President Buhari, take charge of this government

With less than three years left for this administration, we are heading in the wrong direction. My beloved President Mohammadu Buhari had better start singing, it is time for him to take full charge of his government; if not, two things will happen: he will have negative legacy or worse, threat of military intervention again. On the latter I almost whispered impossible, but in Nigeria, tell me what is impossible – and this is not inciting; I mean no harm.

Whether the president was attacked in Kebbi State or fifth columnists twisted the video, whether former Emir Sanusi and El-Rufai are best of friends or friends in need or deed, whether the deposed Emir is on his way to Lagos to see Bola Tinubu or his family, whether this is about 2023, or a prep coup targeted at the cabal, another cabal cometh.

The irrefutable fact is that this is not about the ordinary Nigerian, because whether it is Ganduje or Sanusi, these are elite men; their drama takes centre stage pushing even the corona virus in Nigeria to second place. Their dog fight is more important than the ASUU warning strike; their elephant tangos, the grass suffers drama makes film trick of Obasanjo’s weighty letter.

We refuse to notice how in just few days state resources have been thrown away, in all the theatrics of moving former Emir Sanusi to Nasawara state – all the security details, helicopter movements, our lack of rule of law and respect for human rights.

And till now, no one has owned up to who was responsible for the banishment of the Emir; so I dare ask: if it wasn’t a Sanusi, would an ordinary Nigerian be able to muster an assemblage of lawyers to regain freedom? Would he have the resources available to the prince, would he get the expedited court order Sanusi was availed? All these are pointers to the erosion of freedoms guaranteed under the constitution and the state of our democracy, and the further pointers to how all these theatrics are crafted to further push the citizenry from the real issues.

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To Mr. President, this is it. These are miserable times. The statistics of deprivation and death are gruesome. Far too many people now struggle with hunger, deprivation and insecurity than when you took over. The gimmicks of your administration strain the successes it has recorded.

Many journalists, writers and development practitioners have become actuaries of suffering. The general mood is despair; the general conditions of life are bare. The gap between the rhetoric of hope and the condition of despair is vast. There is no bridge between them. We live in the wound. This is a letter from that wound.

Everywhere you look, the news is startling. The keywords for the present are fairly straightforward: Insecurity in all shades, COVID-19, financial crisis, climate change, No great depth is needed to be terrified by what is happening as the great wound spreads across the planet. Panic is a natural reaction, hastened by the general demise of social bonds. Nigeria is not immune, as we may want to think.

My President you, have just three years. You need to start singing and sing hard too. Will you sing and sing great songs that you will be remembered for?

Prince Charles Dickson

pcdbooks@yahoo.com

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE