By Kunle Rasheed
I had always thought President Muhammadu Buhari loves Nigeria so much going by the way he laboured so hard to become the first citizen of the country again after he was unceremoniously booted out of power almost four decades ago by General (Rtd.) Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida through military coup.
At the time the Daura man and his team were shown the red card, the new government led by the gap toothed, self styled Military President gave several reasons for the eviction, which particularly was the failure of Buhari at that time to deal with the country’s myriad economic problems.
According to the man who was popularly called Maradona then, instead of improving the lots of Nigerians and rescuing the economy that was made bad by the civilians, Buhari scored a big goal in making the situation worse and almost irredeemable. Is it not ironical as it stands today that Buhari is still guilty of the same offence(s) he was accused of in 1985? Has it not become the tale of a Leopard that can never change its spots?
No one should push it away that some of his loyalists may still come up with weird defenses as usual to back him; but it remains a sacred fact that they are neither Steve Wonder nor Ray Charles that they won’t be able to see the way the country has taken a senseless direction towards nowhere under his watch.
I really don’t understand how people forget the past so easily that regardless of the glaring facts staring at us in the face over the way he mismanaged the economy of the country in the past, the same Buhari was still robed in the garment of a beautiful bride and made to become the darling of many especially the Northerners.
For so long now, I have been an “Alice in wonderland” wanting to find the possible reason Buhari struggled that hard to get the keys of the ultimate control house through democratic process. Is it just to disgrace himself like we are seeing now? Or is this what he wants to lay claim as his legacy after the expiration of his term in office? This still beats my imagination till date.
Despite the belt of failure wrapped around his loins, he threw his hat in the ring three times before clinching the trophy on the fourth trial. At a point when he thought his journey into the Rock of Aso had met a dead end, he bitterly cried openly that many sympathized with the man whom they thought had so much affection for his fatherland. However, what has been happening in the country since he mounted the saddle of power in Abuja does not paint a picture of a man who truly has the love of his people at heart.
The perceived love many believed he had for his country should been seen in the actions his government has taken or took and not just words of his mouth. Primarily, when he was elected with high hopes from the people, the man from Otueke in the creeks of Niger Delta who just left office as the number one citizen of the country became his excuse for non-performance for the first four years.
Before anyone could lay blame on his way over the way the economy was moving downward hill, he was always quick to redirect their tracks towards ex-President Ebele Goodluck Jonathan and the ‘umbrella’ party as the cause of the country’s problems. Nigerians, being very patient people complained less and waited for a better tomorrow.
Instead of it getting better, the country plunged more into the abyss and solutions seems to become alien to his government. When anyone who is feeling the brunt of the bad governance voiced his frustrations, his ‘voltrons’ label such a person as a wailer. I am sure those who are the hailers of yesterday would have joined us in the rain now that is threatening to dismantle our tiny unity cord.
Nigeria is terribly unwell, and the president is not doing justice as a doctor to bring it back to ‘hearty zone’. Instead, he seems to be bent on causing chaos before leaving his office in May. How could Nigeria be experiencing the harrow difficulty at a time of an important election?
Before now, his loyalists will tell you that Nigerians don’t queue for fuel again like we experienced under Jonathan. But what do we have today? At least, it was not this bad under the Jonathan government. At no time did fuel crisis lingered for four months and still counting like we have today.
As we are still living with the problem of fuel, Dr. MEF and Buhari added another killer punch by selling the naira ‘re-colourisation’ to us as a means to curb vote buying.
I laugh in Spanish! How could they think those who are high up there won’t get the needed money to do whatever if they truly want it. If ‘socialites’ at parties could lay their hands on millions of the new naira notes to throw around in jubilation at events, how then would they think the top contenders who are close to MDs of financial institutions won’t get the needed funds?
Buhari and Dr. MEF are only punishing the poor like you and I and that is an incontrovertible fact. Buhari to me, is bent on plunging this nation into chaotic situation.
Or how else can someone define the madness that is going on at present in our land?
If this is not checked on time, the people may be forced to come out and the whole country might erupt in fire. I hope Buhari can still remember how he wailed on national television to show his love for Nigeria and quickly retrace his steps because the ticking of the time bomb has commenced.
Thank heavens with Buhari now, we won’t enjoy that famous quote “the best president Nigeria never had’ if he hadn’t shown us what he has to offer.
…This is still Kunle Rasheed reporting live from my inner mind. Mr Rasheed first published this on his Facebook page
