'Don't expect Buhari to perform miracles,' former Governor says

A former Abia governor, Dr Orji Uzor Kalu, has urged Nigerians to be patient with the President Muhammadu Buhari–led administration in its quest to bring the desired socio-economic change to the country.

Kalu also the presidential candidate of the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) in the April 2007 general elections gave the advice on Sunday at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport,(MMIA), Lagos, on arrival from the United Kingdom.

Kalu speaking with aviation correspondents said Nigerians should give Buhari enough time to deliver on his promises as he tries to find solutions to the nation’s multifaceted challenges.

He said:"I feel strongly that it will take the president the next two to three years to sort out these problems. Nigerians are always in a hurry and I am surprised, change don’t come easy.

"I am not a member of his party but he is a very close friend of mine and you should not be expecting Buhari to perform miracles.

"There is no miracle in this business, he has to take his time.

"The situation is made worse because oil prices have plummeted and everybody is looking if there will be any slight change in the third quarter of 2016.

"Nigerians just elected their president for change and they want to see the change immediately. It is not possible.``The president has to take his time, he has to take account of what he had seen and what he has not seen.

"My reading is that, Buhari as our leader, is very unlucky. He came into the saddle of leadership for a change during a very difficult time."

Kalu also gave his backing to the current anti-graft campaign of the Federal Government, noting that those who looted the nation's treasury in the past administration should be brought to book.

"I think Buhari is on track in his efforts to recover looted funds from officials in the past administration .The anti-corruption measure is not a drawback as some critics may want to see it.

"Given the malfeasance that took place under the last regime, the president is handling the situation very well. It is not a draw back at all," he said.

According to him, the prosecution of such persons should, however, follow due process and in accordance with the Constitution.

The former governor also called for the diversification of Nigeria's economy and advised state governors to be creative in the face of dwindling oil revenue.

He said: "Interestingly, state governors should cut down on frivolous expenses in order to meet their financial obligations especially workers salaries and payment to pensioners.

"If it means converting a portion of the security vote into fix serious responsibilities, it is worth it. This is because many state governors allegedly siphoned the so -called security vote.

"We must learn to live within our means as a way to sustain a decent life. Governors should leverage on other revenue sources to complement the federal allocation," he said

On the agitation for self determination by Movement for the Sovereign State of Biafra (MOSOB), Kalu advised the Federal Government against using force to resolve the issue.

"Buhari as a matter of fact should set out to engage traditional rulers and leaders of thoughts with security and intelligence agencies on how to resolve this potential trouble.

"Resolving the agitation for self determination needs an all inclusive strategy, not the use of force, or carrying guns.

"Government needs to engage the agitators and make them realise that it is ready to resolve whatever issues they have raised.

"I must advise security agencies that using force to quell the agitation for self determination at this time is not the best strategy," he said.