Note to Visitors: Welcome to Nigeria,
a place where cynicism intercourses with pessimism with seamless fluidity.
Not that you can blame the people
though, years of misrule, lies and deceit account for this. The President is on
an entitled vacation and has decided to use a stone to kill two birds. Rest and
Tests. Medical tests and treatment in London. Not that there are no wonderful
vacation spots befitting a President or the best of healthcare in Nigeria,
variety is the spice of life and at seventy four a man needs all the spices he
can get to live longer. Whether from the other room or in a London hospital
room. ‘Innit?’
I am not sure we have allowed him to
have that rest considering the great ululation from both the wasted generation
which interestingly is his generation and the generation of the collective children
of anger and wailing wailers. Were it not for his military background, the
stress of how the whole nation went berserk because of this vacation is enough
to aggravate his health condition. If there is anytime we need to thank God for
a once-military-now-civilian-president, it is now. He has survived all death
wishes and arrows thrown at him which started during the election campaign.
In case these evil people do not
know, no one can determine the life of another and it is pure evil to wish
someone death more so the number one citizen. Besides, this recession period,
not only do we not desire the death of our President, we cannot afford his
death. If twenty eight million three hundred thousand naira was budgeted for
newspapers in Aso Rock in the 2017 budget how much will be the budget for a
state funeral? Several Billions of course! After all this is Nigeria and the
giant of Africa only deals with giant financial figures. Where do we get that
kind of money from? Shall we now beckon on China, our backup CBN to borrow us
money for a state funeral cum ‘owambe’ party. God forbid. This is Nigeria and
not Yoruba nation.
In case we have forgotten, the President
admitted that the challenges they met are far enormous that what they
anticipated. Perhaps the enormity of these challenges is taking a toll on the
president and on Sunday the 5th of February he remembered that he
was coming home to meet an anti-government protest, fear gripped him and he
decided to use ‘wisdom’. No wonder the letter of leave extension to the senate
has no specific date of return. Baba cannot allow some dissidents to send him
to his early grave. Thank God for the wisdom of the elders. I hope somebody or
people around him have told him that the protests still held despite Mr.
Innocent’s withdrawal. Some rumour mongers said that the DSS violated his
innocence that was why he pulled out. This is outrageous and nothing can be
farther from the truth. What innocence is left to be violated of a man with
seven children? Even I, with just two boys and still counting, my innocence
level is greatly depleted if not exhausted yet. Thanks to the other room! Also,
he should ask for plenty shock absorber vaccines and pills from London because
when he comes back and things do not change for the better, more of these
protests will come.
Now on a more serious note, as a
nation we need to be more objective and matured in the way we act and react to
news and events. President Buhari should be greatly commended for following the
rule of law by transmitting to the National Assembly his intention to go on
vacation thus allowing the Vice President to act in his capacity pending his
return. This is a quantum leap from the events that saw late President Yar’Adua
leave this country without due process thus creating a leadership vacuum and
throwing the nation to unnecessary tension. He has set a noble standard and it
shows that we are maturing as a democracy.
What shall I say about our incurable unbelief
as a nation? Mr. Femi Adesina, the spokesperson said he spoke to the people
around the President and they assured that all is well, we saw a picture of
Governor Amosun and the President, The Vice President confirmed he is in touch
with the President, The Senate President said he spoke with him as well. In all
of these, the people still do not believe. What else do we want him to do to
prove that he is alive and well? A video perhaps and who says a video cannot be
doctored? The groom need not be unnecessarily anxious awaiting the arrival of
the bride after all the bride shall sleep under his roof that night.
Eventually, our President is coming back to us but in the meantime let us
appreciate the fact that this country has not been grounded because of
leadership vacuum. Can we just let this Buhari vacation saga rest and face more
serious and productive business like rightly occupying the office of the
citizen and keeping our leaders on their toes to bring the change they
promised.
follow @AbayomiGOmotayo on twitter
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