failed promises, dashed hopes in 2012

29 Dec, 2012

Olalekan Adetayo reviews the various policies of the government as they affect Nigerians in the outgoing year as well as the promises of a better year in 2013
In August 2012, Nigeria was named the second ‘most religious’ country in the world with 93 per cent of its people believing in one form of religion or the other. The country came behind its West African neighbour, Ghana, where 96 per cent of the people in that country were said to have professed their belief in religion.
This was based on poll results released by the Win-Gallup International Religiosity and Atheism Index. The poll, conducted between November 2011 and January 2012, was based on interviews with 52,000 men and women from 57 countries in five continents.
The country’s position in the survey probably explains why Nigerians, especially Christians, come up with different slogans at the beginning of every year to express their desire for a better New Year than the outgoing one.
Slogans such as ‘My Year of Divine Visitation,’ ‘My Year of Signs and Wonders,’ ‘My Year of Total Recovery’ and “My Year of Total Breakthrough” among others are not in short supply in many of the Pentecostal churches to usher in a New Year.
But 2012 has been unique. It has been unique in the sense that these slogans did not remain too long on the lips of Nigerians. The reason is not far-fetched. Having endured the rigours of keeping vigil for what has come to be known as the ‘Crossover Nights’ in many churches to usher in the New Year, Nigerians woke up on Jan. 1, 2012 to the ugly reality of a total removal of fuel subsidy by the present administration.
The policy led to an astronomical increase in pump price of petrol from N65 per litre to N140 per litre.
The situation sparked off a series of mass protests in many parts of the country with Lagos taking the lead. While the protests and industrial action by labour unions lasted, economic activities were paralysed in the country, forcing the Federal Government to resort to a partial deregulation, which led to the pegging of the pump price of petrol at N97 per litre.
That initial decision, no doubt, rubbed off on any other government’s move or decision in the year, with citizens becoming so quick in criticising every government’s move.
Such criticism followed the move by the FG to build the vice-president’s official residence with N16bn. Although N7bn was initially budgeted for the project, the cost was hiked by N9bn along the way, therefore leading to harsh words for the government.
Another of such projects that did not go down well with Nigerians was the proposed new Banquet Hall for the Presidential Villa. Despite that there is an existing Banquet Hall in the seat of power, the Federal Executive Council during the year approved the construction of a new one, which is expected to gulp N2.2bn. Nigerians again would not hear any of that.
To worsen matters, fuel scarcity, resulting in long queues by motorists seeking to buy petrol, hit many parts of the country, including Abuja and Lagos, during the year. The situation again led to astronomical increase in pump prize by a few marketers, who had fuel to sell.
The FG, through the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, promised Nigerians that the fuel queues at petrol stations would disappear before the Christmas celebration. But like a typical government promise, that vow fell in its face like a pack of cards. The scarcity marred celebrations in Abuja and Lagos, as well as other parts of the country.
But for the FG, it is not all about tales of woe in the outgoing year. From statistics released by the government, appreciable achievements were recorded in the agriculture, transport and aviation sectors.
In the agriculture sector, the government succeeded in transforming the process of distributing fertilisers and seeds to farmers. In aviation, many of the nation’s airports were upgraded and of course in the transport sector, some rail lines, including that of Lagos-Kano, were rehabilitated.
So, for Nigerians, the outgoing year is of mixed blessings: some promises on the part of the FG were kept, while several others were left hanging.
Apparently aware of some of his government’s shortcomings in the year, President Goodluck Jonathan has again been promising Nigerians a better deal in the New Year.
The renewed promise started penultimate Thursday during the 2012 Presidential Christmas Carol held at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Jonathan, at the event, gave Nigerians an assurance that despite the mirage of challenges currently facing the country, 2013 would be a better year for all.  He, however, urged them to embrace peace and be ready to make a few sacrifices. He said although the nation was facing challenges, there was hope for the country.
He said, “I urge all Nigerians to embrace peace. The wars will not save us. The wars that were fought by David never saved the Jews otherwise the Romans won’t have captured them back. Christ brought peace to liberate everybody, so let us embrace peace. As long as we embrace peace and make sacrifices, I believe that Nigeria will be greater. We have challenges as a nation, no doubt about that, especially security issues. As a government, we are making progress in infrastructural development and others and as we progress, you will continue to see changes at the airports, seaports, roads and the power sector. I believe that with prayers of Nigerians, if we can embrace peace and make little sacrifices, surely 2013 will be a better year for all of us.”
Apparently poised to show Nigerians that he is sincere with the promise, Jonathan, a few days after, appeared at another forum and insisted that his administration would perform better in 2013. He said in the coming year, the government would better the lot of Nigerians in all aspects.
The President gave the assurance while speaking shortly after he laid the foundation stone of the Living Faith Foundation’s Bible College in Kaduna. “Let me assure all of you and indeed all Nigerians that 2013 will be better for us than 2012 in all aspects of the nation’s history. The New Year shall be better for us in terms of job creation, wealth creation and improved security among others,” the President told the worshippers.
Jonathan urged Nigerians not to lose hope because he and members of his team had resolved to make significant changes in the country during his tenure. He said although the changes might seem to be slow in coming because of the tedious processes involved, they would soon be manifesting in the form of a better wellbeing for the people.
As if he was reading the minds of Nigerians who are already tired of endless promises, the President said he was aware that the people found it difficult to continue to believe the government because of the challenges they were facing. “Sometimes, challenges make people doubt the sincerity of the government, but I am confident that God knows everything,” he added.
Like a man who wants a second chance, Jonathan resorted to begging Nigerians to learn to trust him and his administration in the coming year in his Christmas message to the nation. “As we celebrate Christmas, the ultimate significance of which is the fulfilment of God’s promise of a saviour for mankind, I urge you all to continue to trust in our unwavering commitment to fully achieve the objectives of our Agenda for National Transformation for the benefit of all Nigerians. No one should doubt that we have the political will and determination to deliver on our promise of positive changes in the living conditions of our people in the shortest possible time,” he said.
Again, when he attended the Christmas Service at the Cathedral Church of the Advent, Life Camp, Gwarinpa, Abuja, Jonathan explained to Nigerians that his administration was slow in taking major decisions because he wanted to avoid mistakes that would be difficult to correct.
As the year 2013 replaces 2012 in a few days, it is the hope of Nigerians that Jonathan would do everything within his powers to ensure that the New Year is better than the outgoing one in all its ramifications as he has consistently promised.
- Olalekan Adetayo
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