By Enyeribe Ejiogu

With reports from Paul Osuyi (Asaba), Layi Olanrewaju (Ilorin), Tony Osauzo and Ighomuaye Lucky, (Benin), Obinna Odogwu (Abakaliki), Femi Folarunmi (Yenagoa), Geoffrey Anyanwu (Awka) and Rose Ejembi, (Makurdi).

for majority of Nigerians, the outgoing year has been like one particular year that Queen Elizabeth of England once described as an “annua horribilis.” A horrible year!

In the run up to the 2015 presidential election, the All Progressives Congress, APC, and its presidential candidate, had led Nigerians to Muhammadu Buhari believe that it would begin to deliver on the change it stridently promised the people, right from the first day of assuming the reins of governance in the country, to obliterate what the party generally dismissed as the corrupt profligacy of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, which ruled the country for 16 years, from 1999, when civilian rule was restored.

The people bought the message and believed the promises. They were particularly enamoured with the avowed personal integrity of the party’s candidate. What materialized as a tsunami of the people’s goodwill translated into 14 million votes that produced an electoral upset and Buhari was elected president. But two-and-half-years after assuming office, the change promised by the APC is yet to be felt.

Prof. Benedict Ijomah, who resides in Asaba, the Delta State capital, said the government had not dealt with the problems confronting the country. Rather, it has been trying to gag dissenting voices. Another resident, Mr. Tony Uzi expressed his frustration this way: “I voted for Buhari in the last election, because of my belief that he has what it takes to turn things around for the good of all, even though he was not really popular among voters in this part of the country. But what we have succeeded in reaping is untold hardship, there is hunger in the land, people are being sacked from work, prices of commodities are hitting rooftops. They said we are out of recession, yet it has not manifested in the living condition of the people.”

However, Mr. Dennis Enegesele poured encomiums on the government for fighting corruption, adding that if the momentum is sustained, Nigerians will be better for it.

“The President has done well. I will score the government average in the area of fighting corruption. If corruption is adequately addressed, it will be to the benefit of all Nigerians,” Enegesele said.

While commending the government for the N-Power initiative, which has brought succour to many youths who were hitherto unemployed, he urged the government to improve on the implementation of the scheme.

“The N-Power scheme has produced beneficiaries. I think the major problem with that scheme is the database because some people that are even working enroll themselves into the scheme thereby thwarting the idea of the FG of providing assistance to the unemployed.

“As far as the other promises are concerned, it is mandatory that they try as much as possible to fulfill some of these promises, so that people will have more confidence in the government. It is one thing to make promises, it is another to fulfill them,” he stated.

Enegesele advised the Federal Government to make healthcare one of its priorities in 2018 by making it accessible to rural dwellers through the provision of residential quarters for healthcare personnel posted to rural areas.

He also advised the government to continue to improve on the agricultural sector, as it does not only provide food for the teaming populace but also serves as a major source of revenue for the government.

“They should inject more funds into the agricultural sector and encourage rural dwellers to go into farming with provision of insecticides, pesticides and other inputs, it will increase food productivity and this will lead to decrease in prices of foodstuffs in the market,” he said.

People in Kwara State want the government to substantially improve access to healthcare, stating that only healthy individuals can contribute meaningfully to national economic growth. As such, availability of drugs and state of the art equipment in hospitals need to be given attention in the coming year.

Ganiyu Adebayo (real name concealed), an indigene of the state who works in the Ilorin office of a federal government agency, said that the cost of healthcare must be affordable in order to discourage health tourism outside the country. “Our teaching hospitals should not be mere consulting clinics rather they must be made to function to their fullest. A lot of federal roads need urgent attention in the state. They include roads like the Ilorin-Omu Aran- Egbe-Kabba-Lokoja; Ilorin-Jebba-Mokwa-Kaduna, Ilorin-Ogbomosho-Oyo road; Kosubosu-Benin Republic border roads. This will improve the economic wellbeing of the various communities and ease the evacuation of farm produce from rural areas to the urban centres.

“Food remains one of the basic needs of the people, it is expected that farm tools and other inputs should be made available in the new year and local farmers would need more assistance in getting funds to expand their farm in order to boost food production and food security. The strategic grain reserve silos at Oke Oyi in Ilorin East local Government Area must be put into adequate use in the new year while establishment of commodity boards like what used to obtain in the past should be revisited in 2018.”

Speaking in the same vein, Lekan Mohammed, urged President Buhari to take decisive action against governors who abused his gracious gesture in approving the Paris Club Refunds by not using it to pay arrears of salaries to workers and pensions to retirees.

Mohammed also appealed to Buhari to tackle the spiraling unemployment among youths squarely in order to reduce the security challenges and other social vices being faced in the country.

“The large army of qualified Nigerians seeking admission into higher institutions, but fail to achieve this desire should be of paramount importance to the president in the coming year because the future of Nigeria is at stake. Moreover, the president should take concrete steps to end recurring clashes between Fulani herdsmen and farmers.

Tackle the issue of poverty in the country

Kola Edokpayi, an activist, based in Benin, the Edo State capital, echoed the call on the president to tackle poverty through job creation, just as he outlined other areas he wants the President to pay attention to.

