Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on media and publicity, Femi Adesina has given assurance that the President will not neglect any part of the country in the current federal appointments. Adesina, who reacted to a floury of ourcries over the Thursday appointment of key officers of the Buhari government made it clear that the President will eventually balance the federal appointments. “Nobody can fault the fact that the persons appointed were appointed on merits. In terms of the spread, the President has prerogative to appoint and he knows there is federal character. I am sure that there will be balance in the future. These are still early days. At the end of the day, we will have a balance.” Adesina said that by the time more appointments are made, it will balance out, adding that the President is trying to get the very best of Nigerians. “The issue of key positions and no key positions should not be the issue. He gave a deadline of September for the appointment of ministers and he will keep to it.” [myad]
The regard by public and governments for human lives, in this era of hundreds of deaths resulting from hundreds of ways, seems to be at the lowest ebb. And this low level of concern for human lives has translated mainly into the neglect of the most dangerous but silent killer, in the form of malnutrition that is ravaging the children. The seeming carelessness with which both governments and even parents have been treating children with malnutrition has compounded what has been described as “silent health crisis” in Nigeria. Malnutrition, to be sure, cannot be said to be the usual common disease, but its killing and maiming effects are becoming so astounding that it ought to now attract the attention of government and parents. Malnutrition occurs when people consistently do not consume or absorb the right amounts and types of food and essential nutrients. As a matter of fact, the main indicator of childhood malnutrition is stunting, that is when children are too short for their age. They usually have poor physical growth and brain development, preventing them from thriving and living up to their full potential. It has been estimated that out of the three million children that die every year, half of them are as a result of malnutrition. It is also estimated that over 11 million stunted children are domesticated in Nigeria, making the country to rank second behind India across the globe. Indeed, each year, it is reported that one million Nigerian children die before their fifth birth day and that malnutrition contributes to half of the deaths, and that almost 30 percent of the children are underweight even as the percentage of children that are too thin for their height has risen from 11 percent in 2003 to 18 percent in 2013. Statistics also show that four out of five Nigerian children do not meet the World Health Organization’s recommendation for exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months of life and that about 70 percent of children ages six to 23 months are receiving the minimum acceptable diet. The feeling in many quarters that malnutrition is an affliction only for the poor has been debunked, as nutritional experts have posted that even the rich also suffer from the condition. While the malnourishment stunt and “waste” poor children, it blows out the children of the rich, by being obese. The misconception about malnutrition, even in the government circle and among the individual, which is rooted in acute ignorance, has led to the escalation of the condition, thereby silently turning Nigeria into a land of children being “walking corpses.” The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has since studied the negative effects of malnutrition not only on the health of the children and even their parents, but also on the growth of the nation’s economy and social life. Apart from detailing the devastating negative effects of malnutrition in the general socio-economic life of the nation, UNICEF has also come up with what benefit Nigeria can get from adequately addressing the malnutrition, including the fact that well-nourished children in the first 1,000 day “window” would have improved brain and physical development, with stronger immune systems that can fight off infection and diseases and make them to have sharper mental abilities. Adequate nutrition would also make the children to be better able to focus and have improved performances in their educational pursuits. It has been estimated that investments in nutrition has the capacity to produce returns up to 25 times greater than the initial investment and that for every N100,000 spent in the nutritional project, the country can generate N2.5 million economic returns. Because of its concern for the danger which Nigeria has been courting through the neglect as a result of ignorance, of this societal malaise, UNICEF has been organizing seminars, workshops and dialogues with relevant stakeholders towards creating public awareness We in Greenbarge Reporters, therefore, join UNICEF, stakeholders and people of goodwill, in appealing to the governments, from local to federal levels, to sit up and find ways of quickly addressing this silent health crisis. People in health, agriculture, finance, education, women affairs and other essential sectors of the nation’s socio-economy should rise up and work together to battle the malnutrition war in all fronts. Government at all levels need to quickly integrate nutrition into the national policies and should also be practically integrated into primary and secondary school curricula. Above all, governments should annually