As a young passionate Nigerian who desperately wanted a break from the status-quo of corruption and misrule that the PDP delivered to Nigerians for 16 years, I greatly supported the ascension of Buhari and the APC into power. Given the very limited options we had, Buhari was, and, is still a better option than the very corrupt government run by former President Jonathan characterized by massive competitive looting of the treasury. Though, given a free hand to pick a president, Fashola remains my undisputed natural choice for Nigeria's top job. Except that Nigeria is Nigeria, where the best materials (not necessarily saints) don't get to deserved positions most of the time for ethnic religious a regional reasons. This is a story for another time.

Having followed every step of this government since it's inception, It's hightime I bore my mind especially in areas where this government has got it wrong. Necessity is laid upon me after over 1 year and 6 months of Buhari as president to call a spade a spade as I can't watch what looks like a golden opportunity for Nigeria to get it right just slip away. There's so much anger in the land if you must know Mr. President. This I can say with a 90% degree of confidence.

Firstly, I must give kudos to this government for its courage in fighting corruption and recovering looted funds from those who abused public offices through personal enrichment. Many have called it a one-sided fight, but one thing is clear, at least there's an anti-corruption war going on at the moment. If the PDP governments had done similar "one-sided fight against corruption", perhaps the equations would have been balanced by now, and Nigeria will be the overall winner in this.

But I must say that this fight against corruption alone won't put food on the table of Nigerians. What is happening to the Economy? Where are the fiscal policies to back up the monetary policies from the CBN? Is the government still relying on blame games to solve the economic mess it inherited? For how long more? Everyone says this government lacks knowledge about what to do on the economy and sadly I'm tempted to agree. You really have to prove us wrong Mr. President. Your integrity is commendable but Nigerians won't eat integrity. It's not edible!

Another thing that really bothers me is the slow pace at which your government is progressing. Who says speed cannot be combined with order? Look at the budgets for example. After it took till May this year to pass and sign a budget, one would have thought the lessons had been learned going forward. But what do we have? You are just submitting the 2017 budget in mid-December 2016 which maybe signed into law in April, MTEF is still an unresolved issue as well. Sorry I have to refer to Fashola again Mr. President. As governor of Lagos, he signed all of his budget either in December or January, hence implementations of up to 85% were achieved most times. What we have now as it affect budget cycles is really sickening! There's just 2017 and little of 2018 (year of politicking and primaries) left for you to really make an impact and it feels like you came in as president barely 6 months ago.

Look at the UAE for example built in just about 20 years. We should be in a hurry to fix things in Nigeria, not wasting precious time travelling around the world. To me, Mr President is acting like 4 years is forever! It's just around the corner so you have to increase your pace of governance. Except the rigours of office is too much for you at this age, then you should be willing to hand over to a fast-paced hard worker like Fashola or any other reliable person (If the APC and Nigerians pemit at the polls). In a country like Nigeria where everything waits for Mr. President's approval, your pace should be far ahead of the ministers and heads of agencies and not vice-versa.

The dearest issue to my heart amongst all right now is the terrible way Mr President mishandled the Tompolo corruption saga in February this year, which to the best of my knowledge and to those who can put one and two together, culminated into the unfortunate pipeline vandalism that has rocked the Niger-Delta. I remember telling people around me then in February this year, that if this government really wants to progress, President Buhari should just let Tompolo be and move forward to tackle governance. I said this not because anyone should be above the law in Nigeria, but simply because the Tompolo I know as Niger-Deltan is a lot of trouble!. Not every issue requires a stubborn or military approach to solve. Apply diplomacy sometimes!. 

How can you chase Tompolo in the creeks where you may never find him just for a few billions to the detriment of the many billions of dollars of crude oil in the pipelines, millions of cubic ft of gas that are supposed to run the power plants around the country, and a risk of zero supply of crude to the newly revamped refineries? What are the results of the futile Tompolo chase; no money to run the ambitious 2016 budget, no gas for the power plants and consequently darkness prevails all over the place except in Aso rock. President Buhari, please drop your high ego and let this go as you almost can't win a man who is so sophisticated to destroy subsea pipelines several KMs below. How much more the series of pipelines passing around the Delta communities onshore? 

Your singular 'stubborn' action has annulled: all the brilliant efforts of Kachikwu to fix the aged refineries, Fashola's efforts in increasing the power transmission capacity to about 6000MW in a very short duration as there's no gas for power generation, and has led to the whopping request for $30b loan that your government seeks to borrow due to reduced earnings from crude sales. Power supply greatly improved between June 2015 and February 2016 due to more gas supply from the gas companies. All that just disappeared! My major concern in all of this is that, majority of Nigerians don't know and don't care to know why there's no power supply, they just want to have it! What will you tell them in 2019 after putting up billboards in 2015 saying, "Because we need reliable Electricity, Vote Buhari"? That you were chasing Tompolo for 4 years? That's simply story for the gods. You have to lose some to win some in this matter.


Let me end by saying kudos on the great fight against Bokoharam and on the silent rice revolution. Quite some projects are going on especially in the agricultural, works and power sector, and the government has to let the masses know that it's not doing nothing on infrastructure.

Olujastro is writing from Norway.

How do they pronounce this mod's name.
Lalasticlala abi na Mynd44, please take this message to Buhari for me as I'm boiling here even with 0'C.