Waiting for Change, Waiting for the Noisemakers

I hope Lai Muhammad is able to draw a line between the acrimonious party job of a spokesman and that of minister of information of Nigeria as he is the most likely nominee to occupy that post. I hope when countries demand information and answers, he won't go about throwing jabs and insults and vituperations all in the name of responses and clarifications. While he can engage in partisan squabbles with Oliseh Metuh and PDP, countries especially those that have clout will not waste time on frivolities but will respond with polices and actions that will be to the detriment of Nigeria and Nigerians residing in Nigeria and mostly abroad. They will send in their spies to do their dirty jobs. I hope like Buhari stated recently, 'if we survived it I want Nigerian to have found out that I was genuine,a real patriot not that I only fought the Civil war but fought corruption to a stand still’. I hope Nigeria survives APC and their tantrums. The signs are not very good. But God help Nigeria.

The change of government, from a patriotic view is a very good phenomenon and omen for Nigeria given that the PDP had an opportunity to pilot the affairs of the republic for sixteen years of our nascent democracy but marginally improved the lots of the masses and created a top 1% who are so wealthy that they can afford the best things in life. However, they did not fail in all aspects, while many African countries have become failed states and war zones, they protected our freedom and bequeathed to Nigerians, President Muhammad Buhari and APC peace instead of war and strife. However, his excellency's pessimistic views and outlook above captures the near comatose situation we have found Nigeria at the moment instead of an ebullient environment charged with optimism and hope which were pillars of the change mantra on which the APC ascended to office. Speaking to the press in New Delhi as the president is wont to, having made every important statement of his presidency from foreign lands a la Chatham House, Germany, France, USA, our surrounding neighbours, and now India, the president alludes that Nigeria lacks direction at the moment. Seems the president and his men at the presidency are bereft of ideas and are likely waiting on the soon to be inaugurated noise makers (ministers) some of who will be without portfolio according to the president to hatch the master plan of change to rescue Nigeria and set the country on the path of greatness.

This depicts a dispensation in which the government is planning to fail as there is lack of vision from the leader and a resort to haphazard planning and absence of an elaborate agenda, lack of policy thrust and direction, ignorance of viable and robust economic plans which are all signs that leadership, that type of transformational, charismatic and authentic leadership that is required to establish Nigeria and improve the living standards of the citizens is not forthcoming from the top.

Our economy is not smiling if I may use that allegory. IMF has asked that we devalue our currency! And I ask, is there a way Nigeria can counter the devaluation through macro and micro economic polices? What can the government and his economic team do to boost the economy in real terms so that we can harness the value that can enable the economy withstand the vagaries of the global economy that is the root cause of this request for devaluation? If I understand correctly devaluing the Nigeria ensures that we have less purchasing parity and we now spend more to import items that were imported at lesser values? Is there a way to produce domestically so we import less? Are there any factors holding the incumbent government from taking steps in this direction? We spent over 100 days in the country chasing the ghost of the past and pursuing a sectional agenda, hunting opposition and tussling for party supremacy instead of settling down to rescue Nigeria. We need answers and solutions that will be made in Nigeria, I wish Buhari will know that he has a huge task for the present and the future and will spend 80% of his time on such ventures and 20% on pursuing the ghost of the past!

According to one media source, Nigerians have called on the soon to be inaugurated ministers to declare their assets but in a swift response, the presidency retorted that ministers won't be compelled to declare their assets but will abide by the existing laws. In their responses, the ministers in waiting have stated that they will abide by the polices of the Buhari's administration. There seems to be a disconnect between the president's utterances and the clarifications of his spokesmen. While the president has insisted that some of the ministers who have been enrolled in a two days retreat in preparation for the tedious job of public administration will not have any portfolio, his hatchet men have in between the two assertions by Buhari within the space of one week, in New Delhi and during his meeting with the Senate President clarified that no ministers will be without portfolio. While this trend has been characteristic of the Buhari's presidency, one begins to wonder if old age has began to set in or the president's men are yet to synchronize with the body language of their principal.

Pondering on the decision to have ministers without portfolio, one wonders aloud if the task of governing Nigeria is a menial task and if so there is no need for senior and junior ministers. However, Nigeria is in a dire situation and as one public commentator stated lately, Nigeria was a pariah and a near failed state in 1999 before the advent of the new dispensation of democracy. I believe that the task of public policy making and administration in the Nigerian context is huge and can accommodate 36 ministers. Given that we do not have up to 36 ministries, I am aware that some ministries composes of different areas that fall under the same sector. For instance, the ministry of transport comprise of land and water. While land comprises of roads and railways. Ability to develop innovative polices that will move Nigeria forward in this ministry requires a senior and junior minister who will work in these different areas homogeneously with instructions from the presidency to find ways of apportioning the work to be done such that no area will be neglected. However, my ideas are only applicable if the motives of the appointees are genuine and ideal and are targeted at developing Nigeria. Else as it is insinuated in many quarters and as can be deduced from the trajectory of the appointments, most of the nominees are political jobbers who invested heavily in the campaign and election of Buhari and as such must be compensated. Nigerians are eagerly waiting for the inauguration of the ministers and their various portfolios assigned to them so that, all motion and no movement of the Nigerian government can give way to progress and change. Things are worsening as we speak, fuel queues are resurfacing, the economy is not smiling and people are losing their jobs. The roads as the Vice president noted recently in the South East needs urgent attention. Nigerians wish the president will deliver the change he so promised.

Lastly, it seems that the task of developing a viable economic agenda lies on the soon to be inaugurated ministers because the presidency has not delivered one. The West who want to control everything have through their usual channels regurgitated everything well meaning Nigerians have been shouting from the rooftops since May 29th 2015. Matthew Page a fellow of international affairs at the Council on Foreign Relations writing in the Washington post presented five ideas the president could adopt in his pursuit of a change agenda for Nigeria. It is in fact ridiculous that at a time when commentators and public affairs analysts should spend time dissecting, deliberating, criticizing and discussing the president's agenda, there is virtually none for that purpose. All we know is that the president wants to fight corruption head on and curb the deteriorating security situation mainly coming from the North Eastern Nigeria where the Boko Haram insurgents hold sway. Any plan on how to achieve these goals remain elusive. No wonder everyone has resorted to providing recipes for the president. To be the president of a democratic government, the head of government being the president must be a visionary citizen, one who can rally other citizens around his visions, visions which are clear and not ambiguous, visions which can be clearly communicated, which can be articulated in plans and policy documents, visions which are subject to debates and criticisms. I severally told my friends that no matter how intelligent, brilliant and experienced the presidents aides, advisers, assistants and minsters are, if the presidents lacks and cannot articulate a documented vision which is a guide and epoch for his platoon of staff, progress and success will be minimal. The president has many people and files to attend to on daily basis and his job entails the highest level of decision making where he should have the propensity to provide direction for all decisions. If the reverse is the case, how does the president know if the plans and decisions communicated are correct. We will then have a situation where the president is no longer responsible for decision making and passes that job to his staff who will not be directly held responsible for their actions and corresponding outcomes by the Nigerian people. That is a recipe for disaster. However, that is the nasty and dire situation we find ourselves in Nigeria today.

One thing I know is that given the foundations and resilience Nigeria has acquired in the last 16 years of democracy, Nigeria cannot fail. However, this government going by its precedents and antecedents are tilting towards failure more than they lean towards success. As we await the noise makers whose absence have kept the various areas of governance in near comatose, we hope that relieve will come in a short while. Our president is a very patient one and it will not be out of place for him to inaugurate the ministers in 2016.

Nigerians deserve better from President Buhari and his party APC.

Buhari's Agenda for Nigeria and Nnamdi Kanu

Nigeria seems to be at a serious cross road at the moment. The economy is not making progress, IMF has called for the devaluation of the Naira, a development which will affect every person who is living within the borders of Nigeria who has any amount of Naira. The election tribunals are working assiduously and it seems that elections held in the South South and South Eastern geopolitical zones are believed to have been tainted with irregularities and the election tribunals akin to the messianic anti-corruption crusade of the corruption Czar, President Muhammadu Buhari is annulling governorship elections won by the PDP with reckless abandon.

If you have been following news in the past one week, Governor Wike of Rivers State has been ousted and rerun of the polls ordered. However, he maintains that he is still the governor and is seeking redress at a higher court which is the final for election cases, the Appeal Court. Gov Umana of Akwa Ibom, the Dakada prodigy was given a soft landing and he still remains the governor while rerun has been ordered in 18 LGAs. However, I am not much interested in the fate of these two men who I know have the 'manhood' to defend their mandate.

I shall instead focus on the calls for release of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of IPOB who is being held by the DSS and Buhari's agenda for Nigeria. For the records, I believe in Nigeria more than I believe in Biafra but as an indigenous son of the South Eastern region of Nigeria, I am more given to being concerned about issues that have to do with my people as it concerns marginalization in the Nigeria state. Over the week, three prominent Nigerians have called for the release of the leader of IPOB in succession. First Femi Fani Fani-Kayode released his article titled "Nnamdi Kanu and The Cry For Biafra", secondly, Chief Chekwas Okorie granted an interview where he stated that for the president to curtail the agitations of Kanu, he has to unconditionally release Kanu, implement the resolutions of the National Conference which was organised by former President Goodluck Jonathan one of which is true federalism. FFK was more outspoken when he declared on Facebook that "I call on President Buhari to release Nnamdi Kanu. It is unlawful for anyone to be in detention for more than 3 days without being charged to court." Over the weekend, Premium Times published an interview granted by the President of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), Udengs Eradiri who while arguing that the president's anti-corruption fight is targeted at Ijaws and men and women who supported ex-president Jonathan, called on Buhari to release Nnamdi Kanu without any further delay.

