The Deception Called Change, By Olayinka Gabriel.

Certainly, a lot of Nigerians who voted for the so-called change with an expectation of a paradigm shift for the country, because they truly have the love of the country at heart and not on the basis of religious sentiments and sectionalism, must now be left with their fingers between their teeth for taking that decision. Since the administration with the “change” mantra came to the helm of power on 29 May,2015, many things have actually changed for worse and lots of people are experiencing hell in a nation of plenty. 
 

  Economy

 The country’s economy is experiencing a downward trend, unlike during the Jonathan administration when Nigeria became the largest economy in Africa and pride of the continent, with a lot of rebasing. But, today we keep experiencing embarrassing situations by the present handlers of our economy. Clearly, the so-called“change agents” have no particular direction for the economy. Nigeria’s foreign reserve has continued to dwindle since the advent of the Buhari administration, with revenue allocations to states suffering hiccups. Nigerians now buy fuel between N500 and N1000 per litre. In Akure, as I write, fuel costs as high as N3,000 per litre. Yet, the change captain himself is the self-proclaimed Petroleum Minister. 

The All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmakers and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) verbally fought dirty and attacked themselves as they debated N465.6billion supplementary budget sent to the National Assembly on 18 November by President Muhammadu Buhari. In the budget, the President had voted N413.3billion of the total figure for funding fuel subsidy. We all know that the price of crude oil is about $48 per barrel. Yet, these are the same people who told Nigerians that subsidy payment under President Goodluck Jonathan was a scam. Right-thinking Nigerians need to ask the change agents questions.

 Insurgency

Everyone knows that a few months to the end of his administration, President Jonathan fought Boko Haram head-long, with a few bomb attacks. But the reverse is the case since Mr. Buhari came to the helm of affairs; there have been intensified deadly attacks and killings, despite propaganda by the government and the military that they were winning the war and were sure to defeat the insurgents as instructed by the President. Even the blind can see that there is no peace in the country, especially in most parts of the Northeast. Governor Shettima of Borno State, one of the choristers of the change choir, told the whole world that so many villages in his state are in the hands of Boko Haram. 

Just last week, reports indicated that over 100 soldiers and their commanders were missing after insurgents attacked them in a village in Borno. Under the watchful eyes of the change agents, Boko Haram has become more sophisticated than ever before, with the army declaring that they had destroyed rockets fabricated by the sect. A recent report shows that Boko Haram has become more deadly than even the ISIS, which mentioned them in a statement released on the France attack. What a shame!
 I see a great danger lurking in the horizon, except something is done very fast. The growing agitation across the country is not healthy for Nigeria and Nigerians, who do not have another country. I was not yet born when the Biafra War was fought, but I have read so many books like There Was A Country by Chinua Achebe, and No Victor No Vanquish, and watched several video clips of the war, and my take is that it was a sad event where by millions of people lost their lives. The current agitation by the people of Biafra must be handled with utmost care to give peace a chance, and not tackled with highhandedness as the change master is currently handling it. 

 Elections and Matters Arising

For the first time in the history of Nigeria, a seating president conducted election and accepted defeat, without challenging the polls, despite the fact that in some states, even chickens and goats voted for the candidate who was declared winner. The results brought in from some states to the national collation centre, controlled by the change agents, smacked of clear manipulation. Yet, for the sake of peace and because of his love for the Nigeria, President Jonathan accepted defeat and ordered his PDP party not to go to court. He said “no single life of Nigerian worth my ambition” For this singular gesture, he has earned the respect of the national and international communities, while inscribing his name in gold in the sands of time.

The way cases have been handled by the APC-run Election Tribunal has brought disgrace to Nigeria’s democracy, and shown that the change ambassadors are out to bring shame on the country. The situation has prompted somebody to ask: “Do the judges, now under the administration of the change masters use the same Electoral Act or do they use the by – laws of their respective town unions?”

 In Benue State, Governor Samuel Ortom left the PDP where he lost the governorship primaries and was handed the APC ticket without one. Yet, the Tribunal upheld his election. Today in Taraba, the PDP conducted its primaries in Abuja due to security concerns back in the state. But, the Tribunal nullified the election on the ground that Governor Darius Dickson Ishaku was not validly nominated by his party. What a miscarriage of justice!

 On October 24, the relocated Tribunal nullified the election of Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike on the ground of card reader accreditation and third party testimonies. But in Lagos State, up to the Supreme Court, the judges have upheld his election declaring that card reader is not enough ground to nullify an election, and that only participant at the polling units can testify to the conduct of an election. What manner of judiciary do we have under President Muhammadu Buhari, who claims to be fighting corruption? Judicial manipulation constitutes the worst form of corruption against a nation! Judging that Nigeria belongs to all of us, I see that one day members of this great triangle will cast stones at these comedians called “change ambassadors,” but it may come belatedly when so much water must have gone under the bridge.