When-gross-nepotism-is-not-seen-as-corruption-we-wonder-the-sincerity-of-the-buhari-government-anti-corruption-crusade
September 7, 2020 | News
WHEN GROSS NEPOTISM IS NOT SEEN AS CORRUPTION – WE WONDER THE SINCERITY OF THE BUHARI GOVERNMENT’S ANTI-CORRUPTION CRUSADE
We all know that corruption in high and low places, has been the number one bane of Nigeria’s development despite the country being blessed with vast and untapped human potential and natural resourcefulness. But it is common for many to assume that corruption, only has to do with the accepting offers of money to do something or stealing public funds meant for other purposes. However, there is several definitions of corruption that cuts across human behavior as it affects others and other things. According to the Oxford Advanced Dictionary, the word corrupt can also be defined as “1. (especially of people with authority and power), willing to act dishonestly or illegally in return for money or personally gain: a brutal and corrupt regime, corrupt practices. 2, not following accepted standard of behavior…”
With this definitions at the back of mind, can we say that the current President Muhammadu Buhari Government is one of the most corrupt government we have ever had a nation? Agreed that on the general scale, the issue of nepotism, favouritism, ethnicitism, religion and political affiliations have been the attributing factors that has made the nation not to have political leaders that ought to be elected/appointed on merit and qualification to effectively and efficiently lead the country to great heights. But the degree and level this is evident in the polity varies in different past and recent governments, but it appears it is more obvious and prevalent in the present Muhammadu Buhari administration than we have seen same in past governments. These issues, have ‘blinded’ both the government and the governed from making sound and good judgements in the appropriation of public resources for the good of all and sundry by those in authorities, and in demanding such when they are not getting it right by those being governed.
In other words, the bane of this administration, is the reward for failure and gross nepotism. And we are not the only ones who has observed this skewed-style of leadership of the President Buhari Government. A look at all the Federal Government appointments to sensitive top Government positions since its inception, as well as the ‘body language’ and disposition of the Commander-In-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Buhari, are very clear and undeniable indicators of this verifiable fact – that President Muhammadu Buhari’s proclivity at pampering his ethnic stock over and above the other ethnic nationalities, is the highest Nigerians have witnessed in the country’s history. When people are appointed by the Presidency, and such appointments are not based on merit, expertise, established laws that put into consideration the country’s multi-ethnicity, credibility and integrity of the persons in question; then that government should be called what it is – a corrupt government that is clothed in gross nepotism. There are countless published/unpublished interviews by relevant stakeholders, elder statemen, including letters/articles and public statements justifying this fact.
For instance, Kano State-based politician and social critic, Dr. Junaid Mohammed, recently reiterated his claim of nepotism against President Muhammadu Buhari during an interview with one of the national dailies. Mohammed, a Second Republic lawmaker, accused the president of surrounding himself with unqualified persons who only got their positions because of personal ties with him or his cronies. He identified one of the persons with personal ties with the president who is presently in his government as Personal Assistant to the President, Sabiu Yusuf Tunde, who is the son of the President’s niece and younger sister to Mamman Daura, the President’s closest confidant. According to Mohammed, Tunde, who is in his 20s, had never worked in his life before his present appointment but “is one of the wealthiest 20-year-olds in Nigeria.”