At the begining of this administration when President Buhari was handed over to by ex-president Goodluck Jonathan, his approach to governance was quite worrisome and many of us echoed those sentiments and were rebuffed by those who so much believe in Buhari's integrity and anti-corruption stance as the panacea for development and progress. We in the opposing camp were of the hypothesis that some of the fundamental pillars of development in an ethnically polarized country like Nigeria which is unity and inclusiveness governance which creates a sense of belonging and responsibility for all the stakeholders of the Nigeria project were being blatantly ignored. While many were of the position that the president has the right to carry out his appointments single-handedly in any manner he deemed fit, they often forget that every action of the president of Nigeria who can bring up treasonable charges against another citizen must be guided and should exist within the confines of the 1999 constitution as the number one and model citizen. It is unlawfully to take actions which concerns Nigeria without recourse to the 1999 constitution. A major phenomenon which those who crafted the constitution foresaw as a result of the experiences and lessons learned from the history of Nigeria, the principle of Federal Character was thrown to the dogs by the president and his men. They smuggled in many terms to defend their utter disregard of the constitution in the name of appointing competent people who will work at the presidency, these people constituted the bulk of the first 40 appointments made. It was not long before the president's gaffes and innuendoes began to unravel his nepotist, cronysim, sectionalism and northanizaton agenda.

It was the president who told Nigerians that he would not treat those who gave him 5% of the vote the same with those who gave 95% during his visit to the USA. It was the same president who told Nigerians that his appointments were based on his trust for those who has been with him through his trying days of APP/CPC wilderness either on BBC or Aljazerra. It was becoming clear that what Nigerians thought was competence was cronysim and nepotism at its best. As we speak, the southern part of Nigeria has been heavily marginalized by the Buhari's administration and his anti-corruption radar have focused more on those who hail from the south. On this premise, the secessionists have found solace and voice to agitate their positions. I was of the opinion that given the scepticism of many from the south during the just concluded elections, Buhari would have towed the path of building bridges and running the most inclusive government that we will ever have in the history of Nigeria till date. I was of the opinion that given that no party was contesting his presidency and no people raising any objections, the president would have done the country good by ensuring that each geopolitical zone was duly represented in the presidency and in other appointments which he has sole powers to carry out. I believe APC is existing in every state of the federation and are capable of producing brilliant individuals from every state who could have been considered for such appointments. Does it mean at 70+, Buhari is not cosmopolitan enough and cannot boost of friends from the six geopolitical zones, if he cannot, does his party APC not have representatives in each state in Nigeria?

However, the president chose to tow a part which has put a knife in the heart of the Nigeria state. We are more divided than we were on May 29th, 2015. Visit any social media platform and the discussion on virtually any political topic or issue tilts towards ethnic lines and divide. The president is not helping matters. Instead of ameliorating the situation, he is exacerbated the fragile situation. His latest faux pax is the appointment of Prof Yakubu as the Chairman of INEC after much agitations on the acting chairman who was rumoured to be related to the president. Many have analysed the situation including the vocal Gov Fayose of Ekiti State who has observed that former heads of states and presidents who are from a particular region say north often appoint an INEC chairman from the opposite region say south because of the sensitive nature of that position and the heavy responsibilities of the commission which is the umpire of our nascent democracy. What is Buhari afraid of? Could he not find any person from the south who he can trust that is competent enough to hold position of the INEC chairman at least to redeem his image as an 'ethnic bigot' and bring a sense of independence and prevent this country from implosion? I was telling a friend that such trajectory of appointments of the president puts him in very tight corner. For instance, given the issue of Nnamdi Kanu and IPOB, who amongst the Igbo leaders can he appeal to, so they as elders, they will call Kanu to order. In Igbo land, when your Umunna calls you to a meeting, you are under obligation to honour them with your presence. Is it the Ohaneze that has been crying and shouting of marginalization in the past 5 months that will now turn around and help Buhari stem the tides of secession?

Again, I keep wondering what the agenda of Buhari is because most of his actions are anti-progress. If Nigeria erupts today into ethnic squabbles and struggles, if the militants take to the creeks and the Biafrans up their tempo, that will give Boko Haram a breathing space to take more local governments as they are currently occupying two according to the governor of Borno and that implies more bombings. Now if the Niger Delta erupts, with oil prices down, and low revenues from oil, the mainstay of our economy, is that not an invitation to recession and anarchy? As much as I don't know what Buhari's agenda and polices are for moving Nigeria forward aside his trade mark anti-corruption crusade, as I speak I do know that his 'body language' a term coined by the president's hatchet men is largely anti-progress and inappropriate for Nigeria. I earnestly wish that President Buhari will succeed but how do we reconcile his actions and polices up till date which does not correlate with peace, unity and progress.

Nnamdi Kanu is still in detention and may be released early this week, the struggle for IPOB will continue and the fallout of the president's actions and inactions from this detention is giving impetus to other aggrieved groups to up their tempo. How the president will undo the marginalization of the past five months and run an inclusive government which will provide a platform for positive change which Nigerians need as much as they need oxygen is up to him. As he flies to India this week, I hope he can take some time mid-air to reflect on his five months as president of Nigeria and his achievements so far. If indeed his agenda is to move Nigeria forward, I believe there is still opportunity to make amends, if his agenda differs from the ideal, Nigeria will be heading for the waterloo under Buhari.

God bless Nigeria!

When will President Buhari visit China?

The last time I penned down a blog, our president was enthusiastically in all swagger heading to the United States. He was going there as a sign of approval of his presidency from the defacto police of World. The APC media firebrand was at its best. We were treated to the reception and dinner with Madeleine Albright at the Blair house. See picture inserted below, you will see the golden lady handing our president a book to read, with Govs Rochas and Amaechi, and Pastor Tunder Bakare looking on. Permit me to suffice that what the lady, one of those who represented women on the global stage of politics was saying to the president was to read this book and learn the precepts of democracy and fundamentals of economic developments.

Before I continue, the draft of this blog was written weeks ago. However, the inactivity of the present government, the honeymoon posture and stagnation of the ship of state dissuaded me from publishing until I this read early morning on Vanguard, Prof. Ben Nwabueze's position on the corruption fight of the incumbent president albeit tagged war which he disapproved. Read it here. I will come back to this words of wisdom before I conclude.

However, as I will continue a genealogy of the Buhari's administration as I have set out to do till 2019, God willing regardless of the situation.

The president met Obama at the White House the next day during his visit while the media was agog with the warm reception accorded the president, pessimistically, I noticed that President Obama who I have followed since that epoch speech in Illinois - Iowa Caucus (2007) that heralded his ascendency to the seat of power in the United States was not ebullient and full of smiles as I have known him to be. If you want to understand what I mean, a few days later after Nigeria's entourage left the shores of the US, Obama headed to Kenya and Ethiopia and his demeanour was rejuvenated. He was like during Buhari's meetings a man who is forced to host his recently reconciled forgotten friend that he has no serious interest in any longer. He was as serious as he can be when dealing with Iran, Putin, Venezuela, China and North Korea. When I noted these on social media, I was branded anti-change agent and it was not until President Buhari addressed a joint session of the US Congress that the reasons for such attitude to the Nigerian entourage was evident.

The United States will not sell arms to Nigeria as a result of human right violations. This is captured in the Leachy laws. We were all witnesses to how the Nigerian army were demonized and denigrated by the opposition party and some elements in the north who compiled damning reports and sent to international organisations like Amnesty International and countries like the US, in a bid to indirectly smear the image of the immediate former president. However, those actions have backfired and The ripples of those inappropriate acts have come back to hunt Nigeria like a ghost of the past.In this country, our COAS was threatened with accusations and while some organisations from and representatives of the north wanted to take the man to the Hague for prosecution. Since the army chief left, Boko Haram insurgency has worsened. When the President was voicing his anger, he forgot that his party may have had a hand in the issues that brought us to where we are. As it stands, the US, wasn't cajoled to sell arms to us and the war against Boko Haram could not be salvaged immediate.

It was after the US refused to sell arms to Nigeria that the major reason why president Buhari visited the US became very clear. That visit was strategic, however, as its stands, we do know that the achievements from that visit as characteristic of the Buhari presidency was abysmal. There were three obvious reasons why that diplomatic shuttle was a disaster. There was no arms deal, the president and his team failed to carry business community and women along and in a brazen manner shunned the Nigeria community in US.

If Buhari has not read the book Madeleine Albright gave to him, he must have learned how democracy works in real time. The U.S. was not to be cowed, intimated, rushed, pressured, hoodwinked, or in any way given to flouting an existing violation of a law championed by Senator Patrick Leahy who was seated in-situ listening to our president who admonished albeit almost lost his cool at the roadblock to getting the best weapons which we need to combat and flush out the insurgents. This was a big blow to the change agenda. Even the U.S. was not impressed. To make matters worse, a visit which the PDP has described as disaster was full of actions which contradicts the expectations of Nigerians. The president frowned at business people and even asked them not to attend some of his session where they tried to smuggle themselves in. Astute professional and well known personalities such as Jim Ovia was singled out by the president for admonishing for crashing his meetings. In meeting with Nigerians living in the U.S. who thronged to see their symbol of change, some were denied access to the meeting hall for reasons best known to the organisers.

The optimism and hope for change that greeted the arrival of President Buhari's presidency has become gloomy and hope dashed, Nigeria is akin to a sick person who was recovering and suddenly develops acute complication after a major surgery and change of doctor. While the doctor was applauded as one of the best specialist in around with the doctor claimed to have a cure for the many ailments the patient is suffering, he seemed not to have much ideas on how to ensure the patient recuperates. The presidents' visit to the United States was a major fulcrum of the machinery of change which is being touted by the president and his party APC. As a country, we are supposed to be counting little gains of this administration while we await major successes, there seem to be no way insight for the end of the troubles of Nigeria. It is either bomb blasting innocent citizens or the president confirming the fears of many of those who didn't vote him that he is an ethnic bigot. How would one explain this statement which he made at United States Institute for Peace during a Q&A with journalists.

“I hope you have a copy of the election results. The constituents, for example, gave me 97% [of the vote] cannot in all honesty be treated on some issues with constituencies that gave me 5%.” President Buhari

I watched that video on Friday 24th July, 2015 and I declined to comment. I was not in a haste to comment. I decided that I didn't hear what Buhari said properly. I tried searching for the manuscript of that video, it slipped off my mind that day. The next day, I read exactly what Mr President said as published on Sahara Reporters. And I asked, if this a slip of tongue or unconscious bias or explicit bias? This is ominous and definitely not good for Nigeria, this he has reflected already in his appointments. I know the president's men will and have always conjured. W If indeed this is a true reflection of the mind of the president who was elected in a democratic dispensation who has sworn under oath to protect Nigerians regardless of party affiliation or ethnicity, we are in for a difficult ride.

