The Emerging Features of Change

President Muhammadu Buhari 

Friends and foes alike who know me as a Buhari supporter often ask me the difference between APC and PDP. They ask me where lies the much-trumpeted Change of the APC. 

Well, I know as a fact that there is no difference between PDP and APC, but 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. 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 Executive bills. And because of this, members of that august body are now 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. Expectedly this has not gone down well with the party, but who the hell cares? Ever wondered why there is cold shoulder between Aso Rock and the ruling party apparatchiks? 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.

4. For the first time, judges are arrested, detained and docked in the court of fellow judges for corruption.  

5. Finally, for the first time, the 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.

There are other indices of change but these five 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, unemployment is worsening, inflation spiralling, etcetera etcetera – just to mention a few. But as I said, we are in transition. 

Change, of course, does not come without pains. Neither is it made of rose water. The important thing is, are we on the right track? I am convinced we are – at least in terms of prudence with scarce resources.