It is an indomitable fact that truly change did take place in Nigeria. The present era of the President Muhammadu Buhari (PMB) and the All Progressive Congress (APC) as the ruling party has indeed wrought a remarkable change in all the. aspects of this country. In fact, most of the recorded changes are purely negative going by the majority of the accounts given by numerous public opinion analysts and some social critics. This administration has consciously reverted the fundamental reformations which the erstwhile ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) began before they lost grip of the machineries of government at the Federal level. The sixteen years of the PDP engaged the national economy and politics on a long stroll of both economic and socio-political reforms. It all began with the reformations in the armed forces championed and engineered by the hilarious former President Olusegun Obasanjo (OBJ). Before the swearing-in of the former President (OBJ), the structure of the armed forces was obviously lopsided to the advantage of some parts of the country especially the Northern enclave. After some fundamental reshuffleiments and prunngings, the former President OBJ assured Nigerians and the international community at large that a reformation was made to reduce and discourage the rampant incidence of coupe d’etate in the future. Although OBJ did not excel in some other areas like the all time roadmap to the power sector reforms, reasonable sanity was restored in the Nigeriam armed forces and other para-military institutions. Sub-sequently, the late President Umoru Musa Yar’Adua came up with the laudable seven (7) points Agenda that sought to decisively consolidate on the unfinished works of the predecessor the OBJ. Unfortunately, death played an evil sleight of hands and snatched away the most popular government that was manned by two technocrats. However, the succeeding government of the Vice President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan (GEJ) which was ushered in by the doctrine of necessity sustained some of the agenda points with minor additions. This ensured the apparent continuity that only survived the periods of the PDP ruling government under GEJ for the next six (6) years. Instructively, within the total of sixteen (16) years of the PDP in Nigeria, a turn-around maintenance of the infrastructure was conspicuously made, the politics approximately stable and the moribund economy nearly revived and repositioned on the right pedestrian of growing in leaps and bounds. Until the sudden interruption by the APC and ailing President (PMB) Nigeria was nearly politically and economically stable. When the gang-up began to push for the concerted conspiracy that ousted the PDP and GB administration, the gullible masses, especially the rabble with the Nigerian society swallowed the venominous change mantra. And the bondage falls! Everything went awry. Nigeria in a twinkle of an eyelid was retrogressed rapidly into a tribalistic and irredentist diarchy (military democracy) once more that is worst that than that of the General Sani Abacha’s military oligarchical despotism. In one fell swoop the Nigerian economy that was soaring in the global economic rating slumped and finally crashed as it is today.
It all began with the PMB’s body language as regulated by the anti-corruption campaign that stood for nearly two (2) years as a mono-agenda. This was worsened by the PMB’s tardiness to form a cabinet and come up with any economic blueprint for his government. The aftermath of the over -flogged anti-graft crusade was a massive withdrawal and discouragement of foreign investments that culminate in a tremenderous reduction of the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), the irreversible differential foreign exchange policy that saw to the ultimate crashing of Nigeria Naira against the currency benchmark of the US Dollars. It was not a coincidence that international crude oil prices dropped astronomically, because, the wind of its emergence was already received by the economic team of the immediate past administration the former President GEJ under the able watching eyes of the erudite former minister of finance Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iwuala. In adamant disposition to his reluctance to take a clue from the immediate past administration the PMB and his APC cohorts abandoned the moving train, indulged in excessive blame-trading and fierce body language that ignored the dynamic foreign exchange market trends but preferred an obnoxious differential exchange rate pegging that completely negates the tenets of the free market enterprise of the market forces. Swiftly, a boomerang ensued and plunged the almost bubbling economy into a recession. Thenceforth, Nigerians were confronted headlong with a blatant change like never before throughout her socio- economic history.
Interestingly, the pangs of the economic miasma was simultaneously bedeviling Nigeria with gross acts of divisiveness that marked the anti-corruption crusade and tolerated mediocrity. The resultant incompetence was laid bare almost before the greatest distraction by the protracted ill-health of the PMB. Apart from the humongous amount of foreign exchange sunk into the PMB’s overseas healthcare bills, the economy and polity witnessed an unprecedented set back or stagnation that nearly led the nation into a depression. Amidst the painful economy downturn, the security of lives and property of the people become so questionable. A scenario of the paradox where the PMB government was declaring recovered loots from its vindictive anti-corruption campaign and at the same time indulging in excessive borrowing domestically and internationally was worrisome. By all indications, the change we have today instigated tribalism, legalized corruption and institutionalized sleaze. Like never before, Nigerians have not been oppressed to this extent.
The security situation of the country has never been so precarious. The human lives value has never been so under-rated. Instead, the lives of animals are now accorded greater preference than the lives and property of human beings. Also, the concept of terrorism has be re-defined to suit the welfare and survival of animals. The government of the day have jettisoned the fundamental issue of their cardinal role of the security of lives and property. Appallingly, animals are fast usurping the position of humans. And animals are now playing major roles in the businesses of the government to the extent of imbibing the culture of corruption by mysteriously swallowing public funds. It is unthinkable that the PMB will be so engrossed in the activities of the governments myriads of businesses without paying attention to the lives of the subjects. Recently, the former President OBJ took the wise steps of officially paying condolence visit to the Benue State government over the sad news of the carnage unleashed on the indigenes of a local community by the bloody Fulani Cattle rustlers. While the OBJ was mournfully engaged in laying wreaths on the mass sepulcher of the slaughtered innocent souls, the PMB was busy commissioning a vacuous white elephant project of “own a tractor” in the remote town of Plateau State. What an irony of fate? We are caught in the throes of executive insouciance by a monstrous leadership about the lives and property of the people placed in his/her custody. We have been forsaken for the benefits of the animals – catties to be precise. The discussion of animal matters in this administration has toppled every other issues. The welfare and prosperity of cattle enjoy premium in the heart of a leader over and above his people. Meanwhile, the government in power is seriously engaged in the evangelism of situating catties across the length and breath of the country. Nilly willy, Nigeria government wants cattle colonies or at best, cattle ranches and cattle settlements in every one of all the thirty six (36) states of Nigeria When this is achieved, the country will be better for it and the problems of the country will be solved. The secularity of the nation will be guaranteed when the Fulani Islamic Fundamentalists in the guise of cattle rustlers are allocated permanent sites everywhere in the country. The comfort of these cattle and their rearers matter most at least for now as to be the topic of the day and constitute the PMB’s top priority. Is this a cattle government? Why the hullabaloo about grazing bills, catties colonies and cattle ranches.
CHRISTIAN AKPUNONU
Emaihakpunonucu1472@yahoo.com
SMS: 08034118223
