As one of the most passionate promoters of the Buhari Presidency brand, a mission I embarked upon out of sheer patriotism and objectivity, I owe it a duty to my conscience and patriotic spirit to express my worry with the pace and style of President Muhammadu Buhari.
While six months is not a realistic period to do a proper assessment for a brand new government, I am worried that the most basic issue of empanelling a federal cabinet remains in the realm of conjecture with no clear direction as to what the shape of the cabinet will be.
I simply cannot understand why we don’t have a Federal Executive Council six months after this government was inaugurated on May 29.
For a man who had wanted to be President since 2003 and who won it after the fourth attempt, it is simply unacceptable that six months after, his cabinet is not in place. The arguments canvassed by the President as reasons for the delay do not make any sense to me. Buhari didn’t have to wait for six months to make a Chibuike Amaechi, a Chris Ngige, an Ogbonnaya Onu, a Fayemi Kayode and the others ministers when he could have jolly well announced the names even on May 29. Any avid political watcher knew from the start that these men would be part of the Buhari Presidency.
I see no sense of urgency in our President and this is very disturbing.
Even as a military leader, Buhari didn’t wait for six whole months before he put his cabinet in place. He also inherited an economy that was badly battered under the Presidency of Alhaji Shehu Shagari.
I sincerely expected that within the first one month, all issues concerning ministerial appointments would have been sorted out so that the ministers could get to work and begin to face the multifaceted challenges that face us as a nation.
But I still have faith in the Buhari government. I have to have faith. I voted for him and I am not in the habit of abandoning my causes at the slightest reason. I believe that when the ministers are finally inaugurated, things will look up.
But for now, there is a serious cause for concern and worry.
I hope the President will realise the urgency of the situation and act fast and put a stop to the present inexplicable inertia.
Onyebuchi Ememanka,
Aguda, Surulere, Lagos State