In few months soon, precisely May 27, 2023, the eight years government of President Muhammadu Buhari would be stepping down from the seat of governance. The baton of governance is expected to be handed over to another elected leader.
A government that many still believe is still utopian. A government that may or may not be conceptualised. The fear of the unknown still pervades the atmosphere, as if the country is gradually winding up. Following every happenings around the country, no one would blame those pessimists who see a bleak future for the country sequel to daily news of insecurity.
Despite verbal pronouncements by the President assuring Nigerians that he looks forward to the day he would relocate to Daura as a retiree of the federal government, yet, every of his affarmations sound like they are falling on deaf ears. It is the height of failure and trust on leadership that would prompt citizens to start disbelieving their leader, especially their president and even their governors. Nigerians are not known to have passionately disbelieve their government the way they currently distrust this government. Many years back, history recorded that Public trust in America government remains low, as it has for much of the 21st century. “Only two-in-ten Americans say they trust the government in Washington to do what is right “just about always” (2%) or “most of the time” (19%). Trust in the government has declined somewhat since last year, when 24% said they could trust the government at least most of the time. In Nigeria, since 2016, the rating perception of the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration has continued to nose dive dangerously that security experts are calculating that the government may afterall wind up by handing over and leaving an insecure country. A close security assessment and analyses of the eight years simply shows a plane that took off amidst hope and passengers total trust in the flight crew and the pilot.
However midway into the flight, the passanger’s trust started dwindling and oozing away with no tangible explanation nor excuse for the rudderless flight manovering over the cumulus. So Nigerians vividly remember the political promises to stamp out corruption and stop the advancement of Boko Haram terrorists.
Unfortunately, while there is an effort in the fight against the invading terrorists on one hand, the same effort was almost non existent in the fight against both the marauding bandits and their collaborators the the Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP), a splinter of Boko Haram, that is growing in power and influence. They threaten our commonwealth, attack our farmers thereby creating scarcity of farm produce and defiantly kidnap several citizens for huge ransom. They even have the gut to threaten to kidnap our President. What audacity. More painful is their persistent attack on security formations and killing security personnels. Till date, the country has no data of the number of Nigerians so far killed by terrorists, but the Nigerian government can proudly publish the total number of terrorists that had surrendered but not the number of the people they mercilessly killed for no justifiable reason.
Truely, insecurity comes in various forms apart from terrorists attacks to distabilise the government and create terror in both the mind of the people and around their living space. For instance, it took the minister of the federal capital territory their winding up period after over seven years in office, to realize that Abuja is no longer safe and that there are many abandoned rickety vehicles around the federal capital territory and its environs.
That hoodlums like “pan takers” have taken over the capital. Also, the demolition of what the fct task force described as “illegal buildings” thereby displacing more people by sending them into the labour market without providing government alternatives. No wonder insecurity is gradually on the increase. If the federal capital which is the seat of power is becoming insecure, then, the government should be answerable. It has been observed that governments ineptitude that usually creates insecurity. Often, they are government policy summersault that snowballs into insecurity. For example, the present jaw jaw and war war situation between the Acedemic staff universities union (ASUU) and the federal government of Nigeria that has crippled the education system for a whole academic year.
You wonder what is the government grandstanding about. Which government in the world would be proud to see its youths to be roaming the streets and unfortunately, many have been conscripted into criminality of all shades tantamounting to insecurity. A look into the ASUU record shows that ASUU was asking the Federal Government to implement the agreement entered into in 2009 during President Umar Musa Yar’Adua administration. According to record, ASUU is demand for a better remuneration and there was an agreement to pay 40 billion Naira which also takes care of structural decay and other issues. Despite the fact that the agreement was during the Musa Yar’Adua government in 2009 , the question is, “ Is government no longer a continuum ?” So if truely the present government is desirous of a conducive education for Nigerians, then what does it take if EFCC is mandated to recoup the stolen 80 billion by one of the top government official. Truely, if there had been any serious intention to resolve this impasse. A security commentator, Mr. Musa Abubakar said ,” Nigeria Customs Service on one area of their operations collects over a #100Billion revenue every month Where does the Customs’ money go to? This acclaimed money is generated from Excise duty collections, if the federal government every quarter dishes out huge sums of money in billions to all the state governments across the country as Federation accounts sharing including the oil producing states, why can’t the federal government pay ASUU from revenue generated by the Custom Service or from the Federation account In other words the president Muhammadu Buhari has the prerogative of powers to order the Minister of Finance to dish out the initial 40 billion Naira requested by ASUU so that the students who we refer to as “ Future Leaders” could go back to classes and continue with their education It is absurd that during a visit to Daura in Katsina state by some state governors to pay Sallah homage to the president the latter asked the governors to appeal to ASUU to suspend the strike and resume lectures that the governors are friends to ASUU this is absurd If our University students will just sit at home when we are under a democratic government and not a military regime then we have to call on the council of state to review our eductional system especially University Education in the country”.