It is said that one good turn deserves another. Does President Muhammadu Buhari deserve a second term in office? Has he performed well to deserve another term?
These questions have palpitated in my head effectuating mixed feelings. The reason is that President Buhari if weighed on the scale of some expected deliverable such as security (fighting insurgency specifically) and combating corruption; I would say he has performed five points above average. But if examined on the slab of economy, health, policy, national cohesion, impartiality, rule of law and fairness, I would say he has flunked the essential test of governance.
Initially, I was one of those who rationalised every of Buhari’s administrative faux-pas, but I had to let my conscience find rest. Buhari has disappointed many of his non-fanatical admirers and supporters. He has disappointed me.
President Buhari and his party – the All Progressives Congress – made appetising promises to Nigerians in the build-up to the 2015 presidential election, but none has been fulfilled. I stand to be challenged on this.
I do not want to sound malevolent in this article, but the Buhari government infected a relatively healthy economy with policy-epilepsy. That said; let me briefly examine just four of Buhari’s 2015 campaign promises.
On health, Buhari promised to “ensure that no Nigerian will have a reason to go outside of the country for medical treatment”.
Has this promised been fulfilled? Are there signs that it will be fulfilled in the next one year in the life of this administration?
On employment, the president promised to “target the creation of three million new jobs a year through industrialisation, public work and agricultural expansion”.
Sadly, instead creating three million jobs, the Buhari government has thrown six million Nigerians into the job market.
On housing, the president promised to “create a mortgage market by reforming land ownership to give ordinary Nigerians easy access to title deeds”. This has not been achieved.
On electricity, it was promised that “the APC government shall vigorously pursue the expansion of electricity generation and distribution of up to 40,000 MW in 4 to 8 years”. Nigeria’s electricity generation currently oscillates between 2,500 MW and 3,500 MW.
I have chosen to state just four seducing and lofty promises the president and his party made during the 2015 presidential election campaign.
