confinement in just a year? This is where those calling for the head of the president over the momentary hardship missed it.
About five or more years ago, parts of Nigeria in the North-East were forcefully taken by the Islamic terrorist group, Boko Haram, and it was being peddled in some quarters that Nigeria was becoming a failed state. In those years, the country became a pariah nation, as investors were closing shop in Nigeria.
But today, all these are gradually being addressed. The first thing President Buhari did on assumption of office was to move the military high command to Maiduguri, one of the flashpoint of the war against terror in Nigeria. Today, the gory activities of Boko Haram that had been a serious threat to national security have been curtailed abysmally.
In addition, the president initiated and prioritised regional cooperation in the fight against insurgency and violent extremism. This brought together a strong multi-national joint task force headquartered in N’Djamena, the capital of Chad, headed by a Nigerian military general. The Buhari led administration provided $21 million to the task force and has promised additional $79 million to bring the expected estimate to $100 million.
President Buhari also met with G7 leaders and has since gained their support in the war against the insurgents. For further sustainability of security in the country, the Buhari administration hosted Regional Security Summit to boost military operation against Boko Haram and forge global support for the rehabilitation of IDPs and rebuilding of the North-East which had been badly devastated by insurgency.
Besides, the United States of America which had hitherto refuse to assist our military in the fight against Boko Haram later had a change of mind and went further to announce a $5million support for the fight against terrorism in the sub-region in June, 2015. Also, during the visit of the United States Ambassador to UN, Ms Samantha Power to Nigeria, Cameroon and Chad, the US announced additional $40 million support for the war against insurgency. If Nigeria as a country is not secured how will it sustain development?
More so, the fight against corruption is being sustained; this is a pathway to greatness and the expected future of our dream. The President, in keeping to his campaign promises of zero tolerance to the vice, created a frame work for protecting the war against corruption and institutionalise probity. Buhari took a bold step by setting up an Advisory Committee on War Against Corruption.
In the same vein, the anti-corruption war is gaining ground, with many high profile cases of people who looted and wrecked the economy being instituted before the courts on a daily basis. The only snag in many of such cases is that in a democratic system like ours the rule of law must prevail. For the President to prove to the electorate that he is serious in giving back to them what had been forcefully taken from them, he enlisted the support of multinational institutions like the World Bank, IMF, international security agencies, the western countries and other friendly nations to help Nigeria locate and repatriate stolen assets.
President Buhari in the first quarter of this year embarked on certain trips to the Middle East to sensitise the governments of those countries on the need to assist us in repatriating stolen assets and handover the looters for trial in Nigeria.
Also the Buhari led government in January this year, signed a judicial agreement on extradition with the UAE to transfer sentenced persons, as well as mutual legal assistance on criminal matters. Some years back, Nigerian Passport was looked upon internationally as an identity card for corruption and criminality, but today, the Nigerian Passport is respected, the world over.
Much as it is true that there is hunger in the land, the president is working tirelessly to bring the economy to shape. This is evident in the 2017 Budget he presented to a joint session of the National Assembly on Wednesday. Hearing him speak while presenting the appropriation bill, one could palpably feel the passion, straight forwardness and consistency of direction with which President Buhari is applying to wriggle out the country from the current economic morass it is enmeshed in.
The present policy on agriculture is a commendable one, which, if sustained, food security will just be a stone’s throw away. The policy of encouraging investment in agro business in the country as well as establishing efficient small, medium and large scale business loan department is aimed at boosting the economy. Disturbed by the difficulties Nigerians face in accessing longer term and more affordable credit, the president earmarked the sum of N15 billion for the recapitalization of the Bank of Industry and the Bank of Agriculture. He also hinted that the Development Bank of Nigeria will commence operations with $1.3 billion focused exclusively on small and medium-sized Enterprises. Does this in any way suggest insensitivity to the plight of Nigerians as some armchair critics are trying to label the president?
Also, the road map on transportation in the country will, in no distant time, stabilise the country’s transportation system where every small towns and villages will be opened up.
Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) are being resettled to their homes. The president is also working tirelessly to ensure that peace returns to the Niger-Delta. However, the importance of the Niger-Delta to the economy of Nigeria cannot be underestimated. Therefore, the federal government is ensuring that the region’s problem which is politically motivated is politically solved. For instance, appointments of people from the region into government is being reviewed to make them feel belonged.
It is pertinent for Nigerians to know that the sufferings of today is to secure and insure the future and that of generations yet unborn.
Omene wrote from Chicago, USA
Credit: http://leadership.ng/
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