Of fuel, new notes scarcity and DSS' deadline

• Published date: 03 February 2023
• Publication title: Nigeria - The Nation

One thing that Nigerians will not miss about President Muhammadu Buhari's administration and its officials is the proclivity for failing on self-imposed deadlines. Botched time frames have become the signature tune of the administration, from lifting millions of people out of poverty, end to insurgency, kidnapping and banditry, collection of permanent voters card (PVC), fuel supply and the new naira notes.

In actual fact, some of the deadlines were unnecessary and uncalled for since there was no evidence to suggest that anyone was holding gun to their heads.

While seeking the highest office in the land in 2014, the president vowed to revamp the economy, curb corruption and improve security in the country in the shortest possible time. The president reiterated the promises while seeking reelection in 2019. He promised to improve the economy through a number of policies and programmes that would enhance productivity and diversify the economic base of the country, while attracting more foreign direct investment.

The president also promised not to relent in the fight against corruption. Importantly, the president made a strong commitment in his inaugural address for the second term, to lift 100 million people out of poverty in 10 years. The public is in a better position to judge the performance of the president and the various deadlines. However, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has demonstrated in the 2022 Multidimensional Poverty Index publication that more people have now been thrown into poverty than at any other time in the history of the country.

In 2014, the former governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Raji Fashola said electricity was not rocket science and any responsible government should be able to provide an uninterrupted power supply for the populace within six months. After winning the elections, the president in an unprecedented move, saddled him with the responsibility of overseeing a combination of three ministries of power, works and housing. It is for the public to judge whether he actually delivered after four years in that position as minister of power. Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika equally promised that the country would have a national airline before 2019, later changed to 2022 and now May 2023. In the same vein he promised Nigeria would be producing, not assembling aircraft by 2023. How about Information Minister Lai Mohammed and other ministers that were making promises and giving deadlines that they knew were unrealistic but good...