It is one thing is to rustle power, but sustaining the challenges require more competencies. Nigerians are still debating the 100-day season of their new regime with critics bashing the presidency for leading a very sluggish start. While supporters of President Muhammadu Buhari are yet to substantially defend his proposals, it could rightly be argued that first 100 Days have never guaranteed the success of an entire tenure, neither have early process complications necessitated failure in governance. However,   every voyage starts with one step – thanks to Franklin D. Roosevelt, a United States President who in 1933, used his first three months in office to lay the foundations of his executive mandate. Ever since this year, the First 100 Days have been seen as a unique moment in predicting proposal efficacy and tenure effectiveness.

President Buhari’s case is strange, because his regime is still confused about governance, and at the worst, waterlogged by the demands of a transformation process it professed.  Supported by his ruling party cohorts, President Buhari has been terribly astounded by his own campaign proposals – grappling with how and where to start, and denying the very promises he made to the masses just a few months ago.

A hundred days or not, the troubling issue is that President Buhari’s accomplishments so far has been a horrendous nightmare. In an authoritarian manner, constitutional measures are swiftly dwindling into unrestrained anarchy. As it was noted in this column a few weeks ago, in the world’s political history, Nigeria stands to become the only country where an elected President ferociously assumed the position of the Vice President, Chief Prosecutor, Prison Director, Chief Judge, Petroleum Chief – then sits down on the constitution with unrestrained supremacy, cold-shouldering the other sectors of the government.

From the very start of his executive directives, President Buhari has gone gaga with the most significant issues in the country’s politics – security, economy, and corruption. Regrettably, an assessment of his handle of these issues so far indicates that the country is once again back to dictatorship. For instance, on security, he had quickly replaced the service chiefs; moved Nigeria’s defense command unit to Maiduguri, claiming the idea was to ease up a counter strategy against the terror group. But critics differ, accusing Buhari of conferring greater political power opportunities to his Northern allies, and restructuring the military system to protect that structure.

To further frustrate a global support of a fight against the Boko Haram, the Buhari regime was scandalously exposed for secretly granting an entry visa to a fleeing ‘ISIS Emir’, and a Lebanese fugitive, Ahmad al-Assir who was later arrested. He was trying to escape to Nigeria through Cairo with fake Palestinian travel document in a scenario that questions the Buhari’s credibility in fighting terror. While a possible collaboration between Assir and the Buhar’s regime was being investigated, Buhari’s advocacy for a Boko Haram amnesty created additional doubts over his request for assistance from the United States in fighting terror, leaving the regime all confused and helpless in meeting its security proposals to defend the country.

In less than a hundred days,  Buhari has thrown the country’s economy into harm’s way, singlehandedly presiding changes that signals a fiscal doom. He had enforced a mass worker retrenchment, sending close to 100, 000 out of jobs. He had banned the recruitment of federal public sector workers, raised interest rates, and halted capital projects at all governmental levels. Without any official protocol, President Buhari had dictatorially suspended the upgrade projects at the Calabar/Onne seaports, ordered a slash in federal allocation to states, and canceled the second Niger bridge project, attributing his action to one single phrase, “War against corruption.”

Foreign investors and major global financial institutions have openly expressed concerns about the direction of the Nigerian economy. Last week, JPMorgan Chase & Co. disqualified Nigeria from its local-currency emerging-market bond indexes, after restrictions on foreign-exchange transactions prompted investor concerns about a shortage of liquidity. But, the defiant president remained untouched about his belt-tightening policy, and in fact announced a proposal to shut down some embassies and foreign mission abroad. Another action that could put additional thousands of federal employees out of their jobs by last quarter of the year.

Just like his handle of the economy and matters of security, the regime’s vows to tackle corruption remain another shocking blow. In sheer irony, Buhari personally has been caught up reconciling issues of fraud directly involving his interests. For instance, the immediate former governor of the oil rich Rivers State, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi is facing accusations of funding Buhari’s Campaign with stolen state funds amounting to more than 70 billion Naira. Amaechi allegedly fraudulently sold state-owned   power plants and made mistrustful transfer of $105 million (N21, 000,000,000) from the Power Asset Sale Proceeds Account to accounts owned by private companies.

