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Buhari’s Policies Have Led To Fuel Scarcity & Devaluation Of Naira: Is Nigeria At Crossroads Again?
April 10, 2016 – President Buhari’s Policies Have Led To Fuel Scarcity & Devaluation Of Naira: Is Nigeria At Crossroads Again?
Nigeria at Crossroads – Again? an article By Tony Ogunlowo
Let me see if I can get this right.
According to recent public opinion, the incumbent President, the jet-setting boy from Daura, is incompetent. His policies have led to hyper-inflation, scarcity of fuel and foreign exchange, amongst other things. But yet again his predecessor was deemed to be incompetent too.
Now if the one who is trying to do something is incompetent and the person before him was incompetent is there anybody competent enough to rule a country called Nigeria?
We’ve gone through every form of government in Nigeria; from Parliamentary rule during the First Republic to a succession of military dictatorships culminating with the Presidential system we now embrace.
So far none of these governments, according to public opinion, have worked.
So the underlying truth is that there is nobody competent to rule the country (- that’s if you discount the late Sanni Abacha with his totalitarian style of government!)
Perhaps the real reason we have incompetent governments lies with our very selves.
How do we elect our leaders?
Do we vote for honest people or people who have questionable wealth and skeletons in their cupboards? Do we vote for them because they’re from the North or South or whether they are Christians or Muslims? Or do we vote for them because they’ve bribed us?
Now the president alone doesn’t run the country. There are Governors, senators etc right down to the humble councillors, in local governments, all voted into office by your vote.
Now if you vote into office a bad councillor, a bad senator, a bad governor or a bad President what do you get? You get a government that won’t work. It doesn’t matter whether you have a PDP or APC majority, if the person voted into office is bad there are no prizes for guessing what he/she will get up to.
Currently, how many governors, senators and ministers are under investigation for fraud, corruption and misuse of their offices?
One person is not a government. It takes a lot of people to form a government to run a country. And for that government to function properly you need everybody to work in perfect synchronisation. So if you have a few Governors, Senators and Ministers messing things up it will affect the chain of command and order of things. And just like a row of dominoes everything will fall down. Quod Erat Demonstrandum! Or as the late Chinua Achebe once said,” a finger in oil will soil the rest”.
We are the voters. Our votes put these people in office and we should hold ourselves liable. If you vote a known thief into office, he will steal your money! Likewise if you vote in a dullard or a person of questionable character they’re not going to do anything – apart from enriching themselves and their cronies! I bet the recent revelations of the Panama Papers will have a lot of Nigerian politicians shaking in their shoes!
It doesn’t matter what form of government we practice, unless we change our mind-sets and elect people who are qualified to do the job(- and vote them out the minute they become incompetent!)
Nigeria will forever be like a gerbil in a hamster wheel – forever going round in circles but actually going nowhere!
Perhaps we should resurrect the late Sanni Abacha to bring back his totalitarian style of government since nothing else seems to work!
[Tony Ogunlowo Writes From Lagos]
Olanrewaju
April 11, 2016 at 2:14 AM
I think PMB should just put a stop to his trips abroad and concentrate on the present situation in the country. This isn’t the change we voted for and something must be done fast before it lead to something more serious. The president should find a lasting solution to the hardship in the country
Mon
April 11, 2016 at 4:21 AM
Why can’t we Nigerians be patient?,good things never come easily.no person can do such magic everyone is expecting unfer this short period. There must always be price to pay before it gets better and that’s what we are paying now. Pls lets keep on praying and be hopeful. We will get there.
D Hunter
April 11, 2016 at 6:02 AM
Since APC emerged with majority seats at the National Assembly and States with this their so called “CHANGE“ mantra, Nigerians have been hit with rapidly declining economic fortunes which have led to massive losses of jobs, free fall of Naira.
Massive withdrawals from the Stock market, closure of businesses, unending fuel queues that are getting longer everyday. A liter of fuel in my area in black market now, since you cannot get from the filling station is N500! Can you beat that?
Fulani intimidation and brutality is now the order of the day. Insecurity, flagrant disobedience of Court orders, lack of any economic policy or blue-print among several others etc….
I think this so called “CHANGE“ need to be changed for us to move forward.
My strolling continues….
R
April 11, 2016 at 1:26 PM
Yes that is the CHANGE that most people vote for, change can either be positive or negative. Having say these I rest my case
sola olaniyi
April 11, 2016 at 11:49 PM
This seems to be a negative CHANGE
fifelomo
April 12, 2016 at 4:48 AM
Change we requested for, but chain we see. God have mercy.
dan
April 13, 2016 at 11:15 PM
-A so called sincere President that surrounds himself with thieves and sycophants has already failed.
-The first evidence of failure is politicizing ministerial appointments in a comatose country. e.g Fashola (SAN) is a lawyer running both Energy and Works Ministry. That is a recipe for delay and complete tragedy.
-A President that does not address the nation HIMSELF regularly to let us know what he is doing, what he has achieved and what his shot and long term goal are so we can measure his work as he goes is a Failure.
-A President that does not realize that fuel scarcity is a “state of emergency” to be dealt with but travels every two days is a failed President.
-It is good that Saraki is being probed for failing to properly declare assets, but to tell me that all the others in Government did not lie in their declaration is a LIE. That means the President is participating in witch-hunting.That is a corrupt and failed president.
-A president that befriends a Governor who is openly attacking Christians and their churches and does not call him to order is a Failed President (Maybe he has Jihad agenda himself)
-How are you going to tell me that you deserve to attend a Nuclear summit in anticipation of future plans of nuclear power in Nigeria ,when you cannot manage the mountain of loopholes in every aspect of governance and security in the country.
-Buhari like Jonathan is Vision-less, Out of touch and thinks Nigerians should just follow and shut up.
The only way forward is to involve private citizens,technocrats and professionals(Utomi’s , Falana’s,Soyinka’s etc.) as committees for the different ministries who do not have any stake or money to steal, to oversee your ministers so that the right decisions can be made cos Senators and Reps are Useless so far.
Maryf
April 14, 2016 at 2:41 AM
Buhari is just starting to deal with Nigerians. So let’s endure
Sharon stone
April 14, 2016 at 3:23 PM
There is nothing like change but chain. Pls Mr Present quite ur travelling from one country to anther.