Re - President Buhari focused on National Building and Unity of Nigeria
I feel a need to respond to Mr. Femi Adesina's article titled, "President Buhari focused on National Building and Unity of Nigeria," published in the Daily Trust of 15th September, 2020.
Being the spokesman to the president, Mr. Femi Adesina's sole job is defending the president and nothing more no matter what. I understand that. It's a tough job and right now I don't envy him. These are not the best of times for President Muhammadu Buhari and it's not an easy job defending the indefensible, especially at a time when perception is completely not favorable of the president and his administration.
This time most of the mordant criticism of the Buhari administration is coming from his strong base, the Core North, even from the President's home state of Katsina. We have witnessed protests over bandits coming from Katsina State and seen photos of protesters burning billboard with the large photo of the president.
Videos have emerged on social media with different notable Islamic clerics angrily criticising the president and blaming him for failing the masses, all of them noting the hunger in the land as food prices skyrocket out of reach of the masses, and the insecurity problem in the North West where bandits are on rampage killing and kidnapping people for ransome.
On top all of these scathing criticism, former President Olusegun Obasanjo finally buried his fang into the sore by hitting on Buhari when he made a statement in Abuja recently at the consultative dialogue attended by various socio-cultural groups which includes Afenifere, Middle Belt Forum, Northern Elders Forum, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, and Pan Niger Delta Forum. Mr. Olusegun Obasanjo said Nigeria is slowly becoming a failed, divided state, and the poverty capital of the world. He added that he has never seen a country in such a bad state, blaming the current state of the country on poor management of the nation's diversity. Prior to this Obasanjo had accused President Buhari of nepotism in his appointments of people working with him in a letter.
Despite Mr. Femi Adesina's attempts to wade off former President Obasanjo's statement by attacking his person and his administration, notable Nigerians have waded in supporting Obasanjo. Elder statesman, Playwrights and Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka, issued a statement saying that even though he is not a fan of Obasanjo he cannot fault his statement.
President Buhari is not having it easy barely a year and four months into his second term in office. He can no longer hide under the 16 years underperformance of the People Democratic Party (PDP) in power that shielded him in his first four years in office. He can no longer hide under the cover of his late Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari, who was his shock absorber, absorbing all the criticism and taking it with equanimity. Accused of misleading the president.
Mr. Femi Adesina's efforts to defend his boss is something he is paid to do, but nowadays it is becoming increasingly impossible to be believable. With hunger in the land, killings and kidnappings now the new normal, corruption within Buhari's people, with Magu, the anti-corruption boss getting busted and removed, unemployment, and more, no one in his or her right senses will take this administration seriously.