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President Buhari’s wonders and miracles in 2016
By Muhammad Ajah
The 2016 Gregorian year started on a very special day, Friday, with very high expectations by Nigerians of all walks of life. For the first time in a few decades of the nation’s history, every citizen is feeling belonging to Nigeria, either by eulogizing the steps taken by the incumbent government to restore the past glory of the nation or nitpicking that things are getting worse. Nigerians, maybe only a few exceptions, have the strong hope that Nigeria is on course for real development. Again, for the first time in Nigeria’s history, the rich, the influential, the oppressors and the public funds looters are crying more than the poor, the formerly oppressed and unprivileged. But can Nigeria reach that stage where richness is judged by the less number of poor Nigerians? Can the unwholesome sharp practices in the public and private sectors be curbed? Yes, 2016 is going to be adventurous in espousing the process for Nigeria’s growth kick-started on May 29, 2015.
Dasuki-gate is just the beginning of exposure of an administration which allowed itself to be captured and dealt with recklessly by presumed armless Boko Haram, but who did more harm to Nigeria than the real Boko Haram. It is becoming clear that the real Boko Haram would have been crushed if the Dasuki-gate was not. O! How many Nigerian souls have been wasted for no just cause! O! How many gallant Nigerian soldiers and high-ranking security personnel have been sent to their graves through this religious madness codenamed Boko Haram! That is a solid ground upon which the reconsideration of convicted Nigerian soldiers is appealable. There should be reinvestigation of the matter to underscore the implication of mutiny by soldiers sent, without suitable weaponry, to die for their nation. If it is only the green Khaki uniform that qualifies a soldier to go to war and be victorious, Nigeria is then a very unique land.
During this year, the evils of the armless but very deadly Boko Haram would completely be uncovered, so that Nigerians would know which section of the constitution made people like Dasuki, Anineh, Yakassai and sundry the ministers or commissioners of finance or distributors of the nation’s commonwealth. Or Femi Fani-Kayode who has issued a statement admitting receiving funds “hard earned money” from private individuals and companies, yet he describes the incumbent administration as a desperate, weak and wicked government. The manner with which such gargantuan arms procurement funds were shared to politicians calls for stiff penalty; not plea bargain and not presidential pardon.
The lawyers defending these treasury looters must think Nigeria first. The judges handling these complicated cases must think Nigeria first. Unless the constitution is reviewed, it is still a crime punishable by law the purchase of stolen property. In this case, buyers of stolen properties, most times, are unaware of the source of the property. Nigeria prisons are full with egg, goat and food stealers. So in the interest of Nigeria as a nation we all yearn to rebuild together, no amount of lobbying, no amount of politicking, no amount of pleading and no amount of defection from PDP to APC should frustrate the course of justice. The President must not be deterred or distracted by anybody in doing the needful to sanitize and stabilize Nigeria.
For people like my humble self, whatever that will be will be; everything that happens has been preordained; after every difficulty, there is relief and God’s times remains the best for every creature including the mortal humans. For the people who have different perceptions in life contrary to mine, things can just happen on their own anytime and anywhere. On this note, my own belief about my country Nigeria is that President Muhammadu Buhari has been preordained by the Supreme Being to come at this special time to rescue the country from the dungeon it was dragged to for a long time to the greatness of our contemporary time. Nigeria has all that is needed to educate its citizens, reduce poverty to the barest, create enabling environment for trade competitions and creativity, excel in all known fields of human endeavours and join the first world in technology and economic might.
The year 2016 is going to be wonderful for believers in the sincerity and purposeful leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari to turn around the fortune of Nigeria and miraculous for those who believe that things must remain as usual, hence their disbelief that any human being of Nigeria origin can change the country to a better condition. The President is going to surprise Nigerians and the international community, not with the miracles of contemporary prophets and soothsayers, but with the physical changes in our system of governance as well as in the infrastructural and human capacity development. Nigerians will feel it and they will give testimony to their co-citizens and the Supreme Being.
