By Remi Oyeyemi
I have just finished
reading the powerful article by Sonala Olumhense with the heading “A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To
Sainthood.” Being one of those that I read their articles almost
religiously (and I have been following him since his days in The
Guardian), I am not unaware that he is a very fervent supporter of
President Muhammadu Buhari. He really believes in him. The only thing is that
he is not fundamentalist in his belief in the President.
 |
| *Buhari |
That he is not fundamentalist does not surprise
me. This is because he embodies a mind that is thoroughly developed. A mind
translucent in its broadness that it can conveniently encapsulate fervent
belief about an idea or a person while simultaneously endowed with the clarity
to be critical in a subtle manner; driving home his point forcefully with
unequalled succulence. He has a mind cocoon in intellect. With that
kind of mind, dogmatism has nowhere to dodge.
Mr. Olumhense probably drank some Champagne Nigeria
Mr. Olumhense’s article in question put on the table
series of unfulfilled promises on the part of President Buhari regarding
certain actions he was going to take relating to the war on
corruption. He believes it was a “serious embarrassment” that
President Buhari failed to release to the public the list of those who have
looted our commonwealth, especially, the one given to him by the US 29.”
Mr. Olumhense’s frustration flipped open as
follows:
“The
only problem is that the day arrived, and he made the anniversary speech
without including that much-anticipated report.
“But such was the tension and the anticipation surrounding the expected announcement that everything in his speech had actually become secondary to it. The ensuing national outrage compelled the government to declare that the Ministry of Information would make the announcement four days later.
“Again, however, that date yielded no such report. As the world now knows, the ‘announcement’ finally arrived at the end of that week through the office of the Minister of Information. But while it was informative as to what has been recovered, the report identified none of the corrupt former officials involved.”
Evidently, Mr. Olumhense was in despair about the inability of President Buhari to keep his promises made on the war against corruption in several fora. Assessing the aftermath of that debacle, Mr. Olumhense ruefully commented as follows:
“In effect, it means the corrupt elements have won another round, leaving corruption in control, while the government lost a wonderful opportunity it may never regain.”
Then he opined correctly as follows:
“Perhaps most of all, the events of that week left President Buhari‘s credibility in a fog, and his road to political sainthood as broken as a federal Nigerian highway.”
“But such was the tension and the anticipation surrounding the expected announcement that everything in his speech had actually become secondary to it. The ensuing national outrage compelled the government to declare that the Ministry of Information would make the announcement four days later.
“Again, however, that date yielded no such report. As the world now knows, the ‘announcement’ finally arrived at the end of that week through the office of the Minister of Information. But while it was informative as to what has been recovered, the report identified none of the corrupt former officials involved.”
Evidently, Mr. Olumhense was in despair about the inability of President Buhari to keep his promises made on the war against corruption in several fora. Assessing the aftermath of that debacle, Mr. Olumhense ruefully commented as follows:
“In effect, it means the corrupt elements have won another round, leaving corruption in control, while the government lost a wonderful opportunity it may never regain.”
Then he opined correctly as follows:
“Perhaps most of all, the events of that week left President Buhari‘s credibility in a fog, and his road to political sainthood as broken as a federal Nigerian highway.”
The reason for this level of disappointment on the part of Mr. Olumhense is that he had put more stock in the hyping of Mohammadu Buhari in the days leading to the last presidential elections. His omission in properly interrogating the know-how and qualifications of Buhari in those heady electioneering days made him unwittingly gullible to the propaganda of a possible “Saint Buhari.”
Without any doubt, Mr. Olumhense is still holding on to some straws of hope that somehow, someday, someway, President Buhari would change from who he really is and fight this corruption war the way he (Olumhense) has been made to buy hook, line and sinker – without favour or fear. This is an impossibility because President Buhari is innately nepotic. He flits, fibs and feints. He cannot change. Even, if he tries, he won’t be able to change. He is like a leopard that nature has rendered congenitally unable to change his spots.
Without any doubt, Mr. Olumhense is still holding on to some straws of hope that somehow, someday, someway, President Buhari would change from who he really is and fight this corruption war the way he (Olumhense) has been made to buy hook, line and sinker – without favour or fear. This is an impossibility because President Buhari is innately nepotic. He flits, fibs and feints. He cannot change. Even, if he tries, he won’t be able to change. He is like a leopard that nature has rendered congenitally unable to change his spots.
