BETWEEN BUHARI SOCIAL WELFARE AND DASUKI.

At first glance it looks like what has become known as Dasukigate and Buhari's social welfare programme have nothing in common.
Firstly, they are by products of two different Presidential regimes in present day Nigeria. As it turned out, the Goodluck Jonathan administration that was hoped will bring Nigeria lots of luck, came up with Dasukigate as it's most popular gift. It has even elbowed Jonathan's historic no blood must be shed for my political ambition to second place.
Buhari, on the other hand came in waving the brightly coloured flag of change which captured minds because a reportedly austere no nonsense new broom was in control. Then with determination to remain a leader who keeps his promises no matter what, he has ended up with his brand of social welfare package that admittedly Nigeria as a nation had never really dreamt of before.
So what can a pack of trusted officials reportedly abusing such trust and diverting money meant for arms purchase to other uses have in common with what has been tagged Buharinomics by those still hoping to say Said Baba at the heart of which was promise of one free meal daily per pupil and stipend for the unemployed and vulnerable?
Simple and this is very unfortunate. Both are aimed at satisfying desires from wealth none of the proponents know how to generate.
In the case of Dasukigate, perhaps we could afford to say it in past tense since long knives wielding public officials are no longer, hopefully, at the table sharing public funds through whatever means. Thanks of course to Buhari's body language and change mantra.
But that is what makes the social welfare programme more dangerous for the economy than the corruption empire that decades now has been busy sharing amongst the privileged money owned by all. Henates dares you to ask all leaders from the time of Babangida to tell this nation, at least how they have been corrupting and using the different editors and mass media executives to fight so-called national causes that boilt down to highly personal agenda or vendetta or even plan and execute coups.
How they have been choosing leaders for all else using official funds, how they have been making millionaires out of those whose only contribution to the common till is their closeness to the seat of power.
However, this has turned to be a less dangerous distribution of unearned income than Buhari's social welfare programme because once the welfare package is in place, no future leader can dare tamper with it even when the national economy is comatose.
A good leader can fight the corruption empire successfully and even bring all involved from decades back to book but the worst leader in future will not be able to roll back the welfare package without bringing down the roof on himself.
Yet, what is Buhari planning to kick start the programme with? Borrowed funds. Almost like Robin Hood who robbed from the rich to distribute to the poor, to turn himself into a hero without the benefitting populace having the foresight to realise that it was doomed to end someday.
Accuse Henates of being a doomsayer if you like but the truth is that with the Nigerian economy still mono product and worse, on its bent knees, social welfare package will only come up to be another subsidy that will be hard to stop. Yet, without backing from an economy with wealth generating efforts on the go, social welfare package is invitation to disaster especially with uncontrolled population growth.
Thank God one is hearing more these days of engaging unemployed youths in productive ventures, that certainly looks better but watch it, corruption may not be dead yet.
In the end, tell Nigerians to wait a while, strive to fatten the cow, then you stand a better chance of doing long term good with a social welfare package. Anything less in today's trying times amounts to political ego polishing. Shikena.