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By Godwin Etakibuebu
Current affairs, at most times, remain the exigency that dictates the direction of good journalism. Ditto the journalist’s next topic for discussion. It is for this reasons that l had to apologise again, having apologized last week for not being able to continue the topic: “The hypocrisy of Buhari in governance” [because of the interlude in analyzing “the calculus of the Peoples Democratic Party’s convention”] with the promise of coming back to subject matter today.
That promise is being eroded, once again, by the hot news that the All Progressive Congress [APC] is flagging off a massive political rally in Abia State today, all things being equal. The gathering named “Mega Rally”, according to the state Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Benedict Godson, will be attended by President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, Chief John Oyegun; National Chairman of the APC, the Chairman of the APC Governors Forum and Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha amongst other dignitary from all over the Country
The Abia State’s Publicity Secretary of the APC revealed the scope and expectation of the rally. “The Abia mega really will be the first APC rally in the South in 2018 and we want to use it to tell the world that we are ready to take over the Abia Government House and other state government houses in the South-East. We also want to use the occasion of the rally to pledge our support for the President Buhari to run for the 2019 presidential election. We will also receive prominent politicians of Abia State extraction like Chief Orji Uzor Kalu, Dr. Uche Ogah, Chief Chineye Ike and others who thought it wise to join the party in the last few months.”
It is therefore a mega rally under the banner of the APC. It goes beyond just a mega rally. It is the flagging off, for APC, the 2019 general election campaign rally. It is the coming to birth of the 2019 general election politicking. Whenever political campaign for general election starts, which itself is the opening of a door, it means closing of door for effective governance because Nigerian politicians are not in the habit of doing both governance and political campaigning together at the same time. One [governance] goes on holiday for other [political campaign] to come into functionality. That is just the Nigerian politics.
With the events taking place in Umuahia, Abia State today, as announced by the State chapter of the APC, Nigerians are being put on notice that effective governance is proceeding on “sabbatical leave” until May 29, 2019. The Abia State event of today is not the only evidence that the door of effective governance is being closed in Nigeria until next year May – the month of inauguration of new governments [both federal and the States, in addition to the Federal Capital Territory].
The National Chairman of the Party [APC]; John Oyegun, hosting some selected journalists in his Abuja residence on Saturday, January 6, announced emphatically that this is the year [2018] of political maneuvering in campaigns and related matters, saying that “the party would deploy its achievements as selling points in the 2019 general elections”. Underscoring the intense political activities expected this year in the build up to the poll next year, the APC national chairman said “the party would be prompt and vigorous in its preparation for the election”.
Leaving no one in doubt about the Party’s [ditto the government, since the Party formed the government] temporary suspension of governance for effective political campaigns; John Oyegun, the National Chairman said the party would be prompt and vigorous in its preparation for the election. He told his audience the commencement date for full-blown politicking by saying “I will resume on Monday [which is yesterday, January 8] and we are going to hit the ground running. We all know that this year is obviously going to be an active year for elections.”
If 2018 “is obviously going to be an active year for elections”, in the words of the National Chairman of the APC, it is therefore the end of the road for effective governance, most importantly, at the federal government level because all machinery and logistics of governance are now to be redirected to campaigns’ structures. That is not to say that the State governments are not victim of the same epidemics but for this work, we are concentrating on the APC Buhari-led federal government. In order to understand the precarious challenge Nigerians would be confronted with, by this metamorphosis [of abandoning governance for politicking], evaluation of present situation is necessary.
This raises the question of APC’s success or otherwise in governance at the federal level since capturing power from the PDP in 2015. We are looking at a period of about two and half years – from May 29, 2015, when the government of APC was inaugurated till yesterday, Monday January 8, 2018, which John Oyegun announced as the date of returning to the trench of political campaigns. This is because of one fact, to wit: whatever thing that is not achieved within the period in question remains “dead”, so to say, until the formation of another government, and that would be from May 29, 2019.
Again, l will allow the APC Chairman to lead the way in evaluating his Party’s achievement within the two and half years it effectively governed before moving into campaign politics. He did not hide the “glory of achievement”, in his imaginary mind anyway, while talking to those selected journalists in his house last Saturday. Let us hear what he told the gentlemen of the Press.
He said APC’s selling point ahead of 2019 was its achievements in the various sectors, including power, rail infrastructure and agriculture.
“I can say emphatically that the polity is settling down. I can say that the economy is recovering strongly and is clearly out of recession. I can say emphatically that in the practical areas that promote development, as distinct from roads, the policy of the party and its implementation are firmly well-grounded, whether you are talking of power supply without which no nation can develop, it has stabilised. There is still room for improvement. I am not saying that the problem has been entirely solved, but the commitment to the completion of the Mambila Power plant, which will contribute a third or half of our needs, is a major step forward. The bringing back on steam of projects that had been abandoned in the sector has contributed to raising the generation capacity to what it is today, about 6,000 to 7,000 megawatts”. Also the strengthening of the distribution facilities is on-going, so power will continue to grow both in terms generation capacity and ability to deliver it to consumers. What, indeed, the Buhari administration has achieved is that it has stabilised the situation. It has started the process of substantial growth in power generation and distribution sectors”.
Huh, “about 6,000 to 7,000 megawatts” of electricity and “substantial growth in power generation and distribution sectors” in Nigeria? That can only be in John Oyegun and his APC government’s dream world. He continued the imaginary achievement when he said, “secondly, it has started the revolution of developing functional railway transportation. It is railway transport that can kick start a meaningful industrial development in any nation”, as if the APC government has, in these past two and half years, ever laid one rail line track.
We all know that the APC government has not achieved anything while in governance within this past 30 months. This affirmation can be adjudged against the background of all the promises made during electioneering campaign. The Party promised to fix our refineries within months of inception – it has proved to be a deceit. It promised to “kill” corruption – corruption has captured both the government and the presidency. If in doubt, ask what is happening to Abdulrasheed Maina, the alleged Pension Fund thief. Ask the Chief of Staff to the President all he knows about what led to the reduction of MTN’s fine viz-a-viz the N500 million banana peel. Listen to the President’s wife [Aisha Buhari]’s allegation of corruption against the Aso Rock Villa Clinic. Has the Boko Haram war been won against the promise made by the President?
Oh, there is calamity all over the land. This is when governance is in action. What happens now that governance is giving way to politicking, in terms of national tragedy can be anybody’s guess.
A more complicated rudderless ship of the Nigerian State is about to sail out!
*We shall continue the series of “The hypocrisy of Buhari in governance” from Friday this week, by the grace of God.
Godwin Etakibuebu, a veteran journalist, wrote from Lagos.