This
is an open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari on the progress of
yesterday's significant national protest and other political
developments in Nigeria during his absence.
President Muhammadu Buhari
Dear President Muhammadu Buhari,
I hope your recuperation is on course as reported by your special
adviser on media and publicity - Femi Adesina? I also hope the United
Kingdom weather is not too harsh on your skin sir?
Despite the suspicious reports from your media team about a normal
10-day vacation turning to an indefinite sick leave, some of us are
still praying for you for the love and solidarity to our ailing country,
Nigeria.
There have been conflicting press statements about your state of
health. Some ridiculous people claim you are already dead and that you
have been summarily buried in London according to Islamic rites. Some
'gods of men' who predicted your death in their Churches have been
jeering up for the dreaded outcome to cement their credibility at the
expense of our beloved country. I was flabbergasted recently when a
social media user alleged you were supposed to undergo a critical brain
transplant which failed. In uneasy hilarity, the netizen claimed your
brains were supposed to be swapped with that of a brilliant white man to
help us overcome the menace of economic recession already driving
towards national depression.
SaharaReporters, your supposed old friend even alleged you could be
in London for about 4 months due to a proposed major surgical operation
to solve a myriad of health challenges confronting you.
All these mean rumours and malicious reports shouldn't astound you
sir, some brains of the common men can't function to optimum level due
to lack of balanced diet. We are not eating to grow or enjoy ourselves
like we did under the administration of former President Goodluck Ebele
Jonathan; under you we are eating simply to survive until 2019 when we
can do the needful democratically.
As a political scientist sir, I envisage that the 'silent voters'
that saw off the U.S Democratic Party presidential candidate in the last
election, Hillary Clinton in your own case might come from the northern
region which is your stronghold. The concept of political behaviour has
overtime proven to be unforeseeable and you could be the victim due to
the current economic vulnerability of the people.
The country has remained divided into two major groups of people.
The expectant masses that have been chained in their quest for your
'change' under the All Progressives Congress-led administration makes up
the first group and they are ridden with a rare combo of fierce anger
and hunger.
The second group of people are the privileged few with links to the
current players of the APC power formation. They are perceived to have a
huge financial base that cushions the effect of the current economic
recession. They are presently eating at the political dining table and
will likely not talk in strict observance of table manners.
The first group is a very bitter and vicious team crippled with the
rising cost of living in Nigeria. The members are more affected with
the gap between the naira and the dollar at the parallel market. Some of
them have recorded colossal financial losses in the contentious Russian
Ponzi Scheme - Mavrodi Mondial Moneybox, MMM partially due to the
failings of this current government.
This group of people have no electricity in their homes despite
paying inflated power bills courtesy of your Minister of Darkness, sorry
I mean Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola. They lack
potable water, access to soft loans to start businesses and they have
committed the security of their lives and properties in the hands of the
hosts of heaven.
Some of them have lost their jobs with several hungry mouths to
feed. Some of the workers in this star-crossed group are yet to be paid
salaries for months by their state governments as well as mushroom
private companies. Others have had their salaries slashed due to the
economic squeeze while a few of those who retained their usual salaries
have become born again Christians after being incapacitated by the
current inflationary trend.
Some of us are of the opinion that your medical leave was an
intelligent measure devised by you to escape the series of
eardrum-piercing news plaguing Nigeria from all the six geopolitical
zones. It has been alleged that you needed to pass time in a country
that is closer to God geographically.
Innocent 'Tuface' Idibia bewildered Nigerians when he backed out of
the national protest he convened with advocacy group, Enough is Enough.
The peaceful protest was scheduled to agitate for good governance and a
better deal for the masses from an administration that was railroaded
to power on bombastic political statements.
Reports have it that Tuface kowtowed to intense pressure from
security operatives who threatened the legendary musician with cooked up
reports that the protest was going to be hijacked by outlaws. Tuface
wanted to achieve a heroic deed on a platter of gold without sacrifices.
The last thing the Benue native wanted was to be fed with Egusi soup and Garri behind bars like other activists have suffered.
As Tuface ran under the long wrapper of his wife - Annie Macauley
Idibia; comedian Seyi Law, former PMAN president - Charles 'Charly Boy'
Oputa, Nollywood actress - Mercy Aigbe Gentry, Sahara Reporters
publisher - Omoyele Sowore and other prominent Nigerians stepped in to
inspire the protest amidst threats by security operatives.
Gallant Nigerian youths poured out for the peaceful procession
which took place majorly in Abuja, Lagos State and then on a residual
note, in Ibadan and Akwa Ibom according to available pictorial
evidences. The northern part of the country as well as the South-east
dumbfoundedly sat on the fence yesterday despite poverty being rife in
the former. The signs of blind loyalty, religion and ethnicity could be
perceived but the question is; for how long?
