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.
 |
| *Remi Oyeyemi |
In an article published a little over ten months ago, precisely on August 1,
2015 titled: “Why President Buhari Is The
Obstacle To War On Corruption,” the case has been made that expecting
President Buhari to make a meaning of this war on corruption is a function of
undue expectations from an inept and corrupt leader like him. In that article,
it was contended inter alia:
“It is
becoming increasingly clear that President Mohammadu Buhari really has no
interest in fighting corruption. It is embarrassing and disappointing that
President Buhari conveys confusion and contused confidence about the war on
corruption. The defeat of corruption is the greatest desire of Nigerians. It is
why Nigerians felt that he should be given a chance after rejecting him at the
polls three previous times…”
This position was further elucidated as follows:
“In
fact, evidentially, the most challenging obstacle to fighting corruption in
this present dispensation is President Buhari himself. President Buhari has
raised obstacles to the war on corruption so that it would be impossible to
prosecute. This would help him, and his friends keep their loots. Any hope that
corruption would be decimated if not brought to its knees by President Buhari
is not just dissipating; it is fast disappearing. One more time, Nigerians have
been taken for a ride.”
It is still amazing how gifted minds like Mr. Olumhense could have been railroaded into believing in Mohammadu Buhari. It is really difficult to sympathise with his ilk as Buhari continues to unravel. It is not a rocket science to figure out that a student in elementary class two would not be able to handle the final examinations of a medical student. Where do you expect such a child to start?
Those who worked to install Buhari were not his friends. It is unfair to put him in this kind of situation. It is an act of cruelty and wickedness to ask Buhari to come and manageNigeria Nigeria
It is for this reason that one disagrees with the position of Mr. Olumhense when he stated that President Buhari's “credibility is in a fog.” Buhari’s credibility is not in any fog.
It is still amazing how gifted minds like Mr. Olumhense could have been railroaded into believing in Mohammadu Buhari. It is really difficult to sympathise with his ilk as Buhari continues to unravel. It is not a rocket science to figure out that a student in elementary class two would not be able to handle the final examinations of a medical student. Where do you expect such a child to start?
Those who worked to install Buhari were not his friends. It is unfair to put him in this kind of situation. It is an act of cruelty and wickedness to ask Buhari to come and manage
It is for this reason that one disagrees with the position of Mr. Olumhense when he stated that President Buhari's “credibility is in a fog.” Buhari’s credibility is not in any fog.
It never was and it never will for those who are willing
to open their eyes and allow history, practicality, reason and true patriotism
to guide them. President Buhari’s credibility is clearly non-existent for the
following reasons:
1. President Buhari
is yet to tell Nigerians whether he has paid the 25 million naira loan he took
to buy the party nomination paper or not. If he has paid it when did he do it
and how? If he has not paid it, when is he going to do so?
2. President Buhari
has not declared his assets publicly as he promised Nigerians in his covenant.
3. President Buhari
has not made anyone in his cabinet to declare his or her assets publicly as he
promised.
4. President Buhari
reneged on the 5,000.00 naira promise to unemployed graduates.
5. President Buhari
promised not to take off the petroleum subsidy. He has done it.
6. President Buhari
promised 86 naira at the pump; it is now 145 naira
7. President
Buhari made Nigerians believe that he is ascetic and that he did not have any
house in Abuja
8. President Buhari
in his inaugural speech told Nigerians “I
BELONG TO EVERYBODY, AND I BELONG TO NOBODY.” Nigerians have since found
out that he belongs to a Northern oligarchy, not to Nigeria
9. President Buhari
promised to make Naira equivalent to the Dollar. Naira was about 200 to a
Dollar when he took the reins of power. As I write this, Naira is over 350 to a
Dollar
10. President Buhari promised that he would not
tolerate corruption in any form. After finding out those who padded the initial
2016 budget, rather than use them as examples by sacking them, he merely
redeployed them.
11. President Buhari promised Nigeria
12. President Buhari twice has changed his deadline
to defeat Boko Haram. Boko Haram was able to murder 1,000 Nigerians within his
first 100 days in office.
13. The Fulani herdsmen have been raping, maiming
and murdering innocent Nigerians with AK-47 rifles. President Buhari has never
addressed Nigerians specifically on this serious security issue. His goons in
the DSS have been able to arrest petty criminals but unable to arrest murderers
because they obviously belong to the President’s ethnic group.
