By Orkuma Hembe
Our universe is so carefully created and through evolution; man has perfected the art of reading times and seasons. As we carefully study our environment it becomes easier to forecast the weather and predict if it will be a sunny or rainy day.
This reality is also true for politics and politicians. The most honest political predictions usually come from people with little or no vested interests in the resulting circumstances.
Towards the end of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan’s administration, they were clear indicators that he had become irreparably unpopular and was woefully on the path to lose the 2015 general elections.
A series of miscalculations on his part took centre stage; chief among them was his fallout with his erstwhile political godfather Chief Olusegun Mathew Okikiola Aremu Obasanjo who he later referred to as a garage tout.
GEJ went on to annex the PDP ticket through tactical coercion and followed this grave miscalculation up with his outright refusal to replace his laughably unpopular Vice President, whose entire political weight could not deliver a local government in his home State; Kaduna. Not to mention the reckless statements his wife, cronies and allies were reeling out at will, insulting the sensibilities of Nigerians.
The signals of GEJ’s impending loss at the polls were clear enough for the blind to see, and perhaps audible enough for the deaf to hear, one just wonders why he or none of his close associates ever saw their defeat coming, even after Chief Obasanjo documented his watch, in “MY WATCH”.
I was surprised that the PDP and GEJ expressed shock at their loss in the elections. Were they taken unawares? All the parameters of failure lay bare before everyone. Anyway my people often say “dog wen wan loss, no dey hear him oga whistle again”; it is also said, when God wants to destroy a king; He hardens his heart, just like he did to the Egyptian pharaoh of ancient history. These truths finally explained a lot to me.
I am an APC core sympathiser; in fact I campaigned tirelessly for the party and its candidates in the last general election, committing my time and resources to its success at every level. This I did out of my honest desire to save the Nigerian nation from a failing government whose mental disposition was founded on parochial, sectional and regional sentiments, with an unfortunate mind set of “na our turn to chop, na our oil money”.
This rather irritating orientation and mind set had become more like an epidemic within the system and it needed to be curtailed just like we did with the EBOLA virus and Lassa fever today.
Muhamadu Buhari seemed a more formidable alternative to confront such an incumbent that accommodated within its ranks, a bunch of low level of thinking individuals, with vicious ex militants as opinion leaders/ stalwarts, whose predominant feature in character was violence and empty threats.
Buhari’s anti-corruption credentials and track record of a disciplined and fearless General couldn’t have presented a better option and beacon of hope for Nigeria at such a time in his entire political career and our history as a nation.
Nigerians, who were in search for a messiah-like personality that would bring our dear nation out of the woods, found one in PMB and desperately rallied around him in their numbers closing their ears to all manner of cheap blackmails of race, tribe, region and bigotry. All who came in support were accommodated.
Different people supported PMB for many and different reasons, some of which include but are not limited to, sentiments of region, religion, tribe, personality, character, integrity and honesty. Others (mostly politicians) hid behind his blooming personality to access power using his hard won identity of a glowing and glittering integrity. A good number also were true believers in the possibilities of a better future for Nigeria.
In spite of all this, PMB on his inaugural speech made it clear and in very simple words that Nigeria was above any of these myopic and selfish interests and he took sides with the last category of his supporter base when he said “I belong to everybody, I belong to nobody”. What confidence that statement had reposed in me about the pleasant future that awaited us as a people, I cannot quantify in words.
A month into this new administration, our dear President was perceived by many as studying the situation. During this time, I read an analysis by an APC sympathiser in one of the national dailies that had identified six thousand job openings for APC members that were to come from mass sack and retrenchment of PDP members heading boards and parastatals alone. Party chieftains close to PMB wallowed in a daily euphoria of lobbyists trooping into their residences seeking favours and keeping tabs on their phone lines.
Then, two months passed, then three, four, five and in the sixth month after so many hopes for quick fix solutions had been dashed; Ministers were finally unveiled.
At first I tried to criticise the calibre of people on the list but after listening to their individual defence at the senate I was relaxed and convinced about the formidability of this team.
The nation then took to another toll of the waiting game, trying to figure out which individual occupied which portfolio; while fuel scarcity lingered within same time, the naira took a nose dive and went into hiding as the dollar continued to punch it to a near state of comatose with only a few breaths left on the parallel market and the months went by.
Christmas was celebrated at half current last year with Nigerians either bitterly complaining or trying to figure out through a comparative analysis, what difference this change government represented compared to what obtained under the PDP. Some states could not even pay staff salaries.
In all these, the presidential chat of New Year’s Day once again rekindled my hope and belief in PMB’s ability to provide a deserving leadership for our dear nation. Even though his comments on the economy were not as convincing and holistic as I had expected.
PMB spoke passionately about his commitment to nip corruption in the bud and his administration’s desire to diversify the economy to contain the shock experienced from the unprecedented dwindling oil revenues. Job creation for our teeming youth as well as fighting insecurity also enjoyed a pride of place in his speech on the day; nothing could be more reassuring.
It has been two months since then and the waiting game continues. What benefits, such wait tend to generate is what I am yet to reconcile. Because in spite of such careful planning, our hitherto celebrated cabinet ministers have become timid and too careful so not to make mistakes.
During this careful wait the Nigerian government suffered embarrassments recently with the unfortunate news of the padding of 2016 budget.
During this wait fuel scarcity has resurfaced and black marketers have resumed business in full scale on our streets.
During this wait former government officials alleged of corruption are yet to be convicted, we see a daily drama of charge and bail without a corresponding design to strengthen government institutions to avert future occurrences.
During this wait, the Five Thousand Naira hitherto promised the unemployed Nigerian youth was abolished.
During this wait electricity tariffs have hit an all-time high without any significant improvement in power supply.
During this wait, departments and agencies of government have been given warrants of payment yet no cash backing to commence government operations.
We read in the news how the new custom boss has remitted trillions of Naira into government coffers; we hear how looted funds have been recovered to appreciable tunes yet no cash backing to run government. Ok oh my knowledge of economics is quite poor so I may need a little more tutelage on how the economy works.
The Honourable Minister of Information will do us a lot of good if he can shed more light on these concerns rather than the almost daily release of fresh lists of persons who allegedly looted the states treasury dry.
The Honourable Minister should please be reminded that Nigerians had a fair grasp of the looting and impunity that went on under the watch of the PDP and that was exactly why we voted them out of office to give way for a more credible PMB administration.
I remember with enthusiasm, when Lai Muhamed took a swipe at Olisa Metuh the former PDP spokesman, saying Metuh need some tutelage on how to run an opposition party. I beg to ask sir; don’t you think it will also be appropriate us to get some kind of lecture of how to run government too? Please don’t take this personal, I am only being curious.
Nigerians are crying, there is poverty, pain and penury in the land; the positive commentary is gradually disappearing. If this hardship were accompanied with a clearly defined and well outlined plan of action or perhaps an expected destination, then Nigerians would endure in a joyful hope of holding the promise someday.
The literature available from the silence and body language of the change leadership tilts to the contrary, that’s why I am compelled to shout May Day! I see icebergs ahead though they may appear quite small from a distance; they have a great mass hidden beneath the waters.
My beloved President Muhamadu Buhari, no doubt, you are an epitome of humility, honesty and integrity. I know you mean well for Nigeria and Nigerians but please heed to this lone voice in the wilderness. May Day…May Day…May Day
Orkuma Hembe is former NANS President
