The “Inhuman” Side Of Buhari  – By Bola Olalere

When President Buhari was declared the winner of 2015 General Elections, I was not really saddened, despite my preference of the former President Jonathan for the job. My consolation was that; Nigerians are now matured, politically enough, to vote out any government, they considered not good enough for the nation.

Another thing that consoled me was that the amount of love Nigerians, and especially Nigerian youths showered on the former General,   I was hoping  that the president  will reciprocate the love ,by providing proficient  leadership that will meet the yearnings of Nigerians , most especially the youths , who rejected all PDP’s overtures and voted for Change.

But sadly, almost three years into the administration of President Buhari, Nigerians are yet to see the dividend of their love for the General.

The first concern was the long time it took the President in forming his cabinet and more disappointing when he released his minister’s list. It was same old people who ‘ruined’ Nigeria before (apology to Baba Fela).

While the nation and the international community waited for months for the direction of the new administration, the nation economy was in auto pilot without direction and everything fell apart. The economy slipped into recession, naira lost more than 500% of its value and the nation groan in absolute poverty, frustration and disappointment from a man who seeks the job for more than one decade before given the opportunity.

Nigerians became poorer and most national infrastructure collapsed. State and local governments became unable to pay salaries and pension, industries were closing down, people were getting frustrated and suicide rates in the country reached all time highest level, but we still stand with Baba.

Apart from his inability to fulfill most of his electoral promises, his health failed him. This incapacitated him mostly in discharging his duties efficiently. For more than 250 days, the President was out of the country on medical vacation. Thanks to prayers from Nigerians and taxpayers’ money, the president was restored and resumed back for duties.

The president has presented about three national budgets now but the nation is not feeling the impact of the several trillions of naira been expended every year.

Despite his several promises to fight corruption, President Buhari failed miserably in his fight against corruption. The fight against corruption became fight against opposition and ‘enemy’ of the government. Notwithstanding the gravity of your crime once you ‘port’ to the ruling APC , your sins are forgiven and a celebration is organized for your sainthood and adoption into the party of the saint and you become untouchable to the EFCC and ICPC .

Apart from being unable to fight corruption as promised, corruption also became more institutionalized under Buhari’s administration. Several of his aides were involved in a number of monumental corrupt practices running into trillions of naira. Only the former SSG Babachiar Lawal was relieved of his position, due to a very loud public outcry about his corrupt practices, however, he was never prosecuted for his crime.

Recently, it was revealed that ghost companies have been lifting Nigeria crude oil for more than 20months in the administration of President Buhari . Not talking about the NNPC billon dollar contract scandal and several others.

When Buhari administration increased the petroleum pump price to 145 naira, there was not a single successfully protest in the country, because people were banking on the integrity of the president to keeping his words. Nigerians were told that, that was the price to pay for the products to be regularly available. But Nigerians were shocked beyond recovery when in November 2017 the long queue returns to Nigerian petrol stations and the queue is still long till now.

As against the popular promise of APC to create 3 million jobs every year, Nigerians are losing more than 3 million jobs every year due to this government lack of capacity to manage the nation’s economy and all they do is shifting the blame to a government they defeated more than three years ago.

There was a time when talking was almost becoming a crime under this administration , once you criticize the government , you will quickly be branded as corrupt and that corruption is fighting back. I think that is not working anymore.

However, we will all stand with Buhari till 2019 when his mandate expires but it will be inhuman for the president to seek reelection in 2019 and will be most unfortunate for any Nigerian to be promoting the idea of Buhari beyond 2019, when it is now more than obvious that he lacks the capacity, in all ramifications, to take Nigeria out of the woods. The president, himself has confessed, severally, that he is old and that his old age is limiting his performance. So why should he still seek a reelection when he is older.

Will it not be wiser for President Buhari to disregard all the unholy calls from sycophants around him to seek reelection in 2019?

Such call should be considered unpatriotic, selfish, inhuman and not in the best interest of the nation, that Buhari claims to love so much.

And if the president will prove his so called integrity and patriotism he should peacefully retire to his Daura farm after his mandate in 2019 and all his inefficiencies will be forgotten and Nigerians will accept his sincere intention to lead Nigeria to the promise land and agree with him that it was his old age that limited his performance and he will remain an hero, that he is, to his supporters.