provide adequate funds in the budgets for nutrition, in addition to funding or implementing programmes that use proven strategies to reduce malnutrition. Besides, mothers should be made to start breastfeeding their babies in the first half-hour after and continue with breastfeeding exclusively for the first six months without other foods or liquids. After the first six months, mothers should be made to start giving their children sufficient quantities of varieties of healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables, eggs and meat, along with continued breastfeeding for up to two years or more. Mothers and children should ensured access to essential vitamins, minerals and nutrients, in addition to parents and caregivers being given up-to-date information on infant and young child feeding practices as well as the support that they need to feed their children in the best way possible. A stitch in time, they say, saves nine! [myad]
Former governor of Rivers State, Chief Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi is obviously angry with an online blogger, “Savinggracereporters.com” for peddling falsehood against him, in respect of the recent appointments by President Muhammadu Buhari. Amaechi, in a statement, denied ever speaking to the blogger which it featured with caption; “SGF: Buhari Disappointed Me – Amaechi.” Describing the story as ridiculous, meaningless and a figment of the writer’s imagination, the former governor said that it flouted all the basic rules of journalism which include fairness, accuracy and balance. “This story like so many others like it, is a tissue of lies and fit only for the trash-can. Since after leaving office and with the successful delivery of the change agenda to Nigerians, former Governor Amaechi has been enjoying a well deserved rest. He hasn’t found any need to grant any interview to any journalist or blogger and so couldn’t have spoken to savinggracereporters.” Chief Amaechi said that he has always held the media in high esteem but regretted that he might soon be forced to take action against those who bring the profession of journalism to disrepute by their deliberate falsehood and malicious reports. “For the sake of decency and ethical conduct, I therefore demand that the said savinggracereporters immediately retract the mischief they have on their website and apologize to their readers for their unprofessional conduct. “In this era of reformation and restoration, it is important that everyone embraces propriety and decorous conduct to enable every segment of our country join the change train.” [myad]
South Sudan’s rebel leader Riek Machar has declared a permanent cease-fire and ordered all his forces to fully commit to it. He said: “all forces are to remain alert in their current positions and to act only on self-defense or respond upon aggression.”
The South Sudanese President, Salva Kiir Mayardit has also declared that a permanent cease-fire with rebels would become effect as of Saturday midnight, ordering the army to stop military activities in the entire country against armed forces loyal to Machar.
Kiir directed the minister of defense, Kuol Manyang Juuk, and the chief of general staff of the government forces, Paul Malong Awan, to ensure the cease-fire come into effect.
He further ordered them to work with other stakeholders to provide an effective monitoring mechanism which should be observed by all involved parties.
South Sudan’s army and the rebels have earlier exchanged accusations of launching military attacks against each other despite the signed peace deal.
Last week, Machar signed a peace deal proposed by the Inter-Governmental Authority for Development in Africa (IGAD) with the secretary general of the ruling party, Pagan Amum, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, while President Kiir signed the deal in Juba on Wednesday, but warned that it could collapse.
IGAD’s peace document granted the current government a majority in the legislature, the position of president and 53 percent of ministerial portfolios.
It further proposed for the rebels a new position of first vice-president and 33 percent of ministerial portfolios, while the remaining 14 percent was allotted to other opposition groups.
However, with regard to the major war-affected areas of the Greater Upper Nile region — Jonglei, Upper Nile and Unity States — the document suggested that 53 percent of th area go to the rebels and 33 to the current government.
Juba rejected the power shares in the three areas as they are the major oil-producing states in South Sudan.
South Sudan plunged into violence in December 2013 when fighting erupted between troops loyal to President Kiir and defectors led by his former deputy Machar.
The conflict soon turned into an all-out war, with the violence taking on an ethnic dimension. The clashes killed thousands of South Sudanese and forced around 1.9 million to flee their homes. [myad]
A human rights lawyer, Festus Keyamo, has described those who have been shouting their heads off over the recent appointments by President Muhammadu Buhari as jobless politicians that are interested only in what they can get from the system.
In a statement today, Keyamo stressed that majority of Nigerians are only interested in good governance and not the ethnic origin of a government appointee.
“The so-called ‘uproar’ over the perceived ‘lopsided’ appointments made so far by President Buhari is nothing but an orchestrated frustration of a few jobless politicians who depend only on government appointments as their means of livelihood and, of course, the noise of the latest opposition party in town.”
