Following a historic and peaceful political transition anchored on a change imperative, the appetite for change in Nigeria was unmistakable. The first week of President Buhari's tenure has been generally assessed as having not met expectations. Is this view too harsh?

A. Non-appointment of Key Aides

The president has not named his key aides. This is unsettling for many reasons. He has been running for president for the last 12 years. This means he has had much experience preparing to govern. Did he not know who he would work with if he had won in 2003, 2007 or 2011?

Secondly he has served as head of state previously. This means he had numerous tested hands at his disposal from which to draw from. In 1999, President Obasanjo who like him was a former military dictator promptly brought in key staff both from the Diaspora as well as Nigeria.
This notwithstanding that OBJ was actually recruited from prison to the presidency unlike Buhari who had over 12 years to think of forming a government.

This slowness in appointments is to be contrasted with change stars like Governor El Rufai of Kaduna state. The day before his inauguration, he announced his Secretary to the State Government and another key position. This means before inauguration people knew who the key point of contact was for his administration. This is what is called "hitting the ground zooming."
Incidentally, this is El Rufai's first elected position.

Buhari's delayed appointments however are better to a degree than President Jonathan. The latter did not appoint a Chief of Staff for over a month. When he finally did, he reappointed the former occupant begging the question why the prolonged vacuum if it was going to be the same person anyway.

President Yar'Adua actually did much better. On the day of inauguration, he made at least 4 key appointments. Ironically Yar'Adua had been conscripted into running for office and had been candidate for less than a year.

The problem seems to be APC was more preoccupied with unseating a bad government and in conceiving a good government than it was in actually building a government.

B. Appointments

The president appointed two media aides which is instantly an unnecessary duplication.
When he was head of state he had just one. Why the change for worse?

The two aides began their jobs with rank incompetence. A statement was issued claiming the president and vice had fulfilled a campaign promise by declaring their assets. This is false.

Firstly, declaration of assets is a constitutional requirement. It is not a campaign promise.
Secondly the campaign pledge was publication of assets.
Therefore the press statement was either intentionally misleading propaganda or unacceptable ignorance. If a combined team of an SA and SSA media got it wrong, would we need a third media aide then?

Given the situation in the country, the appointment of a National Security Adviser should have been a higher priority. The president has engaged with regional and global partners in West Africa and Europe respectively without an NSA. The current NSA is operating illegally as he is supposed to have left office with president Jonathan per section 151(3) of the constitution.

Although Nigerians don't want a glut of political appointees, an appointment of an NSA and a deputy NSA would actually have been more tolerable and strategic given the state of insecurity than multiple media aides. What Nigeria needs is more security not more publicity.

C. Speech and Strategy

President Buhari's inaugural speech came with a flawed counterinsurgency strategy. He proposed studying the causes and sponsors of Boko Haram after subduing them.
On the other hand, he said he had studies to address the power deficit in Nigeria.
The average Nigerian will concede that electricity supply is a critical problem but most will agree insecurity is greater.
However the president has studies on electricity but wants to wait till after subduing Boko Haram to study it. Yet Boko Haram kills more Nigerians than power shortage does.
Worse still is that you cannot destroy the terror groups now if you are not immediately going after their sponsors. This is a case of putting the cart before the horse.
Intelligence is a critical element of warfare and studying and subduing should go hand in hand.

D. Niger visit and Refugee Issues

The president visited neighboring countries. There he told Nigerian citizens resident in Niger that they would not regret voting him in.
The problem is that they did not vote as Nigeria does not yet have Diaspora voting.
What was worse is that although the president was in Niger over insecurity, he did not visit the Nigerian refugees in Niger. He also did not address their situation. The president missed a golden opportunity to say to these Nigerians who have lost a sense of nationalism and lost their nation, "we will bring you back home."
The Chibok girls are missing but the refugees are not so why not repatriate them to their families and their country? That would be practical change indeed for this most vulnerable group of Nigerian citizens.

- Emmanuel Ogebe ESQ is with the Organization for Governance Accountability (OGA)

http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/a-week-in-a-democracy-president-buharis-change-scorecard/212010/

spot on.

today na monday na… wat sort of rubbish z this…. hiaaaaan 👻

Buhari slow pace approach only lend credence to the notion that he actually hit the ground, but instead of running he sat there .

This is a critic with sense....

I was expecting him to criticize the president for not naming his cabinet yet to display the usual TANoid foolishness and idiocy but he disappointed me because he has sense.

We waited for more than 2years b4 we started criticisms on Jonathans government. Painful thing is that most of his critics are people who actually voted for him and were dissapointed.

Unfortunately, the opposite is the case in with Buhari. He is being unjustly attacked be cause of tribal semtiments and religious bigotry. He has not even spent up to a month, some real dullards are expecting miracles and expecting campaign promises to be automatic.

Sadly if this government fails are they so wish, its the poor hungry masses like them that suffers it all. I wonder why someone will wish himself and members of his families failure, cos praying for the failure of this government indirectly means praying for your failure. BE WISE!!!!

Nigeria will be great again!

There he told Nigerian citizens resident in Niger that they would not regret voting him in.
The problem is that they did not vote as Nigeria does not yet have Diaspora voting.
What was worse is that although the president was in Niger over insecurity, he did not visit the Nigerian refugees in Niger. He also did not address their situation. The president missed a golden opportunity to say to these Nigerians who have lost a sense of nationalism and lost their nation, "we will bring you back home."

How do you contradict yourself in the space of two paragraphs, the president either addressed them or he didn't choose one !

Gbam

torkaka:


. . . . . . .oga, there's a difference between Nigerian citizens resident in Niger and Nigerian refugees in Niger . . . . . . . . . .read again, with your eyes and head clear

Did the refugees stop being citizens because of refuge sought

sweetgala:


Did the refugees stop being citizens because of refuge sought

. . . . . . .no sir, they are citizens of Nigeria . . . . . . . . . . .but they are not Nigerian citizens resident in Niger (with a residence permit) that's why they are called 'refugees' . . . . . . . . . . .still confused?

constructive or destructive, a dullard is always a dullard

I am waiting for Buhari's 100days in office to ascertain the direction of the government and till may 29, 2016 to decipher whether the Buhari's administration has "change mechanism" or not. ....

Any criticism now is tantamount to shenanigans....... Had it been we don't have insurgency issues but mere economic and political problems,Buhari would have gone far in governance.......

torkaka:


. . . . . . .no sir, they are citizens of Nigeria . . . . . . . . . . .but they are not Nigerian citizens resident in Niger (with a residence permit) that's why they are called 'refugees' . . . . . . . . . . .still confused?

Did it explicitly mention that the president addressed "citizens of Nigeria" or "Nigerian citizens resident in Nier with a permit"

Comprehension 101 - do not make unqualified conclusions

What more can be say or do more than banish the evil of BH as he has promised.