Speaking on allegations of nepotism against Buhari, Mohammed said, “ This is an update of what I started saying two years ago. They now have their sons, daughters, sons-in-laws and nephews as beneficiaries of the appointments made so far… If they are going to treat this country as if it was conquered by them and or by their families, you can imagine what the picture would look like, if Buhari were to be given a second term and how they are going to use our resources and how they are going to abuse power. Mamman Daura’s daughter, who is married to one of the Dantatas, is the S.A to the Central Bank Governor (CBN) Governor. Then Buhari’s sister’s son is also an S.A to Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, the junior Minister of Petroleum Resources. The Chief Personal Security Officer to the President, DCP Abdulkarim Dauda, is Mamman Daura’s younger brother. The Chief Security Officer (CSO) Col. Bashir Abubakar is also married into the family. The State Chief of Protocol, Lawal Kazaure, who has not reached the rank of an Ambassador, is also married to Mamman Daura’s eldest daughter…And that is how the country is being governed. The national Commissioner at INEC is Buhari’s niece. In addition, her husband, who used to be a manager in UBA, died. Now when an opportunity arose, they went and picked the late husband’s younger brother and made him Director General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). He is Brig. Gen. Zakari from Kazaure in Jigawa State.”
Mohammed advised Nigerians against granting Buhari a second term in office, saying the president lacked the capacity to move the nation forward. He equally reiterated an earlier statement that the Buhari adminstration is being run by a cabal made up of unelected persons. Mohammed stated, “When I started talking about the cabal over two years ago, many Nigerians, some of them with the best but naïve intentions, thought there was no such thing as cabals. But there is a cabal. Because Buhari has been out of government for many years, he has not been able to update his knowledge in terms of development and events in and outside the country. And because of this and in my own estimation, we now have the least competent, the most isolated, most divisive and arrogant leader in the history of Nigeria. And in a country, that is so complex and not so cohesive, this is clearly a disaster, which is where we are heading.
“Right now, nobody doubts that there is a cabal. The de facto President of the country from May 29, 2015 has been one joker called Mamman Daura, who was a one-time Managing Director of the defunct New Nigerian newspapers. He is the head of the cabal and the de-facto President, because there have been instances when President Buhari would give an instruction, he would undermine the instruction and nothing would happen. There have been times policy decisions or appointments would be made and his lackeys – Abba Kyari, the President’s Chief of Staff, the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Babachir Lawal, who was appointed against all odds, but who remained there because he was in the cabal’s good books, will tamper with it. We all knew how he diverted donor monies belonging to international donor agencies, until they told Buhari in no uncertain terms that he had to be punished. But the others like Mamman Daura and Abba Kyari are sitting tight and taking decisions for you and me, as well as all Nigerians. None of them was elected and though Kyari has a letter of appointment as Chief of Staff, Mamman Daura does not have a single letter indicating that he is whatever he is, but how he came about exercising such enormous powers is what nobody knows.”
Without a doubt, these are very weighty allegations by Dr. Junaid Mohammed, which the Presidency owes it to Nigerians to come out and explain. If this is the pathetic situation in the Presidency, under President Buhari’s watch, then what do we call this Government? How should we now see the President’s so-called fight against corruption in high places, when his ‘kitchen cabinet’ is surrounded by persons whose agenda will be to promote some ‘personally agenda’, especially as we approach an election year?
In comparing this government with others before it, another analyst presented facts to justify the subject matter. And noted that: “Record has it that President Obasanjo sacked his IGP, Tafa Balogun for corruption. He sacked the then Senate President, Adolfus Wabara for corruption. He also sacked his own Ministers, Fabian Osuji, S.M Afolabi, Hussein Akwanga, Tim Menakaya, etc., for corruption. He also sacked Mrs. Mobolaji Osomo for administrative infraction. The same way late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua sacked Mrs. Adenike Grange as Minister of Health for administrative infraction. It is on records that President Jonathan also sacked Stella Odua for corruption. Stella Odua was one of the most powerful ministers in president Jonathan's administration. But when she erred, President Jonathan sacked her. President Jonathan also sacked Mr. Abdulrasheed Maina as the Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Pension Reform, for corruption. Now, tell me who President Buhari has sacked for the reported cases of corruption in his government?
