A recent online publication claimed that over 84 per cent of Nigerians including members of the ruling APC sees the exit of former President Buhari as a relief. This is not withstanding the fact that Tinubu is commencing his presidency on a fumbling note. The fuel pricing stuff. The Tinubu that I know is a deliberate, calculative and strategic leader. I agree that fuel subsidy has to go for good, but the removal would have been done in a way that will not result in panic buying, hoarding and scarcity.
Before delving into today’s monolog, permit me to acknowledge all the children who celebrated the World Children’s Day on May 27.
For some time now, this event in some states has become almost a none event,, and that includes my beloved state, Anambra. But thanks to Mr Governor Soludo that made this year’s event different by ensuring children of the state joined in this year’s celebration.
In Njikoka where I am holding forth, the event was memorable. I had the rare honour to take the salute as the children marched in their colours.
I remembered my late dad who also stood to take the salute as my school and others filed pass in those days when we were young. That was over four decades ago. I remembered our Children’s Day celebrations with nostalgic feelings. My standing in my father’s shoes brought back old memories. I thank Mr Governor for making this possible. He may think this is little but the event meant a lot to me.
A sobering moment was the kid from Ezira Primary School who had no sandal and yet had the courage, determination and pride to march with her schoolmates. I was inspired by her dignity, determination and courage.
A lot of us has so much and yet we are not grateful and unable to make the best out of our world, and there are others who had nothing but are striving to be the best.
When I called out the young girl and asked her why she had no sandals on, and she told me she had none, she instantly earned my respect. I paid for her to get a pair of sandals and one year pocket money of N5000 every month. I did what my governor would have done in similar circumstances.
Away from the Children’s Day matter. I join millions of Nigerians relieved from the Buhari administration in bidding him goodbye. I am however troubled that rather than heave a sigh of relief, there are Nigerians that are troubled by the emergence of President Bola Tinubu as Nigeria’s 16th President.
Some hoped that the inauguration would be scuttled and that there would be angry protests because the election is still disputed in court. For a fact, the February 25th election was marred by irregularities in places like Rivers State and Imo State. The result from Lagos is also disputed. Indeed the election wasn’t perfect and nothing made by man is perfect. but it’s an exaggeration to claim it was Nigeria’s worst electoral heist.
This position doesn’t mean we have to condone glaring irregularities or that INEC should continue to make us a country of shame or continue to cause irreparable damages to our democracy.
Far from it, I wish that all election riggers and enablers will end up in jail to serve as a deterrent to others. Election riggers are similar to robbers who must not be allowed to enjoy their loot. If some of the election results can be cancelled, so be it. However, while we dispute the election, we must avoid anything that will unleash the demons upon us.
I wish to remind us that countries that build weapons of war make a living from war. They will be too glad to supply us with their weapons of terror. The world will still move on while we destroy ourselves.
Whatever was wrong with the last election, I think we should be grateful that our worst nightmare is over. President Bola Tinubu may not be a saint, but I am certain as the day that he came more prepared to be a better president. I believe he will be better than Buhari. Otherwise we are doomed as a nation.
I want to personally congratulate all Nigerians who survived the last eight years. For those who died because of the incompetence of the regime, I pray for the peaceful repose of their souls. Nigeria never had it this bad in her 63 years history. We are now more polarised than we have ever been. We are now in the state that we were when Buhari toppled the democratic government of President Shehu Shagari.
Our education and value system are all collapsed while our hospitals are now mere consulting clinics. Many Nigerians are dying at home instead of seeking medical attention because they cannot afford hospital care. Some that venture into clinics are seized because they could not pay costly medical bills. This is president Buhari’s Nigeria. When the head of the government is heartless and wicked, the citizens will simply replicate him. Check the stories coming out of Nigeria and you’ll see the wild animals in us.
Buhari failed in all ramifications. No work, no money, no food. The roads to the graveyards are more travelled than the roads to the farmland. Farmers are either maimed or killed by the herdsmen who ironically are from the president’s tribe.
I will urge our new president to provide a leadership that will unify our nation. He must not ignore the voice of the opposition, especially the youths. He must not see his victory as winner takes all. An all inclusive government will assure Nigeria of peace, growth and prosperity.
He should not steer the ship of state constantly looking into the rear mirror. He should look ahead and restore hope, love and loyalty to country.
Nigeria is a blessed country, not just with persons but with minerals in every region and yet is the poverty capital of the world due to corruption and bad governance.
Each of the six regions can survive under a fairly restructured arrangement. As we welcome a new Nigeria under a new president, I do not wish any African country a divisive president like General Buhari. Many a time in his eight years of rule, I had cause to wonder if indeed he saw himself as the president of Nigeria or of Niger or better still a Fulani President. He never hid his disdain for the indigenous tribe and did nothing to unite different ethnic groups. He rather distinguished himself as an ethnic bigot. He does not see other Nigerians as his brothers and sisters.
Under him, you’d be right to think Nigeria is a Fulani nation, meanwhile Nigerians have been living with Fulanis for more than 200 years peacefully except few incidents. But with President Buhari as head of Nigerian government, he allowed Fulanis from all over Africa to come to Nigeria without any preparation for where they would live or work.
They came and moved to our forests and farmlands and set up huts. Now, Nigerians are scared to go to the farms because they might be killed. And when Nigerians are killed, President Buhari did nothing. When someone dies overseas, he sends his condolences but cared nothing about the people he ruled. Nigeria was even better during the civil war than now.