Keyamo said that the decade-long general division of government positions into ‘juicy’ and ‘non-juicy’ is worrisome, adding that the mentality that the ‘juicy’ positions must be shared equally among the major ethnic groups was a contraption of the old order.
“To my mind, all government appointments pose an equal challenge to those appointed as a call to higher service of fatherland,” Mr. Keyamo said.
“All public positions come with an equal responsibility to be honest, forthright and dedicated. To go further to classify them as ‘juicy’ or ‘non-juicy’ is just a euphemism for positions that have enough money from which to steal and those that ‘dry.’
“Therefore, any agitation from a section of the country to get ‘juicy’ positions is only an agitation for their kinsmen to be appointed to steal enough from which they would benefit.”
Keyamo said that all sections of the country should be happy with whatever position the president deems fit to offer their kinsmen, adding: “after all, the President still has a long way to go with appointments. He has not even filled up to five percent of available positions.” [myad]
President Mohammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo in a group photograph with board members of the Centenary City after briefing on centenary city at the Presidential Villa, Abuja today, August 28.
L-R : The Executive Director EAGLE HILLS Jaimal Shergill, presenting the Centenary City Document to President Muhammadu Buhari during the Official Briefing on the Centenary City at the State House Abuja, today.
President Mohammadu Buhari and the former secretary to the govt. of federation; senator Anyim Pius Anyim shortly after the briefing on the centenary city by the board members at State House, Abuja. [myad]
The enormously popular talk show, Berekete on Wazobia FM radio, Abuja station told the incredible, yet true story of the hardworking and respected school teacher somewhere in Plateau state who hanged himself.
He hadn’t been paid salary for seven straight months. He came home to find that no one had eaten and two of the children had medical prescriptions for which there was no money. He sneaked out without talking to anyone. After a long while, news came home that he had strangely been caught with a stolen goat.
On his day in court, the teacher confessed to the offense. The reason he stole,he told the local judge, was that he hadn’t been paid for seven months and when he got home to see what he saw, he just couldn’t stand it.
The judge allowed him to go home on bail on self-recognition given, as he said, the good impression the entire village had of the otherwise respected teacher.
All were shocked to find his body dangling from tree the morning after. He couldn’t live with the shame.
In the recommendations and notes the Ahmed Joda transition committee presented to him as President -EIect, Muhammadu Buhari was informed that a section of the Fedaral government as well as 27 states hadn’t paid salaries, in some case for up to a year.
The Joda committee advised that this was a national emergency and should be treated as such.
It is on account of this that one of the activities– please note the choice of this word:activities, not achievements- of President Muahammadu Buhari in these past three months is the settlement of unpaid salaries. This is going on right now.
Like the proverbial blinking of the eye, Saturday September 5th will mark the 100th day of the Buhari-led All Progressives Congress, APC government which took office on May 29th after the new party became the first in opposition to unseat an incumbent government in an election adjudged by everyone as free and fair.
There are many out there who say that the performance of a president and his government in terms success or failure cannot be judged in 100 days and I agree with them. But history will be written anyway. In the coming week or two, a rash of commentaries and analyses to commemorate the event will be made.
I myself don’t deny that 100 days is long enough to know and understand the man who is the head of a government.
Buhari arrived power with strong support from young men and women and this country’s poor. The new government was not favored at election by the monied power-brokers although that did not stop the President from taking measures such as improving security that are good for business and investment. This government is business-friendly but not one that is for crony capitalism.
The new government inherited enormous problems created by the tainted PDP administration, largely caused by the lack of governance,corruption and lawlessness. This was mostly evident in the last two years of the Jonathan Goodluck administration. As the President continues to point out,the drift is most evident in the oil sector.
I believe that there is enough on the ground in those 100 days to understand President Buhari, his government and what it stands for.
I will cite a few of these. Before I do that, I will make a little confession.
In the course of electioneering, the presidential campaign had so many centers of public communication which, for whatever reason were on the loose.
