THE TROUBLE WITH BUHARIs MANIFESTO by Abimbola Adelakun Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari’s manifesto caught my interest because of the mantra of “change” his party has been chanting. For Buhari and his All Progressives Congress, “change” is their theory of everything – that is, the ideology that undergirds their various propositions for the country. There is therefore no better place to confirm their commitment to change than their manifesto. The Buhari manifesto, titled, Manifesto and Vision for Nigeria, is an updated version of what was offered in 2011 when he ran on the platform of his former party, the Congress for Progressive Change. From certain markers in the current document, the manifesto was updated for 2015 before he won the APC primaries. Considering how long this document has been in existence, you would expect a polished material; instead, it is filled with annoying typographical errors, ambiguity, and numerous unpardonable linguistic howlers. The language blunders notwithstanding, the manifesto contains some good ideas; the right things that should be said to seduce voters. Buhari promises to initiate constitution amendment to entrench federalism (a consistent agenda). He talks about structural changes that will strengthen institutions. There is also the proposition of state police – an idea I consider long overdue for a fractious country like Nigeria. One cannot say there are epiphanies in the manifesto that will result in change with a capital C. A number of the big bang ideas are what should presently subsist in the polity if there is the political will. Curiously, for a manifesto written to a country in the midst of war with terrorists, the section on security does not include specific reference to how Buhari will tackle Boko Haram. Is this an oversight or a reflection of Buhari’s attitude to Boko Haram? The document, over all, suffers from presumptuousness and over-ambitiousness. You would think Buhari has control over all the variables. When he states that he will “Make our economy one of the fastest growing emerging economies in the world with a real GDP growth averaging at least 10-12 per cent annually”, you want to ask him to be more elaborate on how he can control economic growth rate. On infrastructure, he says he will “Generate, transmit and distribute electricity on a 24/7 basis whilst simultaneously ensuring the development of sustainable/renewable energy, by 2019.” How does he do this and what is the timeline for achieving it? The manifesto does not provide the answers. The ambiguity in the ideas also extends to his foreign policy. Buhari says he will, “establish a special relationship with the leading emerging markets like Brazil; Russia, India and China (BRIC) and other strategic partners around the world” but you want him to define “special” and where this relationship will lead. For most of the time while reading this manifesto, I kept asking, “How does he propose to do this?” Perhaps, it would have been easier if he had stayed on maybe five key areas and given a clear and coherent projection of how changes in those sectors will have a multiplier effect on other sectors. I also observed that Buhari seems to assume an unlimited supply of finances and he is not shy to spend. For instance, under “Economy”, he says he will “create a Social Welfare Programme of at least Five Thousand Naira (N5,000) that will cater to the 25 million poorest and most vulnerable citizens upon the demonstration of children’s enrolment in school and evidence of immunisation to help promote family stability. (And) Provide allowances to the discharged but unemployed Youth Corps members for Twelve (12) months while in the skills and entrepreneurial development programmes.” Where does he expect the money to fund these lofty ideas to come from considering Nigeria’s mono-economy is currently experiencing a downturn? Perhaps those who helped him revise this piece from 2011 forget to accommodate extant realities! Have they given some thought to the idea of initiating a vibrant taxing system to finance their welfarist ideas? We know that a candidate’s prefacing his campaign with the subject of tax is bound to face some hostility but then, the more sensible and realistic folk will appreciate the honesty. There is no government that has a sustainable welfare programme that does not take taxation seriously. In real life, manna does not drop from heaven. Somebody pays for it. Or, is Buhari banking these ideas on the success of his anti-corruption crusade – that if nobody steals a dime anymore, there would be more than enough money to fund virtually anything? The manifesto even promises to introduce an insurance scheme for journalists and you wonder when that became the business of the government! Also, did the party consider the sociological problems that usually accompany social welfarist projects? In a country where “stomach infrastructure” appeals to even folk who can afford their own meals (but not their dignity), handing out N5,000 to “poor” people monthly can result in a valorisation of poverty and shiftlessness. Another aspect of the manifesto I find rather problematic is the use of personal pronouns. I can bet Buhari did not come up with the ideas in the document all by himself but the constant use of “I will…” to foreground his declaration gives an impression of someone who will build a government around himself. That perception cannot be good for a man battling with the image of a dictator and an inflexible religious fundamentalist. When I read the various instances where the manifesto states, “I will amend the constitution…”, I wondered if the complexity of democracy is considered. How do you talk of constitution amendments without the lawmakers? What will Buhari do when he confronts a hostile or irredeemably corrupt legislature? Will he resolve all the challenges with his hardliner stance or will bend his rigid frame? One more observation about the manifesto is how it excludes the people it is meant to serve. After repeated reading, I still failed to see how Buhari’s agenda coopts me; how it demands any civic responsibility of me as a citizen-subject of the Nigerian state. If a president can achieve all the things listed in that document, what is there for me as a Nigerian to do other than to go to sleep, wake up to be pleasantly amazed Nigeria has finally become a paradise? I think Buhari’s “change” needs to move away from the top-down approach to governance that assumes that the government can solve all problems. The very essence of democracy is about “the people” and the roads that will lead to change should involve the people taking charge of the factors that affect them, not somebody promising them what he thinks is good for them. Obviously, not someone posturing as a messiah! Happy New Year to you, dear reader!
Posted on: Thu, 01 Jan 2015 15:49:53 +0000
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