President Muhammadu Buhari is expected to resume duties this week following his return from a three-month long medical vacation in London where he received treatment for an undisclosed ailment. In his absence, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, a law Professor, held forth in acting capacity. Daily Nigerian Associate Editor, Yunusa Abdullahi in this report highlights a number of critical issues that requires President Buhari’s quick attention and action.
The President Muhammadu Buhari administration which came on board in May 29, 2015 has spent over two years in its four years tenure. The All Progressives Congress (APC), the political party on whose platform President Buhari campaigned for votes, promised to deliver change to Nigerians. With two years already spent, opinions are however; sharply divided on the performance rating of the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration with regards to areas it anchored its campaigns on.
The APC presidential campaign mantra which is anchored on Change promised to tackle festering insecurity especially in the north east, fight systemic corruption as well as revamp the economy. While some analysts are of the view that President Buhari has recorded significant success in the war against insecurity with territories which were formally under the control of the Boko Haram Islamist sect now taken over by Nigeria, others believe such feat hasn’t been replicated in other areas, with particular reference to the economy and war against corruption.
Political watchers believe that, President Buhari’s poor handling of the economy, especially with the absence of a clear cut economic blueprint in place was largely responsible for why Nigeria slipped into economic recession.
On the corruption front, while many still believe not much has been done in terms of conviction of high profile corrupt individuals, others think government is trying its best to stamp out corruption from the system. President Muhammadu Buhari had in his inaugural speech in 2015 noted that, “if we don’t kill corruption, corruption will kill us”. The message sank so deep that Nigerians across different spectrum pledged their readiness to wage war against corruption.
Political pundits say, as President Muhammadu Buhari settles down to work, given the opportunities so far lost and the need to recover lost grounds, the following are a few critical issues that requires urgent attention.
Rising insecurity and criminality
It appears the once decimated Boko Haram Islamist sect has regrouped and bold enough to engage the Nigerian military in a fresh round of war. While the military keeps assuring Nigerians living in the north east of safety, the sect has continued to launch attacks on residents. Just recently a combined team of NNPC staff and Geologists from the University of Maiduguri who were on geological survey in the Chad Basin were attacked with several casualties recorded.
Also, the University of Maiduguri had in recent times suffered frequent attacks by men suspected to be Boko Haram agents.
Activities of violent herdsmen still pose as serious challenge as they continue to clash with farmers in Kaduna, Taraba, Benue and Niger states. The most recent and more deadly of the attacks was the one between suspected herdsmen and farmers in Taraba State where no fewer than 100 people were killed and hundreds of cattle killed. The reprisal attack claimed several lives.
Kidnapping and armed robbery attacks are also on the increase, especially on busy highways across different parts of the country. Attention recently shifted to the Abuja-Kaduna highway where kidnappers operated in broad day light.
In Lagos, school boys numbering six were kidnapped from their school premises and held for more than 4 four months.
Agitations and clamour for restructuring
Government must scale up efforts to address rising clamour and call for separation and disintegration by youths across regions. Acting President Yemi Osinbajo’s swift response to the October 1 deadline issued by some youths in the north urging Igbos to vacate their region halted what could have degenerated into a full scale violence. While government continues to hold negotiations with critical stakeholders across regions, the intelligence community should step up its activities to ensure that potential security threats are identified and nipped in the bud.
On the trending issue of restructuring, Nigerians also expect government to make its position public to calm frayed nerves.
Board appointments
Most strategic boards of Federal establishments dissolved by this administration in 2015 are yet to be constituted. Nigerians have expressed worries over this development and are hopeful that President Buhari will urgently nominate eligible Nigerians to occupy those vacant positions without further delay.
Cabinet reshuffle
Also, Nigerians believe as the that Federal government enters its final lap of its four years term, President Buhari should carry out an urgent cabinet reshuffle to ensure quicker delivery of promises made by the APC. It appears some Federal Ministers are yet to come to terms with the fact that Nigerians expect much from the Buhari administration. There is the dire need to inject more competent hands into the system.
Given the criticality of the Power, Works and Housing Ministry to Nigeria’s quest for rapid socio-economic development, Nigerians expect that the ministry shout be unbundled with the Ministry of Power handed over to Mr. Babatunde Fashola.
FG/ASUU face-off
This is sadly one issue that that has lingered. While successive administrations have reneged on the agreements they signed with university lecturers with regards to some of their demands, Nigerians say, the buck now stops on the President Buhari’s desk to find a lasting solution to the lingering face-off so as to stabilise the nation’s university system.
Government should approach the issue from the standpoint of a solution-seeking partner instead of the usual approach of engaging in battle of wits thereby failing to achieve meaningful results.
