Security of lives and property, boost in the economy and job/wealth creation are the key among what Nigerians expect from President Muhammadu Buhari as he takes oath of office for a second term on Wednesday, May 29.
Other expectations are in the areas of renewed fight against corruption, improvement in agricultural production, education, infrastructure, roads, rail system and power.
Buhari, who is going for his second and last term in office, still has the chance to galvanise both the successes and failures of his first tenure and provide purposeful leadership that could lead Nigeria out of the present socio-economic doldrums and place it on the path of sustainable development, according to analysts.
“As President Muhammadu Buhari gets sworn in for a second and final term on May 29, my expectation is that he ends up bequeathing a strong, stable and prosperous country which he promised. I expect that he focuses on creation of value-added economy that is driven by real and sustainable jobs in manufacturing and agricultural sectors,” said Christian Okeke, lecturer at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka.
Okeke expressed sadness that Nigeria was beleaguered by incidences of hunger, poverty, unemployment, economic sabotage, kidnapping and other acts of vagabondage.
“Our global poverty ranking shows no sign of improvement even as millions still go to bed daily on empty stomach. In fact, lack of jobs and other pecuniary incentives continue to supply oxygen that sustains multiform varieties of national catastrophes. While insecurity and under-development besetting the country show organic linkage with economic factors, conditions of human life in the country continue to grow worse,” he said.
“In order to make the desired impact in the next administration, therefore, President Buhari must have an immense focus on job creation across various initiatives. If our country is indeed to become economically sustainable, it clearly needs jobs. This will drive other development index and launch the country into becoming a strong economy,” he added.
Okeke said efforts must be made in the next four years to ensure that project choices are fundamentally pro-poor and capable of contributing to progressive and qualitative self-improvement of residents.
“There should be conscious and consistent inclusion of projects that bring about better and more rewarding life for the people. In other words, developmental-policy choices of the administration must primarily have capacity to eradicate poverty, reduce unemployment and guarantee equality among citizens of the society through provision of diverse support systems critical to their survival,” he said.
President Buhari himself has not left Nigerians in doubt as to what they should expect in his second term. He began his re-election campaign by launching the policy document titled ‘Next Level’.
The ‘Next Level’ agenda prioritises five key issues of jobs creation, infrastructure development, business/entrepreneurship, human capital enhancement and political inclusion with specific promise to create 7 million jobs.
Idayat Hassan, director, Centre for Democracy and Development, said the priority for the new administration would be to tackle insecurity, economy and corruption.
“The administration must immediately constitute its cabinet and ensure it puts round pegs in round holes. The administration must also ensure it prioritises policy coherence and consistency in this new administration. Most of its failures in the last four years were as a result of one policy militating against the other,” Hassan said.
“Every government comes with prospects, challenges and all that. Issues of security were there before he [Buhari] came in and somehow those things were underground but now they have become monsters,” said Stanley Kyegh, a legal practitioner.
Kyegh, therefore, urged President Buhari in his second term to focus more on security so that the country can return to the peaceful country it used to be. He argued that the way things are going now, the country would go deeper down in polarization and division if the president does not show firmness on the issue of security.
“His attention should be on social investment, bringing in programmes that will touch on people like the Home Grown School Feeding Programme, Anchor Borrower’s Programme and N-Power Teach. These things he can sustain them and even pay volunteers higher than the civil servants. They can be converted into regular staff of the government so that it will not be something that they do and go and it will help,” Kyegh said.
He said more needs to be done in the area of education, jobs, health, and roads, and the economy.
JAMES KWEN, Abuja
