2019: Between President Buhari and Obasanjo’s letter

Kudos to President Muhammadu Buhari, GCON, for the timely declaration of his noble intention to run for a second term in office. We had anticipated this for long. In fact, this declaration has made majority of Nigerians to heave a deep sigh of relief. It has served as a source of tranquillity and rest of […]

Kudos to President Muhammadu Buhari, GCON, for the timely declaration of his noble intention to run for a second term in office. We had anticipated this for long. In fact, this declaration has made majority of Nigerians to heave a deep sigh of relief. It has served as a source of tranquillity and rest of mind. Before this exciting news, people were  highly anxious to know the next line of action of the president. 

 For those who discouraged the president from seeking a second term, we ask: What have they done for this country? What are their achievements up till date?  

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo  has launched malicious campaigns against the present government, asking Buhari not to contest again. What moral right does he have to tell our dear president not to seek re-election?  We have not forgotten his activities during his administrations, both as a military head of state and civilian president.  

To me, Obasanjo is acting out of envy and malice. He was a one-time military head of state as Buhari. He was also a democratically elected president. The problem of Obasanjo is that he spent eight years as a civilian ruler and does not want any person to break this record. I see his action as excessive egocentrism. 

Obasanjo is carried away by the applause he received when he wrote a letter to the then President Goodluck Jonathan. But he should not forget the fact that right now,   time, circumstances and the man in office are different.  He should also have it at the back of his mind that President Buhari has not committed the errors of the past administration. This is obvious to all sound-minded Nigerians.  

Why is Obasanjo in haste? Let him give Buhari a chance to finish his second term before he declares him a failure. He should allow Nigerians to decide what they want.

 In our assessment, Obasanjo did not do what President Buhari has done in his 35 months in office. When Obasanjo came to power, Nigeria’s economy was in a very good shape. Oil price was very high. There was no vandalisation of pipelines as it is today.  There was no global economic recession and Nigeria’s money was not looted as it happened before Buhari took over power. Obasanjo had a good opportunity to build this country, but it did not happen. Instead, corruption was entrenched. Ghana-Must-Go bags were always on their way to the National Assembly, all in a bid to secure a third term. 

 During his regime, an entire village was destroyed. That was in Odi, Bayelsa State. In Zaki Biam in Benue State, people were killed like rats. Billions of Naira were spent on power, but nothing came out of it.

As Dr. Thompson Udenwa of Benue State put it correctly, the Obasanjo administration was entirely a failure and catastrophic because there were many avoidable crises. 

In the South-West, there was the notorious and ill-famed O’odua People’s Congress (OPC) whose mercenaries killed people from other parts of the country.

 In the South-South, you had the Bakassi Boys, and there were sectarian crises, and so on in the North. He introduced a programme called monetisation, under which he laid off many workers. Up till date, people are suffering from that act.  Therefore, Obasanjo does not have the moral pedestal to criticise Buhari.

 President Buhari’s achievements in agriculture and security, especially the return of relative peace in states where Boko Haram held sway,  as well as the fight against corruption, through which trillions of various currencies were recovered, deserve commendation. We are now out of recession. Our foreign reserve has increased to $40 billion. Improvement in power supply is crystal clear. Therefore, opponents of Buhari should do justice to him. 

Unfortunately also, the National Assembly, more especially the Senate, and the Judiciary, sometimes constitute impediments to  the Buhari administration. Lack of adequate cooperation from these two  arms of government is a great obstacle. 

 Those who criticise Buhari for his declaration for a second tenure should bury their heads in shame. Nigerians still need him. Besides, he is legally entitled to contest. Obasanjo would have breached the country’s constitution and gotten a third if Nigerians did not stand against him. Also, Jonathan attempted to deny the North its right in 2015 by violating the constitution of his political party, the Peoples Democratic Party  (PDP). 

 Buhari must be allowed to enjoy his constitutional right. He should be allowed to reposition Nigeria. He knows himself better than anyone else. The Almighty Allah will be with him as far as his wishes are to do justice and serve his country.

 No matter how highly placed they are, those unpatriotic Nigerians who utter nasty statements to instigate our people should be punished severely. Their utterances are worse than hate speech. 

Herdsmen/farmers clashes are manufactured by politicians to discredit this administration. Some of them recently arrested confessed that they were given guns by the Benue State Government, just like what happened in Gembu, Taraba State.

Unfortunately, simply because they want to establish peace, love and harmony in the country, our respected religious leaders who  visited President Buhari in Aso Rock recently were disowned by the Christian Association of Nigeria  (CAN).  This action by the CAN cannot deny them their identities as Christians. The CAN is just an organisation, it is not a ground to test one’s faith or his love for Jesus. Muslims too have such organisations, but it is not an article of faith to belong to them. 

 In some cases, these religious organisations are exploitative. Their leaders use them selfishly. So  both Muslims and Christians should not allow their leaders and politicians to use them for their selfish end. We should understand that in the event of any crisis, their children will not be allowed to participate.

Some Nigerians wail and yell that they do not see any positive thing on ground as part of Buhari’s achievements. I dare say that such people should ask their governors about the federal allocations and other grants they have been receiving.  How do governors of various states spend their annual budgets? That’s the question such people should be asking.  

Our dear president, please do not let criticisms, outright antagonism and ungratefulness discourage you. They should rather serve as sources of courage for you. You need to understand that one cannot satisfy everybody. 

I hail the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for their gallantry. Please stick to your timetable tenaciously. Remember, some distinguished and respected senators have disclosed the real intention of their colleagues concerning the alteration of the 2019 elecroral timetable.

 Nguru is the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Arabic Village, Ngala. 08066163910