The poor president in a rich nation- he is worth 30 million, 270 cows, 25 sheep, birds and economic trees, five houses in Kaduna, Daura, Kano and Abuja. And the Daura houses were made of “mud.”
In a land where a musician has ’30 billion in his account’, its president is N30 million worth! Who is this man and why is he always redefining life as a piece of worthless sojourn where regardless of your accumulation, you are going to leave it empty and void? We have ministers in his cabinet that are undoubtedly richer than some states in Nigeria, yet he presides on them with limited appetite for the things of the world. As he said in his one of his off-the-cuff speeches, ‘I came into this world with nothing and with nothing I shall leave’. If the life of this man doesn’t awe you, inspire you and make you contented with whatever comes your way, then you have a problem grappling with the awesomeness of life.
This is the time for investigative journalists to go deeper in search of the worth of this man beyond what he has submitted in his assets declaration. The mystery and otherwise of this man must be unravelled, we must know the DNA of his existence such as why greed, insatiable needs and materialism do not define his creed. The man Muhammadu Buhari is a case in the study of human mystery…
Beyond his personal discipline, austere nature and spartan lifestyles, the time it is we look at his governance styles, where he has demonstrated leadership, where he needs to be firm and where he needs the tight options. So far, it is difficult to have a president in Nigeria that has exhibited true democratic tenets like Muhammadu Buhari. Instead of using his enormous powers as president, he has consistently relied on the provisions of the law to run the affairs of the state. Coming from a history of ruthless use of power, the world expected a dictatorial president but it is a new Buhari that has stunned everyone with his extreme democratic postures. While some would argue that ‘his extreme adherence’ to democratic tenets is hurting governance, others think, for the first time, democratic principles where rule of law define institutions is taking place and should be encouraged to permanent sustenance.
Like before, the president must hit the ground running, a repeat of 2015 where months were wasted searching for ministers should not be allowed. The tasks at hand require a supersonic approach where urgency is the driving force. The gains achieved in the last 4 years must be sustained and the right people given the push to sustain the same. Time is very critical in governance and the president must utilize it this time.
Laxity, naivety and incompetence should not be tolerated in the quest for the next level and last level of the president. Never again must he hold brief for non-performing members of his cabinet. Those saddled with responsibilities must be given benchmarks, targets and expected outcomes. As it is, in this last lap, there is no incumbent to blame but the government itself. Security situations that have defied government huge spending must be given a closer and out of the box strategy. Managers of our security architectures must be monitored closely and given the boot where no result is forthcoming. The time for learning on the job is over.
On the economy, the progress we are making and the tempo needed must be sustained. The Nigerian Economy Improved by 2.4 % in 2018Q4 and 1.9 % in 2018 Full Year Latest Release from the National Bureau of Statistics revealed that Q4 2018 GDP numbers grew by 2.4% compared to Q3 2018 growth of 1.8 % YoY. This growth mirrored the performance of the non-oil sector which improved by 2.7 % YoY. The full year GDP improved by 1.9% better than 2017 of 0.8%. This performance is still weak and fragile, but then, sustaining it going forward is what will guarantee national growth. It is also far below 3% annual population growth as this remain a cause for concern due to its wider on inclusive and sustainable growth in the country.
These and many others are our expectations from president Muhammadu Buhari as he steers the ship to the next level. As it is, the man will be named on the top list of those who rescued Nigeria from the grips of looters and retired those who arrogated to themselves the landlords of Nigeria. For now, its all about the man with just 30 million naira in his account and holds tight as the most powerful president in Africa.
