If Nigerians were to elect their president today, President Muhammadu Buhari would be voted out! There is palpable angst and frustration in the land. Galloping inflation has rendered near meaningless the meagre income of millions of many Nigerians, from mere existence in the days of GEJ, many have been pushed precariously to the edge of the cliff. They are barely hanging on as they stare down the gloomy bottomless pit below.

There are many others that have begun the dreaded free fall. They have been pushed beyond limit of endurance and are tired of hanging on. But would the PMB government provide cushion to soften their fall? The people don’t think so! They feel they have been conned by the CHANGE mantra. Tired of the GEJ government which was tagged clueless and corrupt, these people came out in their hundreds of thousands to vote for CHANGE. And CHANGE they got!

The new government would make everything new. Nigeria would become an Eldorado where food, light, good roads, security etc. is aplenty for so little. Premium Motor Spirit (Petrol) would be sold for #40 and all in no time! The PMB government was touted to possess a magic wand that would transform Nigeria overnight! Even our brothers and sisters from the South-South and South-East zones that had consistently resisted change queued to collect their share of the windfall.

Alas, one year after, it has been wailing and gnashing of teeth! No food, no light, no good roads, even Calabar that is touted to be the safest city in Nigeria is no longer safe! As if that was not enough, the price of an essential commodity like petrol has since doubled. Today, many of our people in the South-West, like Israelites stuck in the wilderness, reminiscence over their time in ‘Egypt’. Those from the South-South and South-West are wailing: Bring back our corruption!

But would PMB despite the daunting challenges, like Moses be able to lead Nigeria to the Promised Land? Many learned Nigerians think so. I am persuaded to continue to keep the faith in PMB’s government. The refusal by Nigerians to join the strike action called by a faction of the Nigerian Labour Congress is a pointer to the support the PMB government continue to enjoy amongst the populace. The government would do well to build on such support

Many well-meaning Nigerians believe and rightly so that our present predicament and pain are caused by a combination of factors – some inherited(empty treasury) , caused by mindless looting by successive government, others foisted (crash in the price of crude oil and non-diversification of the economy, crash of the naira, drop/low oil production/revenue due to the activities of Niger – Delta scavengers, blackout /loss of production/revenue in both manufacturing and non-manufacturing sector due to non-availability of gas occasioned by newly reorganised Niger Delta scavengers. Yet a few are natural, e.g. Tomatoes, Ebola.

Nevertheless, Nigerians expect PMB to provide answers to these diverse problems. Not too long ago, under GEJ, Nigeria had two parallel governments. One had its capital in Sambisa forest and the other in Aso Rock, and there was fear that the lords of the Sambisa forest would soon attack and annex Lagos! Who could stop them? Our once gallant armed forces emasculated and de-robed over the years by serial high level corruption had been reduced to a rag- tag army. Mutiny was rife. Morale was low. But the lords of Aso Rock partied and merried, sharing dollars in quantum in every direction. They woke up from their slumber only a few weeks to the rescheduled presidential election. It was too late.

Today, Sambisa forest is being reclaimed by Aso Rock under PMB. Our pride in our armed forces is being restored. Our monies and other assets stashed away in different vaults within our land and across different countries are being returned. Our penchant for impunity as a way of life is being jettisoned. These are steps in the right direction.

In the coming months, the PMB government would be expected to implement laudable programmes enunciated in the 2016 budget. Investment in agriculture, solid minerals exploration, road projects, Calabar rail project, increased power generation etc.

The PMB government may have made a few mistakes, this is only human, but no one can deny that this government is committed to providing purposeful leadership as it has left no one in doubt that there is a new sheriff in town! And it would no longer be business as usual. Though this change is coming with some pain, as patriotic Nigerians, we should continue to support and criticise government constructively to help bring back our country!

culled from http://www.hoch-zeitgericht.com/2016/06/02/change-bring-backour-corruption/