How Buhari Proved His Critics Wrong

Editor’s notes: Oladele Hakeem, a  content editor briefly looks into some of the ways President Muhammadu Buhari has shown that his leadership is in the right direction.

President Muhammadu Buhari

When President Muhammadu Buhari was sworn in as the 5th democratically elected president of Nigeria on Friday, May 29, 2015, there were doubts whether he would deliver the dividends of democracy to the citizens of the country. Some sections of the civil societies believed his government would just be a six to half a dozen like the previous Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s administrations. However, he has shown his style of governance would totally be different from others before him.

The President has taken and has been taking various progressive steps to show that he would keep to his campaign promises. Buhari indeed has proved his antagonists wrong on so many fronts.

1. Intents from inauguration speech

President Buhari said he belongs to everybody and belongs to nobody in his inaugural speech. He has been showing this through his economic policies and in the fight against corruption.

2. Reduction in cost of governance

Leadership is about setting the right examples. The president, along with his vice, Professor Yemi Osinbajo has said that they will cut their salary by half. Also, his itinerary on his visit to USA was not much in number.

3. Ending Boko Haram war

There is no time the Nigerian military has shown so much commitment and determination as now. The spirit of the armed forces ever since Buhari became the president has been on the ascendancy.

4. Niger Delta, a priority

Establishing a body like Hydrocarbon Pollution Restoration Project (HYPREP) has shown there are still many more things to come from the federal government for the Niger Deltans. HYPREP was founded to see to the speedy clean up of oil spillages in the Niger Delta region.

5. Fight against corruption

When President Buhari said Nigerians must kill corruption before it kills Nigerians, some people thought he was exaggerating the level of decay in the system. This is now glaring to everyone as many shady deals are being revealed. His fight is sincere and it is across board.

6. Exemplary leadership

One of the characteristics of a good leader is integrity. This is spreading across board now. Even without appointment of ministers, a good number of the sectors are moving recording success. What will now happen when Buhari appoints minsters to man these ministries? This means that Nigerians can be rest assured that better days lie ahead of them.

7. Public assets declaration

There were so much hues and cries before President Buhari declared his assets. The record has now been set straight. It shows Buhari is a man of his words.

Imagine a man who has been a one time petroleum minister, an ex-military governor, a former head of state and has headed the defunct Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF) having just Naira 30 million cash in his local account. He likewise has no foreign account. How else will the president tell his critics that he has want it takes to accelerate the wheel of progress of Nigeria.