Much Ado about Buhari’s speech and the Rodents’ invasion

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari departed Abuja House in London on 19 August for Nigeria after a 105-day medical vacation. On arrival, all nooks and crannies of the country were lighted up in euphoria, pirouetting and funfair particularly the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja and All Progressives Congress, APC-controlled states. His arrival irrefutably changed the moods and created […]

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari departed Abuja House in London on 19 August for Nigeria after a 105-day medical vacation. On arrival, all nooks and crannies of the country were lighted up in euphoria, pirouetting and funfair particularly the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja and All Progressives Congress, APC-controlled states. His arrival irrefutably changed the moods and created unusual cavalcades right from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja to the Presidential Villa akin to where Nigeria successfully dared Argentina or Brazil in a World-Cup competition. Indeed, it was a heroic welcome to the President. Those that mischievously peddled frightening rumours as bad as living on a life-saving-machine and other terrible conjectures were chagrinned, ashamed and reduced to nothing. 

To start with, do these folks truly have blood running in their veins?  The truth is that President Buhari’s return disappointed their malicious deceptions, how much more resumption. How could any right-thinking persons expect a President or anyone resuming from a medical vacation to outline economic blueprints on the first day? Interestingly, the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo since inauguration has been the chairman of the economic team of the administration which indicates that if President Buhari didn’t embark on the medical vacation, the same policies Professor Osinbajo continued with as the acting President would have been in progress. This therefore deflates the quarrels of the roaring critics believably over fears on anti-corruption battle. If everyone had attested that Prof Osinbajo performed outstandingly throughout the period as acting President with the administration’s economic policies, why then the commotion for new economic directions?

Emphatically, the presidential address was principally designed for gratitude to the people over prayers, inspirations and love extended to him while out of the country. Overwhelmingly, the President didn’t mince words to state that while in London, he was following events at home. Indeed, this is the most silly, immature and childish opposition in the history of the nation. The evil alliance is worse than that of cantankerous, pugnacious and primitive women at the village markets. How does rat invasion of Presidential Villa amount to issues of national importance that a President worked from home office rather than main office will be blown out of proportion? 

In other words, the brief address presented by the President was not only apt but unique. If after the handover and briefing by Professor Osinbajo, the President alongside the Federal Executive Council after evaluating developments, have cause to modify some policies, certainly, the nation will be abreast of them. The greater but bitter truth is that anyone that has not come to terms with the present administration’s determinedly laudable efforts in fixing the rotten system is either naïve or biased irrespective of prominence. With the mammoth crowds that jubilated uncontrollably during Buhari’s return, it is logically clear that overwhelming majority of citizens are not deceived by these detractors. Thus, ride on Mr. President.

Or perhaps, the clique naively misconstrued medical vacation as vocational trip that provides new strategies and know-hows. Should that be the case, literally note, that President Buhari travelled for medication, ill-health and therefore couldn’t have learnt new economic policies from his physicians. Sadly, all in the ranting gangs were part or beneficiaries of the previous administrations’ excesses that never thought of the future of the country except to divert public funds as no-man’s land taking advantage of the lacunas and poor legal justice system to maneuver. Simply, the commotion is borne out of antagonism, pessimism and witlessness. To have a strong opposition is, apart from being a democratic norm, a desideratum but where it is misconstrued as nuisance, loquacity or farcicality, it abysmally becomes a gargantuan problem.

Umegboro is a public affairs analyst.