All predictions by whosoever, even from amongst acclaimed men-of-God may not be God’s. Many have predicted boom, while some have forecast doom. Predictions are mere human imaginations. President Buhari will live to complete the good mission which God has designed him to accomplish for Nigeria. Those collecting signatories seeking for his resignation are toiling in vain. Those planning evil(s) against him will meet the greatest shocks and miseries in their lives. Corruption must be killed or reduced to barest minimum in 2016. And by the time the nation’s stolen funds and properties are largely recovered from the pen robbers without exception, development will become natural.
The President has laid the foundation for the expected wonders in the 2016 budget. Methink the 2016 budget is a budget of optimism and hope. For the first time, the country is having a budget that is most people-oriented in the last few years. A budget with the ratio of capital expenditure of 32.37 percent as opposed to 2015 which had only 16 percent for capital expenditure is for change and development. A budget with special intervention programmes like the home grown school feeding programme, the post NYSC entrepreneurial development programme and also the micro credit loans for SMEs for market women is the remedy.
The anti-corruption crusade and succeeding war on insurgencies and civil disturbances have been like miracles to many Nigerians who have queried if that could happen in Nigeria. The media have been apt in portraying the current situation. Suddenly, all the slumbering lawyers, some of whom were defenders of Patience Jonathan are out. They now know and remember the principle of Rule of Law. When Patience Jonathan paraded herself as First Lady and even brandished official seal, an office not recognized by our constitution, these lawyers did not remember the Rule of Law. When Abba Moro abused his office and scammed unemployed Nigerian youths and went scot free under the watchful gaze of his protector GEJ, these lawyers did not remember the Rule of Law. When the Governors’ Forum conducted an election and Amaechi had 19 votes against the 16 votes of his opponents, GEJ and his gang insisted that 16 was greater than 19, these lawyers were silent.
Further, when Stella Oduah abused her office under Obasanjo at the top and walked scot free, these lawyers did not remember Aristotle or A.V Dicey essays on the Rule of Law. When Fayose entered courtroom and beat up a Judge, no Rule of Law was remembered. When Obanikoro threatened a military General, rigged an election (all caught on camera), and was compensated by GEJ with a political office, these lawyers did not bleat Rule of Law. When the private aircrafts of a sitting Governor and Speaker of House of Representatives were grounded on “Orders from above”, wailers did not remember the Rule of Law. When Amaechi was prevented from entering Government House Port Harcourt as a sitting Governor by a Commissioner of Police, Mbu, they did not remember the Rule of Law. When 5 out of 32 Rivers lawmakers sat and “impeached” the Speaker, these “Rule of Law” guys were silent. But when President Buhari went after the yam eaters and gave Nnamdi Kanu a long excursion trip to view how life is like for an animal caged in a “zoo”, these guys are out, tongue-lashing and lecturing us about Rule of Law.
“We want our yams and knowing how stubborn goats can be, President Buhari has our support to use whatever means necessary to get our yams back! All we need is our yams back!” a commentator posited.
“As for Nnamdi Kanu, well, I have always questioned the intelligence of this man who called a place a zoo and willfully walked through the gated cage of the zoo, knowing full well that he had previously earned the attention of the zoo keeper through vexatious insults”, another viewer posted.
In Mr. President’s 2015 Christmas massage, he challenged Nigerians never to allow any group to hold the nation to ransom under whatever guise nor allow the current socio-economic and security challenges to dampen expectations of the citizenry for a better Nigeria. He averred: “This administration has taken a number of measures to restore hope to our people. The 2016 budget defines our commitment to giving Nigeria a new lease of life. Efforts will be intensified to recover stolen funds, block revenue leakages and enthrone due process, transparency and accountability. Public office is a public trust that must be held to the highest ethical standards.”
Simple and short, this year is the beginning of the change we desire. Former president of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo wraps up the whole expectations from the Buhari administration when he declared recently: “If you have not found your faith in Buhari’s leadership after the Presidential Media Chat, then you can relocate to Ghana. We don’t care!”
Muhammad Ajah, a socio-political analyst, is an advocate of humanity and good governance. E-mail: [email protected].
