By Gift Samuel, The Sight News
Abuja-Following the rise in general sense of dissatisfaction among the Nigerian populace two years into the Muhammadu Buhari administration, the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) has urged the administration to
restrategize on how to deliver immediate palliative to the people.
Addressing the Media on Friday at the Buharimeter Citizens’ Town Hall meeting in Abuja, the Director of Centre for Democracy and Development(CDD), Idayat Hassan, gave the administration a pass mark in some areas such as the fight against boko haram, economy and agriculture but below average in other areas such as the disjointed effort in the fight against corruption as well as the failure to obey court orders which she said is a challenge.
She explained that Buharimeter which has been on for more than 890 days now since the inception of this administration, is meant to be a state of the nation address where citizens can come together, speak and evaluate happenings in the last two years of the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration and also an opportunity to proffer solutions.
According to her, “The fight against corruption is one area where people have seen some form of improvements but there are lists of challenges.Infact in the last two weeks, you have seen the number of scandals that the fight against corruption has actually erupted into, the issue, till date we have not heard anything from the government in terms of clarity with what exactly happened in NNPC.
“Within this same period Nigeria has gotten into the Mainagate, we are still waiting for a concise explanation as the government owes citizens explanation. The government has done a lot but it calls for serious concern when the challenges are more than the efforts”.
On the issue of insecurity, she noted that it has been marred in a lot of challenges, adding that finding a solution remains the responsibility of the administration.
Also speaking, the Former Vice Chancellor, University of Abuja and Sokoto State University, Prof. Nuhu Yaqub,noted that the so called democratically elected government which came on the spur of public acceptance has a faulty pattern of recruitment and is sluggish in the implementation of programmes.
While pointing out the necessity to constantly hold regimes accountable to either what they promised or what they have been able to achieve on the basis of the promise they made, he stressed the need to interrogate the governance style of the present administration.
Prof. Yaqub stated that the government has not totally failed but should make governance process dynamic, adding however that”We are living in a dynamic world now for goodness sakes. Why do you have to be so sluggish. There are some many things that have been brought to the attention of the government, and I am saying- no action is being taken”
On the economy, he called on the government to give details of how much it has realized from looters and also make the Monies available.
“My fear is, because there is a historical precedence to this, because if care is not taken, this money will be collected, kept somewhere and another regime will come and dispense it back to to the ‘owners’.
“But if actually this monies have been collected, let us know the quantum, what are they going to be used for and why do you have these monies and you are still asking for loans” he emphasized.
The town hall meeting with the theme, “The State of the Nation”, hammered on the need for the PMB’s administration to swiftly, inclusively and practically respond to the numerous socio-economic and political challenges of Nigeria by rethinking its approaches and strategies.