Consequently, the General was alleged to have personally pleaded with the former President and one of the targets of his proposed probe, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo who vowed to release a dossier of documents linking him (Buhari), his wife, daughter, and key allies in his administration to major fraud related to various affairs of the government. To appease the aged former leader, President Buhari quickly retracted  his threats, announcing publicly that he would not extend his corruption probe beyond the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan. Today, Buhari’s drive to curb fraud has yielded nothing besides indiscriminate arrests of selected individuals whom he had targeted for retributive reasons.

While President Buhari, a former dictator, flip-flops with official duties in a representative system unfamiliar to his individual capacity, his appointed media activists have been busy showcasing him with falsehood and deception. To substitute for a total lack of responses for his regime catastrophe, the APC media combatants have polluted the social media with fake stories about the Buhari’s accomplishments. Yet, the regime’s major damage remains Buhari’s total disconnection with both his subordinates in the government, party colleagues, and the masses. In his signature tyrannical fashion, Buhari has remained the only arm of the system, whereas his supporters chokingly struggle in the social media to defend  the vagueness of his stewardship. Shamelessly, the Sai-Buhari profile-glorification jingle has totally expired in obscurity, leaving his media handlers redundant and clueless about their a woeful in defending mediocrity.

Governmental events in Nigeria is swiftly drawing the country closer to unrestrained anarchy. In world’s political history, Nigeria has now

becomes the only country where an elected President ferociously assumed the position of the Vice President, Chief Prosecutor, Prison Director, Chief Judge, Petroleum Chief – then sits down on the constitution with unchallenged authority, undermining the powers of other segments of the government.

President Muhammadu Buhari’s  current turbulent marriage with Nigeria is not new, and in fact represents a bizarre homecoming. As an army major general,  Buhari dealt with Nigerians as a dictator from 1983 through 1985 in a nightmarish retributive rule, where he projected himself like a Roman god and ruled like the Taliban.

He  relied heavily on decrees and special tribunals to regulate communal life and chastised a selection of law offenders with a killer- axe.  Subjective orders and decrees were his only governance tools, and as of July 1984, Buhari had promulgated as much as twenty-two decrees, radiating widespread controversies and international condemnation. He subjugated the judiciary with special military tribunals, whereas the state security agency, the National Security Organization, was accorded greater powers. These were in the mid-80s.

Today, over two months in office, Buhari has not changed, and might have even gotten worse.  He has assumed a dictatorship role, and deceitfully claimed to be too busy to name a working team. Yet, he had the time to make multiple trips to countries in Europe, America, and Africa, bringing back no development strategies but stacks of photo albums for image campaign.

Worse, this President while undermining the constitutional process, single handedly made key appointments, including a restructure of  his nation’s intelligence and military system. He had ordered several arrests of presumably past political foes, and commandingly moved detained terror-suspects on trial around different prisons outside their judicial precincts. He has no clue about how to handle a democracy, but sits down in an undisclosed secluded government location and issued orders by the hours.

The worst damage of Buhari’s approach to issues of governance is a total disconnection with both his subordinates in the government, party colleagues, and the masses. Buhari has remained the only arm of the system, whereas his supporters chokingly struggle in the social media to defend  a regime that jumpstarted into action without any platform. Consequently, the Sai-Buhari mantra has totally died in the public domain leaving only a few voices who stood back to save face.

Nigeria is not looking too good at the moment, and the truth is that the regime has been busy celebrating failures and lying to the masses about the disconnection of their Commander-in-Chief with both his subordinates and the masses: his sightlessness to issues of governance, including a total disrespect to the rule of law. The worst failure is a failure before a beginning and Buhari has demonstrated that ineptitude. As a remedy, the new leader may consider, as a beginning, reconciling issues with his first major obstacle – himself.

In the past five weeks, Boko Haram militants have slaughtered villagers and bombed churches and mosques in the northern Nigeria, challenging president Muhammadu Buhari’s vows to clean the region of any terrorist insurgency in the first few months of his administration. To make it worse, the group has boldly overrun Borno State, a region where  President Buhari relocated the country’s armory, with an excuse to defeat them. So what went wrong?