When APC, Buhari and the north were encouraging Amnesty International to investigate Nigeria's top military officers, they forgot that a change of government doesn't change the defence forces. You can only change their leaders who come from amongst members of the army. Now I know why Buhari went to America, he went to secure some arms deal, trust Americans, they won't bulge easily. Instead of Buhari going there with the business community and also with intention to secure an arms deal, he went with pot bellied politicians. He thought Americans cannot decipher witch-hunt, propaganda and lies from fairness and the truth. It was APC who were rubbishing the army, now the whole thing has backfired. Nothing achieved from the American visit other than tell us that ministers will be appointed in September!

The issue of probing past government is not a constitutional provision, it is a moral burden on whoever is interested in doing it, however to ensure probity and a probe devoid of witch-hunt and bitterness, the probe should cover a reasonable time in the history of the country. No need probing the past military government because they operated under decrees. However, it very appropriate to start from when democracy was instituted in 1999. That is when we started having political appointees who perfected the system to loot the economy. Any probe devoid of that will be so shallow that instead of finding the root causes, it will just scratch the surface of the problem and we will be worse for it.

The words above have been the argument of many who have continued to find loopholes in Buhari's war. Prof. Ben Nwabueze reiterated these positions in his comments on Vanguard Newpaper referenced earlier. He stated three reasons why it is inescapable for Buhari to probe the 16 years of Nigeria's democracy and also extend his 'angelic' mission to the past successive military regimes starting from IBB if his probe will not amount to a vendetta and witch-hunting of the opposition and a section of the country. The sage echoed that for Nigeria to make progress, we need a clean slate, a tabula rasa, which seeks to go back in time to find the root causes of the corrupt culture which we seek to eradicate. he stated that the demons holding Nigeria back are still alive in the persons of IBB, Abubakar and Obasanjo and these men who have constituted themselves into the “the invisible government of Nigeria”. For Buhari to overcome corruption, he has to overcome these men and their influence. If he can musters enough momentum to probe these people and Jonathan, I believe he would entrench fear in the minds of the high and mighty, simple and lowly, that his stance against corruption is incontrovertible and we are ready for the "New beginning". The able prof did not approve of the Ghanaian method, neither do I but for Nigeria to swerve back on the road of progress in the proportion that befits out collective enterprise and huge mineral resources, a monumental course of action is imperative on President Buhari. How, he handles the situation is within his own perogative, however, the conseuqneces of any of his actions he has to bear.

While a probe is welcomed, for it to be devoid of witch-hunt, devoid of unconscious bias and exhume fairness and equity, probing the heist that started in 1999 is appropriate if Buhari means well for Nigeria. Just today, NEITI told us of the un-remitted subsidy funds which dates back to 2005. So why start from 2011 when we have information that the heists dates back to 2005 which is not a far time in the past. He who wants to come to equity must come with clean hands. One man who spent $16b to generate darkness once doubled as president and petroleum minister, we should start from there to know how they perfected the system as conduit pipe to drain the resources of this nation. With $150 b stolen in the past decade, someone wants to probe only 5 years leaving out the preceding 5 years which means he is only interested in $75 b.

As for Buhari, he thinks we are still in a military regime where you just grab power and there will be no policy agenda for governance. Only God knows how much he can last with his vision-less governance without any clear cut social and economic development agenda. Even small companies require well written and articulated business strategies, models and corporate strategy to survive talk more of a behemoth like Nigeria which as we speak has no articulated agenda for development and progress under Buhari. May God help him, but he needs to help himself too.

This week the president who we can aptly describe as the travelling president was speaking from Equatorial Guinea, it seems that our president has become a travelling one who chooses to abscond from his duties in the name of international diplomacy. Since he has visited Europe, toured Africa and visited North America, I hope they have advised him that no one ignores China in the global scheme of things. I hope he is going to China soon because it is strategic for Nigeria's development.

Nigeria Stagnating Under Buhari: 50 Days of Underperformance

Last week, President Buhari sacked the service chiefs and there has been replacements but this action has fanned the embers of discord and the calls for secession has increased, given credence to Radio Biafra. Boko Haram has been on rampage, unabated and exploding bombs at will. Two weeks ago, the president had ordered the dismantling of road blocks by the army across the federation. The other day I read on Premium Times that the ex-services chiefs were reluctant because they knew their sack were hanging over their heads like the sword of damocles. Ambassadors have been recalled and sacked. Buharimeter the civil society barometer for measuring the percentage of promises Buhari will fulfil over the next 100 days and 4 years released result for a epoch moment of 30 days and Buhari scored 6.8 percent. Abysmal failure.

I have summarized Buhari's presidency in just a few words above. I have been away from my blog for the past two weeks, I will summarize the past three weeks and gauge Nigeria's political and economic temperature at the moment. I will write about Nigeria, the PDP, the APC, the National Assembly, states, the economy, about prominent ex-governors who are facing the long ambit of the law. I will access Buhari's 50 days in power. I will reflect on his July visit to the United States and lean into the next 100 days as much as I can. Nigeria is stuck in the mud, the ground seems slippery, those who voted change are questioning their belief and we are moving like those locomotive of the early years of transportation. Some former governors and their sons have been docked. Even the Lamidos were not spared. I am very sure that the president is keeping to his mantra of if we don't kill corruption, corruption will kill Nigeria. Subsequently, the president has been appointing those who will be the front-line vanguards of change, however, these appointments have been lopsided and began to alienate some sections of the country.

It is the prerogative of the president to sack and appoint any person to any political position.The onus lies on him to appoint competent people based on Federal Character principle as enshrined in the Nigerian constitution. Failing to do this is tantamount to preparing for failure and nepotism. Ethnic jingoism and nepotism is anti-progress. Just as Buharimeter reads 6.8 percent today, it might not pass 20% by 2019 cumulative and that is abysmal failure in all ramifications.

Hear President Buhari, “All of you, including the National Security Adviser, were chosen on merit,” “Your records gave you the job. “Save for the new Chief of Army Staff whom I briefly met at his Command at the Multi-National Joint Task Force, in Chad, I don’t know any of you. “Your records recommended you.” All the strategic security positions have been appointed except for Immigration, Road Safety and some other less strategic security positions. However in all these strategic appointments, two things are evident, either Buhari is punishing the South East for not having cast their votes for him or the Igbos have been proven right that they made the right choice, they pledged allegiance to the man GEJ who was the first president since after independence that gave Igbos unfettered access to positions of power which were hitherto denied to them. They thanked him with their votes. Where are the Buhari's supporters from the SE, if the president alludes that everyone he appointed are the best in their areas of defence, was there any transparent selection process which is devoid of discrimination and exhumes diversity and equality? The Igbos have been justified for voting in bloc for PDP. We are loyal people and we reciprocate good for good. I see no good coming from this nepotist and ethnically biased appointments. Buhari has proven Igbos right, he never liked us.

As for Buhari, he has the prerogative to appoint anyone but that prerogative right has checks and balances such as the Federal Character principle which is enshrined in the constitution and Buhari is under oath to uphold. Of all the strategic positions, Igbos who I can stand up anywhere in the world and state that we are intelligent like the Israelites and very advanced and can stand up to any tribe in Nigeria cannot produce one person who merits any of the positions and Buhari calls it merit, the kind of merit obtainable in the north! When Buhari was elected, he was elected the president of Nigeria and there is a moral burden on him to do what is right. As for me I am more interested in the development of Nigeria and the line Buhari is towing is anti-progress. He will destroy the gains we made in the last 6 years. I am very sure those that voted him want progress too. They may applaud the appointments because their people were included but they know its wrong. Buhari has always been predictable. It is only those who were clamouring for change that will be disappointed, as for some of us, what is happening now is not far from the expected. Old men don't forgive easily, it takes a statesman to overlook things and be truly nationalistic, as for Buhari's and his irredentist shenanigans, they should have a field day, Nigerians asked for it. Here it comes!

Buhari's inability to appoint ministers is a function of internal crisis in APC. It is ignominy to defend the indefensible. The state of the nation which is currently like a rudderless ship tossed about by challenges of BH, economic instability, epileptic power supply, fuel shortages to name but a few demands urgent attention as canvassed by Buhari and his irredentist shenanigans. The man has not even laid down his agenda more than 50 days after getting to office, going by his slow pace, 4 years is not enough to achieve 20% of his proposed plans if he has any other than wild goose chase after Jonathan's government. His model of one man presidential system of government is doomed to fail from start. Femi said they won't probe far into the past so that the Mafia will not come after them. Look at how nonsensical Buhari has become, instead of counting the gains of his administration, one cannot point to any single tangible achievement given the rhetoric of broom wielding change slogan chanters over the past 51 days while our man has become a globe trotter who is bent on enjoying his twilight days on presidential visits which he was denied by IBB and his henchmen in the past. That is why he wished he was president at a younger age. Much of Buhari's dreams is to achieve his personal goals and not to develop this country, else the passion to develop this country would have been visible in numerous documents detailing and marshalling out development agendas for the country.

Buhari's disposition is a reflection of his party's ideology. No wonder one man wanted to impose a senate president and speaker on the country. They are power mongers. Their plan is not to develop Nigeria. All they want is power, else with the allegiance and support Saraki, Dogbara,Ekweremdu and Yusuf have pledged to Buhari, APC has nothing to worry about. Because of selfish interest and self aggrandizing attitude of some destructive elements in APC who want all the positions after relying on nPDP support, that is why it seems that water has one under bridge. However, reality has dawn on them, how could these shenanigans just use nPDP and dump them, these people are unbelievable, if they cannot share power and arrogate all the power to themselves, how will they develop Nigeria, maybe they are the only people who have the magic wand to turn things around as Buhari is doing currently when things are going from bad to worse.

