TWO YEARS OF BUHARI'S ADMINISTRATION: HOW IS THE JOURNEY SO FAR?

BY SAEED KAMALU BAKO
U13MM1079

As 29 may, 2017 marks two years​ since president Muhammadu Buhari's government came into office, many analists will likely argue with the assessment whether the APC government​ has so far failed to live up to it's expectations or not. Because from the onset, there has been a quite clash between what the public demanded from the government and what the government can realistically archive.
Especially when we took ourselves back to the myriad of challenges faced by the country starting from economic challenges, terrorism and also the issue of corruption. It is clear that at 2015, the government was held up to standard that it was relatively not going to solve these challenges. The only resort as of then was to let Buhari in, but after election, the political reality sets in.
Although we can boldly say that none of the current problems confronting Nigeria in 2015 or even now were unprecedented, not even the so called fail in oil price, which was even evident in 2014, even before election.
However , the fact speaks for themselves, but the delayed in decision making is one of the major problem affecting this adminstration. Starting from appointment of it's cabinets which took almost 8 months to the budget approval, just to mention but a few. This government came into power on the basis of three major promises which can best be used to assess it.

https://bayelsanewmediateam.wordpress.com/2013/05/29/democracy-day-message-by-his-excellency-hon-henry-seriake-dickson-governor-of-bayelsa-state/

SECURITY
Nigeria was facing serious security challenges when Buhari steps into office and the major challenge as of then was Boko Haram, A threat that although not entirely controlled has considerably diminished.
However, with the Boko Haram threat almost coming to an end, steps in the militancy from the Niger Delta. The militancy are again resurfaced in the form of resurgence and the cause of this still remains debatable. But the attempt by this militants relatively halted since November 2016, and with this hostility, further attack will remain a threat to the national security.

CORRUPTION
The phenomenon of corruption is among the major problems of Nigeria. And at no point since it's establishment in 2003 has the EFCC been seen to be so extra-active in carrying out their job as it is at the present. Indeed, it has carried out some actions at its early stage of establishment but had since appeared to be more reluctant subsequently, until Buhari came into office in 2015 and gave it a new fresh tease on life. But this is where problem lies, so many critics are still saying that The commission in two years of action is yet to  commiserate jail term to any government official . The public patience on this issue is no doubt starting to run thin as it is obvious and indeed appeared to be even more greater by the day. But what about the likes of Babangida Aliyu of Niger, Bala Ngilari of adamawa, Olisa Metuh, Sambo Dasuki and many others who are still in detention?..This shows that the commission has done a lot even though so many people will argue not up to expectation.

ECONOMY
The poor Nigerians are now watching as the country's declining macro-economic fundamentals have translated into daily hardship on their lives. Which also has seen historic price increase and depreciated currency which has affected people's purchasing power.
The debate is still ongoing on the right path for the government to follow  at this point. With each faction of the debate keen to point out how its policy recommendation is the appropriate one . However, rarely does either side of the debate acknowledge this are the key fact: that no path is likely to result in an immediate improvement in the lives of the poor Nigerians.
So if many experts are not centred on the same issue, how should the government respond to it!!! This is the question that even the masses can not answer.
But despite the delay, the recent publication of the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) at least provides a hope that government is making the right move in providing clarity on the direction of the Economic plan and it is obvious that two important developments will determine the likelihood that the policies under the ERGP will be implemented. One is the presidential backing and then the constrain of the electoral calendar placed on policy makers.
Of course, due to political subjectivity, politicians may suggest that the last two years have been a wasted one, with the government loosing focus. But we must demand more of this government to secure our future, but let's not forget where we came from. For five consecutive years, from the hands of incompetent administration which not only going round, but also never mind going round in a circle.  It was sliding dangerously backward, appointing incompetent cronies  who used the public treasury to settle themselves and making us to live at our worst.

It is two years now, but the answers to the success or failure of this admistration still remain vague.