President Mohammadu Buhari

Prof. Remi Sonaiya, the presidential candidate of Kowa Party in the 2015 general election, says she can neither give the President Muhammadu Buhari administration a pass nor a fail in its mid-term performance.

Sonaiya spoke in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, on Democracy Day and two years of President Buhari’s administration,

She said that though the fight against corruption was on, there was an urgent need to address the high rate of poverty to alleviate the sufferings of Nigerians.

”For me, PMB ‘s administration is basically not a pass or fail. We are aware that we have gotten the best of leadership that we could, except for the President’s slowness to the business of governance.

”It took him so much time before he could even get his cabinet together. Look at France, the very day Emmanuel Macron was sworn-in, his government was up and running.

”This administration needs to be sensitive to the plight of Nigerians. There is so much poverty, people are hungry, and there is decay in our infrastructure. We can’t afford this slow pace,’’ she said.

Sonaiya said she was still not satisfied with what was happening even in the fight against corruption, as there were not many convictions yet.

”We can say that our democracy is surviving, which is a good thing, but I am not satisfied because I believe we can do better than we are doing.

”It is important for Nigerians to recognise that we do not have forever to give ourselves the kind of country that we will be proud of.

”We need to start holding our political leaders accountable because we elected them to serve us,” she said.

Also in an interview with NAN, Mr Sesugh Akume, a spokesperson of the Bring Back Our Girls Movement, urged President Muhammad Buhari to stay focused on his mission of rescuing the remaining Chibok girls and other innocent persons held hostage by insurgents.

Akume, while speaking on President Buhari’s two years in office, also called for regular information flow between the government and the parents of the abducted girls to help relieve their pains

”President Muhammadu Buhari in his inauguration speech on May 29, 2015, two years ago, made a declaration that his government will do all it can to rescue the Chibok girls and all other innocent persons held hostage by insurgents.

”As at today, 106 of 219 missing Chibok girls are back; thanks to the government’s efforts, but 113 remain missing and we keep hoping that they will be back soon. Three years is too long.

”We urge the government to stay focused on their mission, the President recently reiterated that indeed Boko Haram cannot be said to be defeated until and unless all our girls are back, and that they have redoubled their efforts to make this happen.

”We urge the government not to leave the parents awaiting the return of their daughters in limbo.

“Most times, they do not know what is going on and don’t know whom to talk to in the government; that is rather very frustrating for them.

”For the 106 who are back, it will be nice to see the government fulfill its pledge to them and be seen to be doing so, ” he said.

NAN reports that 82 of the over 200 girls abducted from Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno by Boko Haram in April 2014 were released by the sect on May 6 following negotiations with the federal government.

The sect had earlier released 21 of the abducted girls in October 2016.

(NAN)