Nigeria as it is today is in a state of chaos. The new president has spent 50 days in office and there isn't yet direction on which way we are heading. From the NASS assembly crisis to lull in the economy, increase in prices of food to the free fall of the Naira which is above N230 to $1, about 16 appointments which has ethnic and tribal sentiments hovering over it to no ministers appointed yet, the president penchant for travelling and lack of any policy direction that Buhari intends to rescue Nigeria with. In fact, the country is degenerating to total anarchy in security, economy, development and national unity. The only saving grace for the Buhari government is the enormous goodwill which he enjoys from the citizens. In his Eid el-Fitr address to Nigeria, the president has begged for patience, as paraphrased by Premium Times, he said, " Forget my slow pace, I’m working hard, planning meticulously, to fix Nigeria." As the president heads to the United States on Monday 20th July to meet with Obama and members of the US government with his 32 team entourage who are neither official members of his government, Nigerians are being suffocated with patience. They have been patient for over 50 days and they are expected to be have more resilience.

Meanwhile the DSS in gestapo style raids have been having a field day, they went after the immediate National Security Adviser detaining him under house arrest for a few days and stating that their arrest had to do with protecting the nation from the former NSA chief, "based on ‘credible intelligence’ linking him with alleged plans to commit treasonable felony against the state." The chief security officer to former GEJ was not spared. While I am not interested in the allegations because the people involved have refuted the claims and the truth will soon be in the open, these kind of undemocratic acts should not be sanctioned by a 'converted democrat'.

The wild and unsubstantiated claims that ammunition was found in the house of an NSA chief is indeed laughable. As an ex-NSA chief, what else do they want the man to possess? His house should be full of computers like me who is an IT guy or foodstuff or books or what? So this early, because of Buhari's tribal posture, he is scared that a populist backed gang-up can boot him from power, so it means he knows that he's wasted the first 50 days in office and has perpetuated nepotism, irredentist ideology and ethnic jingoism. These are enough reasons for Buhari to be afraid of been sacked prematurely from Aso Rock.

What the president's men and the president himself keeps telling us is that he never met the service chiefs and I ask, does the president need to have met the service chiefs? How many people does he know in Nigeria in person or in the military? So no one lobbied for these positions for these people, tell your stories to the birds. Three words to describe Buhari's presidency so far nepotism, irredentist ideology and ethnic jingoism. So in this country where the Igbo states continue to maintain the top positions in educational achievements in all spheres of human life, Buhari's merit system did not find them worthy of his distribution of positions.It is like China and Russia rating world universities and leaving out the Ivy league schools and the likes of Oxford and Cambridge and saying categorically that merit was used.

The very reasons why many Nigerians were averse to Buhari's presidency are all beginning to emerge. The man's dictatorial tendencies are all very visible, his nepotist posture is gaining tractions, his appointments so far has exacerbated the call for session of Biafra, his lack of knowledge about economic development has left Nigeria in a quagmire, investors are wary of the Nigerian economy which they so enthusiastically waited for given the successful and peaceful transition of power. Like a ship tossed by waves, Nigeria is heading for the rocks.

As the president heads to the United States, Nigeria is in a sorry state, economically and security wise. Epileptic power supply has resurfaced and queues have returned to the fuel stations. The president has been dragged to court for approving bailout without appropriation, Nigeria is gradually stagnating as we approach the first 100 days of Buhari. Instead of progress, we are retrogressing, Boko Haram is detonating bombs with reckless abandon. Buharimeter still reads below 10%, how I wish his visit and subsequent return to Nigeria will change his attitude, increase the pace of governance, provide tangible and positive direction for the country, Buhari needs a tutorial on democratic governance and economic development from Obama, I hope Obama is magnanimous enough to extend some to him, the president should return an enlightened, reinvigorated and changed man, we need positive change as much as we need oxygen.

Buhari Moves into Aso Rock Villa

The ripples of the tsunami which occurred in the elections of the leadership of the leadership of the National Assembly, is one which will take a long time to subside. Former Vice-president Atiku Abubakar has tried to douse down the tensions that he has hijacked the party structure of the APC for his 2019 bid. In a statement released by his media team, they summarized the recent events succinctly;

"He notes that the recent outcomes of the National Assembly election contrary to insinuations are products of interplay of politics which is itself in constant motion".

A lot of undertones of manoeuvre domicile in this statement. Meanwhile, our president has moved into Aso Rock, her Excellency moved in ahead of her husband last week Thursday. I believe the business of governance stated in earnest June 22nd 2015. Going forward, Nigerians are expecting a departure from the go-slow disposition of the president. However, Buhari's larger than life aura was in high gear when the president paid a well televised visit to his farm in Daura, flanked by his son and some other persons, he exhumed that lifestyle of an ordinary but modern fulani farmer. The president went to the farm in his sparkling white babariga, I noticed he didn't wear singlets, who wears singlets to a farm? However, Nigerians are expecting much more than the image making display of the president. We are in the fourth week of this dispensation and Nigerians are impatient and are eager to breath an air of change, for me positive change. While we continue to wait on his Excellency, reasons for not appointing ministers have been given as a result of the late submission of the Joda Transition Report of the last administration. The president clarified at the sidelines of the AU summit that the delay is also a period of due diligence as the consequences of his actions are solely his responsibility. However, we wait to see what becomes of the list given that some front-line stakeholders have been dislodged and uncertainty hovers over who handles what portfolio. However, last week, the president stated that,

“I wish I became Head of State when I was a governor, just a few years as a young man. Now at 72, there is a limit to what I can do.”

The PDP have begun to settle in as the opposition given their ouster in the last elections at the federal level and this statement was like throwing small amount of meat into a den of hungry and angry lions. Supporters of the ruling party and the opposition had a field day throwing tantrums at each other. While the APC came to the defence of their flagbearer, stating that we as Nigerians do not comprehend English language enough to know what Buhari means, they stated that it implies something much more than reading that statement literally. If this statement was an adage or should be taken literally, its left for the open media to discourse and dissect. However, the morale of the story is that the elections were highly charged and so much propaganda were infused into the polity. APC's house of cards is fast falling apart faster than they expected. When APC concocted lies, hypocrisy, propaganda, old wines, unholy alliances and all sorts of negativities to find their way to Aso Rock, they forgot that whatever a man sows, they shall reap. They sowed wind and they are reaping whirlwind. Good a thing men don't control the consequences of their actions to large extents. Lies like age is just a number in less than 21 full days into Buhari's presidency is being exposed, the effects of mountain and volume of files to review before taking decisions are already weighing in. Tell me any African president over 70 years that has achieved any significant growth in their country in such measure that is comparable to the developed world. At a point the old man should be chilling in retirement or best be in advisory position to younger leaders, he is taking on the toughest job in Africa and in fact the developing world.

As noted earlier, Atiku Abubakar who is jostling and positioning for purported presidency in 2019 is currently 68 and will turn 72 in the next four years. The job of leading Africa's most populous and largest economy is not a job for very old men. At 70, a man has lived enough to retire. So the president's confession is surely the truth, one which would have undermined his election but a truth he cannot run away from as president. Only the gaffes and innuendoes of the president is enough to tell us that being the president requires a younger Nigerian, it is quite unfathomable that a person who is the president of Nigeria calls Germany,"West Germany". Jesters, mockers and all those online comedy producers who had a field day making and poking fun at the former president especially her former Excellency are relishing the opportunity to continue their trade. However missing in this fray is Doctor Damages on SaharaReporters, it is time to make fun of the president.

Scrutinizing the president's innuendoes and gaffes have become old fashioned because the APC have achieved their aim. The measure they meted out to PDP will be appropriated to them. This is just a feel of it. The loquacious Lai has not stated interpreting the words of the old man. Good a thing as the days come by, given the complexity of the work of governance and the fast rate with which presidents grow old in office for instance Obama, I am 100% assured that Buhari is not growing younger, so expect more of the same. Its a bumpy ride for the next four years. They voted for change, change they get.

As Nigerians were impatiently waiting for change, the legislators threw spanners into the wheel of progress, there were media reports that they have approved a whopping N9 billion as wardrobe allowance. Nigerians like already wounded animals pounced on them mostly online to show their displeasure. News later filtered in that the amount they will actually take home annually was .5 million which is a fair deal. However, all these are unofficial. Am not sure if there is anywhere on the National Assemble website where the full details of salary and allowances are fully stated. In a related development, the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) has said that it will not release the details of the president and his vice assets declaration, citing federal laws that constrain them from doing such. In fact, it is not uhuru yet, those who expected a holy man to man Aso Rock are beginning to think twice. Although corruption will reduce, the gains will not be significant if this democratic dispensation is starting on this footing. For those who are following up with the promises Buhari said he will fulfil, this might one of those official secrets which will never see the light of the day.

Flashing news beamed in the horizon last week when news filtered into the airwaves that the presidency was auctioning off the 9 aircraft including the two models of Gulfstream in that fleet. There was an air of optimism while APC and Buhari's supporters applauded, the presidency disappointed their fans that the news should be disregarded as false alarm. Our president loves his flamboyant aircraft and jets. For your information, the president prefers the latest of Mercedes benz models, the S600 made for class, power and men of influence. Governance in Nigeria is expensive, however, the present government shows signs of being frugal given the antecedents of the president as a modest farmer.

The refineries which have been undergoing turnaround maintenance are expected to pump 5 million liters into the economy as from July, 2015. The president has settled down in Aso Rock. Nigerians expect the ministerial list and also a fence mending meeting between the president and the stubborn sons of APC, Saraki and Dogbara who have both hijacked the leadership of the federal legislature. While APC has demanded letters of apology from the duo, Goodluck has been gallivanting around the world. Some of his foot soldiers have called for bestowing him with a noble prize for not plunging Nigeria into political crisis.

As the president resumes fully the business of governing Nigeria, expectations are high, citizens want to see and feel the change. While the states are in very bad state of financial crisis begging for bailout, the international community are looking up to Nigeria to tackle Boko Hara and lead Africa,we are counting down to the first 100 days.

All focus is on Aso Rock.

