As is usual with every passing year, Nigerians will be looking forward to the new year, 2023, with a lot of hopes, expectations and optimism, but also with a little tinge of concern. And that is understandable. For a country where most of the populace are unhappy with their lot as individuals and as a country, it is natural for the people to look forward to improvements in their lives, livelihoods and general circumstances in the incoming year.
Undeniably, the last few years have been quite challenging on many fronts, especially the year just ended. From watching bandits and terrorist ravage all parts of country, killing, raping, kidnapping, levying persons and communities and generally striking fear in the hearts of Nigerians, making them feel unsafe and unprotected in their homes, on transit, in their workplaces, in their schools, in their farms, for thousands of Nigerian families whose loved ones were victims, they can look forward to a new year of hope never to come across such an experience. For those still in their dungeons, they can look forward with expectation of regaining their freedom this year, including the remaining Chibok girls abducted from their hostels some eight years ago, and other students from Dapchi in Yobe, Birnin-Yauri in Kebbi, Bethel School in Kaduna, and so on. It is heartwarming that, according to the military high command, as many as 45,000 terrorists have surrendered to troops in the North East. This is followed by the successes recorded by the military against bandits and terrorists in recent time since the President gave the troops marching orders to contain the insurgents following a threat by National Assembly lawmakers to impeach him some months ago, with the government even boasting it will end the terrors attacks by December 2022. Though this timeline has not been met, Nigerians expect the onslaught on the outlaws to be intensified even more so that by the time the Buhari administration exits in May this year, insurgency will have been contained in Nigeria.
Another key expectation of Nigerians in the new year is to do with the 2023 general election. There have been assurances and reassurances from President Muhammadu Buhari, who said he wants credible election in 2023 to be his legacy to the country after he leaves office; from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which said it was ready to conduct clean elections, especially now it has got its wish to use technology for voter accreditation (BIVAS) and electronic transmission of poll results through the new electoral act; from the military and police authorities which have said they will secure the process, etc.
So, naturally, Nigerians are looking forward to the elections being free and fair, with the installed technologies being adequate to thwart vote thieves from stealing the people’s mandate expressed through their ballot on election day. The systematic targeting and attacks on INEC offices and facilities show clearly that some undesirable elements are bent on disenfranchising Nigerians from exercising their inalienable right to vote and be voted for in the election in some parts of the country. The security agencies need to do a thorough investigation to unravel the persons directly and indirectly sponsoring these attacks. Political thugs aim to achieve a similar end on election day by introducing violence to the election process to frustrate and drive away voters. Now that technology will make ballot box snatching and falsification of results unfashionable, what desperate politicians can do is to use hoodlums to scare voters away where they are unlikely to win, or to indulge in vote-buying, two electoral crimes that Nigerians expect the security agencies to anticipate and nip in the bud so that they can have free and fair elections. President Buhari will do well to give attention to the Electoral Offences Commission Bill and see that it becomes a law ahead of the election. That will serve as deterrent to would-be offenders. As for INEC, Nigerians expect their technological devices to function efficiently and effectively on election day. They have had several off-season elections to test their tools and make the necessary adjustments.
In the new year, Nigerians expect the now recurrent issues around PMS supply to be settled. The intermittent petrol shortages only add to the general misery of longsuffering Nigerians 133 million (63 percent) of whom are living under multilevel poverty. The coming on stream of the Dangote Refinery is expected to help.
In the new year, Nigerians expect a smooth transition from one administration to another, and they expect whoever replaces President Buhari to hit the ground running, and running in the right direction.
Happy New Year to Nigerians!
