The naira had spiralled downward from N199 on May 29, 2015, when President Buhari took over office and was later ranked as one of the worst performing in 2016. At a point, it exchanged for N500 per $1 but now stand at N754 per $1 at the parallel market despite billions of dollars pumped out by the CBN to stabilise it.
Nothing serious has been done to stop gas flaring by oil companies operating in the Niger Delta. It was only in October 2018 that the government issued a directive to multinational oil firms to stop flaring and increased the penalty by 600 per cent. Until the non-flaring regime comes into effect, the government cannot appropriate it as an achievement.
Instead of attracting more doctors, the country has witnessed a huge brain drain in the health sector than ever before. Even the president has no confidence in the nation’s healthcare delivery system and has consistently gone to the UK for treatment and for his son.
None of the federal government-owned tertiary institutions has been upgraded to world-class standard since the administration came into power.
Instead of creating additional middle-class, more people have slipped into poverty to the extent that Nigeria has overtaken India in the poorest of the poor index and is now considered the world headquarters of poverty – 130 million Nigerians are now in the poverty circle.
Creation of 720,000 jobs by the 36 states in the federation per annum (20,000 per state) is a bogus, political falsehood.
There is no evidence this promise has been fulfilled in any state of the Nigeria.
Generation, transmission and distribution of at least 20,000 MW of electricity within four years and increasing to 50,000 MW with a view to achieving 24/7 uninterrupted power supply within 10 years.
As of December 2014, the total installed capacity of the country’s power plants was 7, 445 MW, available capacity was 4,949 MW and the average generation was about 3,900 MW. However, during campaigns, then Lagos Governor, former Power, Works and Housing Minister, Babatunde Fashola, had boasted on a monitored television programme, “Power generation isn’t rocket science. It’s just a generator. So just remember that your ‘I better pass your neighbour’ in one million times in capacity but in one place.”
However, on August 3, 2018, while addressing a retreat for top officials of his ministry, Fashola said the generation capacity is 7000 MW while the distribution capacity stood at 5,222 megawatts, a situation that shows no improvement and far off the 4000 megawatts promised to be delivered yearly by the administration.
Instead of creating three million jobs per year which could have culminated in a total of 12 million jobs in four years, the unemployment rate under the Buhari administration has risen from 18.8 per cent in Q3 2017 to 23.1 per cent in the third quarter of 2018 according to a recent report by the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics (NBS). According to the Bureau’s Labour Force Statistics – Volume I released on December 19, 2018, the total number of people classified as unemployed- which means they did nothing at all or worked for a few hours (under 20 hours a week) rose from 17.6 million in Q4 2017 to 20.9 million in Q3 2018.
Ensuring timely payment of retirement benefits for all pensioned senior citizens and creating a poverty safety net for all aged citizens above the age of 65.
Veterans of Nigeria Army personnel that stuck out their lives for Nigeria’s unity in the unjustifiable Biafra-Nigeria civil war, are still owed pension after various arduous, physical audit and verification exercises across the length and breadth of military formations in Nigeria! Yet, as a former combatant of the civil war, Buhari is aloof, tight lipped, on this crucial matter that involves his former colleagues.
Just recently, three veterans of the Biafra-Nigeria civil war, now in their seventies, appeared as guests at a monitored radio programme in Lagos. Private Joseph Otigba, Private Adebayo Michael and Private Osatugba, gave harrowing descriptions of their experience in their bid to get their pension from the military board in Abuja!
Reviving and reactivating our comatose refineries to optimum capacity has been a conduit pipe for looting the treasury. The open-ended repair work on the refineries has convoluted the already precarious fuel supply situation across Nigeria.
The litany of the above issues is enough to drain a man’s mental strength and stretch his capacity – at 80 years, age is Buhari’s worst enemy.
Arising from the comatose state of Nigerian refineries, fuel scarcity has become the norm, no thanks to the monopoly of the old, newly rebranded NNPC and NNPCL!
Fuel now sells for between N250 and N380 across Nigeria. No thanks to a shadowy Minister of Petroleum, Who president Buhari has refused to sack.
Nigeria has no business, at all, to experience fuel scarcity, not with her A-1 status, as a oil producing nation. Infantile excuses for fuel scarcity by the NNPC/NNPCL are not tenable but a gross insult on the psyche and intelligence of Nigerians. Nigerians are not daft people but are merely overwhelmed by bad policies of government to appear stupid, foolish and docile!
Recently the DSS issued a 72-hours ultimatum to petroleum marketers and filling stations to make fuel available at filling stations. That threat was nothing but a puff of hot air – not one filling station has been shut till today, not one official arrested.
If recent statements by president Buhari are critically examined, it is obvious he is already tired and prepared to hand over to whoever emerges winner of the 2023 presidential election.
President Buhari is quoted to say, “I believe I’m trying my best, but still my best is not good enough.”
Clearly, president Buhari is tired and anxious to return to his farm in Daura.
Notwithstanding, as president, Buhari should sack the minister of petroleum and his deputy, the minister of state for petroleum, and the entire board of the NNPC/NNPCL. These appointees are the causes of fuel scarcity in Nigeria.
Finally, the Year 2022 Christmas is the last that will be celebrated under Buhari as president. Is this Buhari’s parting, farewell gift to Nigerians? As our elders say, “The diety that will not improve a man’s life should rather leave the man at the level it met him or her.” It will be fair if president Buhari will leave office but ensure free flow of fuel across Nigeria as he met it on May 29, 2015.
May God bless Nigeria.