Did Buhari Really Apologize To Nigerians?

 By Adeze Ojukwu 

Did Buhari really apologize to Nigerians? This is the poser before many citizens.  To put the record straight, a few days ago, Muhammadu Buhari, who has barely 32 days to exit as president, asked for pardon from those he might have hurt during his tenure.

*Buhari

The question is: “Did those scant remarks convey genuine regret or sincere contrition?” 

For many nationals, his mien and diction were not only condescending and evasive but also disingenuous. He did not come across as someone who was compunctious. Obviously, he is yet to come to terms with the monumental impact of his divisive and parochial governance on the nation. 

He hardly engaged with the citizens, and often spoke through proxies. His taciturn posture and highhandedness further disconnected him from the millions of people, who voted him into office. 

Hence, his sudden quest for forgiveness has stirred a lot of interpretations. Assuming he was truly remorseful, his demand for pardon will still be viewed by his opponents as ludicrous and mendacious. 

In the main, the timing of this apology is pernicious. Why did it take eight long years for him to realize that his disastrous policies really hurt the nation? 

Is it because the trappings of his high office, the immunity he enjoyed for close to a decade and immense presidential powers he wielded? 

 Mr. President, welcome to a new dawn! Now the reality of the hardship allegedly hoisted on the masses by your choices will confront and haunt you. 

A few Nigerians have already rejected his apology, recounting his innumerable sins against the biggest black nation. 

According to his teeming critics, Buhari entrenched a leadership of exclusivity and systemic tribal bigotry that polarized the nation and disenfranchised many. 

True to his proclivity for vindictiveness, he promised to deal with the region that gave him five percentage of votes. And he did, by effectively excluding people from the particular section of the country from his kitchen cabinet, top security echelons and choice positions. 

He enacted policies that seemed to stifle businesses in the South, including long closure of the Lagos borders. He left the northern  flank open. 

He built dry ports in the north and allocated scarce public funds to construct railways to Niger Republic. 

During his two terms, he appointed himself as the Minister of Petroleum Resources, a position that he neither had capacity nor training for. 

Food insecurity and inflation worsened under him because of persistent conflicts. Thousands of farmers and indigenous people were butchered like animals while their farms were destroyed by invaders. 

The brutalities and carnage allegedly perpetuated by nomadic pastoralists are still going on in Southern Kaduna and Benue State. Many families in the Middle Belt live in utter destitution and trepidation due to these bloody attacks. 

Today, many Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in camps in the North-East are fatherless, motherless and orphans because of government’s inability to effectively tackle insurgents. 

Several victims, including Leah Shuaibu are still in the custody of the deadly Boko Haram terrorists. 

Bereaved families and friends as well as survivors of attacks on a church in Ondo State are still counting their woes. Till date, no arrest has been made. 

Some Nigerian youths are still vexed over the Toll Gate tragedy, where protesters were reportedly massacred while others sustained life-altering injuries. 

His administration was notorious for disobeying court orders, such as the Nnamdi Kanu’s trial. Other cases of public interest are the running battle with members of the Shiite movement as well as the invasion of the residence of Sunday Igboho, the agitator for the establishment of a Yoruba nation. 

The nation’s economic crisis is another sore point. Nigeria’s financial performance remains dismal with high levels of unemployment, insecurity and poor Human Development Indices (HDI). 

The scandalous borrowing and Nigeria’s huge debt profile pose existential challenges to the incoming administration and future generations. 

Under his watch, the country became the global leader in excruciating poverty. Recent statistics indicate that about 133 million citizens were plunged into internationally unacceptable poverty brackets. 

His regime witnessed an unprecedented escalation of violence, banditry, conflicts and terrorism, despite huge budgetary allocations to end the insurgency. 

By his actions and inactions, the nation’s religious and ethnic divisions widened, with heightened agitations for self rule, fiscal federation and regional governance. 

Buhari’s final blow to the country is the alleged supervision of the most atrocious presidential election. The allegations of humongous electoral violations, violence, corruption and reign of impunity are staggering. Many international and national monitors are still reeling in shock over the level of rascality and irregularities witnessed at the exercise. 

Indeed, a cursory review of Buhari’s report sheet is daunting. Many citizens are totally disappointed at his policies, which some believe were directly or indirectly responsible for massive destruction of lives, properties and livelihoods. 

According to some respondents, Mr. President’s plea is rather too phony to consider at this point. 

Many nationals are seriously grieving over job losses, dearth of basic amenities and general insecurity. 

Nevertheless, some expressed optimism at the prospects of a new and credible leadership that will heal the land and enunciate economically viable programmes, which would revive ailing companies, improve employment levels and tackle insecurity. 

Perhaps, if he did not become the president, millions of citizens would have described Buhari as the best president Nigeria never had. However, the saint has been demystified. He has really shown his colossal inability to lead a heterogeneous and diverse country, such as Nigeria with a complex, vibrant and highly cerebral citizenry. Buhari promised much but failed woefully to deliver. Indeed many citizens are excited that his gruesome regime would soon end. 

The expectancy of a new and better leadership is cheery. Hopefully, the new administration will usher in a new era of peace and progress to the traumatized country. 

*Ojukwu is a journalist, author and Fellow of Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship, a US sponsored Fulbright programme