This is no time to disrupt President Buhari

The recent allegation in an article in the London Telegraph, claiming that the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration is targeting Christians and the opposition is not only dismissible but highly divisive and sickening to men and women of conscience in Nigeria, a country that is rediscovering itself from the wilderness. Not quite long, the same newspaper […]

The recent allegation in an article in the London Telegraph, claiming that the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration is targeting Christians and the opposition is not only dismissible but highly divisive and sickening to men and women of conscience in Nigeria, a country that is rediscovering itself from the wilderness.
Not quite long, the same newspaper accused President Buhari of using UK’s aid to persecute his political rivals-what a grievous and an unsubstantiated claim.
But before then, many people concurred with a former British Prime Minister, David Cameroon, who described Nigeria as ‘Fantastically corrupt’, even as much more people denounced him when he apparently tried to link President Buhari to it.
Buhari is not the architect of our present condition and if anything, he has, in the last one year, diagnosed most of the problems that were threatening the corporate existence of the country. The U.K-based newspaper should commend our president for this.
Rather than fanning the embers of hatred and discomfort among the diverse ethnic and religious nationalities in Nigeria, we expect our foreign allies to either speak the truth or just keep mute and not in any way set the pace for inglorious rivalry.
 Beginning from 1990s, Nigeria carved a niche for itself as a corrupt country and the trend escalated further from 2011 by increasing in intensity.
But, as a complex country, Nigeria needs scrupulous and punctilious approach so that the government will not be stampeded to do things and thank God, we have found that character in our president.
Some Nigerians and foreigners were unjustly accusing Mr. President and his government and want to crucify him for the present hardship we are passing through, but they ironically refused to see the chief factors that led to the present situation, including high cost of living.
Nobody expected that the petroleum price will drop from over 100 dollars per barrel to about $29 per barrel.
It is bewildering why some people condone and overlook the intense vandalism of the pipelines in order to undercut and undermine the efforts of the Federal Government. Our foreign reserve has gone down Saudi Arabia, which is much smaller in population than Nigeria, has much more money in its foreign reserve, while ours was looted into personal pockets, making our naira very light against the US dollar.
Therefore, I will never hesitate to appeal to Nigerians to be virtuous by being patient and give this government a chance.
One of the most laudable programmes of this administration is the green revolution-the crave for all to go back to farm. We must reduce our over dependence on oil. If we support this project, we will reach where the Americans reached in 1933 under the Secretary of State for Agriculture Henry Wallace. That was the state of AAA- Agricultural Adjustment Administration.
 There is no denying the fact that President Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osibanjo are still leading in terms of popularity. Their popularity with the general public is unrivaled. The confidence shown in this government, particularly in the way the last strike called by the NLC over fuel subsidy fizzled out clearly sent a message to the government that, ‘yes we have confidence in you’.
Sequel to my write up in the Daily Trust of Wednesday, 20th July 2016 with the title: Can Buhari be impeached? I received about 28 phone calls and text messages. Out of this number, only four were negative. One of them outpoured on me spate of gutter and abusive words. Beside his words, he said I was appointed Director General of Nigeria Arabic Language Village Ngala by Buhari and that was why I am always defending him. Nay I was appointed in April 2014 by ex-President Goodluck Jonathan.
The fact is I don’t defend Buhari in person or his government, but I defend their policy which is to extricate Nigeria from her economic setback or predicament, and I do this out of patriotism.
I am a true patriot and nationalist. Those castigating us for defending President Buhari and his policies are entitled to their opinion. Such is democracy.
And the beauty of democracy is that we are also entitled to our opinion and we are being encouraged to write more on Buhari/Osinbajo’s government.
I have no iota of doubt that those saying we were better off during the last regime are oblivious of the fact that we were living on fake and unsustainable life of borrowing.
I wish to, therefore, call on all of us to unite and eschew all forms of sentiments. We have come of age to be matured and our President must not be distracted by the antics of detractors.
If President Buhari is actually drifting from the ideal, I have no doubt that our respectful heavyweight politicians like Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Senator Bola Tinubu, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun,  Chris Ngege, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, Alhaji Lai Muhammed and others will not be supporting him.
Also the likes of eminent scholars, such as Reverend Mbaka, who galvanized the country to elect Buhari, would not have remained with him. We, the people of the North-East are most obliged to Almighty Allah, the President and his government, and to our dauntless and doughty soldiers, the symbol of our unity, under Tukur Buratai.
Prof. M. Muazu Nguru is the Director/CEO Nigeria Arabic Language Village, Ngala. 08066163910