The Emerging Features of Change – by Frank Ofili

Some friends and foes alike who know me as a Buhari supporter have asked me, at different times, to identify the difference between PDP and APC in the wake of defections from the former to the latter. They ask me where lies the much-trumpeted Change of the APC if the party is still doing things like its much-castigated counterpart.

Well, my answer remains the same. I know as a fact that there is not much difference, if any, between PDP and APC. In fact, I have, several times, expressed my worries over the defections and the fact that the APC high command find nothing morally wrong with accepting into its fold those it had accused of ruining the economy.

However, anyone who wants to be objective cannot deny the fact that there is a lot of difference between the APC Federal Government under President Muhammadu Buhari and PDP Federal Government from 1999 to May 29, 2015.

There are also some noticeable changes, even though still at the trajectory. A few examples will suffice:

1. Naira or hard currency-filled Ghana-Must-Go sacks no longer move from Aso Rock to the National Assembly in exchange for favourable consideration of federal Budgets, Executive Bills/requests, or federal appointments. And because of this, members of that august body are now unusually scrupulous in looking for loopholes in Executive bills/requests brought before them so that they would have reason to reject them. Ordinarily, this is a good development in that it will in turn make the Executive to be scrupulous in whatever it presents before the Assembly so as to escape rejection – unlike in the past when attention was never paid to details and everything went garbage-in-garbage-out. For me, that is change – although we are at the transition phase of this change

2. Aso Rock is no longer bankrolling the ruling party. Thus, the ruling party is now forced to source money outside government. Not unexpectedly, this has not gone down well with the party hierarchy, but who the hell cares? That is change
3. Naira or hard currency-filled Ghana-Must-Go sacks no longer fly from Abuja to states where elections are holding. That is change. Today, governorship election is holding in Anambra State and I have not heard or read of unusual movement of bullion vans laden with bribe money from Central Bank of Nigeria to Awka. That is change
4. For the first time, judges are arrested, detained and docked in the court of fellow judges to answer for corruption charges. The nation’s No. 3 man and other hitherto high-ranking public office holders are also being prosecuted. That is change, although we expect actual convictions to make the change in this area total.
5. Sanity has been considerably brought to the expenditure side of government business through Treasury Single Account (TSA). In the past, every revenue-generating ministry, department and agency of government used to dip their hands in the cookie jar without restraint. Today, the story is different.
6. President refused to pay pension and allowances of former heads of state and Presidents and their deputies, preferring instead to pay retired civil servants their 81 months arrears of pension. That is change profound.
7. Finally, earlier this week, I read from the BBC that terror-related deaths in Nigeria has fallen by as much as 80% since 2015. Nobody can deny the fact that since President Buhari came on board, he has fought a relentless war against terrorism using multi-prong approach involving Police, Army, Airforce, Civil Defense Corps and vigilante groups. Intelligence-gathering on the terror sect, Boko Haram, has greatly improved and its capacity to overrun whole towns, cities, villages, military and police installations as was the case three, four years ago, has been severely curtailed. Over a hundred Chibok girls have been rescued, but I know that politics will not allow the usual suspect quarters to admit it.

This is not, however, to say that there is Uhuru security-wise. Many Chibok girls are still held captive, and the menace of the rampaging killer herdsmen is on the rise. I urge the government to do much more in this respect.

There are other indices of change, but these would do for now.

Of course, there are, as well, negative and painful consequences of the change arising from many factors and the initial missteps of government. Exchange rate has shot through the roof (though slightly improving now), unemployment is worsening, inflation still considerably high, etcetera etcetera – just to mention a few. But as I said earlier, we are in transition and it will take time and commitment and sacrifice from all and sundry for the change to be deepened.

Change, of course, has never been known to come without pains. Neither is it made of rose water. The important question to ask though, is, are we on the right track? I am convinced we are – at least in terms of prudence with scarce resources.