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May 29, 2015 was both historic and historical. It was the day a sitting president, with the rather talismanic name of Goodluck, had the bad luck of handing over to the opposition, after losing the decisive election. It was a Nigerian first. It still is. I listened to Muhammadu Buhari voicegraphing the direction of the emerging presidency in his ‘I belong to nobody, I belong to everybody’ inaugural speech at Eagle Square, Abuja. Back then, I thought he represented hope; of genuine change.
Alas! Nineteen months down the line and with focus of his presidency trained on a second helping, citizens are unanimous that this first term has yet thrown up the change craved. The new lead actor has been painstakingly (?) slow even with the fundamental aspect of gathering his team. Plus, the change he seeks to enshrine has been largely in small doses, if at all. This combination has worsened an already-horrible situation.
If for saying that I get tagged a wailing wailer by the tiny clan of Buhari scarecrows, I’d gladly accept it because I’d be in good company: Aisha Buhari, Olusegun Obasanjo, Buba Galadima, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi et al. Surely, the few who think that those calling for change here and there hate the president miss the point. Nigerians don’t hate this president or any other leader. Nigerians only want a better deal. In any case, what would his wife and aforementioned supporters gain by hating him now when he holds both the yam and the knife?
Leaders and their surrogates misread the rules of engagement when they don’t understand that electoral goodwill is not an until-death-do-us-part romantic pledge. No, an election-day vote of confidence is only a six-monthly political debenture. Public office holders must learn how to repay the loan of goodwill, or be smart enough to renegotiate before due date. Or, be damned.
Unfortunately, five small months to his second anniversary, this seems to be the downhill route preferred by Team Buhari. The present seems worse than the past that we sought to run from. With an economy that has remained in dire straits, one doesn’t need to be a clairvoyant to guesstimate that we are approaching a grim turn.
The tedious wait for a workable roadmap out of this economic cul-de-sac is worse than the problem itself, as it causes even more anguish and despair. That explains the nationwide frustration. With businesses folding up; unemployment spiralling; and the naira technically knocked out in the ring peopled by international market forces, cautious optimism has developed into spiritual relief or forlorn faith that the impending explosive implosion would be aborted because, fortunately, PMB has a little more time to return our country to winning ways. He must restart the engine of governance, which seems to have long gone off.
But first, that new Buhari (the one who wooed us for votes) must show up. We are tired of the stern, semi-detached and some say unforgiving old Buhari (1984/1985 version) who has been on the prowl since taking over. With that new Buhari back in business, citizens down South would no longer grumble that the man has not shown he belongs to them as well; just as nobody up North would need to deny that his body language and appointments have tilted towards their half. Ditto the way his anti-corruption fight is occasionally prosecuted. Buharists would no more need to shrug off allegations that some people from the wrong side of the president’s past, who are caught in the corruption dragnet, have had to bear the brunt in a way that rubbishes his democratic credentials.
Furthermore, as I alluded to earlier, the president would still have ample time to fix the mess; after the new Buhari takes the stage. The photo-ops Buhari we saw in Igbo attire complete with the red cap and an Igbo name to march; in South-south and South-west customised dresses; in tailor-made suits; smiling; playing with children; the Buhari who listened, the Buhari who sought help, the Buhari who told us he had changed. That is the Buhari Nigeria needs going forward.
Strategists who dressed up Candidate Buhari in those borrowed robes (the reason all of fifteen million Nigerians bought him wholesale) must be brought back to finish what they started. This administration needs those thinkers; some of whom are currently inside but seem under-utilised. These seemingly simplistic or even pedestrian ideas can break the ice. Once that new Buhari re-emerges, and allows his deputy and sundry strategists more operational freedom, citizens would begin to see action. Thenceforth, the administration would hit auto-pilot; giving our country the positive energy she requires to bounce back. God bless Nigeria!
Help, I have missed my way in Enugu again
I visit or pass through Enugu frequently. Since travelling is not my hobby, the twelve times I get to see the city annually places it among my top three most-visited Nigerian cities. But, I am not quite conversant with the south-eastern city. Coupled with the fact that from the ‘locomotive’ heyday of the Ebeano Governor (Chimaroke Nnamani, 1999-2007) through that of the Gentle Giant (Sullivan Chime, 2007-2015) when there was much action, less talk, to this unfolding era of the ‘poster boy’ (Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, 2015-), this road-transport regional hub has continued to enjoy some road network tinkering. There’s always a road work or two going on in the coal city. However, this intended blessing is a nightmare to travellers, who need to connect their destinations through Enugu. Three months ago, my driver and I took a wrong turn from Udi, and only the sign ‘welcome to Anambra State’ confirmed our worst fears. Just last week, it happened again. Ongoing road construction around Ninth Mile forced us to stop and ask for directions, once or twice. Enugu loses marks for allowing visitors such comedown. The authorities must give the city readable, barely intelligible road signs. They should put billboards of Gov. Ugwuanyi, which dot the city, to much better use: Indicate nearby routes thereon.
Dasuki: why this deafening silence?
This is only a precursor, to whet your appetite. Isn’t FG’s vehement refusal to heed ruling after ruling by national and international courts on retired Col. Mohammed Sambo Dasuki’s bail a democratic anathema? Isn’t that an abuse of his human rights and our judicial process since only one verdict would satisfy his powerful accuser? Secondly, are the press, civil society and human rights community not abdicating our bounden responsibility the way we keep mum on Dasuki, Kanu et al? These are matters of urgent national importance which belonging permanently to the front burner. We lose own right to justice when we look away from clear cases of injustice against others. President Buhari would serve Nigeria better if he realised, and shows he understands, that democracy or society is essentially about the law. Ignoring a verdict by a court of law of competent jurisdiction is an invitation to chaos. The Supreme Court should intervene to reassure that that era had long gone in Nigeria!