His words: “Buhari should tackle the issue of poverty in the country. He can only tackle this menace through job creation. The level of insecurity in the country is so unprecedented even though they told us that they technically nipped insurgency in the bud. We were so surprised when he was still asking for $1b to fight Boko Haram. They should be sincere in their fight against insurgency.

“The welfare of the masses should be taken into cognizance in line with the constitutional doctrine which says that the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary responsibility of the government.

“The issue of scarcity of fuel should be addressed. I do not see any reason that during Christian festivals, people will sleep at filling stations to get fuel for their vehicles and to power their generators. This is our natural resource for our country. It is really sad when there is scarcity of this resource.

“The issue of epileptic power supply should be addressed. And when there is constant electricity, the issue of poverty will be reduced.

“It will also help to reduce the idea of our youths trying to pass through the desert to Europe.”

‎On his part, Ogieriakhi Osa, a legal practitioner,‎ said setting agenda for the President and his administration would be difficult because earlier promises made to Nigerians were yet to be fulfilled.

“To me, I will be brutally frank with you. Buhari’s administration has totally turned out to be a disaster made worse by the very flowery promises he made to Nigerians and at the end of it all, even the very basic aspects of these promises have not been met much more the one they said we have the potentials of changing Nigerians’ fortunes around whether politically or socially or otherwise. All of the other things they promised us are either getting worse or they have become so deplorably bad.

“So, setting my agenda for him in 2018 will become so very difficult because as you know, it is an election year, a year that a lot of politicians will be busy talking of campaigning to retain their positions or to win election. I do not think Buhari’s case will be different. He is going to spend most of his time trying to get a return ticket. We are already aware that the party is hell bent on returning him for second term in office.

Nonetheless, Ogieriakhi wants Buhari to pay more attention to the issue of welfare of Nigerians. “All of those staple food items and commodities that have gone above the reach of the common man, the government should be able to intervene by way of subsiding it.

“Greece has gone through this sometime ago when they went into recession, their government did not pay lip service to it but intervened. We heard that come this time next year, a bag of rice will go back to N7,000 but those of us who went to the market to buy rice, we knew how much it cost us to buy a bag of rice.

“So given that we do not have much hope that Buhari’s administration will turn things around, we still want to believe that miracle will happen and the government will turn a new leaf and be more responsible and responsive to the feelings of the ordinary people, to realize that there is hunger in the land.

“Petroleum price has skyrocketed much against what he promised us that the price would be reduced and there would be much to buy at the filling stations. Today, Nigerians are back to the days of queuing to get fuel.

“So, let him do something about it. He said he was going to build refineries I do not know if one year will still be enough for him to build refineries now. These were the agenda one would have set.

“You are now aware that he has come out to say that all the things he promised Nigerians will be realized after his re-election in 2019.

“Let us also believe that may be, if Nigerians vote for him and he wins, all of these things will be carried over to 2019.

Mismanaged Paris Club Refund, core area to fight corruption

“The Paris Refund was grossly mismanaged. That is one core area I expected Buhari would have fought corruption. Somebody posed the question and I want to reiterate it here. The money you are now giving to the states, was it that there was a default in the statutory allocation to those states earlier or that you are now giving them Paris Refund to pay salaries? So, the question to ask is: all of those that did not pay salary before was it because they did not have enough money from their statutory allocation or that money was embezzled? So, giving them the Paris Refund to do services that ought to have been done because these are pension and salary arrears. If money was given to them to pay and they did not pay, and you are now giving them Paris Refund to pay salaries, have you unearthed those who were behind the looting of the money that were earlier given?

“So, that money was wasted and mismanaged. Some governors have even come out to say they will not use the money to pay salaries but would decide what to do with it.

“What part of the economy has the Paris Refund impacted on? Has it impacted on building roads, hospitals and schools? If you ask me again, that is also an area Buhari’s administration has failed woefully.

“He should realize that this presidency has turned out to be the worst in the history of this country.

“The only way out is to change the president. Nigerians must use their PVCs to change him. They must look for a credible Nigerian. They must look for the leader who is not tribalistic, no sentiment for foreign lifestyle because Buhari is one president who does not believe in the country’s healthcare system. He fell ill and spent over a 100 days abroad. So we must look for a president who believes in the country,” Ogieriakhi said.

Govt should be more involved in education of the deaf

The same cry of agony is resounding in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, where the people lamented that the situation has affected their purchasing power, making life difficult. 

“What we need mostly is to have our stomach infrastructure settled. The economic policy of Buhari is harsh. Sometimes you’d be in the shop from morning till evening and end up making minimal sales,” lamented, Mr Chukwudi Agbo, a trader at Meat Market in the sate capital.

A tricycle operator, Mr Vincent Nweke, said that he wants the President to address the issue of fuel scarcity and sharp increase in prices. Nweke recalled that under the former president, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, fuel was sold at N97 per litre and wondered why President Buhari who promised to cut it down to N40 if voted into power in 2015 would watch it increase as high as N300 per litre.

