Thirty years ago, he was brought into power - then as a military Head Of State, He came in to help salvage a crippling economy in the Nigeria of 1986. The country at the time was suffering from severe fall in oil revenue as a result of the sharp drop in the price of crude coupled with high level corruption and indiscipline.
He came in to meet little and yet, much was expected from him. 'Austerity measure' you remember that? Well, he had no better choice than to do that. There was no EFCC then but there were angry soldiers with whips: beating people into proper conduct and correcting anomalies with whips. He somehow, managed to keep the nation afloat during that unusually difficult time.
And just when the economy looked like it was going to smile again. Just when you think he was going to reap the fruits of his labour, he was forcefully ousted from office and sent to prison with an unfulfilled mission by Gen. Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida (famously known as IBB) and his cohorts.
Haven yet to complete his mission, the erstwhile Head Of State kept pushing on. He contested and failed in three (3) consecutive attempts to return as president in 2003, 2007 and 2011 until he eventually succeeded as Nigeria's president for the second time in 2015 - this time, as a democratic president. Nigerians love him. They believe he is the long awaited change they had always yearned for. But what do you know?
Similar to his first spell at Aso Rock, the Nigerian economy faces another major recession. The price of crude has drastically fallen and the fall in the value of the Naira deepens by the day. Corruption has not helped either. Calls for austerity measures have already started flying in from different quarters. The president once again comes in to meet little and is expected to perform miracles.
President Mohamed Buhari is for the second time unlucky. He yet again becomes president at the wrong time. However, this current crop of Nigerians do not look like they are ready to accept any excuses whatever. The President might be most unfortunate but who cares? Nigerians have paid the ultimate price for the president's re-emergence; and now it's time for him to give them their expected change!
(C)2016 CHIDUBEM N.J
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