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Juxtaposing the current state of Buhari's presidency with the euphoria that greeted his emergence as winner of the historic 2015 elections, here are some low-hanging fruits that require no legislation that Mr. Buhari should have plucked to assert himself clearly as a leader who has both the moral and intellectual astuteness to effect the fundamental changes Nigerians have long craved.
Premium Times listed Buhari's 7 Mistakes In His 1st Year as President of Nigeria
- Disclosure of Asset – Uptil this moment, the president is yet to publicly open his asset to Nigerians despite verification by the Code of Conduct Bureau.
- Reap as you vote – Favouritism and Tribalism
The ethnic and tribal sentiments that have for long been a feature of Nigeria’s elections were palpable in the outcome of the 2015 general elections. The results showed that while the people of the north embraced Mr. Buhari in large numbers, those in the south-south and south-east overwhelmingly voted to keep “their own” in office.
Notwithstanding, a plurality of Nigerians had expected that the president would govern fairly and inclusively in order to heal whatever wound the election may have left behind.
Alas, there’s little evidence to show that Mr. Buhari did this. Instead, he began by appointing mainly northerners to the consternation of even those who were amongst his staunchest allies. Mr. Buhari appointed dozens of aides in the first weeks of his administration without ceding any of the positions to the southeast.
Asked how he intended to implement an inclusive development of the south-south, Mr. Buhari delved into the results of the elections, speaking of how the limited support he received from the area would certainly reflect in his government’s policies and programmes to them.
- Public mood and local media - hardly speaks to local media - From when he would name his ministers (in U.S.) to how he won’t let the central bank devalue (in Paris) the president has made most of the key pronouncements abroad. Talking to local media would have helped him better understand and gauge public opinion.
- Presidential Air Fleet
From a Boeing 737 to choppers, those who should know said there are about 11 aircraft in the presidential air fleet. His campaign assured Nigerians that some of those aircraft would be disposed of if the president won the elections.
With budget, it’s business as usual in Abuja - Given that one of Mr. Buhari’s rallying cries during the campaign was a promise to eliminate waste within his administration and streamline state agencies and parastatals, history has recorded that Mr. Buhari’s first budget was marred by irregularities–embarrassing and administrative irregularities. It failed to send the much-needed signal to unscrupulous civil servants that a new sheriff was indeed in town. It was a disaster.
- Being Nigeria’s most effective salesman - Of the 30 foreign trips Mr. Buhari made in his first year, hardly did he return from any without dropping a “bombshell”. While some were inadvertent gaffes, too many others were as deliberate as they were damaging.
Nigeria’s president has travelled to distant lands to castigate his people as “criminals”, “corrupt” and “unruly” and even urged foreign investors to be wary.
Although a plurality of Nigerian foreign policy analysts have condemned the president for his outbursts, some of his supporters say he was being honest. That could seem an afterthought. If the president does not want to sell Nigeria–which is actually part of his job– he should, at least, not de-market it.
Culled from PremiumTimes Analysis
Premium Times listed Buhari's 7 Mistakes In His 1st Year as President of Nigeria
- Disclosure of Asset – Uptil this moment, the president is yet to publicly open his asset to Nigerians despite verification by the Code of Conduct Bureau.
- Reap as you vote – Favouritism and Tribalism
The ethnic and tribal sentiments that have for long been a feature of Nigeria’s elections were palpable in the outcome of the 2015 general elections. The results showed that while the people of the north embraced Mr. Buhari in large numbers, those in the south-south and south-east overwhelmingly voted to keep “their own” in office.
Notwithstanding, a plurality of Nigerians had expected that the president would govern fairly and inclusively in order to heal whatever wound the election may have left behind.
Alas, there’s little evidence to show that Mr. Buhari did this. Instead, he began by appointing mainly northerners to the consternation of even those who were amongst his staunchest allies. Mr. Buhari appointed dozens of aides in the first weeks of his administration without ceding any of the positions to the southeast.
Asked how he intended to implement an inclusive development of the south-south, Mr. Buhari delved into the results of the elections, speaking of how the limited support he received from the area would certainly reflect in his government’s policies and programmes to them.
- Public mood and local media - hardly speaks to local media - From when he would name his ministers (in U.S.) to how he won’t let the central bank devalue (in Paris) the president has made most of the key pronouncements abroad. Talking to local media would have helped him better understand and gauge public opinion.
- Presidential Air Fleet
From a Boeing 737 to choppers, those who should know said there are about 11 aircraft in the presidential air fleet. His campaign assured Nigerians that some of those aircraft would be disposed of if the president won the elections.
With budget, it’s business as usual in Abuja - Given that one of Mr. Buhari’s rallying cries during the campaign was a promise to eliminate waste within his administration and streamline state agencies and parastatals, history has recorded that Mr. Buhari’s first budget was marred by irregularities–embarrassing and administrative irregularities. It failed to send the much-needed signal to unscrupulous civil servants that a new sheriff was indeed in town. It was a disaster.
- Being Nigeria’s most effective salesman - Of the 30 foreign trips Mr. Buhari made in his first year, hardly did he return from any without dropping a “bombshell”. While some were inadvertent gaffes, too many others were as deliberate as they were damaging.
Nigeria’s president has travelled to distant lands to castigate his people as “criminals”, “corrupt” and “unruly” and even urged foreign investors to be wary.
Although a plurality of Nigerian foreign policy analysts have condemned the president for his outbursts, some of his supporters say he was being honest. That could seem an afterthought. If the president does not want to sell Nigeria–which is actually part of his job– he should, at least, not de-market it.
Culled from PremiumTimes Analysis