Just last week, frustrated Nigerians took to media outlets to question President Buhari’s nonchalant attitude toward issues of security and economy. He had remained out of touch with realities of the governmental process and had not offered a single plan as to how to begin.   Food prices are on the increase; Fuel pump price has increased from N87/liter to varying prices of between N110 to N130 per liter. Exchange is on a scary increase of $1 = N230 contrary to Buhari’s promise to eliminate differences in exchange rates.

Amidst all these difficulties and of course the regime’s inability to communicate a development outline, the president finally broke his 40-day silence on national issues. It was an announcement meant to positively inspire hope in a system currently lifeless. To his hopeless suffering masses, President Buhari handed down his announcement, that he would only receive half of the salary paid to his predecessor. Who cares? The annual salary of the Nigerian president is currently set at 14,058,820 naira ($70,000), including allowances, and the commonsense question is how a voluntary pay cut by this president could alleviate the current economic woes?

Yet it is worrisome that rather than tackle major issues, the social media warriors of the All Progressive Congress (APC) have continued to feed disappointed masses with some worthless cock-and-bull tales about President Buhari’s acclaimed modesty, cheap maintenance, and low-level lifestyle. Press releases are either how he turned down an official car, or how he flew the economy class.

But observers are very worried about this self-gratifying campaign. In a region overrun by Islamic extremists and terrorists, the major issue should be how a 50% pay-cut could crack terror.  Buhari’s supporters claim that his pay-cut would likely put pressure on members of the parliament and state governors to do the same, but how this attitude addresses a skyrocketing unemployment rates is yet to be ascertained. Furthermore, with continual global slump in the price of crude oil which is Nigeria’s major source of revenue,  the government must render a figurative analysis on how pay-cuts could build the economy.

Challenges in government are inevitable:  addressing them should be a strategic duty, not a punitive labor.  One positive aspect of failure is that success thrives on it. Every country has that moment – a period when challenges engulf growth and possibilities. This is when policy-making effectiveness becomes obligatory, and the Chief Executive takes the lead in coordinating two significant elements of his duties, the general masses and the surrounding situation or context. A leader who neither understands nor speaks this language should back off and become a follower.

When president Obama came into office in 2008, the economy of the United States was in shambles. He named his team, presented America with a blue print, and communicated projected timelines. He spoke to the masses regularly through radio/TV speeches, social media chats, emails, and other outlets, expressing the desolations of the tide and his keenness to inspire change and convey hope into the populace. In January 2009 alone, employers cut nearly 800,000 workers. Throughout 2009, the job slashing continued until the unemployment rate hit 10 percent that October. Within four years, the unemployment rate went down to 5.6 percent, and at some point, the private-sector employers added jobs for 58 straight months — the longest streak on record.

One of President Obama’s economic nightmare inherited from his predecessor was the housing catastrophe. The brutal foreclosure crisis knocked millions out of their homes, and by 2010, the “serious” delinquency rate for mortgages hit 4.2 percent, leaving millions of homeowners behind on their payments. Following Obama’s blueprint, the delinquency rate was down to 1.9 percent while the housing prices rebounded.

Back to Nigeria and the  prevalent standoff between them administration and the masses on policymaking blackout, nobody is expecting a miracle from a regime that has barely lasted for two months, but with its customary lack of communication regarding projects’ plans and timelines, the Buhari’s regime may be headed for a process blackout.  Without Ministers; not a single known adviser, and without any working team besides some obsequious cohorts who worship him, President Buhari is already abusing his official duties, making contradictory policy comments, dictating unmanageable strategy undertakings, and flip-flopping with dire issues of national significance. For instance, without senate approval President Buhari had unilaterally granted over N780 billion to States without a signed document from an operational minister of finance.  While the APC bragged about the president turning down official cars and presidential jets, Buhari has unilaterally approved, and have started a construction of a private helipad in Daura Katsina State, his home town.

Electioneering campaign is over, and by now, the APC must abstain from feeding hungry masses with fake rhetoric and deceits about President Buhari’s sanctimonious lifestyle. It is not late for this President to communicate his agenda and acquaint the populace with his plans to proceed. Self-gratifying tales about taking pay cuts, turning down official cars, declining state dinner engagements, and so on are absolutely irrelevant to the current challenges. If his 50% pay cut has any positive impact on this country’s alarming unemployment rates; skyrocketing food and petrol pump prices; and his inability to form a government – he should provide an outline to communicate his claims. The poor masses are saturated with pointless campaign on Buhari’s holier-than-thou personality. This is the time to show his executive skills and so far, he has flunked that test.

