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Editor’s note: Supporters of President Muhammadu Buhari’s action or style of leadership argue that the recovery of stolen funds and setting new ground norms for accountable governance is the foundation of our shared prosperity and it is the primary reason he was voted into power. Naijaonpoint.com‘s Osilama Okuofu analyses the President’s prospect as regards tackling corruption and proper governance of the nation.
When then candidate, now President, Muhammadu Buhari ran for office during the last general elections, he made sweeping promises on how he would fight corruption, insurgency, youth unemployment, hunger, economic malaise amongst others from day one, hitting the ground running.
Are Nigerian’s worried about this government?
Nigerians, wanting change and a departure from drudgery, gave him their mandate but two months down the line, questions are already being asked about the style of this government and its implication on the people so exuberantly expectant.
Muhammadu Buhari campaigning before the 2015 general elections.
Two and a half months since taking over the reins from former President Goodluck Jonathan, Nigerians are beginning to wonder at the one-sided approach to dealing with the Nigerian Project.
Even from casual observation, it is clear that all that appear to matter to this president is his avowed fight against corruption.
Can Buhari truly fight corruption?
Like the revered Arch-Bishop Olubunmi Okojie averred, eighty percent of this government’s focus is on fighting corruption and instigating probes while the remaining twenty percent could be said to be on the fight against insurgency in the North East.
He wondered why this should be when he sees Nigerians wallowing under abject economic conditions occasioned by the lull in business and trade activities due to government’s failure to signal the direction it wants to go so that other economic agents, local and foreign, could begin to take positions and make investment decisions.
The controversy trailing Father Kukah’s admonition of the president to ‘get on with it’ is not unrelated to this observation.
This is what the doctrine of change represents to them. The argument is further deepened with the take that when these looted funds are recovered, they would then be used to better the lot of the people. So what is the rush?
I quite agree that this makes sound-sense. Our value systems must change for sustainable growth and development.
The culture of pillorying our commonwealth by a handful of people mandated by the majority to govern over them has to cease.
What the president must quickly address
Stolen funds starched in numerous foreign bank accounts must be repatriated and those who perpetuated such acts, brought to justice.
How would any true patriot disagree with this? However, governance is much more than that.
It is about safeguarding the lives of the people, their economic well-being, the provision of amenities, development of the infrastructures, provision of an enabling environment for investors to express themselves; it is about the full blend of the macro economy where both fiscal and monetary policies operate side by side aiming to achieve the economic agenda of the government. It is not about operating in a seeming void.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the original author. These views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of Naijaonpoint.com, its editors or other contributors.
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