Tomorrow, 5 September, marks 100 days since Muhammadu Buhari was inaugurated as president of Nigeria, after former president Goodluck Jonathan, was rejected at the polls. This election was a momentous point in Nigeria’s history, being the first time an opposition figure won a presidential election since independence in 1960.
Corruption was a prominent issue at the general election and there is much work to be done to root it out. At his inauguration, Buhari, candidate of the All Progressives Congress, reiterated his promise to fight corruption, stating that ‘I belong to everybody and I belong to nobody.’ Early moves in this area have seen the dissolution of the board of the state oil company. Nigerian National Petroleum Corp had been riddled with several allegation of misappropriation of funds. Last year, the former central bank Governor and now emir of Kano state, Lamido Sanusi alleged that the NNPC had failed to remit $20bn to the government.
The emir’s claim has since been substantiated by numerous reports including an audit from the PricewaterhouseCoopers which stated in April, that a refund of up to $4.29bn should be made by the NNPC. The destination of the monies remains unknown.
Buhari’s second main move since 29 May has been the dismissal of military service chiefs, whose tenure had also been blighted by allegations of corruption. The replacement of General Kenneth Minimah with Major-General Tukur Yusuf Buratai, is a step in the right direction. The new chief of army staff who renamed the code name for the war on terror from ‘Operation Zaman Lafiya’ to ‘Operation Lafiya Dole,’ the Hausa word that means ‘peace by force’, really knows the importance of leadership. Nigeria’s fight against Boko Haram is well known – its limited success in doing so over recent years is also, unfortunately, widespread knowledge. It is widely felt that a fresh start is needed here.
Finally, something which affects many Nigerians in their very homes. In the run-up to the election Buhari called the country’s power supply crisis ‘a national shame’, and soon after election he argued that the institution which provided electricity had brought ‘darkness, frustration, misery, and resignation’ to Nigerians. Although much remains to be done in this area, Nigerians are now beginning to enjoy over 19 hours of interrupted power supply.
As is well known, Nigeria is a large and fast-growing country, with huge potential but an array of problems that still need to be tackled. Its first democratic transition in two generations gives hope that these steps mark the first on the road of progress.
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Juliana Adenike Lucas is press secretary of the All Progressives Congress – UK Chapter
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