– British media express their dissapointment over President Buhari’s broken promises
– A deadly attack in Dalori is a vivid example of the presidency’s inability to defeat the terrorists
– At least 86 people were killed and 62 more injured in the attack that lasted for about four hours
– “There is a difference between what he would like to do and what he is able to do.”
– Terrorism, corruption, economic and other issues are yet to be addressed
Editor’s note: Alistair Dawber, the reporter of the
British national newspaper The Independent, claims that Nigerian
President Muhammadu Buhari overstated his ability to stop the Islamists,
as a deadly attack in Dalori village clearly shows that the fight with
Boko Haram insurgency is far from its end.
The reprisal attack where the terrorists burnt children alive
The attack in the village of Dalori began when three female suicide
bombers detonated their explosive belts in the name of Boko Haram. Four
hours later, after the jihadists had firebombed houses with local people
locked inside,
86 men, women and children were dead.
Women and children look at burnt out houses following an attack by Boko Haram in Dalori
“They came in through the bush, some of them riding on
motorcycles and some in cars. People ran helter skelter for safety. Some
crossed the river behind our village and we made distress calls to the
soldiers but no help came. They started shooting and burnt the town.
They even beheaded some of us and set the elderly, who could not escape,
on fire,” a resident of Dalori, in Nigeria’s violent north east, told Channels Television
Boko Haram, the band of Islamists that has sworn loyalty to Isis and
which wants to extend its writ across West Africa, is a group that
President Muhammadu Buhari has previously said he has beaten. Its
continued presence is an embarrassment for the retired army general.
Last weekend was Mr Buhari’s worst since winning the election 11 months ago
To make matters worse, as news of the attack filtered through, his
government had been forced to go cap in hand to the World Bank and
African Development Bank, asking for $3.5bn in loans as the fall in the
price of oil has caused the Nigerian economy to falter.
Nigeria’s rating on the list of least corrupt countries of the world.
Last weekend was probably Mr Buhari’s worst since winning the
election 11 months ago – and it capped an uncomfortable time in office.
He came to power on a promise of ending the endemic corruption that had
become rife under his predecessor, Goodluck Jonathan, and offering his
own guarantee as a military man that Boko Haram’s days were numbered. He
has largely over-promised and under-delivered.
“There is a difference between what he would like to do and what
he is able to do. He made a promise to tackle corruption, in a country
where the only way to get something done is to bribe somebody. Nigeria
is almost ungovernable, but he has also been slow to make reforms,” said Richard Dowden, director of the Royal African Society
.
Buhari promised “normalcy” for the people in the North-East but failed
If Mr Buhari, “a straight talking military man” according to Mr
Dowden, has had little time to cement changes in Nigerian society, he
has been quick to laud apparent successes against Boko Haram. In an
interview at the end of last year, he said that the Nigerian army,
criticised in some quarters for its ineffective performance against the
insurgents, had “technically defeated” Boko Haram.
It is true that the military has enjoyed a number of successes, and
Nigeria’s regional standing has gained currency – there is now more
cooperation between Nigeria and its neighbours. But, as the attack in
Dalori shows, the fight is far from at an end.
The war between jihadists and the Nigerian government has killed
20,000 people in the last six years and driven nearly 2.5 million from
their homes. Mr Buhari has promised “normalcy” for the people in the
North-east areas around the town of Maiduguri, the worst affected area,
but it appears that the normality is Boko Haram’s ability to act with
impunity.
Economic issues
If the Nigerian president has been too quick to declare his successes
against Boko Haram, he has had little chance to solve the other problem
in his in-tray. Nigeria’s economy relies heavily on oil – about 70 per
cent of national income comes from sales of crude – but the recent
collapse in its price has caused the country’s deficit to grow. Just a
third of Nigeria’s income is expected to come from oil revenues this
year.
The price of oil over the last month
Gene Leon, the International Monetary Fund’s representative in
Nigeria, told the Financial Times that Nigeria faced “significant
external and fiscal account challenges”. Africa’s biggest oil producer
is looking to borrow up to $5bn to shore up its economy. Up to $3.5bn
will be sought from the World Bank and African Development Bank, with
the rest borrowed from the capital markets.
“We have held exploratory talks with the World Bank. We have not applied for emergency loans,” said the finance minister, Kemi Adeosun.
Some of this, at least, has been sheer bad luck for Mr Buhari. The
price of a barrel of oil has halved since he was sworn in last
May. According to the IMF, Nigeria is expected to report growth of about
three per cent for 2015. If accurate, it would be the lowest growth
rate for more than a decade.
