President Muhammadu Buhari\u2019s recent statement that his second term in office would be tough, seems to be attracting a lot of reactions. The president had a few days ago categorically told members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) who paid him a congratulatory visit, that his second term in office would be tough.
The president\u2019s choice of adjective to describe the vigour with which he intends to express his proactiveness next political season, may well have been understood by some of his cabinet members, as it also appeared to have sent some jittery signals into the spines of others.
No doubt, many have been left in the gallows both within the caucus and beyond as to what Mr President\u2019s purported toughness could portend. But has the president by this expression, \u201cMy last lap of four years, I think is going to be tough\u201d, actually spoken in riddles as some portrayed it or were his expressions as clear as even a non-English Language student could decode?
President Buhari, who was reelected as Nigeria\u2019s president in the just concluded presidential and parliamentary election in the country, had during his campaign tours round the country, spoken extensively about his government\u2019s cardinal agenda.
The president maintained that his administration would remain focused on the three fundamental issues of his first term in office which include: transforming the economy, securing the country and fighting corruption.
According to him, no matter what level of propaganda any government could put in place, a country or any institution at all can only be managed properly when it is well secured. The same applies to the economy. The need to make productive the teeming unemployed able bodied Nigerians for which the youths constitute more than 65 per cent, cannot be overemphasized.
For the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr Boss Mustapha, the president\u2019s resolve to be tough does not have any sinister suggestion. It is rather in the interest of Nigerians. Reacting to fears expressed in some quarters following the president\u2019s statement, Mustapha said, \u201cwhen we came to power in 2015, about 27 states could not pay salaries. We had to take tough decision like giving them bailout from Paris Club refund\u201d.
Mustapha also identified the ban on rice and fertiliser importation as part of the tough decisions taken by this administration which has yielded positive results by boosting local production, among other things.
The News Agency Of Nigeria (NAN) confirmed that by such decision as posited by SGF the country was able to raise the number of rice farmers from four million to twelve million, making the country about 98 per cent self-sufficient in rice production.
It also reported that due to the establishment of many fertiliser blending plants after the ban on the importation of fertiliser, the product is now available and the price going down.
If, therefore, President Buhari has decided to be tough in his next outing, I think it is to deepen the ongoing reforms aimed at strenghtening capacity for the delivery of good governance.
The change promised four years ago to put Nigerian economy on a sustainable development path, restore security of lives and property, as well as fight corruption with all the potentials to lay a firm foundation for growth, can not be achieved in an atmosphere of levity.
In a clime like ours where things hardly take shape without an application of force, President Buhari cannot be said to have minced words in his choice of adjective to qualify his expected approach to governance in the next dispensation of his leadership.
A committed, dedicated and purposeful leadership remains the only spring board that can take Nigeria to the \u201cNext Level\u201d as is being chanted by the All Progressives Congress (APC). These attributes are only predicated on the word \u201cTough\u201d.
Come to think of it, the introduction of the Treasury Single Account (TSA), Bank Verification Number (BVN). Presidential Initiative on Continuous Audit (PICA), the Open Government Partnership (OGP), the Whistle Blower Policy (WBP), the Federal Civil Service Strategy And Implementation Plan 2017- 2020 as well as the president\u2019s commitment to the welfare of Nigerian workers, were all bold steps taken out of tough decision.
At first there were hues and cries because some were implemented with some degree of difficulty. The element of toughness makes it initially difficult but eventually resourceful. All of these combined to transform the public service into an effective and productive machinery.
The writer thus craves the readers\u2019 indulgence to see everything good in the president\u2019s decision to go tough as it is for the good of the people and not liken it to that of King Jeroboam of the Bible days which led to the division of the Kingdom of Israel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Sylvia ThankGod-Amadi<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

President Muhammadu Buhari\u2019s recent statement that his second term in office would be tough, seems to be attracting a lot of reactions. The president had a few days ago categorically told members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) who paid him a congratulatory visit, that his second term in office would be tough. The president\u2019s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[22],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n