Sheikh Gumi: President Buhari Is Worse Than Goodluck Jonathan
Fiery Kaduna State-based cleric, Sheikh Ahmed Gumi, has offered reasons why he would not cease criticising President Muhammadu Buhari.
Gumi offered the reasons in an interview with Saturday PUNCH, published on July 7, 2018.
He said the fact that Buhari is a Muslim like him does not mean he should not criticise him.
He said since he criticised former President Goodluck Jonathan for poor performance, he should not hesitate to do the same to Buhari, whom he told Saturday PUNCH has had a worse performance so far.
Gumi told the newspaper: “Our criticism of Buhari is not about being a northerner or a Muslim. It has to do with what is in the best interest of Nigerians. A leader is like a blind man. People on the ground or on the field could see what he cannot see. Preachers of religions who are apolitical are the ones that are the eyes, telling the leadership what to do or where things are going wrong. We are like the press too, we are supposed to be neutral in our presentation of facts. Once things are not going on as they should be, it is our duty to come out to explain to the people and the government what is wrong and also proffer solutions.
“Even before Buhari came, I was one of the few people that advised him that the Nigerian situation at the end of Jonathan’s regime was not the best for him. He was going to make things worse, not better. If you are bringing in a patient who has broken all his limbs to the hospital, the doctor will be concerned about whether his blood is circulating and not about his broken bones. The doctor will not be looking at the protruding bones but those standing by will be looking and wondering why the doctor is not concerned about the bones. The doctor is concerned about how to save the life of the patient. That is how Nigeria is. When you are concerned and obsessed with what can be fixed later, you are rather killing Nigeria. That is what I see in the government.
“Somebody I know very well was kidnapped while coming from the railway station towards Mando. They are looking for N1.5 million to secure his freedom. Insecurity has become worse, though Boko Haram has been tamed. There is no security in the country. I was told that a girl was stabbed in Kaduna recently by thugs who were trying to snatch her phone. They killed an undergraduate just because of a phone. What has Nigeria turned into? During Jonathan’s time, these things were not happening.
“Definitely, the situation now is worse. The economy is worse. Feeding is a problem; medical care is a problem. There are problems everywhere. Nigeria is down. Nobody is secure. The honest people in government have pulled out. Look at what a governor said recently; that he was resigning his position as the chief security officer because he is helpless. Another governor said we have to face the fact that there is a problem in Nigeria. We can’t deny that. Buhari is just a common man. He is just an ordinary one man in Nigeria. We cannot be hypocrites, hiding facts because of a man. Why are people shivering because of him because he has a team of illiterate, fanatical followers? We can deal with them. They should not hold us to ransom. He is a victim of this ignorant, unemployed and senseless followership. When politicians see that, they become frightened. We won’t succumb to that. Let’s do what is right. Put the right Nigerians to lead us, if not, we will destroy ourselves. We cannot be victims to these rascals. When you try to correct the president, they come out in their millions trying to abuse you. They don’t even counteract your points with knowledge. If you think abusing us will deter us, you are mistaken. There is problem with and in the government. We have absolute failure in government. People are dying, things are not good. We cannot continue this way.”