Dear President, the protesters risked being shot and killed like
the supporters of the Independent People of Biafra, IPOB to make a bold
statement against you. This is a dent on your popularity. It’s a
watershed on a brewing public revolt to end your reign just like former
President Jonathan's political annihilation was hatched at the Gani
Fawehinmi freedom park, Ojota - Lagos during the massive protest against
the removal of fuel subsidy in January, 2012.
This is a family war involving a father and his children. Any
successful attack spells self-destruction and it’s a close shave for
both parties with high-costs of victory.
Dear Sir, the #IStandWithBuhari protest organised by the the
Pro-Buhari activists as a counter response to the anti-government group -
#IStandWithNigeria purposely at the same Unity Park venue in Abuja was a
dance of shame. Investigations revealed that the pro-Buhari crowd was
bought with a paltry sum of N1,000 by one faceless ‘mobilizer’. Two of
the participating ladies admitted their ignorance about the burden of
the protest as they begged for a pitiable sum of N100 to buy water under
the scorching sun. This is unrepresentative of the true values and
public faith that put you on the pedestal you are today. On social
media, anybody standing with you is regarded as a 'Yaba Left' candidate
(psychiatric patient). I have to truthfully admit I have covered my face
in shame and ashes a thousand times for rooting for you sir.
One of your major supporters, Omoyele Sowore at the national
stadium - Surulere, Lagos yesterday advocated for a political revolution
to cleanse Nigeria and the listening crowd gave him a nod to signify
their loss of faith in you sir.
As I viewed several protest pictures on the internet, I noticed the
anti-government protesters might have lagged behind in numbers due to
government intimidation and undue meddlesomeness, but their voices were
louder in unison without a megaphone.
Their high spirits in the mood of activism assisted me in picturing
the day of Pentecost in the Holy Bible when the disciples were
unfathomably yoked with the Holy Ghost which attracted all and sundry to
their abode. (Acts Chapter 2 vr 1-12).
I was totally moved when I saw a physically-challenged man rolling
out his wheelchair with a placard in his hand reading; "What happened to
the naira". This is the same local currency you promised to equate with
the dollar during the 2015 election campaign period. It appears you
might have meant otherwise sir as the naira exchanged for a dollar at
the rate of N503 to N506 yesterday, 6th of February, 2017.
Your present long distance relationship with Nigeria that has
complicated our road to ruination seems dead on arrival as the youths
and other stakeholders now call for your resignation. There are reports
that your administration has been successfully hijacked by a cabal
without the interests of the people at heart.
Nigeria is now being ruled at a critical time by international
phone calls from a sick president presumably on a sick bed. How did we
get here and where are we going to? And how can we get out?
As the unfair hands of sickness make our strong Buhari so frail and
hideous like the saga surrounding the death of former President Shehu
Musa Yar'dua in 2010, Nigerians have lost hope and patience to look
forward to 2019 peacefully. Damages are being done to the psyche of
Nigerians everyday due to grave economic challenges confronting your
administration.
While you are away sir, Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State
publicly revealed a supposed 'divine unction' to be the future president
of Nigeria. True lovers of Nigeria have seized the opportunity of lack
of money and food to join the ongoing Redeemed Christian Church of God's
40-day fasting and prayer to deter the verbose People's Democratic
Party chieftain in the spiritual realm.
The years of the locust, our afflictions, journey through the wilderness and the PDP years shall not rise again!
Dear Buhari, our camp of supporters has been divided like a piece
of meat shared among siblings after a meal as done in a typical
impoverished African home.
I love you sir but I seem not to know where I stand anymore. Other
supporters seem more confused than me. There are indications that former
Vice President Atiku Abubakar might be heralded as our new messiah in
2019 to retire you. I fear for the doomed fate of the national treasury
sir. I have a strong premonition that 'she' could be raped to death with
horny political jobbers taking turns on her.
The streets are in disarray as hunger and despair have left us
speaking Chinese despite not leaving the shores of this country for once
in our lives.
A social media user and ridiculous political strategist suggested
that this country should be finally sold and the proceeds shared among
Nigerian citizens so that all parties can move on and forget about the
country. I died 6 times when I read that suggestion sir as it measures
the degree of hopelessness in this administration.
I will drop my pen here sir as I have strained my eyes writing you
this letter in darkness, intense heat with some mosquito musicians
feasting on my blood like they are marking an annual insect festival.
I pray you don't ignore my letter to focus on cartoons as your
assistant media aide, Garba Shehu once alleged you are engrossed with.
On a lighter note, I personally miss you sir. May the almighty God protect you and grant you a quick recovery sir.
With love from Osayimwen Osahon George,
Festac Town, Lagos State.
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