As news filtered from the senate that Nigeria's 'change agents' senators had vehemently opposed a motion sponsored by the opposition PDP senators seeking to compel the federal government to begin payment of the 5,000 Naira monthly stipend it promised unemployed graduates during the electioneering campaigns, not a few Nigerians were taken aback by the retrogressive stand of the APC senators. The shock made some well known APC affiliated activists to begin another deceptive hash tag(#Buharioptics) - the motive for this face saving move(as with all things) will be brought to the fore in the fullness of time.
While I scrolled through my twitter TL reading tweets from those whom the presidential media aide tagged wailing wailers and the lamentations of those who had fallen for the scam packaged and presented by the APC as change; Innocent 'Tuface' Idibia's song 'E be like say' kept playing in my head.
The APC, Nigeria's 'change party' had once again played 'ojoro' on those who could not see beyond their propaganda and empty noise(unfortunately the effect of their naivety won't be selective).
With what happened on the floor of the Nigerian senate, I wonder how president Buhari on his next foreign trip will tell investors the wrongs of past governments and that Nigerians are not trustworthy hence unfit to do business with, without indicting himself and his crew of confusionists, I digress.
Maybe the pain experienced yesterday by those who fell for the APC's stories would have been lesser if their 'change agent' senators and lacklustre legion of volunteers had not out rightly tried to deny that such promises were ever made at different times and places. Perhaps if they had just said, that the present economic realities have made it impossible for them to fulfil such outrageous promises, many of those who voted for just that benefit alone would not have been as sorrowful as they were yesterday. Inasmuch as that excuse would not have been acceptable(considering that even while the APC campaigned with these things, our economy was already experiencing a downturn due to the fall in global oil prices. Yet each time the APC campaign team(led by those we thought then to be intelligent) was asked how feasible these things were, the usual response was we will “block leakages, recover looted funds and fight corruption”; well here we are now.), but at least it would not be as insulting as the failed attempt at outright denial.
At the 10th anniversary of cresent university, the vice president pastor Yemi Osibanjo boldly stated “one of the most striking promises we made during campaigns was the payment of five thousand Naira to the poorest Nigerians across the country” http://leadership.ng/news/440494/unemployed-poor-nigerians-to-get-n5000-monthly-fg. How then is the APC going to deny it's commitment to Nigerians? Is Osibanjo no longer seen as a qualified voice of this administration? The fulfilment of this promise is even more crucial now, considering how many breadwinners have lost their jobs from may 29th 2015 till date, as our economy continues to dance “go down low”.
This article on Vanguard newspaper of January 5th 2015 http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/01/buhari-promises-allowances-unemployed-corps-members-free-meal-pupils/ clearly states General Buhari's promise to provide loans/grants to discharged but unemployed graduates along side the 5000 Naira monthly stipend - need I remind the president that two batches of corp members have passed out since he was sworn into office.
Femi Edun in his piece “paying for APC's spending promises”
://metropole.ng/index.php/metro-views/item/3592-paying-for-apc-s-spending-promises warned that the promises of the then opposition APC were unrealistic considering the austere times and “not having been well thought out in terms of their affordability”, yet we listened not.
While the PDP may not have optimally made use of its 16 years in power to transform Nigeria to the paradise(or something close) it's citizens yearn for; history will forever be kind to the PDP senators who on 4th November 2015 stood up for millions of unemployed Nigerians, asking only that the Buhari led administration fulfils promises that were not made under duress. In 5 months and 7 days all we have witnessed with this change is lies, propaganda, accusations and denials(repeat cycle), not even one project is ongoing. If it continues like this, I am very certain when the monthly alerts is no longer received, the noisy volunteers will become wailing wailers. For now, we still await the commencement of the change process!
Enenim Ubon is on twitter @EnenimUbon
