Buhari during the live broadcast on Monday
The greatest disappointment in the presidential broadcast is the act of buck passing, on the issue of restructuring, true federalism and devolution of powers, which were the main campaign slogans of the president.
Reading through the presidential broadcast, however, one cannot but
express a sense of utter disappointment. This is a president who
virtually sneaked out of Nigeria, who breached his own self-declaration
of transparency, by keeping Nigerians in the dark for over 100 days, and
in that process grinding the wheel of progress of the nation.
Notwithstanding that the president took Nigerians for granted, he
was not impeached, but rather Nigerians were offering prayers for his
recovery, daily, only for him to return with a language of combat and
insult, describing his own citizens as "irresponsible elements"!
There must just be something about the APC ruling govt that detests truth and consistency. Whilst the president was away, his Vice President translated our freedom of expression into hate speeches and terrorism and here is the president, few days thereafter, piling up hatred and animosity upon Nigerians, who are simply demanding restructuring, true federalism and dialogue, asking the president and his party, to fulfill their campaign promises.
This should not be the language of a president that has benefited
from the goodwill and magnanimity of his people, this cannot be the
message of gratitude that Nigerians deserve from the president, who has
been absent from duty.
The president has not addressed the questions on the lips of all Nigerians, as to make full and frank disclosures, on the nature of his ailment, that took him out of Nigeria for 103 days, the state of his health presently, and the nature of his treatment, so as to engender hope in this regime and bring certainty to governance.
I had thought that the aides of the president were being unduly
diplomatic, all the while, by keeping the sealed lip over his health
status, but it is clear now from the president's speech, that they were
only acting out his script of secrecy, contrary to his oath of office.
The greatest disappointment in the presidential broadcast is the
act of buck passing, on the issue of restructuring, true federalism and
devolution of powers, which were the main campaign slogans of the
president, as encapsulated in the APC manifesto. So, I now ask: what was
it that the president was discussing with the senate president and the
speaker of the House of Representatives when they all visited him in
London?
Did they not tell the president that members of his ruling APC
party killed the demand for restructuring, devolution of powers, true
federalism, state police, etc, while he was away?
Did they not tell him that Nigerians are hungry? Did they not tell
him that infrastructure has virtually collapsed all over the nation? Did
they not tell him that Boko Haram has resurrected? Did they not tell
the president of the latest report that corruption is festering under
his regime?
The president admitted much in his speech that he had been
following developments back home. So he was well aware of the current
atmosphere of the Nigerian nation, but he chose to transfer his own
responsibility back to the same National Assembly that scuttled the
yearnings and expectations of our people.
While we pray that his healing should be permanent, I believe very
much that the president owes Nigerians a sacred duty to be open,
transparent and forthright with his state of health and medical
treatment.
Above all, we don't need a language of war, that will increase the
tensions all over the land, we don't need the language of combat, we
don't need the language of division, and surely we don't need abuses.
The president should be a man of peace and he should restore hope and confidence in all our people.
If the president has admitted so much in his broadcast that he and
his government have failed Nigerians, then he cannot in the same speech
be throwing insults and threats to the same people that he has failed.
Long live Nigeria.
Ebun-olu Adegboruwa, Esq
Lekki, Lagos.
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