 |
| Senator Bola Tinubu. |
National leader of
the All progressives Congress (APC), Senator Bola Tinubu, reassures Nigerians that the change agenda under President Muhammadu
Buhari has not derailed.
According to Senator
Tinubu, the process of change requires time, coming especially after “the
conscience of our nation has been under attack for many years. We were handed a
way of governance in which anything goes and too much went – as if gone with
the wind. Our present was squandered and future mortgaged.”
He spoke at the 40th
Convocation ceremony of the Usmanu Dan Fodiyo University, Sokoto , on March
19,2016, where he was awarded the Doctor of Business Administration honoris
causa.
Pleading for patience and support for the APC
administration, Tinubu said, “The truth today is that Nigeria has the greatest
opportunity to get it right with a leader like Muhammadu Buhari. There is much
to fix. President Buhari is committed to fixing them. But he needs your support
and patience.
“He cannot do it
alone. We must stand beside him or else we may be knocked down or not stand at
all. Thus, let us be resolved to see reform and change that will make Nigeria
rise as the nation it should be.
“It is easy for those
who are greedy to think that change is easy. Change is not about the comfort of
today, but success of tomorrow. Nigeria was in the rollercoaster of losing
hope. Then our party brought cure. Don’t let anybody deceive you, the cure is
here.”
He added further, “I
am honoured to be at the historic seat
of the Caliphate, a place where history, culture, religion and tradition
merge to form the architecture of one of the world’s most impressive and
venerable civilizations.
“The man after whom
the institution is named was a foremost Islamic scholar. An extraordinary
leader who understood the deep yearnings and needs of the people. He provided
visionary yet practical leadership, and taught us all that we must be ready to
personally sacrifice to advance and secure those things in which we truly
believe.
“Nigeria has begun
the process of turning to its better self. The government of President Buhari
is cleaning out the rot of years of galloping corruption and avarice. This
government is also moving to pursue policies that will spark development and
bring prosperity to long oppressed Nigerians.
“Be reminded that
this will be a battle. No battle is easy. We must be firm in our resolve to
reform the nation. We must have the courage to stand firm in the times of
difficulty, having faith that the rightfulness of our cause will see us through
to the success of our collective efforts and yearnings.”
My Take: If flowery rhetoric could
excavate the hopes of Nigerians for consistent, positive change, this one would
do it. But when people say “talk is cheap” , Tinubu’s speech will be held as a
prime example. Critics say that President Buhari has not been able to divest
himself of the perception that his drive is about a naked lust for power, and
not a resolve to put Nigeria on the path of accelerated progress. In elections
conducted under Buhari so far, from Kogi to Bayelsa to Rivers states, what we
have witnessed is a descent unto lawlessness, impunity and “inconclusiveness.”
The deception and lies
with which APC has conducted governance is not only baffling, but
unprecedented. The language of violence, abuse and condescension which APC
introduced into our politics in a desperate bid to unseat Goodluck Jonathan has
not left us. We witnessed that recently with Rotimi Amaechi, Federal Minister
of Transport, without a shred of evidence, calling Governor Nyesom Wike an
ambitious thief who collected loans from banks on behalf of Rivers State to put
into his private pockets.
On
the economy, the less said the better, as the teeth of poor Nigerians are set
on edge. On foreign affairs, with all the president’s endless junketing to
foreign lands, to hear that Buhari has neglected the secularity of our
constitution to join the Saudi-led controversial Islamic Military Coalition
Against Terrorism has left many Nigerians
perplexed and angry. Christians who
voiced their displeasure are insensitively called “religious bigots” by the president. Yet this
is a move the president shouldn’t have unilaterally made without being subject
to a public debate, and consent by NASS.
On
the war against corruption, the selectivity and vindictiveness with which the
president has pursued it with known and perceived political adversaries as
targets has left many impartial Nigerians thoroughly dissatisfied.
Nigerians
are told to sacrifice, but the ruling government has not departed from its
wasteful habits, as evidenced by the bloated 2016 budget, with every pore
leaking with corruption.
The
people are patient, ready to cooperate and stand with Buhari. But is the Buhari-led
government ready to reciprocate this gesture? Or will Nigerians continually be
taken for granted?
And
the implied threat in Tinubu’s words that “we
must stand beside him (Buhari) or
else we may be knocked or not stand at all” is definitely arrogant, delusional
and asinine. The idea that we don’t have a choice concerning Buhari’s behaviour
in power is stupid and should be deflated.
If
Buhari choose to be lawless, we can resist, and withdraw our cooperation. We
cannot go back to 1984!
No comments:
Post a Comment