In an assessment of President Bola Tinubu’s first year in office, a one-time member of the House of Representatives and elder statesman, Dr Usman Bugaje, accused the administration of lack of progress in addressing the nation’s pressing issues.
During an interview on Channels TV’s Politics Today on Wednesday, Bugaje was asked about the government’s decision to mark Tinubu’s first year in office with a low-key approach, without any fanfare.
In his response, Bugaje said, “Well, as Citizens and as people who have been in government, clearly the last one year has been a tragedy, simple. There is not one problem they have been able to solve, so I cannot see any other than low-key.”
Bugaje attributed the low-key approach to the administration’s recognition of the public’s frustration and anger.
“I mean, I give them the sense that they are feeling the pressure, they can see the faces of Nigerians and so perhaps they trying to see how can they assuage this anger because the people are angry,” he said.
Expressing concern over the government’s inability to address the country’s challenges, Bugaje stated, “Since this Administration came one year ago, I’ve not seen one problem that they have solved. If anything, the policies they started with have created far more problems than they found, and in this one year, they are clearly groping in the dark without very clear [direction].”
Bugaje emphasised the need for the administration to seek help from experienced individuals, regardless of their political affiliations.
“This is the time really to admit and to then seek help from those who know, and Nigeria is full of people with the experience with the expertise, they may not be in your party, they may not even be in politics, but this is the way many countries have been able to get out of the problem they have found themselves,” he said.
Highlighting the importance of measurable metrics in evaluating governance, Bugaje expressed disappointment and accused the government of a lack of a baseline established.
“We as a nation should have by now developed metrics for evaluating governance. In the academic cycle, there are, and there are statistics. Every government should have come up with a baseline. After one year, they will be able to say scientifically this is the production in terms of Agriculture, what we found in 2023, and this last season we have improved by a number of metric tons. In the field of security, these are the figures we would have improved.”
Bugaje cited the recent kidnapping of 20 people in Dawaki, an estate in Abuja, as a reminder of the deteriorating security situation in the country’s capital, questioning the government’s ability to ensure the safety of its citizens.
“So my point is really what I’ve had so far are empty rhetorics that have not spoken to the problems on the ground,” Bugaje noted.
He further called for tangible solutions and a willingness from the government to seek assistance from experienced individuals outside the government’s circles.
On Tuesday, about 20 residents of Dawaki, a community near Kubwa in the Federal Capital Territory, were kidnapped.
The attackers were said to have raided houses on Frank Opara Street before security operatives responded to distress calls.
