President Muhammadu Buhari who in recent times has being trailed with criticisms for his snail-speed approach to national matters, has spoken out on why he is not always in a hurry to do anything.
President Buhari
While speaking during a
meeting with his party leaders and supporters which was covered by Channels TV in Abuja Thursday, President Muhammadu Buhari, said that his experience as a military dictator is one of the major reasons he is not
“in a hurry to do anything.”
According to
Premium Times, the president said he prefers to seriously reflect on issues placed before him and ensure that his conscience had been satisfied prior to granting approval.
He said; “I decided to drop the uniform and come back here (to be President of Nigeria), so I have gone through it over and over again. This is why I am not in a hurry to do anything. I will sit and reflect, and continue to (operate) with my clear conscience.
“I had to invite you to let us eat together and I tell you that I am sitting here very much aware of the problem in this country. I will always reflect on historical antecedents,” the president added.
The president has in recent times being trailed with criticisms for his snail-speed approach to national matters, including issues that may be deemed urgent by many, like reacting to tragic incidents or updating citizens about his government’s activities.
Recall that President Buhari delayed setting up a cabinet for about six months after he assumed office, an outcome that analysts partly blamed for plunging Nigeria’s economy into recession in August 2016.
The country had since emerged from recession after posting growth for two consecutive quarters in a row.
Meanwhile, a political analyst, Eluma Asogwa, said the president’s comments were laughable in the face of his activities within the last two years.
He said; “A president that promised to hit the ground running took more than six months to set up a cabinet, saying he wanted get the best hands,” Asogwa said. “But when he eventually announced his ministers, we discovered that the majority were those that had long polluted our political space in this country.”
Asogwa said the president’s failings emanated largely from his inability to critically analyse issues and take prompt actions in line with the requirements of the modern age.
“Nigeria’s problems under President Buhari are largely about inactions than actions that were taken in earnest but wrongly,” added Asogwa, an Abuja-based legal practitioner.
He also cited the national embarrassment over the release of board appointments last month. “He took more than two years to appoint board members only for him to end up with ‘dead people,”‘ the analyst said.
“Even to remove the dead people and replace them with those still alive has taken him nearly one month and counting.”
Asogwa said he still believes that the president could still record significant achievements for the country within the remaining time in his tenure. “I believe he could still do something even though many have written him off that he can’t do anything within the remaining one year of his government.
“The president means well for this country and I believe he could still deliver for those of us who believe in him,” Asogwa said.