FOR most Nigerian’s, 2015 began on a sour note, with little or nothing to cheer about. But for the hope for a better tomorrow, which has become the palliative of majority of the populace who bear the brunt of the disappointing run of successive governments; dying may have often times appeared to be a better option to living in the present uncertain state of the nation.
Aside of atrocities like the civil war, the June 12 election annulment and some isolated events in our chequered history, 2015 up to this point, presented the worst aggregation of negative experiences we have had to endure, as the prospect of our co-existence as a nation was put to test when the two leading parties, APC and PDP, engaged each other in a media slugfest, with accusations and counter accusations being levelled against their opposing Presidential candidates in the run-up to the elections.

One can only now imagine that if concerned citizens like Rev. Chris Okotie, and Abuja Accord peace campaigners like Bishop Mathew Hassan Kukah, Koffi Annan, Amb. Emeka Anyaoku, Gen. (Rtd.) Abdulsalami Abubakar and the US Secretary of State, Sen. John Kerry, had not moved hurriedly to arrest the situation; the eventual peace that followed the polls may have eluded us.
January to March proved to be the worst months in our democratic cum political history as the political parties unleashed the mayhem of abrasive politicking, heating the polity with their campaigns of calumny, political intimidation and sometimes, attack on aspirants. It brought out the primal nature of our politicians creating an air of apprehension across the nation that resigned itself to possibilities of the worst.
In March to April, it became glaring to all and sundry that the fears that Nigeria; arguably one of the most endowed nation’s under heaven, and Africa’s largest economy was cash strapped; contrary to previous spirited denials by the former Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. (Mrs) Okonjo-Iweala. So bad was it that she could not but concede that the government had to borrow over N300 billion to fund its salary obligations across its parastatals.

April to May ushered in the worst dip in our electricity output in over four decades which thrust the entire nation into darkness for upwards of two weeks. Those months also saw our great nation set embarrassingly on the verge of economic collapse and virtual shutdown of all sectors, due to the worst spell of fuel shortage the nation ever witnessed. Even in the black market, petrol sold for as high as N400 per litre, N313 up from an official N87 pump price.

These were trying times for Nigerians, which made the dread of a possible breakdown of law and order, and impending doom a palpable reality. After the elections were held, Nigerians had hoped that with the new leadership on ground, June and beyond will offer Nigerians a reversal of fortunes from the mis-governance and a dereliction and abdication of responsibilities by the past government, now that a new government is in place. Sadly, what we are experiencing is not cheering at all.
Now Nigerians are asking Mr. Buhari and his APC team: When will the change start? It is quite unfortunate that the President’s apparent slow pace of governance has damaged the enthusiasm that greeted his election. He should not allow things to take this downturn. Questions are now being asked about APC’s ability to manage because of the disarray in the party over election of National Assembly officers. Under normal circumstances, this exercise should not have posed any problem because APC providentially has the majority in both Houses of the National Assembly.

Over the course of its 16 years in power, the former ruling party had several crisis of its own, which boiled-over in the polity, bringing it to near implosion. But this shoddy management of this in-house election has exposed the incompetence of the APC chiefs in handling change. They need to prove us wrong. One only prays that President Buhari is not being held hostage by a new cabal.
The energies of this government should be directed at taking the nation beyond the economic, corruption, failed public services and security challenges which have hobbled it. These are the accomplishment that will make the gains attained by Rev. Okotie and the campaigners for peace a resounding success.


Source: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/08/battle-to-sustain-change/#sthash.P8q5iU5a.epK3lPLk.dpuf

Comeback after 100 days. Yall were patient with a clueless president now we have a reasonable fellow yua behaving like goats. Smfh