Akinwale Akintunde
The Christian and Citizens Empowerment Foundation at the weekend asked President Muhammadu Buhari to address the country’s rate of extreme poverty, noting that over 112 millions Nigerians living below one dollar per day are tired of poverty.
The foundation, also, asked the president to devote his second term “to address critical national issues that would benefit the generality of the people,” thereby challenging him to promote peace and security nationwide.
The Executive Director of the foundation, Pastor Ayodeji Olulani gave the advice in a statement he issued on Friday, expressing fear that the Buhari administration might tilt towards dictatorship now that the All Progressives Congress (APC) gained control of the National Assembly.
With the new leadership of the National Assembly, Olulani warned that the fear “is ominous that the Buhari administration might tend toward dictatorship, insensitivity and oppression and delusion of grandeur.
“We believe the Buhari administration will accept and welcome sensible opposition, accept criticisms in good faith, learn or adjust from such,” the executive director said in a statement.
He, however, expressed hope that issues of the right operation of the federal system, insecurity and disharmony, religious intolerance, among others “will receive attention. We believe the Buhari administration will leave a legacy for which it would be remembered.
“Nigerians seek for development and good governance. They are tired of poverty and threats to their lives and properties. Where there is a will, there is a way. We pray the Buhari administration, in this second coming, have the political will to do things that will benefit the generality of Nigerians.
“Now, one of the dangers of the APC controlling the national assembly is the rejection of the debate of President Buhari’s June 12Democracy Day Speech. We believe that that speech, if debated would have given a printer or mini-road for this administration. Not debating it is a disservice to Buhari and his administration, and equally a disservice to the Nigerian people.”
In all areas of human endeavour, Olulani noted vision could only be achieved when a visionary “is able to assemble team members who share the vision; ready to run with the vision; bringing in their strengths; get focused on the vision, without distractions, paying attention to high-leverage activities.”
He explained that meeting all these requirements “often leads to successful vision/goal achievement. The APC government in the first coming in 2015 was not able to get loyal team- members at the National Assembly level. They were careless. This led to the inability to pass bills by the National Assembly that would be to the benefit of the generality of Nigerians.
“There was rancour between the legislature and the executive coupled with rascality and insensitivity to issues of national importance by the National Assembly. The lawmakers were only interested to a great extent on issues that concerned them,” Olulani observed.
He, however, noted that the current APC government “has demonstrated that they are serious and ready to give good governance. Through serious politicking, the APC government has now ensured that their preferred candidates emerged as leaders of the national assembly.
“What does this portend, we may want to ask? There are blessings and dangers. On the positive side, Nigerians do expect that outstanding bills, new bills that will do them good will get easily passed into law. Development policies and programmes will be enhanced.
“Budgets will be easily approved. This time around, the government will not have excuses for non-performance in line with the expectations of Nigerians, in the areas of the economy, security, welfare and general well-being beings..On the other hand, there are dangers.”