14. President Buhari has condoned extra – judicial
killings of Nigerians and reduce the premium of the value of life as evident in
following cases:
a. Over 500 Shiites were murdered inKaduna
a. Over 500 Shiites were murdered in
b. 0ver 200 Nigerians
of Agatu origin were murdered and no one has been brought to justice;
c. The Nimbo killings
in Uzo Uwani Local government of Enugu
State
d. Mindless killings
of defenceless IPOB members in Onitsha
e. Among several
others.
It is not accidental that “A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To Sainthood” for President Buhari. He has never qualified to be a sage of low level not to speak of a saint. It is really a stretch by Mr. Olumhense to ascribe by assumption, sainthood to someone like President Buhari. It smacks of undue insensitivity to the usage of diction unbecoming of an intellectual giant like him. The mere assumption of sainthood for President Buhari came across as an unwitting assault on the sensitivities of suffering Nigerians.
President Buhari is now perceived as not having the courage to really go to the bottom of the issue that is of utmost concern to Nigerians which is corruption. It is not just because he does not want to step on toes of some powerful enemies ofNigeria
President Buhari is living in constant fear that if he pursues corruption too much the way it is supposed to be pursued, and the way he has lied to Nigerians that he would, he would end up being demystified because his claim to integrity and incorruptibility could come under the klieg light and would definitely not stand the test of rigorous scrutiny. But unfortunately for him, he would still end up being demystified because he would not be able to deliver on his promise.
President Buhari is a compromised man. He is compromised by his own past. He is a peonage to his corrupt friends. He is held captive to his tunnel vision. He is in a bondage of his provincial mentality. He is in an inextricable serfage to his lack of know-how. He no longer has credibility among objective observers except his fundamentalist supporters who are evidently allergic to reasoning and have no value for facts.
Buhari may have all the good intentions in the world. But such are not good enough. Nations are not ruled with just good intentions. Nations are ruled with plans infused by clear and definitive vision. Buhari has no vision. And he has no plan. He only wanted power. As the saying goes, those who fail to plan have plans to fail. President Buhari has been, is still is, and will remain the major obstacle to the war on corruption. Buhari would not be able to deliver equity for Nigerians on the matters of corruption. This is because his hands reek of dirt. His hands are not clean. And he, who must come to equity, must do so with clean hands. This is not the case with President Buhari.
The fact is Nigerians, once again have been hoodwinked.
“In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility – I welcome it.”
- John F. Kennedy, in his Inaugural Address January 20, 1961
It is not accidental that “A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To Sainthood” for President Buhari. He has never qualified to be a sage of low level not to speak of a saint. It is really a stretch by Mr. Olumhense to ascribe by assumption, sainthood to someone like President Buhari. It smacks of undue insensitivity to the usage of diction unbecoming of an intellectual giant like him. The mere assumption of sainthood for President Buhari came across as an unwitting assault on the sensitivities of suffering Nigerians.
President Buhari is now perceived as not having the courage to really go to the bottom of the issue that is of utmost concern to Nigerians which is corruption. It is not just because he does not want to step on toes of some powerful enemies of
President Buhari is living in constant fear that if he pursues corruption too much the way it is supposed to be pursued, and the way he has lied to Nigerians that he would, he would end up being demystified because his claim to integrity and incorruptibility could come under the klieg light and would definitely not stand the test of rigorous scrutiny. But unfortunately for him, he would still end up being demystified because he would not be able to deliver on his promise.
President Buhari is a compromised man. He is compromised by his own past. He is a peonage to his corrupt friends. He is held captive to his tunnel vision. He is in a bondage of his provincial mentality. He is in an inextricable serfage to his lack of know-how. He no longer has credibility among objective observers except his fundamentalist supporters who are evidently allergic to reasoning and have no value for facts.
Buhari may have all the good intentions in the world. But such are not good enough. Nations are not ruled with just good intentions. Nations are ruled with plans infused by clear and definitive vision. Buhari has no vision. And he has no plan. He only wanted power. As the saying goes, those who fail to plan have plans to fail. President Buhari has been, is still is, and will remain the major obstacle to the war on corruption. Buhari would not be able to deliver equity for Nigerians on the matters of corruption. This is because his hands reek of dirt. His hands are not clean. And he, who must come to equity, must do so with clean hands. This is not the case with President Buhari.
The fact is Nigerians, once again have been hoodwinked.
“In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility – I welcome it.”
- John F. Kennedy, in his Inaugural Address January 20, 1961
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