HIS OFFICE, LET ANOTHER TAKE

  HOW CAN THE PRESIDENT OF A COUNTRY WAIT UNTIL ONE MONTH BEFORE AN ELECTION TO BEGIN TO DO THE RIGHT THING; VISIT BORNO STATE AND REDUCE PETROL PUMP PRICE? I REMEMBER WRITING SEVERAL ARTICLES TO SUPPORT THE STEPPING INTO POWER OF THE INCUMBENT PRESIDENT THEN THE VICE PRESIDENT AFTER THE DEATH OF PRESIDENT YAR´ARDUA AND THE IRRATIONAL SCHEMING OF SOME POWER BROKERS TO PREVENT HIS VICE FROM ASSUMING HIS POSITION, I REMEMBER TOO THAT THE WHOLE NIGERIANS, IRRESPECTIVE OF TRIBE STOOD BEHIND THE VICE PRESIDENT UNTIL ENSURING THAT HE WAS RIGHTFULLY MADE THE PRESIDENT OF OUR COUNTRY, I ALSO REMEMBER HOW PRESIDENT JONATHAN PAID US BACK FOR OUR SUPPORT WITH THE REMOVAL OF A SUBSIDY THAT WAS NEVER A SUBSIDY IN THE FIRST PLACE THEREBY CAUSING HARDSHIP TO THE SAME MASSES WHO STOOD BY HIM ALL THE WAY TO ASO ROCK.

  I REMEMBER INNOCENT NIGERIANS WHO WERE SHOT AND KILLED IN THAT STRUGGLE AND ONLY LAUGH WHEN PEOPLE TALK ABOUT HOW A MILITARY LEADER WHO RULED THE NATION UNDER A DECREE KILLED DRUG PEDDLERS AND JAILED JOURNALISTS BUT NEVER REMEMBER THAT A CIVILIAN PRESIDENT WHO RULED UNDER A CONSTITUTION ORDERED THE SHOOTING OF INNOCENT NIGERIANS EXPRESSING THEIR RIGHT TO PEACEFUL MANIFESTATION.

  DON´T YOU KNOW THAT IN ASSUMING THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT OF A COUNTRY PRESIDENTS ARE MADE TO SWEAR THE OATH OF OFFICE TO DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION, IN OUR CASE AS NIGERIA WHOSE SECTION AND SUB-SECTIONS TALKS ABOUT THE PROTECTION OF LIVES AND PROPERTIES OF NIGERIANS IN ANY PART OF THE COUNTRY AND THE PROTECTION AND THE DEFENCE OF OUR TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY AS A NATION? DON´T YOU KNOW THAT THE PRESIDENT HAS CONSPICUOSLY FAILED TO LIVE UP TO EXPECTATION IN THIS KEY DUTIES?

  WHY ARE WE ALWAYS SENTIMENTAL AND ALWAYS APPROVING AND SUPPORTING MEDIOCRITY? NO NATION IN THE WORLD DEPENDS SOLELY ON GOOD LUCK FOR ITS ADVANCEMENT, OUR MILITARY LEADERS IN SPITE OF THE FACT THAT THEIR LEADERSHIP WAS CATASTROPHICAL FOR THE INTEREST OF OUR NATION, MAY BE EXCUSED FOR THEIR BAD GOVERNMENT, AFTERALL, WE DID NOT ELECT THEM INTO OFFICE, IN FACT AS FAR AS I AM CONCERNED, THEY NEVER EXISTED BECAUSE THEY WERE ILLEGITIMATE GOVERNMENTS, BUT WHAT ABOUT THE ONES WE ELECTED AND THEY HAVE SHOWN TO BE EVEN MORE INEPT THAN THOSE WHO FORCED THEMSELVES ON US?

