Tinubu’s First Quarter Performance At A Glance -By Hajia Hadiza Mohammed

The importance of appraisal or performance measure in human activities cannot be over-emphasized. Without it, it would be difficult to measure performance.

And awareness of performance measure spurs those at the helm of affairs to put in their best. It enables those entrusted with public responsibility to be responsible and accountable. Thus, it is not uncommon for stakeholders to make a periodic review of the performances of those they entrusted to manage their affairs. During the first one hundred days of the current regime in Nigeria, under Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, I picked up my pen to do a dispassionate review of the regime’s performance but was greatly saddened with the turn-out of events in the country under Tinubu’s watch. I decided to pause because the excuse-makers of the government were shouting that one hundred days are far too small to gauge the performance of a government. And then I asked when will be appropriate to appraise a government? Will be at the end of the regime? And, I waited till it was one hundred and twenty days but what I see in the country is motion without movement. I see retrogression while the government agents are indulging in propaganda and empty rhetoric while celebrating phantom reforms.

A government that cannot unfold or implement its program after one hundred and twenty days in office obviously has no program from the onset. The first few weeks after of coming to power Asiwaju Tinubu did what we call in public parlance gragra by announcing the removal of subsidy from the petroleum product, the unification of the FOREX market and the signing of what they called the Student Loan Act. And after this the government media hirelings and ignorant cheerleaders went to town with story of an action leader that is taking bold decisions. The removal of fuel subsidy and the so-called unification of the foreign exchange market without putting structures in place to cushion the effects is an act of recklessness and irresponsibility. It shows that the regime was not prepared for governance ab initio. The fuel subsidy brouhaha has brought untold hardship to Nigerians as domestic prices are soaring to the sky. The unification of the foreign exchange market is completely ineffectual for it has further worsened the value of the Naira which is now on a free fall. The so-called Student Loan Act is nothing but a scam for it covers only tuition fee in federal schools which has always been free.

The Tinubu administration has compounded our economic woes within the short period that it has been in charge but unfortunately, he seems not to have any clues as to pull the economy out of the doldrums. The government’s idea of helping the people is to borrow money from the international agencies to buy rice and distribute cups of rice to hungry citizens in the name of palliatives. The government is apparently busy grappling with the issue of legitimacy; the primary concern of Tinubu being how to consolidate power rather than governance. Deception intimidation and propaganda seem to be their major tool. The blame game that the APC regime is known for has continued unabated. Just as Buhari did Tinubu who pledged to continue the policies of Buhari has continued to blame others for his failures.

Clearly, the government of Tinubu took off on a shaky note. It took him over two months to constitute his cabinet. The government is completely clueless about how to tackle the challenges facing the nation. The problem of insecurity is still there. While Tinubu and his cronies are more interested in suppressing dissenting views and agitations from the Southeast, his Southwest region is carrying xenophobic and reprisal action against the perceived enemies of Tinubu and insurgency and banditry have continued to plague the nation.

Indeed, just like Buhari, Tinubu has been openly vindictive and nepotistic. In his inaugural speech Tinubu has stated among other things thusly: “as your president, I shall serve with prejudice towards none,” just as Buhari had declared that he was for nobody but for everybody. Tinubu has shown that he is not a man of his words.

Tinubu’s lop-sided appointment in favor of his Yoruba kinsmen and discrimination against others especially the Igbo whom he felt did not vote for him as proof that he is vindictive. Again, the arrest of Mr. Godwin Emefiele, the erstwhile Central Bank of Nigeria governor and the arrest of the former Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) chairman for originating the policy of the Naira redesign, something Tinubu and his cronies interpreted to be against his presidential ambition are indications that Tinubu is vindictive. Also, the Tinubu administration is hypocritical and contradictory in the approach to national issues. How can Tinubu be appealing to Nigerians to tighten their belts while he has a cabinet of 48 ministers and moves in a convoy of over 200 hundred vehicles/ How can he claim that the subsidy removal has saved over a billion dollars for the government and yet he is still borrowing for palliatives?

The most disturbing part of the Tinubu’s saga is the scandal surrounding his background and his emergence. The internationalization of the scandal regarding his forged Chicago State University certificate has put the country Nigeria on the spot as a country governed by criminals. Nigeria and his controversial president is now the subject of foreign media jibes.

I am not a pessimist but judging from what is on the ground, Nigerians are in for a very rough time under Tinubu if nothing drastic is done to rescue the nation. And just as Buhari’s change agenda became sour, Tinubu’s renewed hope is turning into hopelessness. The executive arm of the government has no sense of direction and purpose, the National Assembly seems compromised while the Judiciary reeks of corruption. There seem to be no help in the offing as the common is despairing and disillusioned.

Hajia Hadiza Mohammed
hajiahadizamohammed@gmail.com
An actress, social activist, politician
London, UK