Nigeria, The Thrill, Boggy and Fallacies of 100 Days in Office

Commentary

By Atilade Atoyebi

In Nigeria, to some extent, in other parts of the world, 100th day is an anniversary for political office holders. It is a landmark that is celebrated, sometimes with pomp and pageantry.

Here in this country, it is not a constitutional occasion as it is not written in black and white there that 100 days in political office should be a countdown for measuring success or failure of any new or continuing administration. Yet, it is already a convention that is being observed like a pre-ordained religious event or festival. Yoruba people of the Southwest of Nigeria say that there comes a time when leaves used in wrapping black soap haven remained with a soap tablet for a long time become an inseparable part of the soap. That is what the 100th day anniversary of inauguration as President, Governor, Minister, Commissioner, etc has become in the Nigerian political system. It is already an integral part of the system.

No wonder then that the President and the Governors that were sworn-in on May 29, 2019 have taken to the media to speak gleefully about how they have achieved so much within 100 days. The yardstick for measuring success or failure over those magical 100 days is indeterminate. It is up to the whims and caprices of the political office holders and their handlers to reel out their success stories in 100 days.

Sometimes the occasion has its thrills. This writer was privileged to listen to the Governor of Oyo State, Southwest of Nigeria in a live TV and radio broadcast on the occasion marking his 100 days in office. Governor Seyi Makinde told his audience that he removed the N3,000 levy being paid per child in secondary school in the State; institutionalized payment of salaries and pension on the 25th day of every month; ordered full payment of subventions to third tier institutions in the State; provision of financial assistance to students of the state origin attending Law School and many other achievements, all within 100 days. The kind of verdict a Governor like that can get from callers into the programme was predictable and perhaps apt. Prayers that God gives him the energy and the wisdom to continue at the speed that he had run the 100-day race!

Governor of Imo State, Southeast geopolitical zone, Emeka Ihedioha who has been locked up in battle with his predecessor, Rochas Okorocha took time off to mark his 100 days in office. He rolled out bulldozers and caterpillars for the reconstruction of 89 city roads across the State, Owerri, the State capital gaining due attention from the project. Trackers of government promises will be delighted if the assurance of good city roads is delivered within a short while, although some people have asked the Governor to do something decisive on rural roads too.

In Kano State, Northcentral zone of Nigeria, Governor Abullahi Ganduje was said to have won an award of the ‘Best’ Governor in 100 days. A group called African Democracy Assessment Network based in Dakar, Senegal gave the award to Ganduje for what it said was his performance in major sectors that were likely to improve the living standards of the majority of people in the State. The Governor’s Press Secretary quoted the Network as pinpointing the establishment of College of Education (Technical) for Women as one of the outstanding achievements of Ganduje. So also was the Governor’s declaration that both basic and secondary education will be free and compulsory.

In Kwara State, also in the Northcentral geopolitical zone, the Governor left his entourage in a state of confusion when he waved down a commercial motorcyclist, jumped on the back of the bike and told the rider to move as he directed. He was said to be visiting project sites in Ilorin, the State capital to ascertain incognito, the level of work that had been done by his 100th day in office.

Even the Federal level was not spared the thrills and the boggy of 100 days in office. Federal Government officials and the opposition traded tackles on the matter. The Government mentioned Nigeria’s membership of the African Continental Free Trade Area, AfCFTA) as a recent achievement. It also pointed out the ongoing speedy efforts in road and rail construction as a sufficient evidence that the Government it alive to its commitments. Some supporters of the government felt that Buhari has done well if he was able to form his cabinet in 55 days this time around whereas he could not do so until about six months at the advent of his first term.

If the Federal and State Governors were busy blowing their trumpets over what they have achieved in 100 days, the opposition is at hand to try and muffle or even mute those trumpets. At the State and Federal levels, the opposition waved off the checklist of achievements by the Federal and State Governments as fallacious and untenable claims that are inconsequential. The opposition holds the opinion that the problems of insecurity have escalated lately and so it is wrong for the Governments to celebrate. Critics also say that some of the Governors ‘celebrating’ their 100 days in office are yet to form their cabinets and have not even scratched the surface with any project over the period. They are still busy studying policies and not executing any of them by now.

The next anniversaries in office of the President and Governors will be 1st, 2nd, and 3rd years in office. The 4th anniversary is for campaign hooked on achievements of he entire term. As strategic as these landmarks may appear, they cannot take the shine away from the thrill, the boggy and the fallacies of 100 day in office of these pivotal political leaders in Nigeria. The thrill is for he ones adjudged by the right thinking members of their constituencies as haven put their best foot forward. The boggy is for a Presient or a Governor who does not know his right from his left after spending 100 days in office. The fallacies are the tonnes of false claims that a President or a Governor wraps in propaganda when there is really not much to show for being in office for 100 days. Think of this! 100 days is like the popular saying, “Morning shows the day.” 

Written by Atilade Atoyebi