There is a certain document tagged “One Hundred Things Buhari Will Do in 100 Days” and the other, “My Covenant With Nigerians.” Both pamphlets bore the authorized party logo but as the Director of Media and Communications in that campaign, I did not fund or authorize any of those. I can equally bet my last Kobo that Candidate Buhari did not see or authorize those publications.
As a consequence of these publications, expectations have been raised unreasonably, that as President, Muhammadu Buhari will wave his hand and all the problems that the country faces- insecurity, corruption, unemployment, poor infrastructure would go away.
But that notwithstanding, President Buhari has given the job his best shot and the whole country is saying that we never had it so good. He has re-instituted the values of hard work and administrative efficiency. The President says times without number that this country needs to fix governance and that he won’t tolerate laziness.
Some of the other activities I wish to enumerate also include the fact of his taking relations with the country’s immediate neighbors to new heights. By their open admissions, this country’s neighbors did not have someone they could talk to on the deteriorating security situation in the Lake Chad Basin area in Aso Rock.
Buhari embarked on his foreign policy on Day Four of his administration.
When he met Barak Obama, the U.S president told the Nigerian leader that he was getting it right and that it is only when Nigeria gets it right that Africa will get it right.
The United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon who came calling this week said that our president is “courageous, focused and firm.”
Relations with the “G 7” group of industrialized countries have since been “reset” and the dividends of this have begun to flow inwards.
In the area of economic management, Nigerians are already seeing things happen that they thought were not possible in so short a time.
He didn’t put a Kobo to finance the power sector. Yet, reading his body language alone and knowing that there are things you cannot do and get away with under Buhari, electricity supply all over the countries has risen to unprecedented heights.
Actually, some cities are on the verge of calling 24-hour, round the clock power supply. The country generates more power than can internally be taken by the deplorable distribution system we have on the ground, which points to the next challenge that the country faces.
Framework for the management of the country’s finances has been put in place. The wobbly Naira is being stabilized and inflation is headed towards a single digit.President Buhari is keeping a close eye on the government treasury.
Agriculture is getting its own shot in the arm.
Rice importation has been curtailed and seven governors whose states are priming a massive local production of the commodity have had a strategy meeting with the President on the next steps that are coming. Americans say their intervention in our agriculture will come next year.
Boko Haram, which had more or less been allowed to fester for about five years is about being ended but what is even more interesting is that intelligence coming from the fired-up armed forces who now work in synergy with each other is raising hope that the Chibok girls may, repeat may be found in good numbers in a geographic location of interest somewhere in the North-East.
President Buhari is being praised at home and abroad for his ongoing fight against corruption. He said from the beginning that his government will not tolerate this vice.
Borrowing the words of India Narendra Modi’s, he said himself that “I won’t steal and I’ll not allow others to do it.” President Buhari has walked his talk since he come to office.
Himself and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo have not only given up half of their salary, they have cut a good number of funding lines to their official homes and offices.
President Buhari also takes the environment seriously. He blames the lack of security in the Lake Chad region on the recession, almost drying up of the lake. He has undertaken to clean up the Ogoniland.
In this country, appointments and removal from office are done usually in accordance with a spoils system.
A new government sacks officials on the basis only that it did not appoint them, but the predecessor-administration.
President Buhari has shown that his government is different. He wants to look at each case on its own merit and it is clear by now that he is not ready to surrender the country to burnt out politicians. Technocrats will have a big place in his administration.
He has appointed no ministers yet, but the government is running smoothly.
In this period of three months, government certainly deserves a pat on the back for improved power, reform in the energy sector, foreign relations fight against corruption and insurgency and the fact of Nigerians being at peace, not only among themselves but with their neighbors and the rest of the world.
In think in summary, I would like to end this piece by saying that President Muhammadu Buhari will turn out to be a leader in the tradition of Lee Kuan-Yu and India’s current reform-minded Prime Minister Modi with strong and clear emphasis on detail and execution. He may however differ with them by not micro-managing things.
