I feel humbled to introduce myself, the writer, as belonging to the school of thought who believed you were the Messiah God had sent to bail out and right the multiple wrongs which had accumulated and bedevilled this nation from time immemorial. The known low profile lifestyle and unblemished records of past performance as a military Head of State informed your wide acceptability at the poll which gave birth to your Presidency under the current democratic dispensation.
Being widely accepted by Nigerians however did not mean Nigerians should wave aside the stance of your critics who rated you low on areas on the grounds of religious extremism and sectionalism. In terms of average quality of life, Nigerians are still groaning in pains not seeing any significant difference from what it used to be before your government came into power.
It will be unfair however not to credit your administration so far with a level of performance and achievements. The embarrassing liabilities yours’ inherited from the previous government are indeed enormous.
At least, there is a little of improvement on electricity. Your government has been able to “degrade” Boko Haram terrorist attacks to some appreciable extent. The management of youth restiveness especially in the Niger Delta is commendable.
It is however not yet Uhuru as Nigerians’ expectations from your government are still far from being realised. Your Excellency, Nigerians see you as a leader and not a politician. Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State, at a forum sometime ago in Abeokuta, described a leader as someone who is always thinking on how to provide quality and satisfactory governance to the people with commensurate dividends of democracy.
While, according to him, a politician is someone who is always thinking on how to win the next election. A few days ago, some Northern governors paid you a visit in Aso Rock. One would expect that the topic for discussion, as leaders, to be on the greatest burning issue in the country today which is the Fulani herdsmen killings. Far from Nigerians’ expectation however, as the meeting, as contained in the communiqué read by Governor Nasiru el-Rufai, came up to discuss, as typical of politicians your re-election prospect come 2019.
The Nigerian masses believe your government has not done enough to address worrisome levels of poverty and hunger in the land. This invariably accounts for the alarming rate of armed robbery, kidnapping, ritual killings etc.
Federal and state road infrastructure all over the country remains comatose. Ours still remains an import-dependent economy favouring exporter countries to the detriment of our nation. In this regard, highly discouraged and demotivated local producers are losing business by the day.
From the aforementioned, your scorecard still remains disheartening. Notwithstanding the enumerated shortcomings, a large number of the Nigerian electorate would pray not to go back to the era of the PDP when corruption, vigorously fought by your government, was institutionalised as a way life.
Your Excellency, Nigeria is moving towards a critical decision point. Your administration needs to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the entire nation is your constituency.
This will further demonstrate the veracity of your initial claim that “you belong to everybody and belong to nobody”. It behoves your government to curtail in totality the rampaging Fulani herdsmen with all the vigour at your command. The way and manner you handle it will determine your chances from other regions come 2010.
Matthew Adeleye, Ota, Lagos State
END
Be the first to comment