Buhari or Osinbajo?
Sometimes when some prejudiced and disgruntled people comment on National issues I felt reluctant to waste my ink to reply to them. At the time when the economy of Nigeria was bad, the buck was passed to President Buhari’s table and on many occasions the president had come out to claim responsibility and promised that […]
Sometimes when some prejudiced and disgruntled people comment on National issues I felt reluctant to waste my ink to reply to them. At the time when the economy of Nigeria was bad, the buck was passed to President Buhari’s table and on many occasions the president had come out to claim responsibility and promised that he and his team are doing everything possible to ease the hardship of Nigerians. Now that Buhari is away and the Naira has recently appreciated against the dollar, Nigerians like Reno Omokri are applauding the Acting President, His Excellency Professor Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, while describing President Buhari as the albatross to the economic development of Nigeria.
To set your thought straight, let me remind or bring to your knowledge that by the provision of section 153(1), (2) and the 3rd Schedule, Part I, Paragraph 18 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Vice President (now the acting President) has always been the one constitutionally and practically in charge of the Nigerian economy from the day he was sworn in as Vice President of Nigeria. Here is the relevant Provision for your consumption: the Vice President (now the acting President) has been the commander in chief of the Nigerian economy and even by his commitment when the President was around. It was clear that he championed the introduction of many economic policies of the Federal government such as N-Power, with the President’s support. To the best of my knowledge there has never been a government of Nigeria where political office holders were giving free hand in running the affairs of their offices in the history of Nigeria like the current administration of President Muhammad Buhari.
When the economy was dillydallying, I suppose these Twitter and Facebook heroes will actually put the blame on the Vice President who is the Chairman of the Economic Council of Nigeria; or the 36 state governors of Nigeria; or the Governor of the Central Bank who are members. But unfortunately, they didn’t! And I didn’t expect them to put the blame on the Vice President because in every sane democracy, the blame, as well as the appreciation for successes is always passed to the table of the President. However, to Nigerian wailers and prejudiced commentators, the buck is passed to Buhari (the very name they personally hate to hear), even on a matter which the law do not give him power to control, while praises, thanks and appreciations goes to Acting President Osinbajo for performing the duties which the constitution mandated him to perform. Funny!
Unfortunately, my online grammar lecturer, Professor Farooq Kperogi has fallen to this scourge of sentiment and I don’t think I should blame him because, he is only a professor of journalism, but I am disappointed with lawyers that rushed to support this childish taught that will call to question their true appreciation of the constitution and the law.
Following this comments, I come to two conclusions that: either this people are busy trying to cover up their shame for seeing the ripe fruit of the long time plan of the Buhari administration which they religiously criticized, or they are out to cause discord and division in the Presidency for their selfish interests. Either of the above can qualified them as ‘out-out hypocrites’, who save nothing in their intellectual store for Nigeria’s progress (borrowing the words of Prof. Kperogi).
To accused Buhari for the slow pace or perceived failure of the job of the economic council which Osibanjo Chairs; and applaud Osibanjo for the good performance of same economic council which he has always head, is either the peak of ignorance or the peak of injustice.
Hussaini Hussaini, Abuja .