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Fellow Nigerians, let’s call a spade a spade, and not by any other name today. I’m seriously perturbed that while our dear President is indisposed, for now, some of his so-called friends are only interested in consolidating themselves in power. I think President Muhammadu Buhari deserves better than this. Hate him or love him, President Buhari remains one of the most honest Nigerians alive today. Not even his worst enemy would accuse him of being a corrupt leader. As a prominent Nigerian businessman once told us: “I can’t imagine anyone discussing deals with President Buhari… The atmosphere would not be conducive…” We all concur to that.
I’m of the opinion that it is not Buhari’s fault that he has health challenges. All mortals are prone to sicknesses. No President is immune from it, simply by virtue of his occupation of that position. Even if he has not divulged his exact ailment, he’s been honest enough to tell us that he’s never been this sick before. That is honesty and humility at its best. At the very least, he deserves our sympathy and prayers. I’m impressed that he has not succumbed to pressure from real or imagined cabals or mafias. These people who seek to hijack the Government for their perfidious ends have been able to do so because they have kept us in the dark about the status of the President’s condition thus fuelling the rumour mills. The President will do well on this occasion to manage that part well and provide regular updates to Nigeria as to his welfare. This should include photo and video opportunities as much as possible. It would put paid to the nefarious activities of those seeking to profit from the unfortunate illness of our beloved President.
Those who reap the biggest benefits from government are not always those who worked assiduously for power. They are usually scavengers of opportunities who have the expertise of forcing themselves into any government in power, AGIP party members, as we used to call them. That is why they are unscrupulous and are not loath to exploit any opportunity that presents itself to further their base and primordial interests.
Those who wish to help Buhari govern by proxy are nothing but enemies of the President and even worse, enemies of Nigeria. Thank God, so far so good, Buhari has shunned them, albeit stylishly. He has handed over power appropriately to his able and capable Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo whenever required to do so and saved Nigeria the uncertainties and ambiguities that bedevilled the similar situation during President Yar’Adua’s enforced medical absence from the country. That is how it should be. No matter how imperfect our Constitution is, there is no iota of ambiguity in what should happen in such absences of the President. It should be repeated here for emphasis that if Buhari and Osinbajo shared a joint ticket, theirs should be a marriage made in heaven and no one should try to put the union asunder. I think they both complement each other. I love the palpable camaraderie that exists between them. Why would anyone wish to destroy such a peaceful and beautiful wedlock?
The time has come for all reasonable Nigerians to support the Buhari/Osinbajo administration. You cannot but love how power moves smoothly and seamlessly from Buhari to Osinbajo to Buhari and back again to Osinbajo. Everything should be done to cement that bond. This type of synergy is what our country needs to move forward. Nothing should be done again to slow down the new vigour and frenetic pace we see currently in government. Those who are busy fanning the embers of disunity will fail ultimately. If Nigeria survived such a calamitous fratricidal war, our country will survive the renewed political conspiracy to subvert or abort the democratic process and the will of the people.
It is obvious to me that an average Nigerian wants to live in peace. And it does not take too much to please us. Those who use ethnicity and religion to divide us definitely understand their evil strategy. The whole essence is to enslave us and sentence us and generations unborn to eternal servitude. But Nigeria and Nigerians are very resilient and this too shall pass away.
I’m happy that President Buhari has refused to destabilise Nigeria for personal aggrandisement. It is absolutely unnecessary. Professor Osinbajo is cool, calm and collected. He is a man of the people. An engaging personality who clearly knows what it takes to heal the wounds of this nation and deliver on the ‘Change’ agenda that brought their administration to power. That he does so in a distinctly unique humane and sensitive way is borne by the experience gained not only as a seasoned lecturer, administrator and topmost professional advocate but also as a respected and revered pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG). These are impeccable credentials and veritable sources of knowledge and compassion. They are needed to drive the nation from its present perilous state to the destination of success and prosperity desired by the vast majority of well-meaning Nigerians.
The Acting President is not a man with inordinate ambition and he would work according to the mandate handed to him by his boss. That the two men are constantly in touch with each other and that President Buhari approves of what his deputy is doing in his absence is obvious from the confidence with which Prof Osinbajo is dealing with his duties. A typical politician would have scattered Aso Rock Presidential villa with satanic intrigues by now. I’ve been studying him like a textbook for some time now. May God continue to imbue him with uncommon wisdom.
I love the way Osinbajo is carrying every part of Nigeria along. His recent strategic visit to Garki Market and interaction with a fish seller, coupled with his exchanges and discourse with some Nigerian children from 23 schools in Abuja in commemoration of Children’s Day, demonstrate that he is someone in touch with the masses and positively geared for the task ahead of providing an enabling environment for future generations of Nigerians to thrive. As he tweeted in respect of those children that he met, “They and future generations are the reason we must committed to the growth of our nation and shared prosperity of its people.”
A President and Acting President are fathers of the nation. Once you attain that lofty height, you’re instantly transfigured into a father for all and must automatically shun parochial interests and primordial sentiments. That is what many Nigerians have noticed and noted in recent times by the attitude and approach of both President Buhari and the Acting President, Prof Osinbajo.