Unable to choose his working team,  President Muhammadu Buhari has been struggling to kick-off a regime he bragged so much about. The All Progressives Congress APC, it may be recalled, ran an electioneering race projecting their candidate, now the president, as a fiscally astute conservative who would curb corruption and appropriately manage the country’s economic and financial resources. The masses at this time are getting something entirely different.

While Buhari, a former dictator backflips with official duties in a representative system unfamiliar to his individual aptitude, his camp has been busy showcasing him with falsehood and deceptive fairy tales. To substitute for total lack of answers for his regime catastrophe, the APC social media warriors have been feeding disappointed masses with some worthless cock-and-bull tales of what is now termed the ‘Buhari Wonders.”

The first fake story to justify Buhari’s humility, and considerateness to money matters came during the government transition period, when the APC claimed that predecessor, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan presented a billion naira budget for delegates’ lunch, but Buhari the “good money-manager” declined any expenses, saying that his transition team would bring their own lunch. Meanwhile this president was in London at the time on a controversial mission not properly communicated to his constituents.

A similar story yet made it to the network from the Buhari’s camp on how  during the South Africa’s trip, Buhari paid the hotel bills for his staff, and asked the rest of the entourage to pay their own bills. This was a president yet to name a single staff till date. The propaganda continued with another rumor that hundreds of politicians, including the Petroleum Minister, Alison-Madueke had returned billions of Dollars stolen from the government – because they were afraid of Buhari the “respected honest money-keeper” and disciplinarian.

It is despicable that at this crucial time in the regime,  the APC social media ensemble, running out of Buhari praise-worship songs are busy telling self-indulgent stories including comparing Buhari and Jonathan’s cars, use of presidential jets, Buhari’s choice of transportation, and ostensibly his suya flavor. But  how long would they continue to feed the masses with these tommyrots.

As I write, the Buhari’s camp in the social media are still tagging around senseless stories about Buhari opting to fly in the economy class over first class; or choosing Okada over official convoy; or proposing to be eating on the floor instead of an official dining table; or heading to Alhaji Suya bacteria for his inauguration dinner rather than the traditional Aso-Rock in-house executive banquet.

Major questions remain – when would Nigerians start  getting substantial information about the running of the government? Where are the ‘missing girls’? When is this ‘change’ going to start? Where is the unemployment salaries? Where are Buhari’s ministers? Who has been making all decisions so far? Is this still a democracy?

Indeed, Buhari and those who bejeweled him into his current executive predicament have been facing a more complicated political landscape. Even as  Buhari announced as a terror-defense strategy, a relocation of the country’s armory to Borno State, Nigeria has remained under a terrorist attacks.  In fact, last Monday suicide bombing  at a crowded fish market occurred in the northeastern city of Maiduguri – the same region where the regime relocated its arsenal.
Let us be clear then – that a president chose a wheelbarrow as an official car does not make him morally decent and fiscally astute; it only exposes his ignorance to issues of fiscal policies.  Buhari, and indeed his Yahoo drum-beaters should explain their frameworks and preparedness to fiscal reformation. They should tell Nigerians how the regime can sustain in the long run, the existing spending, policies, and tax – without jeopardizing Nigeria’s creditworthiness, obligations or projected expenses.

Without Ministers; not a single known adviser, and without any working team besides obsequious cohorts who worship him, President Buhari is already abusing his official duties, making contradictory policy comments, dictating unmanageable strategy undertakings, and flip-flopping with dire issues of national significance.

As a matter of urgency, the masses are waiting for their new president to at least acquaint them with his plans to proceed. They want to hear about the machinery to translate electoral promises into action, not about limousines, and jets. In a government structure where the President cannot communicate, cannot relate, and worse, cannot corroborate his own policies, there is every reason to worry. It is torturing that under the current regime,   citizens have to rely on repentant party bloggers to know the fate of their current economic woes.