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Buharimeter Survey Shows 84 Percent Of Nigerians Support President’s Approach To Anti-Corruption War

The Buharimeter national survey elicited responses to well-crafted questions from a diverse mix of Nigerians, representing different social groups and government officials on three key issues of corruption, economy and security. A total number of 2,205 copies of the completed questionnaire (an average of 60 per state, except in Abuja where 20 were administered because it has only one senatorial zone) were returned from across the country. Data from the questionnaire were processed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS).

An overwhelming 84 percent of Nigerians endorse the “approach” of President Muhammadu Buhari towards fighting the monster of corruption in the Nigerian polity, the Buharimeternationwide survey of citizens has found. The survey to capture citizens’ perception and knowledge of the fulfilment of electoral promises made by the incumbent government found that the “positive steps of the administration in fighting corruption are not lost on the Nigerian public.” The survey is part of the one year Buharimeter Report, an independent governance tracking tool, which has been evaluating the performance of President Muhammadu Buhari in relation to the electoral promises freely made in the prelude to the 2015 general elections.

The survey further shows that the President’s home zone, the North West geo-political zone with 60.2 percent, has the highest number of citizens applauding his moves towards fighting corruption. Conversely, the South East geo-political zone with 10.7 percent of citizens endorsing the President’s anti-corruption drive, is the lowest for the national survey. The others are North East, 46.8 percent, North Central, 32.9 percent, South West, 35.8 percent and South South, 20.4 percent. The first year Buharimeter report also evaluated the extent of the fulfilment of the President and his party’s 222 promises.

The Buharimeter national survey elicited responses to well-crafted questions from a diverse mix of Nigerians, representing different social groups and government officials on three key issues of corruption, economy and security. A total number of 2,205 copies of the completed questionnaire (an average of 60 per state, except in Abuja where 20 were administered because it has only one senatorial zone) were returned from across the country. Data from the questionnaire were processed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS).

Anti-corruption

The first year Buharimeter Report recalls that the President had promised to publicly declare his assets and liabilities and encourage all his political appointees to same. On this promise,Buharimeter reports that eight months after they declared their assets to the relevant institution, the President and his Vice President are yet to make public their asset declaration forms as they promised. Buharimeter similarly reports that ministers in the administration too are yet to follow suit with regards to the public declaration of their assets.

Notwithstanding the failure of most appointed officials to publicly declare their assets and liabilities, Buharimeter observes that since taking office, the President has demonstrated an unprecedented political will to fight corruption. “The new fight against corruption has targeted public office holders and civil servants in no small measure. The anti-corruption searchlight is being beamed on income-generating enterprises, the armed forces and other government institutions, political office holders, civil servants, private contractors, legal practitioners and individuals, all in a bid to recover looted funds and dismantle the setup that had hitherto engendered financial maladministration.”

The report however notes that the failure to institutionalise the “fight against corruption constitutes one of the biggest challenges to combating corruption in Nigeria. Firstly, the government emphasis in the last year has focused more on dealing with political corruption, with little emphasis on petty corruption which permeates all sectors of the polity.” The report also emphasizes the need for strict adherence to rule of law in the anti-corruption crusade, establishment of autonomous anti-graft institutions, enactment of whistle blowing act to promote inclusiveness in the fight, amongst others. The Buharimeter Report equally harps on the need for state governments to join in the war against corruption at the state level, as it seems that the body language of state Governors, including APC Governors, is that the fight against corruption belongs to the President and the Federal Government.

Economy

The gloomy state of the Nigerian economy, and its effects on citizens is also apparent from the low ratings the administration received in the Buharimeter national survey on the administration’s performance on the economy. According to the data from the Buharimeter national survey, nearly two-thirds of the respondents rate the government’s performance in employment generation as either “very poor” (39.8%) or “poor” (22%). On job creation therefore, the report concludes that the expectations of Nigerians have largely remained unmet.

Security

On security, however, the report notes that notwithstanding the gains recorded by the military in the North East, fresh security challenges, including the herdsmen-farmers clashes and rumblings in the Niger Delta are casting doubts on the ability of the Federal Government to secure the entire federation.  Specifically, Buharimeter first year report notes that rural banditry and violent conflicts between pastoralists and farmers in Nigeria have been on the rise. “These conflicts have traditionally consisted of disputes over natural resources and are often presented as conflicts between settlers and nomadic people.” Similarly, the agitation for the actualization of the state of Biafra as well as the resumed rumblings in the Niger Delta have added to the state of chronic insecurity in Nigeria.

Rating Performance

Using the four categories (Achieved, Not Achieved, Ongoing and Not yet rated), which were developed by the tracking tool to rate the extent of fulfilment of the campaign promises,Buharimeter scored the President as follows. One promise was rated as “achieved”, 45 promises were rated as “ongoing”, while 179 were described as “not rated yet.” According to the tracking tool, “within the period under review, PMB has only achieved 1 campaign promise, which constitutes 0.5% of all the tracked promises.”

 

Signed 

Idayat Hassan

Director, CDD

For more on Buharimeter First Year Report, visit: www.buharimeter.ng or tweet at @buharimeter

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