MIXED REACTIONS TRAILS BUHARI'S "CHANGE BEGINS WITH YOU" CAMPAIGN

Nigerians have reacted negatively to the launching of a campaign "Change Begins With You" by President Muhammadu Buhari. Some querried why federal government that assume the leadership of the country through the change mantra should now demand citizens to lead the change campaign. Others reject the campaign as another diversionary tactics by APC led government from the excruciating pains that Nigerians are going through due to lack of implementable policies which lead the country to recession.

In his reaction, a staunch supporter of President Buhari and Convener of Coalition for Human Rights Defender, Barr. Inibehe Effiong said that the campaign is a diversionary tactics from the economic woes that the country is facing and caution that is is already a failed project. "Change does not begin with me. Change should begin with President Muhammadu Buhari and his government. This campaign is another diversionary tactics by the ruling class to alter the narrative of the leadership failure that has plagued our nation over the years. Just like previous similar campaigns, this one will not yield any tangible result.

Let President Buhari and his government practice the change that they preach and Nigerians will follow suit. The attempt to shift responsibility from the leadership to the followership is unacceptable. In any case, it was Buhari and his party that promised Nigerians change and not the other way round.

If this is an attempt to distract our attention from the terrible and excruciating economic situation in the country it has failed already," he submitted.

Others said the campaign is deceptive to play pranks with the intelligence of Nigerians. Daniel Itah querried, "Why didn't they chant the 'Change' will begin with you 'Nigerians' when they were campaigning before the elections? With sincerety of purpose, just accept the blame that you're not doing well for the time being, rather than playing pranks on peoples' intelligence in the name 'Change begins with you campaign.' However, that will not deter me from supporting you to succeed because I'm a Nigerian and I mean well for my country."

A typical Nigeria situation

Others who speak against the campaign include:

Vivian Mma Odimma said "I am a change agent making real change happen. It is President Muhammad Buhari that needs change please change begins with Mr. President because he is still doing what he did between December 31st 1984 and July 1985."

Aniekan Thomas "This is not all about change but rather a vision less leadership that has no focus nor direction. A leadership that has refuse to feel the pains of the masses. Inflation has set in virtually all prices of goods yet there is no enabling environment for any earning. "CHANGE BEGIN WITH ME" is just a political phrase, we can't be deceive by that because we have had it over and over again."

Ebeeka Umohefin "Yes the change must start from the TOP .those from the top do not feel the pains they have free everything from toilet tissue to food on their tables."

Imoh Linus "What a nonsense phrase... Change most start frm u buhari to Nigerian,hw can u look at a family man of 4,5,6 children who av lost his job,who can not even afford a square mil fr his family n xpect him to say change begins with me...knowing that an hunger man is an angry man.... Change most begins with buhari n the brainless APC.... Finish."

Ezekiel Umoren "I wonder how some alleged responsible Nigerian family men and women can be so foolishly deceived. The APC promised to give us "CHANGE". We are not talking about change of attitude or thinking. Our school children had never been fed in schools in the last 16 years, million of Nigerians are extremely poor and the PDP-led government did nothing about it, hence they must be given a little sustenance of N5,000/month, Dollar should be equivalent to Naira, PMS should change from N87 to N40, Boko Haram issue not be politicized, hence it should be brought to an end within a month, Chibok girls as a priority MUST be found and released, jobs must be there for our teeming unemployed graduates, etc. Now, somebody is saying that all the above "CHANGES " must begin with you and I, and some people foolishly agreed. Tell me, if the "CHANGE" truly must start with me, am I to feed the school children? Is it my duty to equate Naira to Dollar? From where will I get the man power to end insurgency and rescue our Chibok girls? If I change my attitude and thinking, how will that help in creating employment for our graduates? How can I change my attitude and thinking so that PMS can be sold at a cheaper rate? We didn't promise the government anything. If we misbehave, the police is there to punish us. Hence, the government should stop saying that the "ALLEGED CHANGE" must start with us. Also, the governed must stop thinking through the anus. The government is to change things and not the other way round."

Comrade Princewill Onyekachi in his reaction said "I must say in the history of Nigeria, I'm yet to see a clueless and flip-flop President like President Muhammadu Buhari, how can a President after promising Nigerians "CHANGE" now demand the citizens to lead the change campaign. One wonder if we (Nigerians) still need a soothsayer to tell us that Buhari and his party (APC) lacks the required capacity to lead a Local government talkless of a complex country like Nigeria? I'm not surprised that in addition to hunger, killing of innocent Nigerians by the fulani herdsmen, corruption, dictatorship, tyranny and economy reccession, it has now resorted to Buhari's #ChangeBeginsWithMe.

If we ( Nigerians) were sensible, we would realise that the huge challenges facing the Nation are such that totally abhor the kind of Buhari-APC "CHANGE" mantra. We must look for a new order and this new order has to be constitutional restructuring and establishment of TRUE FEDERALISM."

Isaac Enoh "Change begins with Mr President, his household, his cabinet, the national assembly, judiciary especially judges who give conflicting court judgments in favour of their pay masters."