Some call it the Buhari bounce. Others describe it
as the Buhari effect. Yet some others say it is the
Buhari aura. One thing is, however, crystal clear.
Things have not been the same in the past 100
days in Nigeria, since Muhammadu Buhari
assumed the presidency. A new sheriff has truly
come to town.
Exactly 100 days ago, he climbed the podium at
Eagle Square in Abuja and got inaugurated as
president, 30 years after he had been toppled
from power as military head of state. He
promised to belong to nobody, and to belong to
everybody. It is a pledge that still resonates
loudly today, and will surely echo for a long time
to come.
On a day like this, you would expect a
presidential spokesman to chronicle the
achievements of his principal in office. He has
turned stone to bread, slain the dragon, and
climbed Mount Olympus in ten seconds. But that
is not what I want to do. There are some
intangible, almost imperceptible achievements,
but which run very deep, and are quite
fundamental. Those are the ones I'll rather talk
of, while we leave the tangibles till some other
day.
Oh, he's escaping. There are no concrete
achievements, some wailing wailers would cry.
True? Not true. I could have decided to focus on
the bloody nose being given to Boko Haram in
the North-East, which would see the country rid
of insurgency soon, the rallying of leaders of
other neighboring countries to deploy a Joint
Multinational Task Force, the openness displayed
about government finances and the welfare
package instituted for states that couldn't pay
salaries, the Treasury Single Account, which
would promote transparency and accountability
in governance, the disappeared fuel queues, fast-
tracking of the cleanup of Ogoni land, reduction
in the cost of governance, and many others. But
I will not focus on all those. The day cometh!
When a new sheriff comes into town, disorder
gives way to order. Chaos flees. Impunity is
swept away. Laxity gives way to diligence, and
people change their old, unedifying ways. When
you have a Wild, Wild West situation prevailing,
the new sheriff comes, and stamps his authority.
Old things then pass away, behold, everything
becomes new.
Nigeria had always needed attitudinal change.
That was why the Buhari regime launched the
War Against Indiscipline in the 1980s. And the
war was succeeding, till a spanner was thrown in
the works through regime change. Buhari was
called all sorts of names then: despot, tyrant,
iron-fist ruler, etc. But the discerning knew. They
understood that it was a change we needed. And
that change was postponed for 30 years.
But what is bred in the bones never goes out
through the flesh. Immediately after Buhari
returned on May 29, Nigerians knew that
discipline was back. The bird of the homestead
told the ones in the bush, and they all sat up. No
unnecessary chirping. Stealing is now corruption,
they whispered to themselves. God help you if
you get caught.
Now, consider the situation with electricity and
with our refineries. Electricity has climbed to
about 5,000 Megawatts. Some refineries, which
had not produced a drop of fuel for years, have
cracked into life. Even the perennial queues in
our petrol stations have disappeared, vanished.
Is it because Buhari threw billions of dollars at
the problems? No. Those things simply
responded to the presence of the new sheriff in
town. Those who manned those schedules could
afford to be laid back in the past. But not
anymore! The music has changed, and the dance
steps must follow suit. And would Buhari take
credit for the newfound zeal and efficiency? Not
the plain and honest man from Daura. The
broadcaster Omotayo Omotoso had come to the
presidential villa to interview him sometime in
July. And she had asked what the magic wand
he waved was, that refineries, long comatose,
had sprang back to life. The President responded
that it would be dishonest of him to have
claimed he did anything. He had not touched
refineries at all. But unknown to the President, he
did something. He had swept into town with his
reputation for efficiency, and for achieving
results. And the refineries, fuel supply, electricity
supply, responded to the new sheriff. May things
continue to get better till the change becomes
enduring and irreversible. Amen somebody!
Another imperceptible but momentous
achievement is the faith that Nigerians now have
in their leader. Yes, the opposition numbers in
millions, and naturally so. A political party had
held power at the centre for 16 years, and its
loyalists would not simply disappear, or get
converted overnight. About 12 million Nigerians
had voted for the presidential candidate of that
party in the March 2015 general elections. Would
they just cross over to the winning side? It often
takes awhile. But despite all that, a great deal of
Nigerians, a vast majority, believe in the new
sheriff. And that is great achievement. A big deal.
When the citizenry believe in their leader, and
almost can swear by him, it is no mean feat. The
NOI polls, in a survey in July, revealed that over
70% of Nigerians were happy with the Buhari
administration. And I can bet that the percentage
would rise, as the months and years roll by. Faith
in leadership is something that does not come
cheap.
And this one! Even our foreign reserve knows
that a new sheriff is in town, and has responded
appropriately. In June, just one month into office,
and with the plugging of some leakages and
loopholes, foreign reserve surged from $29
billion to $31.89. Holy Moses! Just in one month.
Well, that is what a new sheriff can do. He brings
sanity, confidence and probity to the system.
And you would agree that Nigeria needs such
shot in the arm, if we consider recent past
experiences, when our treasury was like a bag
filled with holes.
An evidence of the believability of the new sheriff,
and the confidence reposed in him, is the
disclosure that came this week from
Ambassador Godknows Igali, Permanent
Secretary, Ministry of Power. He said since
Buhari came to office, not a single sabotage of
the power infrastructure has been recorded, and
it is one of the reasons that electricity supply
keeps improving. But did Buhari line up soldiers
across the power infrastructure? Did he hire a
combination of OPC, Egbesu, MASSOB, MEND
and Arewa youths to keep vigil? No. Just
believability. Those who are so angry with the
country, and would go to any extent to sabotage
development, have decided to give the sheriff a
chance. They have heard of his reputation. A
man that believes in fairness and justice. He
would do right to all parts of the country.
Can you imagine the respect our sheriff
commands on the international scene, and how it
redounds to the glory of the average Nigerian?
American President Barack Obama said Buhari
came onto his job with reputation of integrity
and a clearcut agenda. Ambassador Johnny
Carson, also during the U.S trip in July, said the
Nigerian President was a man of honour and
integrity. Everywhere he goes, the Nigerian
President is lauded and garlanded for his virtues.
And the image of the country is burnished and
repositioned in the process. Surely, greater days
are ahead.
Some people say the sheriff did not hit the
ground running, as he is yet to constitute his
cabinet in 100 days. And I usually ask such
people: when you hit the ground, and you land in
mud, how do you begin to run immediately? You
can only sink deeper, if you attempt to run. The
thing to do is to first clear the mud, till you get to
terra firma, and then you can begin to run.
President Buhari has spent time trying to clean
the Augean stable he inherited. And he is
succeeding. Sheriffs can either come in with
guns blazing, shooting malefactors to kingdom
come, or simply stamp their authority on the
situation by sheer force of personality and
presence. The Nigerian sheriff seems to have
opted for the second option for now. But we
should never forget that sheriffs are licensed to
shoot. And those shots can be lethal for
lawbreakers. In a matter of months, you can ask
those who had bled our treasury to the point of
death. They'll have stories to tell.
Femi Adesina is Special Adviser on Media and
Publicity to President Muhammadu Buhari


http://saharareporters.com/2015/09/04/new-sheriff-town-femi-adesina

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As a wailing wailer I have no option than to believe Mr. Femi cous he has brain washed mii wiv his nice writing skills...

Endorsed!

Well thank God I was one of those who signed the document for CHANGE OF SHERIFF through the the ballot

all for the best...