Eight years is a long time in the life of a person. It is also a long period in the life of a nation. Eight years is long enough for a person to move from grass to grace or slide from the zenith to the nadir. It is long enough a period for a country to move from wealth to want or from misery to mirth. Eight years is long enough for a country to reverse negative trends and become a reference in the comity of nations.
In eight years, a fresh high school graduate can complete bachelor’s degree in medicine, go for houseman-ship and participate in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). In six years, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai was built and a desert was turned into one of the most attractive places on earth. In eight years, Argentina’s national team, La Albiceleste, went from losing the World Cup final to Germany in 2014 to defeating France to clinch the coveted trophy in 2022, thus ending the Argentine’s 36 years hunger for the global laurel.
In seven years, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, first Premier of the old Western Region, transformed the region and improved the lives of the people. During that period, he instituted free education and free basic healthcare across all parts of the region. He increased the minimum wage from the general payable fee of five shillings. He established the first television station in Africa even when France, a First World country, had yet to do so. He built Cocoa House, the first skyscraper in Africa. He built Liberty Stadium, the first of its kind on the continent of Africa. He also built Bodija Estate, the nation’s first modern residential estate.
To industrialise the region and create employment opportunities for his people, he established businesses such as Wema Bank of Nigeria, Wemabod Estates, Epe Plywood, Nigerian Wire and Cable, Nigeria General Insurance, National Bank of Nigeria, Union Beverages Ltd., Askar Paints, Sunga Company, Gravil Enthoven and Company, Cocoa Industries, Wrought Iron Ltd., Vegetable Oil, and Odu’a Textiles, among others. If the South West region enjoys an edge over others with respect to education and inudstrialisation, Awolowo laid the foundation in just seven years.
In eight years, between 1983 and 1991, Flight Lt. Jerry Rawlings, the late Ghanaian president, transformed his country’s economy and reversed the slide in his homeland. As a result of the introduction of Economic Recovery Program (ERP) by Rawlings, Ghana was able to lower inflation through stringent fiscal, monetary, and trade policies; increase the flow of foreign exchange; restructure her economic institutions; restore production incentives; rehabilitate infrastructure to enhance conditions for the production and export of goods; and increase the availability of essential consumer goods. On the watch of Rawlings, the government was able to create an economic climate conducive to the generation of capital. Consequently, the Ghanaian economy became so strong that many of the nationals, who had fled the country as a result of her economic downturn, returned to their fatherland.
In five years as President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela strengthened the country’s economy. He introduced the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP), which was a socio-economic policy framework meant to address the immense socio-economic problems brought about by apartheid. Through this, the Mandela administration alleviated poverty and corrected the massive shortfalls in social services across South Africa. The late South African statesman also introduced the Growth, Employment and Redistribution (GEAR) macroeconomic policy targeted at the rapid liberalization of the economy. With that, the government was able to achieve the relaxation of exchange controls, privatisation of state assets, trade liberalisation, strict deficit reduction targets, and monetary policies that brought about the stability of the currency.
Mandela also initiated a process of national healing and reconciliation. He was able to give the country a new constitution founded on human dignity, non-racialism and non-sexism as well as the supremacy of the constitution and the rule of law. As a result of the effective leadership provided by Mandela, by the time he completed his term, South African was on the path of steady economic growth while the people had shoved the hurt and pains of apartheid behind them.
For about 100 days in 1994, Rwanda was thrown into a genocidal ethnic crisis that left about 800,000 people dead. By 2020 when Paul Kagama took over as president, the country had become a failed state; trust was gone, treasury was looted, facilities were run down, economy was in comatose and hope was dimmed. But by 2008, Rwanda had become a better country and Rwandans more united than ever before. Now in Rwanda, killers and children of their victims live together without any trace of hatred. The country has moved from being tribally divided to being nationally united. The economy has greatly improved and the government works for the people. As President, Kagame has transformed Rwanda from a symbol of hatred and death to the poster boy of justice, peace, progress and prosperity.
On March 28, 2015, majority of Nigerian voters elected General Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as president in preference to the incumbent, Dr Goodluck Jonathan. On May 29, 2015, General Buhari was inaugurated as the nation’s president for a four-year term. He was re-elected on February 23, 2019. So, by May 29, 2023, he will be completing his second and final term as president. How has President Buhari made use of the opportunity offered him by Providence to run the affairs of the country? How has he deployed the power of eight years? What has become of the promises he made eight years ago? How has he managed the possibilities of the eight years? How has his presidency affected the various sectors in the country? How has his presidency impacted on the economy, security and infrastructure? How has the Buhari presidency affected the average Nigerian?
These are the questions we intend to answer in this three-part assessment of the Muhammadu Buhari presidency. The series starts today and continues over the next two days.
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