Buhari: Media take stock after 100 days
President Muhammadu Buhari seemingly lack of clear economic blueprint but strong position on corruption, insurgents and perceived optimism on his ability to fix Nigeria dominated media reports after his government’s 100 days in office.
Three months after the government was sworn in, excluding the two months before the mandate of leadership was bestowed on it, Nigerians, according to various media reports are yet understand the economic direction of the government except the strong body language on corruption and moves to stop the unending insurgents attack.
But the media believe that the stand on anti- corruption has given Nigerians hope on recovering the country, an action that has engendered improved image of the country and improvement on the electricity supply.
“If anything, Buhari has restored hope, trust and confidence of Nigerians within 100 days and has demonstrated his capacity to fight corruption and end terrorism in the northeast. Nigerians want Buhari to work more on poverty alleviation, build more refineries and engage less in media propaganda”, says PM News in its publication.
Vanguard Newspaper columnist, Denrele Animasaun said it will be naïve to say that everything is now fine and dandy. Far from it, but the shoots of change are beginning to take root.
On his war against insurgents, the Vanguard publication noted “better relationship and cooperation with neighbours Chad, Cameroon and Niger …Nigeria’s image has also improved overseas and neighbours and there are more countries who want to do business with Nigeria”.
Similarly, in a Guardian publication by Chijioke Nelson who recognised the lack of tacit economic direction, buttressed his point by other sources who said “this dearth of policy direction has naturally led to withholding of investment decisions by both local and foreign investors, which will in turn lead to further slowdown in economic growth. But “to be fair, President Buhari’s performance in his first 100 days are more apparent in two keys areas, anti-corruption and war against insurgents in the North-East, where he seems to have taken personal charge.
“The economy on the other hand has received little of the President’s attention hence the need for him to urgently constitute an Economic Management Team to steer the Nigerian economy away from an imminent slowdown”.
BusinessDay noted the positive atmosphere that has enveloped the nation and the renewed hope and optimism it has engendered among Nigerians that ‘change’ has indeed come and that the nation has begun the journey to achieving deferred dream of making Nigeria a great country.
“Since after Nigeria’s independence in 1960, never has there been such a groundswell of optimism in our collective ability to resurrect the ‘crippled and sleeping giant’ of a nation and begin to position it to achieve its manifest destiny of being the voice of and leading Africa and the black world”
The publication which also noted Buhari’s achievement on insurgency and corruption which he promised as president regretted that despite the groundswell of support for the war on corruption and the posturing of the administration in this area, no one has as yet been charged to court for corruption. “What appears to be happening is a carefully orchestrated campaign of calumny, terror, and media trial that may not conform to the rule of law”.
On appointments so far, BusinessDay said despite its best efforts to ignore the trend, “the president’s appointments thus far have shown a tendency towards provincialism, and this is already generating tension among Nigerians, on social media and elsewhere. We are strictly in favour of merit-based appointments as sine qua non for the country to move forward. However, we urge the president to take into account the fragile nature of Nigeria’s unity and extend his searchlight to other sections of the country as he seeks to appoint only highly qualified people of good repute and integrity”.
Tracing the genesis and trend of some world leaders accounting for stewardship after 100 days in office to American President, Franklin D. Roosevelt who introduced the concept in 1933 at the height of the great depression to instil hope, Daily Times in its publication said such early stewardship act as yardstick to enable the citizens have a clearer picture of the administrations policies on all matters of national importance.
The Daily Times publication which though believed that a period of 100 days is not enough to assess the activities of a democratically elected government said so far “most of the President Buhari’s actions and inactions are giving grist to those who accuse him of running the country as a Sole Administrator.
“Although permanent secretaries are acting heads of ministries at this time, there are limitations to their capacities to approve policy issues, particularly those bordering on the demands of the security agencies to prosecute military assignments.
“All the same, we hope President Buhari is not unaware of all the rumblings going on around him. As incurable optimists, Nigerians believe the President is carrying out a silent revolution by making haste slowly”, the publication said.
Daniel Obi