The Second Week of Buhari's Presidency: Taming Tinubu

President Muhammadu Buhari spent most of his first week in office outside Nigeria. Some commentators on national issues had the temerity to chide his excellency on his new found penchant for hitting the skies in the same fleet that Jonathan was crucified for maintaining. I have not heard any of his ardent supporters talking about reducing the presidential fleet. However, the president who I believe started off as a travelling president knows that he has enough goodwill at home, therefore in a bid to garner some legitimacy abroad and accrue some international support, started off by jetting to Chad, Niger and Germany for security meeting on Boko Haram insurgency and the meeting of the world's elite countries, the G7 respectively. While I will not concern myself with the gaffes that characterized his attendance and speeches, I have been more interested in the wishlist which Prime Minster Cameron requested Nigeria's president to bring to the epoch meeting. I expected his spokesmen to have addressed the media from the sidelines of the G7 meetings regarding the wishlist extensively. However, that did not happen. However, we do know that the G7 have pledged their support to "engage, cooperate and collaborate” with his government. As published on Premium Times, the G7 noted that they perceived some level of seriousness from the incumbent which warranted their support. However, it is pertinent to note that excerpts from his spokesmen indicates that the president did not have elaborate and elegant plans which the G7 could scrutinize immediately, therefore, they admonished Buhari to:

“...to come up with the specifics on his requirements, assuring that they would study the requirements either individually or collectively and offer help. They asked to know the nature and the scale of the problems in order to know the nature and the scale of the assistance they will provide. Suffice it to say that they assured President Buhari that ‘Nigeria will find a partner in the G7.'”

While the president was relishing the company of his new found friend who would have avoided him in the past as a dictator who truncated Nigeria's democracy, a feat which all the members of the G7 who are democratic countries are averse to on his way back from his German trip, he was to touch down at the Nnamdi Azikwe Airport, Abuja on Tuesday 9th June, 2015 by 1.00 am Nigerian time as reported. The stability and tranquillity that characterised the atmosphere as bequeathed by former President Goodluck Jonathan was to be interrupted abruptly within the next few hours of his arrival. Just like epic movies, we were to be treated to a suspense filled political drama, which anyone who knows Nigeria political environment could have expected but not in the form that it came. My friend during a conversation in the recent past, was of the opinion that Nigeria is predictable. However, the events that took place on June, 9th keep my good friend wondering if it was the same Nigeria he used to know. He was screaming, "old boy", severally as our law makers exceeded his expectations.

I was of the opinion that the president ought to have stayed back in the country for the first few days of his presidency to bring some order to the polity more importantly, to be fully present at ongoing negotiations about his party's preferences for the leadership of the National Assembly. My argument is that going to Chad and Niger was not a priority in the face of the escalation of Boko Haram that week. Also the relocation of the Army Command Center to Borno State needed the attention and close supervision of the man who came up with the initiative. Meetings with these countries could have come after studying the situation thoroughly within a few days coupled with the status report on the relocation all of which have great implications for the war against terror. While the president wanted to show his countrymen and women that he was serious about stopping the insurgency, he created some lacuna and leadership gaps whose ripples are yet to subside.

In the face of the lacuna the absence of the president, Gov Fayose and some other PDP stalwarts mobilized immediately to exploit the dissent which existed in the APC from some of its members who did not like the consensus candidates which the APC proposed through mock elections. In fact, several flashpoints just like a well orchestrated opera predicated the drama which enveloped the country. It was reported that Senate President Bukola Saraki, at that time a contestant for the coveted position refused to attend a meeting called by the Vice-president to reconcile the differences of APC lawmakers. In fact, some reports had it that Saraki referred to the VP as "common commissioner", however, Saraki's people were to release a press statement debunking such ignorable action from their master. While APC was being sway by wave of instability, alliances, friendships, negotiations, win-win arrangements were formed, crystallised and established across party lines between members of APC and lawmakers from PDP. In a twist of events, the PDP which has earlier stated that it had no intention of presenting candidates for the leadership of the national assembly, backtracked and released a press statement which stated that they have adopted Saraki and Dogbara as their candidates in direction opposition to APC anointed members.

From all indications, the president tired from his trip, I guess jet leg weighed in, retired to sleep and APC spokesman was to release a press statement calling all APC members to the International Conference Center (ICC) for a meeting with the president the next morning as from 9 am. As Nigerians woke up to another day of power tussle amongst the political gladiators, the online community, bloggers and rumour mongers who have fully exploited the press freedom that pervades the polity swoop in on the expected events of the day. For the pundits and APC apologist, it was a done deal for the party's anointed, Lawan-Akume ticket for the senate and Gbaja for the speaker of the house. Where I was in Abuja, I didn't have access to TV so I followed the events online. There were conflicting reports flying in from different sources. Some had it that the national assembly is under lock down by security agencies who were driving away Nigerians who have come to felicitate with their own who were elected to the legislature. Most of the pro-APC online newspapers were more concerned about the meeting going on at the ICC where the president was expected to meet APC lawmakers to cajole them or better still admonish them to vote the party's preferred candidates.

I searched for anywhere online where I can follow the inauguration live and I found Premium Times. At a point there were reports from one of the reputable newspapers that the event has been postponed, as I was refreshing Premium Times, breaking news popped up and it was the election of Saraki as the Senate president. The air waves went agog with speculations of what might have transpired having in mind that the president was supposed to be meeting with APC lawmakers at ICC.

At this point a quote which was brought to my attention by a friend on facebook, suffices perfectly. A timeless quote by an erudite political ediabili (juggernaut), a former Senate President, Dr. Chuba Okadigbo famed for his penchant for mastery of the use of english. He said;

"It takes political sagacity to fathom the political arithmetic."

While the dust was still settling, consternation was rife and the atmosphere was charged, everyone sort to know how the coup at the NA came to be. News began to filter in that Saraki was returned unopposed by a group of 59 senators who were in attendance at the proclamation of the 8th National Assembly of the Federal Government of Nigeria. About 49 of these senators were PDP lawakers who were all in attendance at the proclamation and inauguration of the 8th NA. The singular question on the mind of many Nigerians was the constitutionality of that act, if it could stand. Elementary knowledge of lawmaking tells anyone that a two-third majority is needed to pass any law or carry out any action while a one 1/3 is needed to form a quorum for any assembly of the NA. Given that the Senate, has 109 members and over 2/3 were present, that election was one of the most suspense filled manoeuvre ever in the Nigerian political scene. While the citizens were yet to come to terms with the conflicting news and events, Senator Ekweremadu of the PDP emerged the deputy senate president after flooring Senate Ali Ndume of APC. At this point, this drama had cross the boundary, epic, it was no more mere manoeuvre, a political crisis was brewing and everyone began to wonder why APC lawmakers about 51 of them were not present at the proclamation of the assemble. Earlier, it has been noted that they were expected to meet with the president to iron out issues of who will fly the party's flag. Now Saraki and the PDP having seen the gaps created by the irreconcilable differences, the quest for the number 3 and 4 positions of the FRN was at stake and personal interest held sway, anything was possible so long as it was constitutional.

The uncertainty over who becomes the senate president is a good thing. When APC was balkanizing PDP in the last dispensation, they did so with reckless abandon. It will be better for PDP to queue behind Saraki, have an agreement like APC did with Tambuwal, and throw spanners into the wheel. Now this is democracy. As much as APC is right in wading into the disagreements, let PDP utilize their 49 member strength to take over the Senate so that our senate will not be a rubber stamp for Buhari, no more aye and nay. Their will be counting of individual votes. This were my thoughts before the drama of June 9th.

In this middle of this loss, was the staggering Jagaban of Lagos politics, Senator Bola Tinubu. He was opposed to the candidacy of Saraki and Dogbara, the senate president and speaker respectively. He had his candidates in Senator Lawan and Rep. Gbajabiamila for the upper and lower house. However, what baffles the mind is the fact that even the political gladiators and ruling party forgot that democracy is all about building coalition and partnership, how the APC forgot that democratic principles, practises and precepts do not supersede laws of the nation and they are not cast in stone beats the imagination. Again how they could not gauge the political maturity of politicians in Nigeria were all questions that boggled the mind. The forgot that we are in Nigeria. To get feel of the reasoning behind the belief that the mock elections they carried out days before the elections was binding on the APC lawmakers, their attack dogs have filled the airwaves with examples of how it is done in Washington,you can read one Bayo's take on the issue on Sahara Reporters here. However, it is rocket science to know the reasoning behind the miscalculations of APC. I response to a friend on the lack of political philosophy of political parties in Nigeria, I quipped,

Do they have doctrines and direction in the first place? There's no philosophy, its a congregation of those who want to live off the national coffers. Politics is the easiest way not to work in Nigeria. Get into office, the machinery of governance has been set through the civil service. Just ensure that it is functional enough to keep the nation afloat and make minor improvements and the rest is history. We are practising party system and the decision of the party supersedes that of the individual member. In fact in sane democracies, the leader in congress, be minority or majority leader becomes the defacto choice for presentation as the speaker or Senate leader. The members were elected under a party and they are answerable to their constituencies on the platform of the precepts and direction of the party. Imagine a democrat opposing the party stance. In the US now, all the republican presidential candidates are saying that the bailout of GM didn't work which is the party position. It was just yesterday that a journalist corrected them that it worked because they didn't do their home work, they were just echoing the position of the party to garner votes. Now when they get into power, it is the party that guides them. So APC is right in intervening in the disagreements. As for ideology, we are still far from the ideal. People just come together in the name of a party to get access to government, that is the status quo for now and in the near future.

So as much as the opposition were right in projecting their candidates, the lack of fundamental foundations of political parties were their waterloo, little did they realize that they have been bringing in fire wood infested with ants in the run up to the 2015 elections. I scribbled somewhere online, Coup'd etat. I can't wait to read Lai vituperations of democracy under siege. Unprecedented. We are building a model of democracy for Africa. Buhari is coming against the Mafia. Immediately after the elections in the legislative arms of government which produced candidates who were not the party's anointed ones, the loquacious APC spokesmen filled the airwaves with his usual vituperations of rejection of the results. It was becoming very clear that the APC were opportunist who saw nothing good in action that was not in their favour. One writer chronicled the statements Lai when they started their political dribbling few years ago when they ursped the PDP and enabled the immediate past speaker, Governor Tambuwal of Sokoto State to become the speaker, to the chagrin of PDP. This and other series of event culminated in the demise of PDP as a ruling party. You can read the piece here.

