Tijjani Muhammad Musa
To become President, they made him publicly cry, swallowed his pride, compromised his principles, made him have dinner with the devil and almost sold his soul to the accursed. If it’s the only way, he walked the shameful path.
When he emerged as the President, the underlying wounds of aye were opened afresh, with many calling him a former dictator, military General, GMB, not a Democrat and many other hurting labels. He took it in his strides and refused to bear his fangs. In fact he went and got them incisors removed.
Then he was taken ill and had to fly abroad for the required medical attention, which wasn’t available in the country. Something he had used in his campaign, had no option but to swallow up his vomit. Speculations and rumors followed that he had died, but the news of his death was being censored.
Many of his party bigwigs welcomed the development and even started reassigning and sharing positions in the government, only for him to return back in one piece. An alarm was raised that a cabal exist in the presidency and were the ones running his government, but he didn’t fret or say a word about that.
His family was used to expose his weakness and humiliate his stance as a man of principles and strong resolve. Concerted efforts were made to breakup his marriage and disgrace him before the world. He barely managed to escape that plot. That too he bore with utmost patience.
Several palliatives he approved, employment and empowerment of youths, monies he signed to be disbursed to the populace, grants he endorsed to be released for the public benefits were mostly stashed away by the greedy Governors, making him look like a supporter of corruption, even if he himself was not.
The Boko Haram insurgency he inherited from the previous government he subdued, only for Banditry, Kidnapping, Extortions and so on to rear their heads and be used by politicians and some of the traditional ruling class to tarnish the achievements of his government with regards to security and good governance. Here too he hurt in silence.
Many of his staunch supporters like your truly were utterly stripped of all their fighting tools, points of defense and arguments in debates, their prides as diehard Buharists quashed, so much so that the Buharists Movement and Ideology ended up as almost nothing, but a still birth. The man showed no public annoyance, but cried for them within.
The so-called “cabal” along with his kitchen cabinet had a field day running the affairs of government as they deem fit. They made his government such a disappointment to the poor people who donated their meager earnings, stood the harsh sun and voted for him twice to be their President, all in hope of a new and better Nigeria, which has yet to see the light of the day.
The oppositions along with the judiciary and legislative arms of government left no stone unturned to frustrate his fight against corruption, thereby ensuring that his stance against reigning in the criminality of many embezzlers and criminals came to an embarrassing caricature of purpose. At a point in time, he became a laughing stock of those who thought of him as a champion of the fight to annihilate looting of the treasury.
Meanwhile, the chess master player and military strategist that he is, Buhari waited until the right moment to checkmate his opponents by making his winning move! For a moment, when he allowed Emefiele to stay on as CBN Governor despite all the corruption allegations levelled agaist him, some analysts thought President Buhari was being the “nonchalant” H.E. as usual. Only for him to surprise all with the aces up his sleeve.
New Naira redesign shocked them all. And with that single master stroke, the stash accumulated over tine to be used in continuing the corruption flight by politicians heading to Elections 2023 was instantly crushed. Those who use to make his government look evil by collecting several billions in ransom for kidnapping and banditry are also left with no cash, but trash.
Cashless policy by the way is not a Buhari government’s call, but a new global agenda. His government is just following orders to implement it and probably as requested now by the puppet masters pulling the strings. Buhari or no Buhari this policy has been designed to come to pass. In fact, it has been long overdue as India towed that line since 2016.
It is just the way that the policy is being implemented that seems to be the problem as the poor masses are becoming the collateral damage of the project, though the process is being used, possibly unintentionally to crash out the government in power. This is because the ones bearing the brunt of the implementation, the populace who happen to be the voters would want to take their pound of flesh at the upcoming polls. The irony of it all is that Buhari is the one implementing it.
And this is what is making some Governors who have prepared to use money to influence the eventual elections outcome lose their calm, cool and composure. Suddenly, they have realised their folly that they have been taken to the cleaners by the old fox they grossly and unfortunately underestimated.
We, core and genuine Buharists often surprise many when we reaffirm that were the old war horse still eligible to run for the presidency of this nation Nigeria, we would have lined up, bear the scorching sun and cast our votes wholeheartedly once again for him despite all said and done.
Why? Because we know for certain in our heart of hearts his good intentions and strive to make Nigeria great was pursued with all the vigor and sincerity on his part. It was the saboteurs of our national progression that made all efforts to see that Nigeria did not emerge out of her countless doldrums.
Like someone said, the problems of Nigeria are the means through which a lot of its citizens (Nigerians) are making their money, getting their means of livelihood and earning a living. Take any sector of the economy for example; finance, education, health, security, oil sector, housing, civil service, politics, agriculture and many more. It is all the same, systemic corruption!
And there are many other non-citizens and even certain countries whose economies partly depend upon Nigeria’s lack of headway to consolidate their earnings. Thus, how can they allow their means of survival i.e. Nigerian problems be solved? They will do all they can to ensure it never gets sorted out! And that is why we have not been able to solve Nigeria’s limitless quagmires.
Therefore, for us true Buharists the chant and slogan “Sai Baba!!!” re my ains dear to our hearts and still rings from Sokoto to Bayelsa, Maiduguri to Lagos. He has not failed Nigerians, but rather Nigerians have failed themselves.
©2023 Tijjani M. M.
Musa is the chairman Association of Nigerian Authors Kano State Branch