Garba Shehu is Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari. [myad]
President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed happiness with the Centenary City Development foreign partners from the United Arab Emirate (UAE) for committing $18.5 Billion to the project. The President said that with such commitment, UAE has demonstrated that it has enough confidence in Nigeria economic development. President Buhari, who along with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo received briefing on the project from the Chairman of the company’s board of directors, General Abdulsalami Abubakar and members of its management team today, also expressed happiness that all the original inhabitants of the site for the Centenary City PLC have been fully compensated President Buhari was also impressed by the huge number of unemployed that would be gainfully engaged directly when the project becomes functional, putting the figure of jobs to be created at about 250,000 whereas another one million people would be engaged indirectly. The President noted that the skills, expertise and vast experience that will be brought into the country to build the Centenary City on the Dubai model, will also be of immense benefit to Nigeria’s overall development. He asked for regular updates on the Centenary City’s development from the board. This was even as Vice President Osinbajo said that the issue of the rights of the original inhabitants of the site acquired for the Centenary City had been of concern to the present Administration. “We are glad that it is being handled,” he said even as said that he is happy to hear that compensation had been paid to those who will be displaced by the project and that the issue of their relocation was being addressed. General Abubakar and the management of the Centenary City had told President Buhari and Vice President Osinbajo that the project will be totally private sector driven.
The delegation is made up of General Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd.), Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, Sheikh Mohammed Alabbar, Dr. Mike Adenuga Jr. Chief (Dr.) Cletus Ibeto, Prince Adetokunbo Kayode (SAN), Dr. Tunde Ayeni, Mrs Florunsho Alakija, Engr. Hani Saliba, Mr. George Marks, Dr. Musa A. Musa, Alhaji Haruna Alfa Ahmed, Mr. Monabe Mitee, Mrs. Pamela Obaze Mr. Ugo Nkwocha, Mr. Emmanuel Uchola, Mrs. Akuchukwu Fabusoye, Dr. Odenigwe Ike Michaels, Jr. Ms. Boma Ozobia, Esq, Mr. Jaimal Shergill and Mr. Ahmad Al Amin. [myad]
Nigeria Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo has called on Nigerians not to give the proposed war against corruption an ethnic colouration, insisting that nobody should be allowed to pocket public money. Osinbajo made it clear that corruption by its very nature is antithetical and inimical to the development of any nation. The Vice President who spoke when he a delegation of Yoruba Traditional Council in the Northern States and Abuja paid him a courtesy visit at the Presidential Villa, Abuja yesterday insisted that everyone needs to uphold the virtues of truth and justice if the country must make progress in the anti-corruption campaign. He emphasized that people should not give the anti-corruption fight any ethnic colouration as a way of escaping punishment, adding: “when there is a fight against corruption, it is not an ethnic fight; it is not an ethnic battle. People can come up with all sorts of things and say it is selective. People say the reason why a man is being tried for corruption is because he is a Yoruba man, or he is from the North or from the South. We should not encourage this kind of ideas.” Professor Osinbajo observed that there is no country in the world that has become great through corruption. “The history of the world shows that corruption has ruined many empires. “When those empires attain greatness and they begin to allow corruption, then they collapse.” Osinbajo stressed the commitment of President Muhammadu Buhari to the fight corruption, adding: “President Muhammadu Buhari has committed this current government to a pathway of integrity. “For the first time, I think in a very long time, the President is saying that this country can only move forward if we show ourselves as men and women of integrity.” The Vice President therefore sought the support of the traditional rulers in the crusade against corruption even as he said that Nigerian cultures abhor corruption. He commended the representatives of the Yoruba communities from the Northern states for living peacefully with their hosts in their various communities, even as he asked them to imbibe the attributes of ‘‘Omoluabi’’ which he said represents the positive virtues of forthrightness and integrity. (Omoluabi means a forthright, loyal and respectful person). “I think you have demonstrated clearly by living in the north, living in Abuja and making your home and businesses here, that you believe in this country. That shows you believe in the unity of this country and I think that is very commendable.” Earlier, the Chairman of the Yoruba Traditional Council in the Northern States and Abuja, who led the delegation, Ambassador Mohammed Arigbabuwo, had commended the vision and philosophy behind the Change Agenda of the Buhari administration. He declared the total support of his Council to the anti-corruption crusade of the government even as he acknowledged that the much desired change is already being felt. “In the last three months, you will agree that many things have started taking positive shape for the people of this country, such as constant electricity which has helped greatly to stabilize small scale and medium scale industries.” [myad]
Nigeria’s Ambassador and Head of Missions in the United States of America, Professor Adebowale Ibidapo Adefuye is dead. He died yesterday, Thursday in a hospital in Washington DC. according to report.
