Notwithstanding President Muhammadu Buhari’s claim in his New Year’s message that Nigerians’ sufferings were temporary, some observers have said that the challenges may still be key issues this year unless the government re-adjusts its policies, FISAYO FALODI writes
Insecurity by the violent Boko Haram insurgents, abduction for ransoms by kidnappers, unemployment caused by the poor state of the economy, erratic power supply, corruption in high places by public officials, preparation for and the election of a new President were some of the issues that dominated the polity in 2015.
It was a year majority of the citizens prayed fervently against the disintegration of the country due to the tension that had built up ahead of the last general elections won by the opposition All Progressives Congress. No week hardly passed without at least two devastating occurrences in the polity. There was none among the 36 states of the federation that did not have one sad story or the other to tell. In fact, it was a year many commentators described as most challenging in the country’s political history as a result of the economic and socio-political impasse that nearly brought the country to its knees.
President Muhammadu Buhari acknowledged in his New Year’s message that the citizens actually went through tough time in 2015, but assured them that the challenges were temporary. The President himself identified some of the challenges to include long queues in filling stations and the difficulties in acquiring foreign exchanges for businesses, among others. He therefore urged Nigerians to be expectant in 2016 as he said that there would be continuation of the implementation of the change agenda his administration promised.
“I am aware that Nigerians have experienced a number of significant hardships over the past months. Living in the State House has not alienated me from your daily sufferings.
“I am aware of the lengthy queues at fuel stations and of the difficulties businesses have faced in acquiring foreign exchange. These challenges are only temporary; we are working to make things better,” Buhari had said in his New Year message.
However, Buhari’s optimism to turn the country around this year may not be easy after all as watchers of political events have said. They claimed that unless serious and concerted efforts were taken by the leaders, including senior public officials to “kill nepotism and depoliticise the administration of public institutions,” as well as strengthening such institutions for optimum service delivery, the challenges that the citizens went through last year might still live with them.
A social commentator, Mr. Victor Iyoho, foresees suffering among the citizens. According to him, the current fiscal year will be tough as all sectors of the nation’s economy will not fear better unless the government readjusts its policies.
Iyoho said, “Beginning from the evaluation of the President’s N6.08trn budget, one tends to believe that the government is over-ambitious in its projection. I do not see the government getting N6.08trn to fund the budget.
“The anti-corruption war will continue to dominate the polity as the government will seek to continue to use it to divert the people’s attention from their pains.
“On the economic front, quite a lot of businesses will go under, especially in non-formal sector because of the difficulty in getting Forex. However, whoever survives the next 24 months will do well much later.”
Apart from strikes by various categories of workers that Iyoho said would be among the issues that the government would battle with this year, he also foresees the likelihood of a lot of job cut across several sectors which will have negative impact on the economy.
He also said unemployment among youths said to be a time bomb by some people in the past might still be a key issue this year, in spite of the President’s courageous plan to employ 500,000 graduates as teachers.
He, however, advised government at all levels to put machinery in place for quick response where there is need for policy readjustment.
President Buhari had presented a budget of N6.08trn for the 2016 fiscal year to the joint session of the National Assembly. The budget proposal, the President said, sought to stimulate the economy and make it more competitive by focusing on infrastructural development, delivering inclusive growth and prioritising the welfare of the citizens.
Buhari added that the budget was designed to “revive our economy, deliver inclusive growth to Nigerians and create a significant number of jobs.”
According to him, the budget proposal, while helping industry, commerce and investment to pick up, will as a matter of urgency, address the immediate problems of youth unemployment and the terrible living conditions of the extremely poor and vulnerable Nigerians.
On the anti-corruption war started not long after the inauguration of Buhari’s administration last year, Iyoho said the crusade would continue, but with the sole aim to decimate key members of the now opposition Peoples Democratic Party in preparation for the 2019 general elections.
To the President, Rights Monitoring Group and the Executive Director, Centre for Convention on Democratic Integrity, Mr. Olufemi Aduwo, killings, injustice, lack, poverty, repression and greed, among others that gave the country bad image in the comity of nations should be of upmost concern to the current government, if the country must move forward.
He wants the government to effectively treat the causes, rather than the symptoms of the failure of past administrations.
Aduwo said, “We must recognise that as important as democracy is, however, defined, it can only deliver stability through social and economic justice. Both are necessary to guarantee that the dark forces of repression and greed shall never again rear their ugly heads in Nigeria and be permanently replaced by an era of tolerance for dissent and equal opportunities for all.”
On the joblessness among the youth, he canvassed sound implementation of the budget. He believes that the government will achieve more in the area of job creation if investors are encouraged to participate in some critical areas of the economy.
Aduwo said, “Huge amount of money is required in the power sector; the government should encourage investors in the transmission area of the power sector. With investors’ participation, the government may not have a reason to borrow as stipulated in the budget proposal.
“The World Bank or any development banks only borrow for infrastructural development; the government should allow 100 per cent participation of private sector/foreign investors in those critical areas of economy, especially in rail, power, agriculture and manufacturing.”
Like governorship elections conducted last year in Kogi and Bayelsa states though fraught with many constitutional controversies, the Independent National Electoral Commission will again hold governorship polls in both Ondo and Edo states later this year.
Aduwo said for the outcome of the two governorship polls to be acceptable to the people, the processes should be significantly transparent.
He said, “Majority of Nigerians voted for change not because of ideological niceties, but because they expected that the assumed change would bring about some economic benefits. The APC-led Federal Government should not forget it may not have the 16 years the PDP spent in power unless the party brings about change and rapid development across the country.”
The analyst also pushed for strict adherence to the rule of law, no matter how imperfect the nation’s legal system is.
He said, “No matter how disgusted we are as citizens of this great country about those who have plundered our treasury and betrayed our trust both in the APC and the PDP, the rule of law must be strictly observed in trying them.
“Granting bail to an accused person is in consonance with Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution as amended. The danger inherent in demonising the granting of bail by our courts is far reaching in a country where people are framed up with offence they may not be guilty of at the end of the trial which can last for several years. If it is democracy, it must be rule of law and if it is authoritarian, then rule of men may take over.”
In the view of a foremost economist, Dr. Ayo Teriba, Buhari’s claim that Nigerians’ woes will be temporary will be just a political statement unless the President shuns his proposed plan to fund this year’s appropriation by borrowing.
Teriba said the budget might not be signed by the President let alone being implemented to create jobs and open the business space as the President promised.
The economist based his assumption on the fact that a large part of the money budgeted for spending in the current fiscal year would be borrowed.
He said instead, the President should entice investors to the build infrastructure such as rail system and roads, among others.
“Enticing investors to build road and rail system will indirectly create jobs for the youth, thus contributing significantly to the government’s efforts to develop the economy,” Teriba said.
On security, particularly killings in the North-East by the Boko Haram terrorist group, a political observer, Mr. Dare Adeiya, saw improved efforts by the government to competently defeat the sect’s activities, but cautioned security agents fighting the insurgency against extra-judicial killings.
He also asked the government to show sincerity in its pledge to rehabilitate the violence-ravaged North-East.
Adeiya said, “While the rehabilitation of the North-East destroyed by the Boko Haram is necessary, the government must also ensure that the assistance sought from the G7 for the affected region is appropriately channelled.
“All the materials, including money that will be mobilised to the crisis-ravaged region should be prevented from being diverted by unscrupulous public officials.”
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