Opinion: “No Govt has done what I did in 6 years”- President Buhari
By Tolu Babaleye
First of all, I wish to say Happy Independence Day, Nigeria!
I listened to the Independence Day National Broadcast of President Buhari on 1st October, 2021 and to my mind, he is very right to say that no Nigeria President has done what he did in 6 years since Nigeria’s Independence in 1960. The President is right on the following grounds:
1. No President has borrowed money like President Buhari borrowed in the last 6 years since 1960.
2. No Nigerian President has made Medical tourism part of his routine despite promising to end same during his electioneering campaign while allowing Doctors in Nigerian Hospitals to be on strike, thereby abandoning Nigerian Citizens on health issues like never before since 1960.
3. No Nigerian President has allowed Terrorists fester and operate freely in any Nigerian territory since 1960 like we have it in the last 6 years to the extent that they are now sub-divided into Terrorists, Kidnappers, Killer Herdsmen and Bandits.
4. No Nigerian President has looked away and allowed Governors and religious Leaders to be having selfie with bandits and refused to bring them to their knees since 1960.
5. No Nigerian President has given order that Cow routes be traced and recovered even if sky scrapers are built on the route at the expense of human being since 1960.
6. No Nigerian President has taken favouritism and Nepotism to the level it is in Nigeria as at today since 1960 with 90% of Security heads being appointed from one section of the country to the detriment of others like we have had in the last 6 years.
7. No Nigerian President has left the real security problems, which are terrorists, Killer herdsmen and bandits with weapon of mass destruction unattended to, and instead chooses to be pursuing soft targets and Civilian agitators who are not carrying guns in pursuit of their agitation since 1960.
7. Never in the history of Nigeria since 1960 has Naira had a free fall against the dollar, Euro and Pound Sterling and we only turn to blame an online platform called Aboki FX for the free fall instead of the CBN Governor like we have it under our President, so, our President is right.
8. Never in the history of Nigeria since 1960 have we had the Citizens come out to openly protest against the Nigerian Police to show their resentment and displeasure about their operations in what is now known as #Endsars.
10. No Nigerian President in the history of Nigeria since 1960 has freed criminals, had dinner with them and recruited them into the security forces, sent some of them abroad and integrated them into all sectors with a statement by one of his top officials that a freed Boko Haram can become Nigerian President in future while the victims and their families are left unattended to.
11. No President of Nigeria since 1960 has allowed the Nation to go into abyss, extreme poverty and the poorest Nation in the World on global poverty index like the way we have had in the last 6 years.
12. Never in the History of Nigeria since 1960 has the Nation been this divided and mutual suspicion raised to this level which has resulted in agitations across the country to the extent that unknown gunmen have taken over in the South East of Nigeria with killings and destruction on a daily basis like we have had it in the last 6 year.
13. Never in the history of Nigeria since 1960 have we had killings of this volume and magnitude like we have had in the last 6 years to the extent that no day will pass in Nigeria of today without story of killings.
14. Since 1960, no Nigerian President has taken infrastructure to another country like our President is constructing roads and rail lines to neighboring Niger Republic while many Nigerian cities are completely cut off and do not have motorable roads and railway.
15. Since 1960, this is the first time that the bandits will take their audacity to the highest level to the extent of attacking the safest Military Institution in Nigeria, NDA to kill and kidnap Military Officers.
16. Since 1960, kidnapping escapades have never reached this unacceptable level like we have it in the last 6 years in Nigeria to the extent that the NYSC has given official recognition to the payment of ransom in their book containing rules of engagement for Corps members in service of the Nation.
17. This is the first time in the history of Nigeria that the president will reveal the sponsors of Igboho and Kanu who are Civilian agitators while refusing to reveal the identity of sponsors of Boko Haram, Bandits and Killer Herdsmen who are the real problems that we are facing in Nigeria even though the United Arab Emirates have assisted Nigeria is unravelling their activities.
With the above and many more that I cannot remember, President Buhari is correct and right to say that no Nigerian President has done what he has done in the last 6 years. But I have a feeling that the Speech Writers in the Villa have deliberately put that statement in the speech of the President for Nigerians to get more angry and vilify the President.
I am of the opinion that 5th columnists are part of the speech writers in the Villa. If I were President Buhari, I will sack all of them in the information and publicity desk in the Presidency.
