By Ebun-olu Adegboruwa
Reading through the presidential
broadcast, however, one cannot but express a sense of utter disappointment.
This is a president who virtually sneaked out of Nigeria, who breached his own
self-declaration of transparency, by keeping Nigerians in the dark for over 100
days, and in that process grinding the wheel of progress of the nation.
President Buhari |
Notwithstanding that the president took Nigerians
for granted, he was not impeached, but rather Nigerians were offering prayers
for his recovery, daily, only for him to return with a language of combat and
insult, describing his own citizens as "irresponsible
elements"!
There must just be
something about the All Progressive Congress (APC) ruling government that
detests truth and consistency. Whilst the president was away, his Vice
President, Prof Yemi Osinabajo, translated our freedom of expression into hate
speeches and terrorism and here is the president, few days thereafter, piling
up hatred and animosity upon Nigerians, who are simply demanding restructuring,
true federalism and dialogue, asking the president and his party, to fulfill
their campaign promises.
This should not be the
language of a president that has benefited from the goodwill and magnanimity of
his people, this cannot be the message of gratitude that Nigerians deserve from
the president, who has been absent from duty.
The president has not addressed the questions
on the lips of all Nigerians, as to make full and frank disclosures, on the
nature of his ailment, that took him out of Nigeria for 103 days, the state of
his health presently, and the nature of his treatment, so as to engender hope
in this regime and bring certainty to governance.
I had thought that the
aides of the president were being unduly diplomatic, all the while, by keeping
the sealed lip over his health status, but it is clear now from the president's
speech, that they were only acting out his script of secrecy, contrary to his
oath of office.
*Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa |
The greatest disappointment
in the presidential broadcast is the act of buck passing, on the issue of
restructuring, true federalism and devolution of powers, which were the main
campaign slogans of the president, as encapsulated in the APC manifesto. So, I
now ask: what was it that the president was discussing with the senate
president and the speaker of the House of Representatives when they all visited
him in London ?
Did they not tell the
president that members of his ruling APC party killed the demand for
restructuring, devolution of powers, true federalism, state police, etc, while
he was away?
Did they not tell him that Nigerians are
hungry? Did they not tell him that infrastructure has virtually collapsed all
over the nation? Did they not tell him that Boko Haram has resurrected? Did
they not tell the president of the latest report that corruption is festering
under his regime?
The president admitted much
in his speech that he had been following developments back home. So he was well
aware of the current atmosphere of the Nigerian nation, but he chose to
transfer his own responsibility back to the same National Assembly that
scuttled the yearnings and expectations of our people.
While we pray that his
healing should be permanent, I believe very much that the president owes
Nigerians a sacred duty to be open, transparent and forthright with his state
of health and medical treatment.
Above all, we don't need a
language of war, that will increase the tensions all over the land, we don't
need the language of combat, we don't need the language of division, and surely
we don't need abuses.
The president should be a
man of peace and he should restore hope and confidence in all our people.
If the president has admitted so much in his broadcast that he and his government have failed Nigerians, then he cannot in the same speech be throwing insults and threats to the same people that he has failed.
If the president has admitted so much in his broadcast that he and his government have failed Nigerians, then he cannot in the same speech be throwing insults and threats to the same people that he has failed.
Long live Nigeria .
Ebun-olu Adegboruwa, Esq
Lekki,Lagos .
Lekki,
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