Buhari At One!

In the lead up to the March 28, 2015 presidential election, President Muhammadu Buhari made some campaign promises on certain issues such as security, corruption and economy, among others.

One year after, observers, while assessing Buhari’s achievements, note that he has performed creditably while some think one year hasnt pulled out any result.

Analysts insist that in spite the falling oil price in the international and its attendant effect on the nation’s economy, the Buhari-led Federal Government is prudently wading through the storm.

They say the menace of Boko Haram insurgency, which has significantly hampered nation-building efforts, has been appreciably contained; while the residents of the north-eastern parts of the country – the main theatre of the insurgency -- are now having some respite.

More so, the analysts argue that pervasive corruption, which has hitherto bedevilled the country, is being tackled headlong, even as Nigeria’s external image in terms of anti-corruption crusade has improved considerably.

In his inaugural speech, the president acknowledged that the challenges facing the country were quite enormous and voiced his determination to tackle them.

``At home, we face enormous challenges. Insecurity, pervasive corruption, the hitherto unending and seemingly impossible fuel and power shortages are the immediate concerns.

``We are going to tackle them head-on. Nigerians will not regret that they have entrusted national responsibility to us. We must not succumb to hopelessness and defeatism; we can fix our problems,’’ he then said.

In his Democracy Day speech on May 29, Buhari maintained that he had launched the most ambitious social protection programme in Nigeria’s history.

He said that the programme aimed at kick-starting the process of lifting many citizens from poverty, while simultaneously creating opportunities for people to fend for themselves.

``In this regard, N500 billion has been appropriated in the 2016 budget for social intervention programmes in five key areas.

``We are committed to providing job creation opportunities for 500,000 teachers and 100,000 artisans across the nation.

``Besides, 5.5 million children are to be provided with nutritious meals through our school feeding programme so as to improve learning outcomes, as well as enrolment and completion rates.

``The conditional cash transfer scheme will provide financial support for up to one million vulnerable beneficiaries and complement the enterprise programme – which will target up to one million market women; 460,000 artisans and 200,000 agricultural workers nationwide.

``Through the education grant scheme, we will encourage students studying sciences, technology, engineering and maths, and lay a foundation for human capital development for the next generation.

``I would like to pay a special tribute to our gallant men and women of the armed forces who are in harm’s way so that the rest of us can live and go about our business in safety.

``Their work is almost done. The nation owes them a debt of gratitude.’’

Buhari said that in spite of the economic problems brought about by falling oil prices, the on-going economic reforms of his administration would save the nation N23 billion annually.

He said that the recent increase in the pump price of petrol was to save the economy from total collapse, while eliminating the massive corruption induced by the fuel subsidy regime.

Nevertheless, perceptive stakeholders agree with the government, saying that it has made significant progress, particularly in efforts to stamp out corruption and address security