Since March 2010, Ade Adefuye, a former history professor, has been the ambassador from Nigeria to the United States, who has helped persuade the U.S. to remove Nigeria from the government’s “country of interest” terrorism watch list.
Nigeria was placed on the list following the December 25, 2009, incident when Nigerian national Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab tried to blow up a Northwest Airlines flight headed from Amsterdam to Detroit.
Professor Adefuye was born in Ijebu-Igbo, in 1947, he received his First Degree in History at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, in 1969, and in 1973 earned a Ph.D. in History there, with a dissertation on “The Political History of the Palwo, 1400-1911.” As a Fulbright scholar he studied at Columbia University, the University of North Florida and the University of Florida in Gainesville.
Adefuye started his academic career as a Lecturer at the University of Lagos, where he rose to the position of Professor, published books and articles, and served as Head of the History Department from 1985 to 1987.
He was one time ambassador to Jamaica, with concurrent accreditation to Haiti and Belize, a job he kept from 1987 to 1991. From 1991 to 1994, he served as Deputy High Commissioner at the Nigerian Embassy in London, U.K.,when he was hired by the Commonwealth (formerly the British Commonwealth of Nations) as Deputy Director of Strategic Planning.
After fourteen years with the Commonwealth, Adefuye took a job with the Economic Community of West African States, where he served as an Advisor for two years, from 2008 to 2010. He became the Nigerian Ambassador to the United States in 2010.
As at the time of his sudden death, embassy officials and Nigerians in the US were planning a send-forth party for the diplomat scheduled for next Wednesday. [myad]
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Understanding President Buhari In 100 Days, By Garba Shehu
The enormously popular talk show, Berekete on Wazobia FM radio, Abuja station told the incredible, yet true story of the hardworking and respected school teacher somewhere in Plateau state who hanged himself.
He hadn’t been paid salary for seven straight months. He came home to find that no one had eaten and two of the children had medical prescriptions for which there was no money. He sneaked out without talking to anyone. After a long while, news came home that he had strangely been caught with a stolen goat.
On his day in court, the teacher confessed to the offense. The reason he stole,he told the local judge, was that he hadn’t been paid for seven months and when he got home to see what he saw, he just couldn’t stand it.
The judge allowed him to go home on bail on self-recognition given, as he said, the good impression the entire village had of the otherwise respected teacher.
All were shocked to find his body dangling from tree the morning after. He couldn’t live with the shame.
In the recommendations and notes the Ahmed Joda transition committee presented to him as President -EIect, Muhammadu Buhari was informed that a section of the Fedaral government as well as 27 states hadn’t paid salaries, in some case for up to a year.
The Joda committee advised that this was a national emergency and should be treated as such.
It is on account of this that one of the activities– please note the choice of this word:activities, not achievements- of President Muahammadu Buhari in these past three months is the settlement of unpaid salaries. This is going on right now.
Like the proverbial blinking of the eye, Saturday September 5th will mark the 100th day of the Buhari-led All Progressives Congress, APC government which took office on May 29th after the new party became the first in opposition to unseat an incumbent government in an election adjudged by everyone as free and fair.
There are many out there who say that the performance of a president and his government in terms success or failure cannot be judged in 100 days and I agree with them. But history will be written anyway. In the coming week or two, a rash of commentaries and analyses to commemorate the event will be made.
I myself don’t deny that 100 days is long enough to know and understand the man who is the head of a government.
Buhari arrived power with strong support from young men and women and this country’s poor. The new government was not favored at election by the monied power-brokers although that did not stop the President from taking measures such as improving security that are good for business and investment. This government is business-friendly but not one that is for crony capitalism.
The new government inherited enormous problems created by the tainted PDP administration, largely caused by the lack of governance,corruption and lawlessness. This was mostly evident in the last two years of the Jonathan Goodluck administration. As the President continues to point out,the drift is most evident in the oil sector.
I believe that there is enough on the ground in those 100 days to understand President Buhari, his government and what it stands for.