However, the feel from the electorates was that what happened at the national assembly was good for our democracy. It instituted a balance of power. It heralded the dismantling of the emerging Tinubu political dynasty. It became clear that Tinubu is a local player, only in Lagos state. Let him control the Mafia in Abuja, then we will know that he is a man to be reckoned with nationally. They have just shown him where the limits of his influence ends. After deceiving the gullible masses who were powerless, let him extend his control to the Senate where powerful entities like over 15 past governors have made their abode!

As the dusts were settling, the UK voiced its support for Saraki led senate. The logic was not far fetched. You know this people have an innate and inherent character of support for opposition. Its not rocket science to have know that once one of the G8 except Russia is supporting you, others will queue behind. Forget about APC, they don't want to come to terms with the fact that their new founder access to power seem to be overwhelming them. They bullied and lied their way to power, now the problems of Nigeria are so complex that it will expose the most intelligent person as a novice, the power configuration is sparse and not concentrated at one point and an attempt to foist such concentration cannot stand. Examples, the voting pattern and then this humiliation of Tinubu. How can Tinubu be an overlord for the entire 6 regions when even in any of this region, there's no shortage of godfathers who number more than 20 each? The bloodless transition from PDP to APC which the West want to brandish as example to other fledging democracy is what they needed. Have you heard any of the countries accusing Goodluck Jonathan of any misdeed? With time, we will get over this. APC is just whining like a lame dock and you know, when you beat a child, you don't expect the child not just to cry. Everything depends on Buhari, the locus of power in APC seems not be clearly defined and within the next few weeks, Buhari will chose to be the leader of the party or cede that place to Tinubu or better still power sharing because of the history of the merger and emergence of APC. I don't see the party discipling anyone or disintegrating for now because that will amount to the highest political naivety of the century.

Lagos State is not and cannot be equivalent to Nigeria. If Tinubu can control the entire Yoruba, other regions are republicans and would always have a set of leaders like advanced nations not just one leader. With over 15 ex-governors Senators, and Tinubu was hallucinating about controlling everyone. The final rejection of Gbaja was the strongest signal because I thought they would have even considered him as a strong man. They put him in his proper place. Controlling Lagos is equivalent to being a godfather in many African countries talk more of controlling Nigeria where you have over 1000 rich men and god fathers like Tinubu. Imagine the US or China having only one leader? That's not possible because it will turn that person into a tyrant!

Calls were amplified from the Tinubu camp for the sanctioning of Saraki and Dogbara by Buhari. I queried, why not say Buhari should become a tyrant and re-enact the 80's. Wake up we are in democracy! This is the first taste of his new found democratic beliefs. He said that he is a converted democratic. He has seen what it means to practise democracy where people act within the limits of the constitution even if their actions will not augur well for him. It is quite malicious that some persons had the effrontery to insinuate that Buhari was disrespected. How can you ask a an independent national assembly to proceed on a meeting with your consent and at the same time arrange another meeting with your party members. Is Buhari the president to serve APC or the generality of Nigerians? Nigerians were kept on frenzy by power grabbers who want appropriate and annex all available political power. When the same men applauded and glamorized impunity and inundated the polity with tension, holding the people on hostage through their threats of parallel government and subterfuge, they forgot that the law of karma exist and that in a democracy there are rules. Its akin to giving an opponent a clean tackle in football. For those peddling false information, David Mark is not the senate leader. Buhari cannot be a general, he even dropped it from his name. This is democracy, such a government, where Obama is up against an opposition congress.No one even now knows what Buhari's policy on corruption is and the situation is now compounded by the events of yesterday.

While arguments and counter arguments on the outcomes of the National Assembly leadership continue to dominate national discourse, the fundamental fact is that what transpired at the national assembly was constitutionally legal. The president has voiced his support and immediately after that before the end of the week, he jetted to South Africa for the African Union Summit. Before he left, he chaired the meeting of our neighbouring countries on the security challenges of Boko Haram. The high point of that meeting was his rejection of a rotational leadership of the central force. That makes sense, given that we will be contributing most of the resources and the fight in mostly on our territories. As a man who rose to level of general in the army, he should know the act of war better than most people. While we are trying to battle Boko Haram, we have amnesty international indicting our top military personnels for actions that amounts to war crimes.

As the president headed to South Africa without much to show for the faith that the Nigerian people have reposed in him, there has been indications that the president is falling below expectations. Believe me or not, we needed a break from the monotony of PDP. However, the issue is Buhari seems not to be the right man for the job. After one week plus in power, we cannot tell exactly what the man is doing or wants to do. I can see a very happy man who has achieved his life ambition to be Nigeria's president given his short-lived first outing. Again, the northerners just wanted power and they packaged their best product and sold it to Nigerians who like a bored person wants a change of scenery. Now that is the challenge. Everything seems to be taken off on the alter of secrecy. I wish the 9-point agenda will be released even as a paraphrased address presentation, so we begin to know how ''the messiah" intends to salvage the deterioration. If there must be change, it has to start from Abuja so that states can emulate that model. As at this Monday, the ship of state is still rudderless. Forget about the junketing and positioning, nothing tangible and concrete is on ground. We have problems that require state of emergency declaration, expedited approach and a sense of urgency to nip in the bud. Just like a puzzle, two weeks into Buhari's presidency, Nigerians are still trying to put the piece and piece together to know exactly what the president wants to do or not do.

Many of those who want Buhari to emulate presidents like Obama forgot that Obama had written books, articles, made laws and articulated his policies before becoming president. Now they want Buhari to emulate Obama when he does not have any elaborate plan for Nigeria which we can see, scrutinise and be hopeful about. Even two weeks into his presidency, they are wasting space on Sahara Reporters telling Buhari what he can learn from Obama instead of dissecting and analysing Buhari policy thrust and direction which are non-existent. Even the G7 noticed this lacuna and mandated him to come to the G7 with his wishlists, who knows if he was able to come up with one. A leader should take initiative and lay down the vision but what Buhari has in stock is rhetoric of fighting corruption and propaganda of BH. In response to the guy, I giggled: You will continue to come up with your wishlists until Buhari gets his acts together. However, at this point, he may find it difficult, its like going about a venture without an elaborate plan. Maybe you can teach Buhari because I know Sahara Reporters have the ears of the president. For now the uncertainty of Buhari's actions is very high and that is not good for the smallest business talk more of a complex system like Nigeria.

As we get into the third week of this democratic dispensation, the president is in South Africa attending the AU summit. He even told reporters that he doesn't know citizens are anxious about his slow disposition to tackling the numerous ills that bedevil the country. Nigerians are eagerly waiting for the magic wand, and as the president returns from his AU summit, many hope he will pack into Aso Rock and face the business of governance squarely. Hope he doesn't jet out again.

The Beginning of Change - The First Week of President Buhari's Presidency

I happen to find myself at Transcorp Hilton, Abuja on the day former President Goodluck Jonathan handed over Nigeria's flag to his successor, President Muhammadu Buhari. I was having lunch with a friend. As we drove towards Hilton Hotel, uneasy calm filled with an air of apprehension hovered. You could not but think about the unprecedented "phone call" from Goodluck to Buhari which saved Nigeria from plunging into crisis head on. I remember digging the internet some years back to confirm the assertion from the CIA and their foreign affairs counterparts that Nigeria will disintegrate in 2015. That apprehension kept me pondering the unperturbed peace which permeated the atmosphere, in fact, it was a festive mood. After the lunch, as we made our way out of Hilton, I and my friend were treated to an usual spectacle, a red carpet reception of about 7 (seven) African presidents as they arrived in VIP to rest before they proceeded for the Presidential Gala night. It was pomp and pageantry instead of war and crisis. However, it was later that day that I learned that the president 'neglected' his guests and headed to his Jumat prayers. That I envisaged as the president missed the official Jumat of the inauguration activities the previous friday. This action was greeted with condemnation from several quarters including the visiting heads of state some who were offended while Buhari supporters saw his actions as flawless.

It is imperative to note that Nigeria is a religious country. However, as a plural society with different religious inclinations, the president of Nigeria first allegiance is to the nation and it is believed that such an occasion as important as the reception of various presidents of Africa and international dignitaries should not be treated with levity. No wonder the superpowers and most other presidents in the international community shunned the inauguration as their advisers would have envisaged such a lacuna. As the most populous country in Africa, given the enterprising nature of Nigerians and our ability to be pacesetters, other sister African countries are looking up to us to be the rallying point and a big brother. Africa must have a leader and Nigeria is in a good position to take over as that leader. While some have insinuated that the president is a religious extremist based on his antecedents, his actions on daily basis confirms that assertion. In other not to draw the ire of Muslims, I would have expected the president to have excused his guest, held short prayers like 30 minutes and rejoined the reception to deliver a powerful message to African leaders that they have to get their acts together and emulate Nigeria, which is building a model of democracy for the continent.

Related to the foregoing, the President has started his international diplomatic shuttles in earnest and to the ire of many Nigerians, he has spent the first one week of his presidency outside, away from those who gave him the mandate. While international support and cooperation is imperative to moving Nigeria forward, the problems that burgeons the nation need to be tackled from the home front. For us to be respected worldwide, we have to show that we can lead in Africa. The president preferred to attend the G7 summit and ignored the World Economic Forum’s Africa summit holding in Cape Town. That was billed from 3-5 of June and I believe that Buhari should have been at that forum to outline his Economic agenda from the African perspective. As the author of the referenced article on Quartz noted, all eyes were on the man who would not be there. I do not want a president who will ignore things at the local and continental level and thinks that hobnobbing with the international community is the solution to our problems. We are no longer colonies, we are our own people and we should determine our lives.

