Dear President, we already lost faith in you
President Buhari has asked Nigerians not to lose faith in him. But no one will take him seriously until he begins to deliver
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It's too late now, unfortunately.
"As we use the memorable occasion of this celebration to reflect on our current challenges, I urge you not to lose faith in the ability of this administration to make a difference in the lives of our people," the President said.
It's easy to lose faith when the administration in which you hung so much hope, doesn't even communicate or communicates poorly.
It is true that Buhari inherited an economy in ruins. It is true that the Nigerian leader took over the reins from a grossly incompetent and inept Goodluck Jonathan who had allowed unbridled corruption thrive on his watch.
However, what is also true is that Buhari has shown little capacity to stem the slide of the economy into depression.
Like the President, cabinet members have also looked at sea. They all appear overwhelmed and disjointed.
It's been two years of inertia from Buhari and his team.
Nigerians are groaning under the weight of a grim economy in which inflation has continued to spiral. Buhari's policy proposals to revive the economy have remained just that--proposals.
Where action is needed, the administration has plodded. Where clear and concise communication is needed to infuse some confidence in the market and encourage investors, the administration has offered more panic in its statements and actions. Where diversifying the economy is needed and is being trumpeted as a panacea, very little has been done on the ground.
Things have gotten so bad that those who held that Buhari wasn't the answer, now appear sentient.
When Buhari says "We all share a vision of a better Nigeria, and we will all share in the responsibility of building the country of our dreams...we'll overcome the mountain of economic difficulties, and return our country to the path of prosperity", you know it is one of those run-of-the-mill press statements he authorises without taking the time to read through or without necessarily believing the words shoved in his face by aides.
Buhari has been a huge disappointment. There's no other way to put it.
He's asked us not to lose faith in him, but he's done very little to help us keep faith with him. There's been nothing to renew confidence from the Buhari administration.
The federal government seems set in its own unproductive, self destructive ways.
If anything, administration spokespersons have taken the haughty, tone deaf and nonchalant route of those before them.
It's been an agonising spectacle to behold.
Faith will only return when the economy is reflated and brought back from the dead. Right now, Nigerians are just too hungry to keep the faith or look for silver linings.
Next base, jare!
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