BY DAN OWEGIE
Something good is in the offing for the Nigerian poor, particularly, the poorest of the poor amongst us. One of the greatest achievements of the All Progressives Congress, APC-led federal government is the healing and restitution taking place in our dear nation. One of the greatest wounds inflicted by the military was the annulment of the freest and fairest election by the junta led by self-styled military President, Ibrahim Bagangida in 1993 adjudged to have been won by the Aare Onakankanfo of Yoruba land, Chief Moshood Kasimawo Olawale Abiola (GCFR).
Various military administrations after Babangida took their turns after the annulment to govern the country without addressing the issue of June 12 annulment, even with three administrations of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP that also ruled for 16 years. The issue was left to linger unaddressed even when it remained a sore point in our journey to nationhood.
But many thanks to President Muhammadu Buhari who believes that the issues raised with the annulment of the June 12, 1993 Presidential election must be addressed. Last year, President Muhammadu Buhari recognized the sanctity of that election and recognized Chief M.K.O Abiola and his deputy, Ambassador Babagana Kingibe of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) as the rightful winners of the poll and decorated them with the highest honours of the land as it pertains both positions, GCFR and GCON, respectively.
To further demonstrate the seal that both men won the election fair and square, President Buhari went further to declare June 12 every year as the authentic Democracy Day and ended the celebration of May 29 which is Presidential handover date as Democracy Day.
To walk the Talk, June 12 this year was fully marked as the maiden edition of that proclamation of a brand-new Democracy Day for all Nigerians. Aside naming the National Stadium after Chief M.K.O Abiola, President Muhammad Buhari said he believes a sense of purpose will ensure that 100 million Nigerians can be lifted out of poverty over a period of 10 years.
Buhari’s projection derives from the fact which emerged last year that Nigeria had overtaken India as the nation with the highest number of people living in extreme poverty across the world, with an estimated 86.9 million Nigerians measured to be living on less than $1.90 (N684) a day.
A report by the World Poverty Clock, a web tool produced by World Data Lab, which disclosed Nigeria’s new poverty status last year, has again indicated that the figure has increased to 93.7 million in June 2019. This calls for worry.
President Buhari is mindful that if poverty is not frontally tackled across the country, this figure could balloon to over 100,000 before the end of the year, hence, he also used the occasion of the new Democracy Day to assure Nigerians that he would re-double efforts at combating poverty now that he has just commenced a second term in office. He said that efforts must be put in top gear to ensure that at least 100,000 Nigerians would be delivered from chronic poverty in the next 10 years. That is being modest in his assertion and calculations.
While delivering his Democracy Day speech at the Eagle Square, the President said his government has done well in his first term to lift the bulk of Nigerians out of poverty and onto the road to prosperity. This is the fact of the matter giving the success of the Social Investment Programme (SIP) being managed by office of the Vice President.
The SIP with its four programmes: National Home-Grown School Feeding (NHGSF), Government Enterprise Empowerment Programme (GEEP), Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT), and the N-Power have so far recorded huge success otherwise, the World Poverty Clock report would have been worse. The SIP is reaching millions of Nigerians and lifting them out of chronic poverty. It is important to note that these programmes, good as they are, cannot in isolation pull all poor Nigerians out of poverty.
Much needs to be done in the area of the economy. Good enough, the Buhari administration has laid a solid foundation in its first term. The Nigerian economy once dominated by oil extraction is becoming more diverse, and Nigeria’s oil sector contribution to GDP at 10.5% is the lowest in OPEC. With the right investment and policy interventions, Nigeria could become a leader in the global economy by 2030. At the Nigerian Economic Summit Group our policy advocacy and engagement with the Nigerian Government has been focused on driving Inclusive Growth. For decades, Nigeria’s Oil-led growth even times of boom has not led to the same rate of poverty alleviation and job creation. Therefore, Nigeria has continued to experience rising inequality. After the worst recession in two decades, Nigeria requires a new approach to achieve diversified, sustainable and inclusive growth, and to tackle extreme poverty.
Good enough, the president noted that if countries such as China, India and Indonesia have been able to lift millions of their citizens out of poverty, Nigeria can as well do the same with purposeful leadership. This is the leadership he is set to provide to bring poverty level down in the country.
It will be important for all Nigerians, irrespective of political leanings and ethnic or religious persuasions to join forces with the President to enable us carry through this policy proclamation of Muhammadu Buhari on June 12. Like the President, I believe that it is achievable, even before 10 years if we all work in unity from our little and big corners.
- Mr. Dan Owegie is a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Edo State.