Irrespective of this lacuna, the president has towed a good line to pay heed to the fact that we also need international support albeit incompletely. As he heads to the G7 summit which has taken Russia out of the equation, permit me to imagine Nigeria as a replacement for Russia in the G8. Is it possible for Nigeria to be in that group, yes, but it depends on our leaders and how well Nigeria's trajectory of development in the next 10-15 years moves. As the president heads to the G7, the happily returned prime minister of the United Kingdom has tasked Buhari on the expectation as he joins the world's most advanced and elite club in a summit. As I noted earlier on the comments section, the request from Cameron was met mostly by a backlash. However, in response to others opinion, I started below:

Most people don't get what Cameron is asking for. APC and Buhari got this presidency through unconventional ways of propaganda and rhetoric. Now that is not what you apply to solving the complex problems of a developing country. You need a policy thrust, a policy direction, an elegant plan which will be followed to rescue Nigeria from the purported decay. Now that is what the West want to see if they are to cooperate with Nigeria. Not all the aggression, covert and overt, and cooked up lies against PDP and Jonathan. We cannot exist in isolation, we need foreign direct investment (FDI), we are going to sell oil and we will borrow funds. They need a broad and detailed policy base of the Buhari's administration, not the kind of conference that was hurriedly put up the other day. You don't go to G7 to tell them you will fight corruption and BH, you need to tell them how you will use sophisticated method of economic development to tackle issues. You need to outline your foreign policy, now we have become a model of democracy in Africa, what role are we going to play and how? Africa needs us and I didn't hear Buhari mention anything like that. As one guy on Sahara Reporter said, that speech was 'vague' and 'illusory'.

As I noted earlier, some are averse to the foreign trips that have become the trademark of the Buhari presidency. Late Yardua was the opposite of Buhari as he rarely travelled. Goodluck was better, it seems Buhari wants to surpass them all. However as many such as Chief Olu Falae voiced out on Vanguard, the president would have stayed home with his primary constituency in the first week of his presidency to plan and ponder with various interest groups and with a broad spectrum of Nigerians from whom he will get inputs with which he will depart to meet with our friends to discuss issues of paramount importance to Nigerians. However, he is the president and he calls the shots.

As we continue to enjoy the peace with anxious outlook to know the direction the next four years will look like under this dispensation, activities and clues have been emerging slowly. On May 30th, we were greeted with the news that the president has declared his assets to the agency, Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) responsible for such declarations in Nigeria. However, many were taken aback when the declaration was announced as an official secret. While some understood Buhari's promise of asset declaration as an open affair as chronicled here - Buharimeter- a website by group of civil society who wants to take the president to task over his promises, staunch supporters of the president came to his rescue saying that he has fulfilled his constitutional requirement. The news filtering in after the uproar is that the detials of the declaration will be made public after verification by the CCB. However, we have to wait for the expiration of the first 100 days which the president himself set as limits for his assets declaration. The next day, the high point was the appointment of spokesmen for the president, Femi Adesina and Garba Shehu respectively as special adviser and senior special assistant respectively. My take on their appointments was:

I hope their first assignment today Monday 1st June 2015 will be to address the media on the president's declaration of assets. We need facts and figures, physical assets and liquid cash. Change is here. We need to start on a clean slate. No skeletons to hide. We are watching!

That did not happen.
We are still expectant as that will be done after the verification by CCB.

While the president is relishing his ascendency to the topmost position of the federation, issues of national and economic importance have continued to pervade the polity. I will not have done justice to this review if I don't mention the nagging issue of fuel scarcity that has become the albatross of the first week of Buhari's presidency. However, as usual we will overcome. Again, the contentious issue of fuel scarcity, a seemingly easy problem to solve given that the raw material needed to arrive at all the finished products we require as fuel for all kinds of land moving and flying machines is abundant in the Niger Delta. I will not dig deep into this issue but I will mention the request from some professional organisation in the oil and gas sector who have lend their voice on how the president can handle this issue and save Nigerians the recurring scourge of incessant fuel scarcity. Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) in support of a Civil Society organisation, Conscience Nigeria, has urged the president to work at increasing local capacity before removing fuel subsidy. My thoughts on this are as follows:

This is the problem with Nigeria. Removing fuel subsidy is a strategic decision whereby the government would decide to remove the subsidy under the parlance of elaborate plan and policy thrust to contain the resulting vagaries. What is required is a framework and timeline which will be based on consultations and extensive planning over a period of time - at least 3 years- to ensure that adequate measures are put in place to cushion the effects on the masses, deal with increasing local production to a certain level, putting down a legal framework to overhaul the petroleum sector because we are dealing with a system and their is interrelationship existing amongst the various components. You don't just remove fuel subsidy, you will create problems that may eclipse fuel subsidy. This is why many of us show disdain at the Buhari's presidency because of the lack of sound policy frameworks that he intends to employ in tackling the complex hydra like problems bedevilling Nigeria.

The president is still outside the country for the first 9 days of his presidency. The fuel situation has been diffused a little bit, queues are still visible at the fuel stations. It was the patriotism of Ifeany Ubah,a hard-line supporter of the immediate past president that saved Nigeria from consternation and anarchy. While some have praised his love for country, others have labelled him a sycophant who is jostling to curry favour or avoid being prosecuted by the present administration for yet to be known wrong doings in the past administration. If not for anything, he was the leader of Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria, the flagship support group of former President Jonathan's re-election bid. Be it as it may, he saved Nigerians so much pains and hard life. Just as he is vilified for doing good, the former president has been on the receiving end. The beginning of the many travails which may be the norm in response to Buhari stance on corruption. Even Buhari acknowledged the benevolence and magnanimity of Goodluck's behaviour as crucial to the sustenance of our democratic institutions, some ignoramus have been been yelling at others who dare to call Goodluck Jonathan a hero. Among those who have magnified these calls are the beautiful singer, Adokiye and Sylva, former governor of Bayelsa State. While one cannot place the context and reasoning and would choose to ignore the girl who should have concentrated on her beauty and what she knows best and be sensible before commenting on national issues, I have strong words of caution for Sylva as I responded on Vangurd thus:

Its understandable coming from Sylva, however, you cannot change the obvious. Goodluck's benevolence and magnanimity is why you can open your nonsense month and talk in a peaceful Nigeria today. The crisis would have swallowed loud mouthed hypocrites like you.

Within the week, what most of knew since the emergence of APC was confirmed in an interview with the Chairman of Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) Alhaji Ibrahim Ahmad Coomasie, a former Inspector General of Police, that what was branded change is a northern agenda to grab power. I stated further that, Coomasie are actually right. Many of us in the know have echoed the same sentiments. Many were hoodwinked into believing the 'change' mantra. However, the former president's men, his party and including himself were complacent. The south has never been united. The south is a tripartite union. The north have never been sincere about Nigeria's leadership, they always have hidden ambition, to grab power. As the House of Representatives and Senate are preparing to elect their leaders, the former governor of Delta had for seen a scenario where the President, Senate Presidency and Speaker are all from the north. This he unequivocally submitted as untenable as a nation.

Many in the South South, including Asari have echoed similar sentiments as is unfolding. In fact, he made it known that Goodluck Jonathan was his own waterloo as he refused to listen to their pleas. However, I believe Nigeria is better for the present situation. Even though the truth must be told, however we have to move on. If not for anything, the South South would have realised that the North have always cherished their friendship because of what they are endowed with. They have realised that it is good to be at peace with your neighbours. The animosity that existed between Prof Eyo Itah and Nnamdi Azikiwe have been resolved. It is South Versus North, the way it was originally before the amalgamation. That is the fault line. I hope the SW will realise themselves soon. It's only a matter of time. Because the North have never been sincere about Nigeria's leadership. Of all mighty men, a weak man was selected to lead a war made for men of valour, just like weak men, he chickened out. He opted for peace, he loved his life so much, it's a lesson for future politics, being a good man does not equal good leadership. You need people with very strong resolve, those who can even make a government ungovernable to grab power.

In conclusion, the first week of Buhari's presidency has been inundated with violence and death caused by fuel tankers plunging into markets, houses and passers-by and continued attacks by BH. As the presidency has started off with international diplomatic shuttles, he hasn't completely ignored the home front, he sent and have gotten approval for 15 advisers, 3 short of the number his predecessor had from both arms of the National Assembly. As he returns to take over fully the reins of power, he has huge challenges to surmount and Nigerians and the international community are waiting in earnest for breath of positive change.

I wish President Buhari will succeed. However, our wishes do not determine the future all the time, its our actions and inactions that shape the future and cause the forces of nature to obey us. As Buhari echoed in his inaugural address, "We have an opportunity, let us take it"

Five Reasons Why Buhari's presidency is good for Nigeria

I have adduced these reasons why Buhari's presidency is good for Nigeria.

1) The emergence of Buhari and APC is good for deepening and entrenching the democratic culture which we as a people have adopted, a culture that is inherent from our various civilizations.

2) We have become a model of democracy for Africa. The influx of who-is-who in Africa at the inauguration has given Nigeria the platform to emerge as the heartbeat and de-facto leader in Africa. This is a prerequisite for a permanent seat at the United Nations.

3) Wealth is being spread more than it would have been under a continued Goodluck Jonathan and PDP continuum as the wealth of the country would have been concentrated on the few who have been at the forefront since 1999 under PDP.

4) It showed that every region in this country is equally important as unity in any region can be a determinant in any election. Parties have learned that having presence and being active in every state in Nigeria is essential for wide acceptability as a national party.

5) Every section of this country has hope of participating in this democracy as a stakeholder, is guaranteed the topmost position of the presidency. .

President Buhari's Speech for the New Dispensation

I have been a critic of President Muhammadu Buhari. I followed the election which produced the incumbent and the fourth president of the fourth Republic. His inauguration has been met with missed feelings, I noticed that less than 30 percent of my friends on social media identified with the inauguration by changing their profile pictures to that of the president or anything related. An assessment of the social media mostly from comments posted on discus on Vanguard, Premium Times and Sahara Reporters,shows that there is still a great divide amongst the citizens as reflected in the voting pattern of the 2015 elections where the incumbent won 12 million votes to 10 million votes garnered by Goodluck Jonathan.

