Former Minister of Education, Professor Tunde Adeniran speaks to Leon Usigbe on his impressions of the two years of the APC government, Excerpts.
WHAT is your assessment of the first two years of the Buhari administration?
My assessment of them on the whole is that it appears generally that they promised far more than they could deliver. In other words, they have not been able to rise up to the challenges generally. And of course, the Nigerian electorate has been shortchanged because it’s like going to the market with your eyes blindfolded. That much said, one will like to give President Buhari some credit for the way he’s been trying to handle the security situation.
In the area of security, I will say he has tried to rise up to the challenge. The only area left in that regard if for him and his lieutenants to muster the political will and deal decisively with the menace of the herdsmen. This is an issue that he requires no sentiments at all. It demands prompt and decisive action in the interest of national security and for the sake of national unity and in the interest of greater tomorrow.
Can you make a comparison between Buhari’s first two years and Goodluck Jonathan’s first two years?
The difference is clear because the first two years of the Jonathan’s administration was influenced to a large extent by the Yar’Adua administration. And you know, Yar’Adua was quite a very patriotic, disciplined and focused leader who had a 7-Point Agenda and he was systematically dealing with them in a rather scientific way. And Nigerians saw in him, purposefulness and determination. Unfortunately, he left but it robbed off on the administration of Jonathan.
So, Jonathan started well and did his best. When you compare his first two years with Buhari’s first two years, of course, you score Jonathan higher. When you have someone who got into office and stayed almost a whole year trying to put his team together…look at what is happening in France. Look at how long it took him (Buhari) to put his team together, look at how long it took Jonathan to put his team together. When you take them one on one, you realize that of course, you score Jonathan much higher.
Going back to Buhari, when it comes to such issues as the economy and of course, stability generally, you know that Nigerians are very disappointed. It’s like getting the country on the path of disarray. Then, some of what was promised that would straighten things out and getting Nigeria on the track of development, there’s is this constant, regular and consistent denial that that much was promised.
One area that I believe he could also have scored a pass mark was in the area of fighting corruption but it has been so selective and one sided and it hasn’t got any rhyme or rhythm and you begin to ask, what is the purpose of all this? Was it to witch hunt some group of people, may be political opponents or what? So, if he could treat all Nigerians equally, no matter who is involved, everybody will clap for him. But when he’s being viewed as leaving some people that in the public opinion and the perception of Nigerians are terribly corrupt and they are beating their chests all over the place that nothing will touch them, then of course, how seriously one one take such agenda will be called into question by conscience and rationality. So, we really have to go to the drawing board and plan an anti-corruption agenda to make it meaningful and to make people have respect for it.
People believe that Buhari can do it and he is determined to do it and which means that some of the bottlenecks on his way, those people who are making it impossible for him to be objective, to be fair and just, he will have to push those people aside and move forward.
and then