By Reno Omokri
For four months, patriotic Nigerians have been waiting for officials of the Buhari administration to take up the #BuhariChallenge and name at least one project that the Buhari administration has initiated, started and completed in three years.
The funny thing is that if any administration is expected to act with dispatch on such a challenge, that government should be Mr. Buhari’s regime. In Nigeria’s post colonial history, no other administration has had the number of media aides that President Buhari has.
President Buhari has the following media aides:
* A Special Adviser on Media and Publicity
* A Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity (the official spokesman)
* A Special Assistant on Digital Communications
* A Personal Assistant on Broadcast Media (Radio) (the most
influential media aide of the President)
* A Personal Assistant on New Media
* A Personal Assistant on Social Media
* A Chief Personal Photographer (Bayo Omoboriowo)
* A Personal Assistant to the President and State Photographer (Sunday Aghaeze)
It is rather telling that after having a record 8 media aides, President Buhari’s administration is still unable to take the #BuhariChallenge.
As a matter of fact, after the President appointed Festus Keyamo as the official spokesman for his re-election campaign, I congratulated Mr. Keyamo and urged him to take the #BuhariChallenge to which Mr. Keyamo never responded.
Why has the Buhari government not being able to name even one project initiated, started and completed in the last three years?
The answer to that question is that the Buhari Administration is embarrassed to admit that the only project initiated, started and completed in the last three years by the present regime is the helipad built by President Muhammadu Buhari in Daura, his home town.
I challenge any of President Buhari’s eight media aides, plus his lying minister of information and the spokesman of his campaign to rebut me if I am lying.
In three years, the President has not conceived of and finished any project except a project meant for his own personal use.
Therein lies the crux of the matter. Nigeria is being ruled by a man who thinks only of himself and not the people he should lead.
Ask yourself how long does it take to build a school. Former President Jonathan built 120 secondary schools in his first three years and 12 universities within the same period (a total of 165 were built by the fourth year). President Buhari has not built even ONE school in three years which he initiated and completed, yet this is a man who claimed that Nigerian youths were uneducated, lazy and unemployable.
If that is what he thinks about our youth, then why has President Buhari not built even ONE school to remedy the situation?
How long does it take to build one hospital? Former President Jonathan built 15 hospitals in his first three years. President Buhari has not built even ONE hospital in three years which he initiated and completed, yet this is a man who spends millions of tax payers money that could have built hospitals on his UK doctors.
How long does it take to build houses for the masses? In his first three years, Former President Jonathan built over 2,000 mass housing units which he initiated and completed. In three years in power, President Buhari has not built even one mass housing scheme which he initiated and completed. Yet, the President goes to Commission mass housing schemes built by state governments with fewer resources than the Federal Government.
The sad thing is that no less than 18 of Nigeria’s 36 state Governors can boast of multiple projects that they have initiated, started and completed in the last three years, including and especially, Governors Nyesom Wike, Akinwunmi Ambode, Ayo Fayose and Aminu Tambuwal.
But that is only half the story.
At a plenary session of the Nigerian Senate on March 7, 2018, a Senator from the President’s ruling All Progressive Congress said:
“Without fear or favour, the Peoples Democratic Party, in 16 years, borrowed N6 trillion and this (Buhari’s) government in three years, has borrowed N11 trillion”
So, not only has the Buhari regime not initiated, started and completed any project in the last three years (other than the Daura helipad), the same government has borrowed ₦11 trillion in three years which is double the ₦6 trillion the PDP borrowed in 16 years. What did the Buhari government do with the money?
As Omawunmi sang ‘if you ask me, na who I go ask?’
Perhaps the President used it to pay the salaries of his eight media aides!
For those who will ask me if the administration I served in has a better record than Muhammadu Buhari’s administration in terms of projects, policies and programs, I will republish a list of former President Jonathan’s 100 days achievements and my readers can compare and contrast it with the advertised ‘achievements of the Buhari government as it marks three years in office.
24 Key Economic Achievements of Former President Jonathan’s 100 Days in Office
• Just Few Out Of Many Listed
1. Nigeria’s oil industry expanded by 20% and we reclaimed our position as Africa’s largest oil exporter which we’d hitherto lost to Angola.
2. Recognized by OPEC in July as the 2nd largest oil exporter 2nd only to Saudi Arabia. It is the first time Nigeria has recorded such a feat.
3. Inflation rate has been reducing as the administration enforces tighter fiscal policies.
4. In June the Consumer Price Index showed an inflation rate of 10.2% which dropped to 9.4% in July being the lowest rate in the last 4 years.
5. Foreign Reserves rises by 10% to $35 billion.
6. Nigeria’s GDP growth rate month over month has continued to grow from 6.7% in May to 6.9% in July of 2011.
7. Nigeria declared top three investment destinations in Africa (number 2) by the independent Africa Business Panel in the Netherlands.
8. Nigeria now generates power at her highest level ever (4000mw) which is still far from enough but which will improve monthly.
9. Nigerian Railway Corporation commenced Mass Transit Services in 5 of 6 geo-political zones. Last zone will come on stream by year’s end.
10. With establishment of the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA), President Jonathan facilitates direct investments into infrastructure with priority areas being Power and Roads.
11. The Federal Government also awarded contracts for various road projects across the country whose impact will soon be felt nationwide.
12. Launch of NigeriaSat-2 and NigeriaSat-X Satellites to expand Internet Bandwidth and provide early warning to prevent natural disasters.
13. President introduced the policy of engaging the Private Sector on kerosene pricing and price reduced between May and September, 2011.
14. Recognizing the sacrifices of youth corps members, President approved upward review of allowances from 9,700 to 19,800 Naira.
15. Implementation of Minimum Wage Increase for Nigerian Workers to 18,900 Naira monthly. 16. 35% Slot For Women in the cabinet.
17. Deepening Security and expanding Peace in the Niger Delta.
18. Reduced kidnapping in South East with implementation of President’s order establishing the 14 Brigade of the army in Ohafia, Abia state.
19. Maritime Safety has been ensured and stabilized in the last 100 days.
20. A stellar cabinet comprising former MDs of the World Bank & Goldman Sachs, Chairperson Accenture and multiple PhDs.
21. The National Automobile Council established an Automotive Development Fund to resuscitate the automobile industry and generate jobs.
22. Approval for genuine foreign investors to obtain visas at the point of entry to facilitate FDI investments.
23. Model Skills Training Centers in Abuja- collaboration between Industrial Training Fund & the Institute for Technical Education, Singapore.
24. Establishment of the Nigerian Vehicle Credit Purchase scheme.
It is instructive to note that while President Jonathan achieved all these and more in his first 100 days in office with the aid of his full cabinet, President Buhari, in comparison, was yet to appoint ministers or establish any policy direction for his administration at the 100 day mark of his government.
Reno Omokri
Bestselling author of Facts Versus Fiction: The True Story of the Jonathan Years: Chibok, 2015 and Other Conspiracies.