After performing the official handover of the flag, the former president, Goodluck Jonathan considered a hero by many and dispersed by some latest of which is the musician Peace Adokiye See here, headed down to Otueke where he was given a heroic reception. The onus is that Nigeria has become a model for peaceful transition of power and Goodluck Jonathan's name must be written in gold whenever the history of Nigeria's democracy is written. The president in his inauguration address which is featured in this blog, comes looking like a leader who is prepared, he should be, he has contested for this position severally. Some of us his critics have shouted from the rooftops that to govern the country, his policy thrust and direction ought to have been in place by now. Published on Sahara Reporters, an APC mouth picece, yesterday is an article which echoes the same concerns. The writer did not have soft words for the president's speech, he called it 'vague', read the article here , where he stated, "General Buhari would have outlined his main policy direction." While many are still focused on the past government such as this nauseating and misleading article on Sahara Reporters, in my response, I urged the writer to begin to look forward to the future. I responded thus:

Stop soliloquising about the past government. The time is now. Buhari now has all the constitutional powers to turn things around. Time has started counting. We are in a new dispensation. Your past president isn't clever, I hope the current president is clever enough to transform Nigeria in no distant time. Cleverness is not a leadership quality, start to bear your mind on how Buhari will work and how fast we want to see positive change. That is the status quo. The purported misgivings of the past government isn't a caveat for non-performance. We are watching closely.

I will not like many rush into criticism of the presidents speech, I intend to run a weekly commentary every weekend for the next four years as we await and expect change albeit positive change which has been promised by the APC and Buhari. We hope that the country will progress and emerge as a model for democracy and economic growth for Africa and the third world countries. It is our earnest desire that the magnanimity of Jonathan in conceding defeat to the president will be utilized by the incumbent for the betterment of the country. Having read the speech and noticed how Buhari singled out Former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan for praise and his commitment to a no vendetta government, I believe that if he moves in that direction, we will make progress. Here's the speech!

Inaugural speech by His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari following his swearing-in as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on 29th May, 2015

I am immensely grateful to God Who Has preserved us to witness this day and this occasion. Today marks a triumph for Nigeria and an occasion to celebrate her freedom and cherish her democracy. Nigerians have shown their commitment to democracy and are determined to entrench its culture. Our journey has not been easy but thanks to the determination of our people and strong support from friends abroad we have today a truly democratically elected government in place.

I would like to thank President Goodluck Jonathan for his display of statesmanship in setting a precedent for us that has now made our people proud to be Nigerians wherever they are. With the support and cooperation he has given to the transition process, he has made it possible for us to show the world that despite the perceived tension in the land we can be a united people capable of doing what is right for our nation. Together we co-operated to surprise the world that had come to expect only the worst from Nigeria. I hope this act of graciously accepting defeat by the outgoing President will become the standard of political conduct in the country. I would like to thank the millions of our supporters who believed in us even when the cause seemed hopeless. I salute their resolve in waiting long hours in rain and hot sunshine to register and cast their votes and stay all night if necessary to protect and ensure their votes count and were counted. I thank those who tirelessly carried the campaign on the social media. At the same time, I thank our other countrymen and women who did not vote for us but contributed to make our democratic culture truly competitive, strong and definitive.

I thank all of you.

Having just a few minutes ago sworn on the Holy Book, I intend to keep my oath and serve as President to all Nigerians.

I belong to everybody and I belong to nobody.

A few people have privately voiced fears that on coming back to office I shall go after them. These fears are groundless. There will be no paying off old scores. The past is prologue.

Our neighbours in the Sub-region and our African brethenen should rest assured that Nigeria under our administration will be ready to play any leadership role that Africa expects of it. Here I would like to thank the governments and people of Cameroon, Chad and Niger for committing their armed forces to fight Boko Haram in Nigeria.

I also wish to assure the wider international community of our readiness to cooperate and help to combat threats of cross-border terrorism, sea piracy, refugees and boat people, financial crime, cyber crime, climate change, the spread of communicable diseases and other challenges of the 21st century.

At home we face enormous challenges. Insecurity, pervasive corruption, the hitherto unending and seemingly impossible fuel and power shortages are the immediate concerns. We are going to tackle them head on. Nigerians will not regret that they have entrusted national responsibility to us. We must not succumb to hopelessness and defeatism. We can fix our problems.

In recent times Nigerian leaders appear to have misread our mission. Our founding fathers, Mr Herbert Macauley, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Alhaji Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto, Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Malam Aminu Kano, Chief J.S. Tarka, Mr Eyo Ita, Chief Denis Osadeby, Chief Ladoke Akintola and their colleagues worked to establish certain standards of governance. They might have differed in their methods or tactics or details, but they were united in establishing a viable and progressive country. Some of their successors behaved like spoilt children breaking everything and bringing disorder to the house.

Furthermore, we as Nigerians must remind ourselves that we are heirs to great civilizations: Shehu Othman Dan fodio’s caliphate, the Kanem Borno Empire, the Oyo Empire, the Benin Empire and King Jaja’s formidable domain. The blood of those great ancestors flow in our veins. What is now required is to build on these legacies, to modernize and uplift Nigeria.

Daunting as the task may be it is by no means insurmountable. There is now a national consensus that our chosen route to national development is democracy. To achieve our objectives we must consciously work the democratic system. The Federal Executive under my watch will not seek to encroach on the duties and functions of the Legislative and Judicial arms of government. The law enforcing authorities will be charged to operate within the Constitution. We shall rebuild and reform the public service to become more effective and more serviceable. We shall charge them to apply themselves with integrity to stabilize the system.

For their part the legislative arm must keep to their brief of making laws, carrying out over-sight functions and doing so expeditiously. The judicial system needs reform to cleanse itself from its immediate past. The country now expects the judiciary to act with dispatch on all cases especially on corruption, serious financial crimes or abuse of office. It is only when the three arms act constitutionally that government will be enabled to serve the country optimally and avoid the confusion all too often bedeviling governance today.

Elsewhere relations between Abuja and the States have to be clarified if we are to serve the country better. Constitutionally there are limits to powers of each of the three tiers of government but that should not mean the Federal Government should fold its arms and close its eyes to what is going on in the states and local governments. Not least the operations of the Local Government Joint Account. While the Federal Government can not interfere in the details of its operations it will ensure that the gross corruption at the local level is checked. As far as the constitution allows me I will try to ensure that there is responsible and accountable governance at all levels of government in the country. For I will not have kept my own trust with the Nigerian people if I allow others abuse theirs under my watch.

However, no matter how well organized the governments of the federation are they can not succeed without the support, understanding and cooperation of labour unions, organized private sector, the press and civil society organizations. I appeal to employers and workers alike to unite in raising productivity so that everybody will have the opportunity to share in increased prosperity. The Nigerian press is the most vibrant in Africa. My appeal to the media today – and this includes the social media – is to exercise its considerable powers with responsibility and patriotism.

My appeal for unity is predicated on the seriousness of the legacy we are getting into. With depleted foreign reserves, falling oil prices, leakages and debts the Nigerian economy is in deep trouble and will require careful management to bring it round and to tackle the immediate challenges confronting us, namely; Boko Haram, the Niger Delta situation, the power shortages and unemployment especially among young people. For the longer term we have to improve the standards of our education. We have to look at the whole field of medicare. We have to upgrade our dilapidated physical infrastructure.

The most immediate is Boko Haram’s insurgency. Progress has been made in recent weeks by our security forces but victory can not be achieved by basing the Command and Control Centre in Abuja. The command centre will be relocated to Maiduguri and remain until Boko Haram is completely subdued. But we can not claim to have defeated Boko Haram without rescuing the Chibok girls and all other innocent persons held hostage by insurgents.

This government will do all it can to rescue them alive. Boko Haram is a typical example of small fires causing large fires. An eccentric and unorthodox preacher with a tiny following was given posthumous fame and following by his extra judicial murder at the hands of the police. Since then through official bungling, negligence, complacency or collusion Boko Haram became a terrifying force taking tens of thousands of lives and capturing several towns and villages covering swathes of Nigerian sovereign territory.

Boko Haram is a mindless, godless group who are as far away from Islam as one can think of. At the end of the hostilities when the group is subdued the Government intends to commission a sociological study to determine its origins, remote and immediate causes of the movement, its sponsors, the international connexions to ensure that measures are taken to prevent a reccurrence of this evil. For now the Armed Forces will be fully charged with prosecuting the fight against Boko haram. We shall overhaul the rules of engagement to avoid human rights violations in operations. We shall improve operational and legal mechanisms so that disciplinary steps are taken against proven human right violations by the Armed Forces.

Boko Haram is not only the security issue bedeviling our country. The spate of kidnappings, armed robberies, herdsmen/farmers clashes, cattle rustlings all help to add to the general air of insecurity in our land. We are going to erect and maintain an efficient, disciplined people – friendly and well – compensated security forces within an over – all security architecture.

The amnesty programme in the Niger Delta is due to end in December, but the Government intends to invest heavily in the projects, and programmes currently in place. I call on the leadership and people in these areas to cooperate with the State and Federal Government in the rehabilitation programmes which will be streamlined and made more effective. As ever, I am ready to listen to grievances of my fellow Nigerians. I extend my hand of fellowship to them so that we can bring peace and build prosperity for our people.

No single cause can be identified to explain Nigerian’s poor economic performance over the years than the power situation. It is a national shame that an economy of 180 million generates only 4,000MW, and distributes even less. Continuous tinkering with the structures of power supply and distribution and close on $20b expanded since 1999 have only brought darkness, frustration, misery, and resignation among Nigerians. We will not allow this to go on. Careful studies are under way during this transition to identify the quickest, safest and most cost-effective way to bring light and relief to Nigerians.

Unemployment, notably youth un-employment features strongly in our Party’s Manifesto. We intend to attack the problem frontally through revival of agriculture, solid minerals mining as well as credits to small and medium size businesses to kick – start these enterprises. We shall quickly examine the best way to revive major industries and accelerate the revival and development of our railways, roads and general infrastructure. Your Excellencies, My fellow Nigerians I can not recall when Nigeria enjoyed so much goodwill abroad as now. The messages I received from East and West, from powerful and small countries are indicative of international expectations on us. At home the newly elected government is basking in a reservoir of goodwill and high expectations. Nigeria therefore has a window of opportunity to fulfill our long – standing potential of pulling ourselves together and realizing our mission as a great nation.

Our situation somehow reminds one of a passage in Shakespeare’s Julius Ceasar There is a tide in the affairs of men which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune; Omitted, all the voyage of their life, Is bound in shallows and miseries.

We have an opportunity. Let us take it.

Thank you

Muhammadu Buhari President Federal Republic of NIGERIA and Commander in-chief-of the Armed forces