The dew had just descended and night unfolded to where went the nights of “yesteryears”, when I set out to climb a bike that would convey me to a nigh location. It was a bumpy ride as usual, of course we plied one of the many abandoned Nigerian roads. During the course of our ride, a short communication ensued between myself and the bikeman. I had lamented the poor condition of the road and how uncomfortable I was, plying the road. I was in a tizzy to see the bikeman, like many of his cohorts, hurl abuses on Buhari being the main disaster in Nigeria and the one to come down to a local road and get it fixed.
Well, even if the bikeman had abused Buhari, I wouldn’t have blamed him muchly; “Sai Baba” also promised heaven and Earth during his campaigns that had made Nigerians foresee him as the “Messiah” who is coming to right Nigeria’s wrongs, and fix all her misfits. Such is the upshot you get, when you promise iPhone 12promax but deliver a buttoned Itel. I was glad the bikeman was mature enough in his thinking to have directed his abuses to the Councillor and Local Government Chairman in the said area.
I was glad to see a sincere citizen heap abuses on the right authorities, unlike many Nigerians who would have directed all blames on President Buhari. This is not to exclude myself, I have in my previous writings, lamented vital issues in Nigeria and directing the blames at Federal Government – given my sincere love for him and believe in his promises. This just pop a memory in my head, a flash back of how I deceptively left chamber the day Buhari came to Ahmadu Bello Stadium, just to see a man i have always loved and whose sweet tales and cries I have always fret for. Hmmmm, well, I don’t think I’m still the same person now. I have grown that I would hardly fall for crocodile tears.
No one but the President should be maimed for vital issues like insecurity, banditry from killer pastoralists, wack economy among other major problems in the country. But, there’s an adage credited to the Yorubas, “ti a ba’n sukun, a mọn riran.” When one cries, one sees. This, is poignant to the fact that tears shouldn’t hinder one from seeing and acknowledging a truth. Unfortunately, the hot streaks of tears in the faces of many Nigerians had blocked their sights from seeing and saying the truth. We now emotionally put all blames on Buhari as if, he were the only political officer at the helm of our affairs.
Need it be I start from the local road where I had earlier climbed the bike; this is a local area with a Ward chairman – a ward Councillor that was selected to steer the affairs of his people and have certain things fixed for them. How about the Councilors, Supers, LG Chairman who should have had this local road fixed. Should the State Honourables, Commissioners, State Governors be left unattacked too, all the time? Even at the federal level, there are Federal Honourables, Ministers, Senators who are also assigned for proper representation of the people and their parastatals. All these, before one gets to the president; yet Nigerians take steps off them and would prefer to land at the presidency for blames. Why do Nigerians neglect these officials and head straight to president Buhari, even for our littlest headache?
As a “vexed Buharist”, I have put necessary blames on the president in my past words and writings, but no one with conscience would blame him for poor allocation of funds – even to states where the Governors are against his government and level denigrating words against his person. President Buhari allocates to all without fear or favour, always, and as and when due. Do we bother to care about the ineffectiveness of many of these officials and how the funds allocated to them are going down the drains?
May I add before I sheathe pen, that from a reliable resource, I was told an instance where a Governor in the South West sent ₦20million to one of his Local Government Chairman for project execution – a big local government at that. And only ₦2.8million got delivered to the LG chairman, how do projects get delivered this way? Who are the rats with 10 limbs eating up these funds meant for general use?
Yes, the Buhari-led government had compounded our woes, but it’s not the subtle bane of our problems. A whole lot is wrong with our political system. If we truly desire it fixed and see a Nigeria of our dream, we should stop CHASING SHADOW AND LEAVING THE SUBSTANCE. Government, at all levels, should be taken to task not just the federal government. May Nigeria succeed.
Hashim Yussuf Amao, Ibadan
hashimlegalbard@gmail.com