  HONESTLY SPEAKING, I DID NOT EXPECT THAT IN 2015, SOME NAMES WILL STILL BE NECESSARILY REPEATED IN THE CONTEMPORARY HISTORY OF NIGERIA, NAMES SUCH AS OBASANJO, BUHARI, BABANGIDA, DAVID MARK, JEREMIAH USENI, ATIKU ABUBAKAR, DANJUMA, GOWON, EDWIN CLARK, DAVID WEST…. TO MENTION BUT FEW, BUT BECAUSE WE HAVE FAILED AND CONTINUE TO FAIL, OUR OPTIONS HAVE BEEN REDUCED TO THE BEAREST MINIMUM. I SINCERELY THOUGHT THAT PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN WAS GOING TO MARK A NEW ERA IN THE POLITICAL ADVANCEMENT OF OUR NATION, BEING THE FIRST PHD HOLDER TO BECOME THE PRESIDENT OF NIGERIA BUT LIKE HIS PREDECESSORS, HE TOO HAS FAILED WOEFULLY, MAKING THE EXCUSE THAT WE ARE NEARER TO THE EPOCH OF NEWBREED POLITICIANS UNTENABLE.  

  ANY PRESIDENT THAT DOES NOT IDENTIFY THAT THE ONE AND ONLY PROBLEM FACING OUR NATION IS CORRUPTION AND IS REALLY READY TO SACRIFICE EVEN HIS LIFE IN THE FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION IS NOT WORTHY TO RULE OUR NATION, UNTIL CORRUPTION HAS BEEN SQUARELY DEALT WITH, ANY INTENTION TO ADVANCE IS A RIDICULE.

  IT IS THE FAILURE OF THE INCUMBENT PRESIDENT, THAT IS CONTINUING TO MAKE THE LIKES OF BUHARI RELEVANT EVEN TODAY IN NIGERIA, IF THE PRESIDENT HAD FULFILLED THE EXPECTATIONS, ESPECIALLY OF THE MASSES OF OUR COUNTRY, WHO IDENTIFIED WITH HIS HUMBLE BACKGROUND BEFORE BECOMING THE PRESIDENT, PEOPLE LIKE BUHARI WOULD HAVE WITHDRAWN THEMSELVES TO OUR MUSEUMS OF ANTIQUITIES, IN FACT THE 2015 ELECTIONS WOULD NOT HAVE POSED AS A KEEN CONTEST BUT A MERE WALKOVER IN FAVOR OF PRESIDENT JONATHAN.

  UNDER PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN, NIGERIA AS A TROPHY ONLY DRIFTED AWAY FROM THE HANDS OF THE TRADITIONAL CURRUPT OLIGARCHY, INTO THE HANDS OF ANOTHER CONSTITUENT AND EQUALLY CORRUPT IF NOT MORE CORRUPT OLIGARCHY. A YORUBA ADAGE SAYS; “YE god, IF YOU CANNOT IMPROVE MY SITUATION, BETTER LEAVE ME THE WAY YOU MET ME”. I WOULD RATHER BE IN THE HANDS OF AN OLD BUT HONEST LEADER WHO IDENTIFIES OUR PROBLEM AS A COUNTRY TO BE CORRUPTION AND IS WILLING TO FACE THAT PROBLEM HEAD-ON AND PREPARED TO SET A STANDARD AND SERVE AS AN EXAMPLE FOR THE REST OF HIS CABINET MEMBERS, THAN BE IN THE HAND OF A YOUTH WHO THINKS THAT CORRUPTION IS NOT A PROBLEM AND PRETENDS TO SHY AWAY FROM IT.

  LET US RUMPLE SENTIMENT AND THROW IT INTO A THRASH CAN, GOODLUCK JONATHAN IS NOT THE MESSIAH WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR, SO LET US CONTINUE TO LOOK OUT FOR OUR LEADER, THE GOOD THING IS THIS, POWER DEPENDS ON US AFTER EVERY FOUR YEARS. LET US GIVE THIS MAN WHO HAS BEEN SHOWING HIS UNFLINCHING INTENTIONS FROM 2003 THE CHANCE AND SEE WHAT PLAN HE REALLY HAS. IF WE CAN GIVE THE FATHER OF CORRUPTION SUCH AS OBASANJO THE SECOND CHANCE, THEN WHY NOT A MAN OF WHOM FRIENDS AND FOES ALIKE HAVE TOLD US IS INCORRUPTIBLE. IS THAT NOT THE QUALITY WE WANT IN OUR PRESIDENT? I WOULD RISK THE NEXT 4 YEARS BUT UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF BUHARI AND SEE WHAT COMES OUT OF IT.