It is good to construct this update on a simple word that has come
to define the Buhari administration so far. That word is "will." In
the last four months or so, the recurring rhetoric oozing out the Buhari
administration can be reduced to the word "will."
Hardly does a week pass without one reading a press statement,
interview, or pronouncement with the word "will" as its organizing
lexical superstructure. From Buhari, we constantly read that the government
"WILL soon" begin the trial of those who connived to steal our
collective patrimony in the oil sector. Most times, the word "will"
is followed by the word "soon," addicting urgency to the
expectational emotions elicited by "will."
He also says repeatedly that his government "WILL fight
corruption to a standstill" but, body language aside, we have not seen any
sign of this happening for five months.
I have read statements from the president promising that the
government "WILL soon" start revealing the names of those who
plundered the nation's resources. Sometimes, it's a variation on the same
theme: that the government has already recovered some money from the culprits
and "WILL soon" declare these amounts to Nigerians.
From the Vice President, it's been the same story of
"will." We hear from him that the government "WILL soon"
start paying the N5,000 monthly allowance promised to unemployed youths. Just
two days ago, a newspaper report quoted him as saying that the government, you
guessed it, "WILL" make provision for unemployed youths in the 2016 budget--whatever
that means.
From the VP we also get the revelation that the government
"WILL soon" set up a 24 billion Naira infrastructure fund. The
government, moreover, "WILL soon" release its economic policy
direction.
And, from the VP's desk we also got the news a few days ago that
the government "WILL soon" reduce the price of fuel.
Everything with this government is in the future tense and never
in the past tense of having already done something or having already set in
motion the mechanism for implementing a campaign promise or program. Nor is it
ever in the present tense of "we are currently doing this or
that."
It is as though we are still in election campaign mode where
promises couched in the language of the future and of promissory expectation
are the staple of public communication. This increasingly irritating and empty
rhetoric of futuristic governmental pronouncements is captured by the
recurring, and now redundant, use of the modifying word "will" to
qualify programs that citizens expect the government to be pursuing
already.
Well, I'd like to recommend another meaning of the word
"will" to this administration. The word "will" does not
just mean an intention to do something; it also means determination, courage,
and decisiveness in doing something--as in having the will to do
something.
In other words instead of Buhari and Osinbajo always telling us
that their administration WILL do this or do that, why don't they simply show
us the WILL to do it. Why don't they just have the will to do that which they
are promising to do. We are getting tired of hearing what they will do. We now
want them to muster the WILL to do those things.
A government whose favorite word is "will" should now
become a government possessing the will to get things done, a government of
will. So instead of "we will do," how about "we have done,"
or "we have begun doing"?
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