On his part, the Deputy President (South East) of Deaf Teachers Association of Nigeria [DTAN], Reverend Uche Nwode, wants the Buhari-led federal government to implement the national policy on education especially the clause that concerns deaf people.

Nwode made his comments with the assistance of a sign language interpreter, Mrs Didiugwu Uzoamaka.  “The main challenge we are having is that the government is not involved in the education of the deaf the way they are supposed to be. And I want the federal government to address it next year, in the best interest of the deaf people,” he said.

Address the demands of PANDEF

Head of Department (HOD) of Biology, College of Education, Sagbama, Bayelsa State, Dr Tari Dadiowei is one person that is bothered by lingering issues in the Niger Delta. A product of the Centre for Conflict Resolution and Peace Studies, he is an expert on issues surrounding agitations in the Niger Delta region, and believes that the government needs to make progress towards resolving the issues.

“There are still grievances arising from communities and those grievances are yet to be resolved. Until we are able to contain those grievances, Nigeria would not grow and this is why communities vent their anger on any community around them.

“The foot-dragging in addressing the 16-point demand of PANDEF is a source of frustration. Initially when Vice President Yemi Osinbajo came, people were happy and applauded him for his intervention, but now it appears nothing is happening.

“In 2018, the expectation is that the issue of grievances of oil communities in the Niger Delta region should be addressed. The Federal Government needs to urgently tackle the issue of PANDEF demands so that there would be peace in the Niger Delta region. 2017 was a year full of lows for the Federal Government. It was embarrassing in some many ways. Our political leaders have displayed different degrees of incompetence.”

Restructuring, a top demand 

Restructuring, reconstruction of the dilapidated federal roads in the South-East (Enugu-Onitsha and Enugu-Port Harcourt expressways); construction of the Second Niger Bridge, power supply and sustenance of the fight against corruption and impunity rank top in the expectations of people of Anambra state from President Muhammadu Buhari in 2018.

Eighty per cent of those who spoke to Sunday Sun mentioned the above items and more, just as they expressed disappointment with the Buhari administration stressing that there were many unfulfilled promises.

The former President General of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Dr. Dozie Ikedife, gave what he called a 12-point-agenda of what his people expect from Buhari and his government, saying, “My hope and wish and expectation for 2018 from the President and other authorities is one, construction of the Second Niger Bridge at Onitsha and then serious repairs commencing on some federal roads in the South-East and South-South.

“I also expect increased use of Enugu airport for international travels, machinery to be in place for creation of the sixth or seventh state in the South-East geo-political zone and serious and unbiased dialogue with various agitators in the country.

“We want free hand and honest discussion on restructuring, trasnfer of more responsibilities from the federal government to the states, sustaining the fight against corruption and impunity, strengthening the independence of the judiciary and ensuring that the judiciary does not lose its respect in the eye of the public and to ensure that our economy is not moving towards monopoly by any player.

“A committee should be set up to start working on a draft of a new constitution for Nigeria. The President should set up a committee to start drafting it so that by 2019 we should have a new constitution to replace the one of 1999.

“We need Buhari to curb the activities of the herdsmen in the country, no matter where they come from, whether from Nigeria, Niger or from Chad, and see to the return of all Nigerian citizens in various prisons in foreign lands.

“He should allow cooperatives to engage in petrol refining in the country, ensure that Nigeria refines enough for domestic use and for export. The time for export of crude and importation of refined products is long gone and also ensure youth engagement in agricultural activities.”

For Mr. Tony Okafor, a journalist, he chipped: “Generally I have lost hope in this Buhari administration and I don’t think I have something else to ask him to do. We were the people that supported him but I think he has refused to listen to us so I don’t want to bother myself again asking him to do one thing or the other for us but if he still cares, he should do this Onitsha-Enugu road, if he still cares but I don’t think he listens again but if he still has the ears let him do that road to save people from impending danger that will come during rainy reason because what was done at Umunya was just a palliative measure.”

From Makurdi, Alex Abari, a motor mechanic sent a special appeal to the Buhari-led federal government to ensure that there is more money in circulation for people to transact business and attend to their personal needs.

Abari who lamented that the year 2017 was a very hard year for many Nigerians said it seemed that the suffering of the masses was increased ten times, a development which made many children to drop out of school with many families also battling to get even two meals per day.

“2017 was really a bad year for many Nigerians. There was no money in circulation as salaries were not paid and so, business was not moving. Many could not feed, not to talk of paying for their house rent or school fees for their children. Many children dropped out of school while those that continued to attend classes owed school fees of three, four or five terms. We pray never to have a repeat of 2017 in Nigeria.”

On his part, Ikechukwu Uchendu, a businessman expressed sadness over the issue of youth unemployment in the country and urged Buhari to tackle this urgently.

“How can young people who suffer to finish school end up in the labour market without jobs for years as the few available jobs are shared at the top echelon for families and friends of the powers that be? How can such development encourage anyone? In 2018, the President must address youth unemployment.

The outgoing year has been particularly bad. Even President Buhari has acknowledged this fact, describing Year 2017 as the worst. However, he has offered new hope that 2018 will be better.