Before the May 29, 2015 hand over date, the country was thrown into darkness for more than a month. There was no electricity supply and the only tangible reason(s) given for such obvious act of sabotage by the electricity companies was gas pipeline vandalisation. In fact, almost every sector of the Nigeria’s economy was at a standstill.
2. But in less than 24 hours after President Muhammadu Buhari took over from the then President, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR, the country experienced some air of relief as power supply was restored immediately, probably the vandalized gas pipelines were fixed on the night of May 29, 2015. There was overwhelming echo of joy and resounding applause from all quarters that the President’s “body-language” was the reason for the sudden change(s) in electricity supply.
3. The oil and gas sector was not left behind as news from the NNPC reassured Nigerians that the supposedly death and comatose Nigeria’s refineries will commence production at full capacity soonest, a situation that was also attributed to the “body-language of President Muhammadu Buhari.
4. Nigerians will also recalled that even some sleeping government agencies like the code of conduct bureau also suddenly woke up to their responsibilities and started looking into their books at the assets purportedly declared or not declared by some individuals that held government offices in the past with a view to persecute those who failed to make some of their assets available to the CCB. This was also largely attributed to President Buhari’s “body-language”
5. Even the growing prosecution by the anti-graft agencies of some leaders of the opposition PDP that held different offices during the Goodluck Jonathan’s administration is also part of the body-language of the President.
6. However, the present nastiest state of Nigeria’s economy after almost one year of the Buhari’s administration is no longer as a result of the President’s “body-language” but the 16 years supposed destruction of Nigeria by the PDP administration.
7. Recent reports shows that apart from the poor state of power generation under Buhari, the unabated queues in our filling stations, the flip-flop policies of the APC led administration overtimes, (removal of fuel subsidy), the lack of coordination by the executive and the APC led National Assembly in giving Nigeria a healthy 2016 budget, hike in electricity tariff, hike in prices of goods and services, hike in transportation as a result of high prices of petroleum products, deplorable state of our refineries, Nigeria’s inflation figure which has also risen to 12.8%, the highest ever since our present democratic experience. In fact, Nigeria’s economy today is in a fast reverse gear to oblivion.
8. I wish to therefore pause and ask, what has happened to President Buhari’s “body-language”? Or, are we not supposed to attribute the present state of Nigeria’s economy to the well-celebrated body-language of the President? Must we always blame previous government of PDP for our woes and only lay claims to achievements which were actually also part of the efforts of the same previous administration to the President’s body-language?
9. Times shall tell as we await the President’s body-language to make queues disappear from our filling stations, to increase our power generation capacity, to reduce the cause of inflation in the country which will eventually reduce the high rate of prices of goods and services, to deliver to the people the needed dividends of democracy and fulfilling all the campaign promises president Buhari and the All Progressive Congress (APC) made to Nigerians during the campaigns.
10. President Muhammadu Buhari, our dear leader, where is your body-language?
By Ibu Thomas
