Seven
months after taking over government, the Muhammadu Buhari administration has
succeeded in achieving only one out of the 222 campaign promises made to
Nigerians, according to a report by Buharimetre, a civil society monitoring
report tracking the implementation of the president’s campaign promises.
The
report, which covers the activities of the All Progressives Congress-led
Federal Government from May 29 to December 31, 2015, observed in its assessment
that the achievement was in the area of the fight against corruption, even
though a lot was still left undone in that regard.
“PMB has
only achieved 1 out of the 222 tracked promises, which constitutes 0.5 percent
of the promises,” Buharimetre reported.
“ More
so, it reveals that while the government is taking action to achieving only 27
(12.2 percent approximately) of the tracked promises thus ongoing, 194
electoral promises are still ‘Not Rated.’
“ The
latter constitutes 87.3 percent of the tracked promises.”
The
electoral promises not rated, it says, is because there is “no tangible related
activities being implemented.”
The 2015
report is the fourth on the series of report on the assessment of the
performance of President Muhammadu Buhari and the governing party,
the APC, on the delivery of its 222 electoral promises.
The report examined and focused on issues around insecurity,
the economy, oil and gas, corruption, agriculture and social sectors, with
emphasis on the environment.
It also provided useful insights into the current state of
key sectors as a way of establishing the basis of measuring outcomes.
Assessing the fight against corruption, the report noted that
there had been visible efforts to combat corruption since the inauguration of
the present administration, naming the arrest and prosecution of some notable
persons and the efforts to recover looted funds.
“PMB anti-corruption efforts have been commended as a step in
the right direction,” the report noted.
“ Positive opinions in this regard are due to the possible
positive impact of the efforts on development and democracy in the country.
“However, the government has been accused of politics of
selection in the fight against corruption. A delay in the prosecution of the
accused people has been a major criticism of the government. Moreover, while
the government has shown unmatched commitment to curbing corruption, such
effort should be institutionalised.”
The report observed that one of the promises of the current
administration was to strengthen the capacity of anti-graft agencies,
particularly EFCC and ICPC, by guaranteeing their prosecutorial and financial
independence as well as security of tenure.
“Despite the fact that the anti-grant agencies have shown
renewed efforts in the fight against corrupt practices, there has been no
effort by the government to amend relevant laws to guarantee their independence
in these areas,” states the report.
“Moreover, nothing has been done to enact the Whistle Blower
Act, as promised by the administration. We believe that through these
interventions, the performance of anti-graft agencies would not rely on the
personality and political will of President Buhari, but rather the campaign
against corruption would be institutionalised and thereby would extend beyond
the current administration.”
While stating that it was aware of government’s commitment to
fighting corruption and blocking leakages in both the civil service and the oil
and gas sector; and exhibiting a strong political will to fight corruption
irrespective of who is involved, Buharimetre observed that the fight
against corruption must not be devoid of strict adherence to the rule of law.
“In the last few months, several of the people accused of
corruption have been detained against the law, which stipulates that all
accused must be brought before the court 48 hours after arrest,” it stated.
“Some people granted bail have since been re-arrested and
detained. The fight against corruption must be pursued in line with due process
and never in abuse of the law.
“It is also imperative for the government to acknowledge that
the fight against corruption should not be confused as sufficient to address
all governance challenges in the country.
“Essentially, fighting corruption is and should remain one of
the policy priorities of government but not the only overarching intervention
necessary to strengthen governance, especially in a country like Nigeria where
democracy is still transitioning
“The campaign against corrupt practices should simultaneously
exist with interventions such as social provisions that could discourage people
from engaging in corrupt practices, and to a large extent, galvanize support
for the campaign. This may also help institutionalise the anti-corruption
process in the country.
“ Allegations of perceived bias continue to be made against
the PMB administration in several parts of the country. For instance, the South
Eastern part of the country continues to claim marginalization on the part of
the government.”
Boko Haram
Although, Buharimetre noted the efforts of the Nigerian
military in the fight against Boko Haram insurgency in the north east of
Nigeria and to ensure security in the entire country, it said the rising wave
of violent crimes such as armed robbery, kidnapping, militancy in the Nigeria
Delta and the activities of Biafra separatists groups were posing even greater
danger to the security of life in the country.
The report acknowledged the achievements in decimating the
capabilities of Boko Haram insurgents in the North East and the reorganization
of the entire structure in the anti-terrorism project, but noted that the sect
continues to display strong resilience and shocking adaptability.
“Members of the group, who formerly travelled in armoured
personnel carriers (APCs), now ride horses, motor bikes and bicycles to carry
out their nefarious activities,” said the report.
“ These range from poisoning water when fleeing villages and
adopting soft target attacks using suicide bombing, executed mostly by young
girls.
“The insurgents have also carried out attacks in Nyanya and
Kuje, on the outskirts of the capital city, Abuja.”
It faulted the government’s responses to the increasing
number of internally displaced persons whose living conditions had become life
threatening.
The report also underscored government’s failure to
officially unveil its accountability plans for resolving the Boko Haram
insurgency.
“This may be partly because the problem is not Boko Haram
alone. Amnesty International recently issued a report titled Stars on Their
Shoulders, Blood on Their Hands indicting the Nigerian military for its wanton
killings in the war against the insurgency,” it said.
“The ICC-OTP has also established eight possible cases of
crimes against humanity in relation to the North East of Nigeria. This includes
six possible cases against Boko Haram and two possible cases against the
Nigerian security forces.”
The report also drew attention to the fact that the remote
and immediate causes of violent extremism are still very much alive in the
polity.
“There are smaller, less popular Islamic radical groups present
in several parts of Northern Nigeria,” says the report.
“For instance, Yanlabaiku in Kebbi state is preaching against
Western education and Westernisation, and Niger state is pervaded by different
radical Islamist groups. Most of these groups live in seclusion, preaching and
practicing radical Islam.”
It also cited armed banditry which had continue to terrorise
rural communities, rustling cattle, raping and abducting women and girls,
killing people and committing highway robbery and thus increasing tension in
Northern Nigeria.
Also citing the Biafra struggle, the report noted that the state
approach, and particularly the security sector approach in handling the
conflicts remained a cause for concern across the country.
“There are fears that if the IPOB is not properly managed, it
may degenerate into a low level insurgency, further compounding current
security challenges,” it said.
“Soon after the
security agents clampdown on the Biafra separatist movement, there were reports
that the Nigerian Army, in preventing an alleged attempted assassination on the
Chief of Army staff, General Buratai, killed twenty Shia members in Zaria.
“The Shia are said to have put up barricades and blocked the
road to be used by General Buratai. The Army went to the sect’s enclave
Husainiyyah, the residence of sect leader Ibrahim Zakzaky in Gyallesu, and the
DarurRahma mosque, where many unarmed people were killed.
“Human Rights Watch (HRW), has alleged that no fewer than 300
members of the Shia sect were killed and secretly buried by members of the
Nigerian army,” the report stated.
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