Understanding Buhari’s one year in office

Sir: In political governance, one year in office within the matrix of a four-year tenure means a lot both for the political party in power and the opposition. However, there is a greater stakeholder and impartial group that one year of an administration should mean most to the citizenry; who belong to neither the ruling party nor the opposition; whose welfare and security constitute the valid public purposes of government.

After one year, the question now is what has Buhari achieved on security, economy, anti-corruption and job creation? The facts should speak for themselves. And that is, that one year after, the Nigerian military has chased Boko Haram into the Sambisa forest, decimated them and restored the confidence of the Nigerian military which was nearly lost by the threat that Boko Haram constituted. The forest has been invaded and Nigerian territories under Boko Haram in the Jonathan’s presidency have been reclaimed by the Nigerian army. The fear of Boko Haram is gradually vanishing as a lead into the abduction of 219 Chibok girls has been discovered with the rescue of one or two of the girls. On security, a lot has been achieved in one year.

Another issue that President Buhari promised to address is the anti-corruption war. There have been recoveries of public resources from former public functionaries and a huge control of public funds has been achieved through the implementation of Treasury Single Account (TSA). The President had on February 5,   told the Nigerian people and the international community in London that the nation had saved up to N 2.2 trillion within three months.

Certainly, in May the savings must have improved and the country really needs this culture to get out of the economic quagmire as many of those who looted the treasury are being tried in relevant courts of law for various corruption offences. On anti-corruption, achievements have also been recorded in the last 12 months.

On economy and job creation, the President and his party still need to do a lot to start here. However, with the implementation of the 34 priority projects all over the country in the 2016 budget, the recruitment of 10,000 new staffers by the Nigerian police and the 500,000 teachers to be recruited into the teaching service, employment generation and economic revival will go hand in hand. The more than six trillion naira budget in 2016 which the President and his team have fully committed themselves to its implementation will certainly cause the economy to experience stimulation and a quality rebirth. Therefore, one year of President Buhari and the APC Federal Government is after all not a lost opportunity.
UgoJim-Nwoko,
Utako, Abuja.