Buhari: Time Hit The Ground Running!

By Idris Usman

It is high time President Muhammadu Buhari hit the ground running. It is now five months since he was sworn in as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; and this is enough time for any leader to make a clear policy statement and demonstrate to the citizens the mission and direction of his government.

But it appears it will take President Buhari four years to finish his ‘Songs of Lamentation.’ By which time, his tenure will have ended, and Nigerians, the worse for it. He is gradually perfecting the art of lamenting about the state of the economy and also painting a picture of hopelessness before Nigerians. He is the leader, hence, he should find solutions to Nigeria’s problems; at least, that is why Nigerians voted him into power.

Change is not about finding new things to complain about, but rather turning things around by bringing fresh ideas on how to revamp the economy and not sticking to archaic ideas mostly tied to crude oil sales and allowing the international crude oil buyers determine the fate of an average Nigerian. Mr. President should know that the Nigeria of today is not the Nigeria of yesterday, as the world has evolved and moved on, and Nigeria can’t be an exception.

Mr. President has to come up with new innovations. Leadership is not about complaining frequently that things are not working, leadership is more of giving the people hope that a nation of their dream is possible and realisable. He needs to consistent both in speech and in deed. Mr. President should bear in mind that Nigerians did not vote him to give excuses, but to bring about change and give positive results.

It’s about time the President and his team began to think outside the box with a view to proffering solutions and not continually lament about the issues on ground. Nigerians are aware of the challenges facing the nation, but what they want to hear from the President is what can be done to take us out of the current situation we have found ourselves. Our mission as a country now should be forward looking, with clear focus on where we ought to be and a roadmap to our destination.

*Usman is the Director-General of Centre for Public Integrity and Accountability. This article first appeared in Leadership.