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President Muhammadu Buhari: 100 Wasted Days?

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buhariWastage and loss are bitter experiences and both the two popular scriptures used in this clime appropriate great bounties for patience in the face of loss. The

bitterness expectedly is proportional to the severity of the loss and may be a relative term depending on individuals. But one thing is unanimous, loss is most traumatising when it involves the whole life or means livelihood. It feels devastating to feel completely useless. (Un)fortunately this is just what our wailing friends (or better, foes) have experienced in the past 100 days. 

From inauguration of the inconsiderate General, Muhammadu Buhari(termed as ‘new Sheriff in town’ by his aide) as Nigerian President, many great Nigerians have lost a variety of things and angrily believe the whole country too has a negative net value in its profit and loss account. In a spirit of inclusive and considerate democracy, let us show respect to this big men and women and their equally big understanding. It is also our duty to show this ‘innocent’ people empathy. 

First, the new president (sorry sheriff) threw all tenets of Nigerian democracy to the River Niger like a ‘sour Fura-da-Nono fed Fulani man’ and declared himself belonging to everybody. How can president be an equal property of the overfed and the starved? But it came to pass and the seed of wastage and loss for big men and women was sown. 

Politicians and power brokers have lost so much fortune these days. The president is as unpredictable as the weather in Lagos. One can be appointed to any post without knowing the president’s wife, his aides or his friends. He even appointed people he himself had never seen or known physically because they have proven record. This is not how it was done and if it is not a waste of opportunity for ambitious politicians, what is it? 

How is it not a loss and wastage too to our friends when the government has taken a strict stance that made them jobless? After grazing for more than 30 years in the lush and evergreen side of the Nigerian flag, many woke up shocked to realise they were pushed in to the central white (and dry) part of the flag. Big men in public service now live on only their salary. The wickedness did not stop there; some goats are completely separated from yam while others are expected to give accountability to yam under their care. Yet some goats are even forced daily to purge out the ‘little’ they have ingested in the past. Haba! 

How many dollars have our patriotic petroleum product importers and marketers lost due to the recent developments in the oil sector? Without the president uttering a word, comatose refineries started working providing a substantial volume of petroleum products for local consumption and reducing import. As if that is not enough wastage, all eyes are also on the import formalities and the subsidy attached to it. From the report around the country on electricity generation and distribution, generator importers and marketers too are not smiling. Who smiles at a loss and prospect of a bigger loss in future? 

Surprisingly, the president made sure that he too is part of the victims of loss and wastage. He cut his salary, that of his vice and aides leading to loud nationwide agitations for same cut (wastage) for the legislators. He is not resting and is moving from overhauling one institution to restructuring another. 

He is committing too much in fight against corruption and doesn’t spare any opportunity in telling whosoever cares to listen that stealing is corruption. He embarked on needless trips in quest for ties and return of looted funds and to better regional cooperation in fight for terror.  This waste of time is fast translating into another loss of money for our faithful elitist looters and beneficiaries of insecurity. 

He is also wasting time in appointing members of his cabinet hiding under the unimportant umbrella of ferreting for people with integrity. He should have just appointed people around or asked his wife to make nominations and spare us this wastage of his presidential time and ours speculating and haggling on who the next appointee will be on social media. Many gigabytes of internet data bundle would have been saved. 

This is just 100 days and the fear (to most of us, hope) is there are four years to spend. That’s why when I first saw the tag #100WastedDays on twitter; I know it was a work of genius. Only the bold summon courage and admit they are losing (or is it wasting their time and lives?) and only geniuses express it so succinctly. 

Carry on Baba. Continue wasting our resources and whosoever is angry enough and wants judicious management shall log off Twitter and start campaigning for the return of PDP in 2019 in his street or nearby marketplace and assess people’s responses. 

Dr Marzuq Abubakar Ungogo writes from Kano and can be reached via myzooq@gmail.com ; twitter @Marzuq_Ungogo

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