By Edith Ohaja

As the Senate screens Nigeria’s prospective ministers, perhaps someone is, or rather should be, taking stock along these lines:

President Muhammadu Buhari

THE BUCK STOPS HERE

I trumped the mantra of change

I made many fabulous promises

But I chose not to hit the ground running

And the buck stops here

I have cultic followership in the North

And expediency-motivated loyalty in the West

But can I keep doing just as I please

Seeing that the buck stops here?

My early appointments alienated the South

I wanted familiar people that I can trust

I neglected that on the issue of promoting unity

The buck clearly stops here

I sought for an immaculate cabinet

But in politics, you can’t always call the shots

You’ve got to compromise or be trapped in a bog

Still the buck stops here

I have prioritized the war on corruption

Sought to instill discipline in public affairs

But the economy is haemorrhaging

I know, the buck stops here

I thought we were winning the war on terror

With surrenders and talks of negotiation

But a steelier approach is needed as recent blasts show

Certainly the buck stops here

The time of honeymoon is spent

Soon the ministers will start to work

But I need the support of all Nigerians

Even though the buck stops here

Edith Ohaja is a lecturer in the Department of Mass Communication, University of Nigeria, Nsukka.