I will cite a few of these. Before I do that, I will make a little confession.
In the course of electioneering, the presidential campaign had so many centers of public communication which, for whatever reason were on the loose.
There is a certain document tagged “One Hundred Things Buhari Will Do in 100 Days” and the other, “My Covenant With Nigerians.” Both pamphlets bore the authorized party logo but as the Director of Media and Communications in that campaign, I did not fund or authorize any of those. I can equally bet my last Kobo that Candidate Buhari did not see or authorize those publications.
As a consequence of these publications, expectations have been raised unreasonably, that as President, Muhammadu Buhari will wave his hand and all the problems that the country faces- insecurity, corruption, unemployment, poor infrastructure would go away.
But that notwithstanding, President Buhari has given the job his best shot and the whole country is saying that we never had it so good. He has re-instituted the values of hard work and administrative efficiency. The President says times without number that this country needs to fix governance and that he won’t tolerate laziness.
Some of the other activities I wish to enumerate also include the fact of his taking relations with the country’s immediate neighbors to new heights. By their open admissions, this country’s neighbors did not have someone they could talk to on the deteriorating security situation in the Lake Chad Basin area in Aso Rock.
Buhari embarked on his foreign policy on Day Four of his administration.
When he met Barak Obama, the U.S president told the Nigerian leader that he was getting it right and that it is only when Nigeria gets it right that Africa will get it right.
The United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon who came calling this week said that our president is “courageous, focused and firm.”
Relations with the “G 7” group of industrialized countries have since been “reset” and the dividends of this have begun to flow inwards.
In the area of economic management, Nigerians are already seeing things happen that they thought were not possible in so short a time.
He didn’t put a Kobo to finance the power sector. Yet, reading his body language alone and knowing that there are things you cannot do and get away with under Buhari, electricity supply all over the countries has risen to unprecedented heights.
Actually, some cities are on the verge of calling 24-hour, round the clock power supply. The country generates more power than can internally be taken by the deplorable distribution system we have on the ground, which points to the next challenge that the country faces.
Framework for the management of the country’s finances has been put in place. The wobbly Naira is being stabilized and inflation is headed towards a single digit.President Buhari is keeping a close eye on the government treasury.
Agriculture is getting its own shot in the arm.
Rice importation has been curtailed and seven governors whose states are priming a massive local production of the commodity have had a strategy meeting with the President on the next steps that are coming. Americans say their intervention in our agriculture will come next year.
Boko Haram, which had more or less been allowed to fester for about five years is about being ended but what is even more interesting is that intelligence coming from the fired-up armed forces who now work in synergy with each other is raising hope that the Chibok girls may, repeat may be found in good numbers in a geographic location of interest somewhere in the North-East.
President Buhari is being praised at home and abroad for his ongoing fight against corruption. He said from the beginning that his government will not tolerate this vice.
Borrowing the words of India Narendra Modi’s, he said himself that “I won’t steal and I’ll not allow others to do it.” President Buhari has walked his talk since he come to office.
Himself and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo have not only given up half of their salary, they have cut a good number of funding lines to their official homes and offices.
President Buhari also takes the environment seriously. He blames the lack of security in the Lake Chad region on the recession, almost drying up of the lake. He has undertaken to clean up the Ogoniland.
In this country, appointments and removal from office are done usually in accordance with a spoils system.
A new government sacks officials on the basis only that it did not appoint them, but the predecessor-administration.
President Buhari has shown that his government is different. He wants to look at each case on its own merit and it is clear by now that he is not ready to surrender the country to burnt out politicians. Technocrats will have a big place in his administration.
He has appointed no ministers yet, but the government is running smoothly.
In this period of three months, government certainly deserves a pat on the back for improved power, reform in the energy sector, foreign relations fight against corruption and insurgency and the fact of Nigerians being at peace, not only among themselves but with their neighbors and the rest of the world.
In think in summary, I would like to end this piece by saying that President Muhammadu Buhari will turn out to be a leader in the tradition of Lee Kuan-Yu and India’s current reform-minded Prime Minister Modi with strong and clear emphasis on detail and execution. He may however differ with them by not micro-managing things.
Garba Shehu is Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari. [myad]