Where is the change?

The above caption appears to be the pertinent question being asked by most Nigerians that voted President Muhammadu Buhari into power in the 2015 general election. The question which used to be asked in hushed tones and often times muted, is no longer hidden. It has become part of the public discourse as more and more Nigerians are asking for the change they voted for irrespective of party affiliation, tribe or religion.

It is good that this question and its other variants are now emanating from members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Even those who swore by their father’s or mother’s graveside that Buhari is the change agent Nigeria needs in 2015 are fast eating their words in view of the unmet expectations they have, so far, seen. Some ardent followers of the Daura-born military-politician are telling whoever cares to listen that this is not the change they voted for.

Some of them are yearning for change even when the regime they voted for is yet to celebrate its one year in office. It is interesting that this rhetorical question is coming from those that carried Buhari’s election on their heads and shoulders. The women among them are lamenting and weeping profusely that they are not well represented in government.

They pointed out that the few women in Buhari’s cabinet, except one, are from the North. They even say that the money voted for the Ministry of Women’s Affairs in the 2016 budget is too meager to make any significant impact on the lives of the nation’s womenfolk, the significant Other, that constitute more than half of our 150 or 170 million people. They argued that women did not have it so bad in the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, no matter the imperfections of that regime.

The youths are also crying out that they have been used and dumped by the administration that promised to create jobs for them. It is unfortunate that the youths, the future leaders and change agents, are under-represented in this administration. They are weeping and wailing that they have been schemed out of the regime they contributed so much to its coming to power. Even the social media that helped the regime come to power were nearly decreed out of existence before common sense prevailed.

While some segments of the society that voted Buhari to power publicly complained bitterly for their mistake, certain category of his arch supporters bemoan their fate and utter disappointment in silence. As victims, they spoke in silences. Forget about the images of public approval often splashed in newspapers and on national televisions of the new men in power, all that glitters is not gold. Why are Nigerians lamenting when they should rejoice? There are so many reasons to lament about the condition of living of most Nigerians since Buhari came to power.

The fall in the price of crude oil has started even before Buhari assumption of office, but a responsive government should put in place palliative measures to ameliorate the sufferings of its citizens with pro-people policies.

What did we see? Instead of enhanced exchange rate between the naira and other currencies as promised during the campaign, Nigerians cannot see the dollar to buy even at N318 per dollar, or to pay for school fees of their wards abroad. Nigerians cannot use their ATM to withdraw money while on vocation abroad. It was so bad then that those that have domiciliary account can neither deposit nor withdraw, though this has been relaxed. Government is not yet clear on whether it has removed petrol and kerosene subsidy or not. Nigerians in many parts of the country still buy these petroleum products at exorbitant prices, far above the approved prices.

Apart from the Value Added Tax (VAT), and other taxes paid by Nigerians, the government has without deliberation saddled impoverished Nigerians with additional tax called stamp duty, in which N50 is deducted from every bank transaction from N1000 and above. Why not limit this selling of stamp to transactions from N1million and above instead of from N1000 that is targeted at the poorest of the poor in the society? The few exemptions to this rule are, however, insignificant.  Despite government’s grandstanding that it will not devalue the naira, market forces has devalued the local currency by a great margin. Check the bearish mood of the stock market to feel the strength of the economy. Prices of goods skyrocket on a daily basis. What you buy a food item today is not what you will buy it tomorrow.

Even the president himself has acknowledged the difficulties Nigerians are passing through and profusely lamented why he should come to power at this time that the nation’s crude oil is selling below $40. He is lamenting why he did not come when oil was selling $100 and above. He also wondered why he always came to power when things are upside down. Perhaps it is his luck or his own doing.

After all, nobody begged him to come to power in 1983 when democracy was been nurtured as our acceptable system of government. Ever since he left power as a military ruler, he has strived to rule Nigeria on his own volition through democratic means but was not successful until last year when he was overtly rebranded as a born-again democrat and a change agent. It is indeed unfortunate that he always come to power when things are bad.

But he should not lament much because he came on his own and asked for our votes to rebuild the nation, its economy, fight corruption, defeat insurgency, rescue Chibok girls, and create employment among other goodies. I think that these are the things that should occupy the president’s mind at the moment.

The period of his short leave will afford him the needed serenity and solitude to ruminate on these problems and set up a formidable economic team that will rescue the nation’s wobbling and tattered economy. He should stop weeping. This is the time he will perform those miracles he promised Nigerians last year shortly before he was elected as Nigerian president after a 4th attempt.

Buhari has no reason whatsoever to disappoint Nigerians. He should not hide under the alibi that he met a terrible mess on the ground. He should not tell us that the heat in the kitchen is so hot. He should not tell us that the national treasury is half empty. He should not tell us that the economy is in ruins and shambles.

Rather than sounding pessimistic, he should imbue Nigerians with optimism and hope that we have no pact with hunger, deprivation, poverty, insecurity, unemployment, inflation, high electricity tariff, disease, illiteracy and corruption.

Nigerians are eagerly waiting on him and APC to fulfill their change promises. There should be no room for excuses or margin for error. That is the expected minimum he can do for Nigerians during his tenure.

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