“Mind you, if you tell me that President Buhari sacked Babachir, I will happily remind you that the same President Buhari wrote the Senate, defended and exonerated Babachir of all wrong doings leveled against him. It was the cry of people like you and me and some other good Nigerians that forced him to sack Babachir and have him replaced with his own brother, Boss Mustapha. In other words, Mr. Babachir brought his own replacement. Yet, some (persons) will still want me to believe that President Buhari is ‘Mr. Integrity’ and that he is fighting corruption. Let me also remind you that President Buhari also reappointed the following guys who were all sacked for corruption and violation of their oaths of offices: Abdulrasheed Maina, who was the Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Pension Reform. He was secretly recalled and reinstated by president Buhari. He was even promoted to the position of Director in charge of Human Resources in the Ministry of Interior. Maina was dismissed by President Jonathan in 2013 following recommendations by the Office of the Head of Service. He was said to have stolen over 20 billion naira from the pension fund.
“CP Zakari Biu, who was dismissed following his complicity in the escape from police detention of notorious Boko Haram suspect, Kabiru Sokoto. He was reinstated and promoted to the rank of AIG by president Buhari before he was gloriously retired from active service; NHIS Boss, Prof Usman Yusuf, who was said to have squandered over 997 million naira from the schemes intervention fund. Investigation was carried out and he was dully sacked by the minister of health. But because he is president Buhari's brother, he was recently reinstated; Mallam Ahmed Saleh, who was the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court. He connived with two others (Mohammed Abdulrahaman Sharif and Rilwanu Lawal) and stole 2.2 billion naira belonging to the apex court. They were also said to have received gratifications totaling 74.4 million naira from private contractors who were providing services to the apex court. Mallam Saleh was sacked but president Buhari reinstated him and promoted him as the Secretary of Legal Council of Nigeria. Do not ever tell me that President Buhari is fighting corruption. Facts on ground are showing otherwise. Some of us work with facts not emotions.”
All of this, clearly shows that there is a cloud of doubt concerning President Buhari’s sincerity in the fight against corruption. It is under this administration that we started hearing stories that are unheard of in other climes. From a mysterious snake swallowing 36 million naira from JAMB Office, to a monkey accused of stealing 70 million naira. In fact, these two recent instances of animals being made scapegoats in an attempt to cover up alleged corruption in Nigeria have left social media highly amused. Then there was the recent reported interview by Bakare of the Latter Rain Assembly (LRA), who said that Nigerians will weep should they truly know what President Muhammadu Buhari-led All Progressives Congress (APC) Federal Government has done to the country. Regretting the danger, the actions of Buhari’s government portends to the future of Nigeria, Bakare said, “If you truly know the truth, you will weep, if you know how much we are owing as a nation, you will weep. For 16 years of PDP they borrowed N6 trillion, for three years of APC, they borrowed N11 trillion. And they are not going to pay the debt. You and I, and our children, and our children’s children will pay the debt, unless they write them off again.”
The Lagos-based clergy and a onetime Presidential running mate to Buhari, also lambasted the President for attending the wedding of son of Governor Abiola Ajimobi and the daughter of his counterpart, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje in Kano recently when 110 Dapchi schoolgirls from Yobe State are still in captivity. Pastor Bakare spoke during a Sunday service in his church in Lagos, saying that he cannot understand what Buhari and other governors were doing at the wedding in Kano with other peoples’ daughters still in the captivity of the terrorists the same government told Nigerian have been totally defeated. Let us be honest with ourselves, President Buhari is unwilling and cannot fight corruption in the country with all sincerity of purpose. This is because, he has surrounded himself with a cabal that reeks off corruption. Such a man cannot successfully fight corruption in high places. Fighting few persons of the immediate past government and leaving those close to him untouched, cannot be said to be fighting corruption. A man who wants to fight corruption must be seen to be corruption-free. Is gross nepotism not corruption? President Buhari cannot be said to be sincere when his fight against corruption is targeted more against the opposition party members. Not that we are trying to defend the opposition party or anything like that. But we believe the corruption fight should cut across everyone.
Again, a sincere leader whose duty is to take the whole country and its citizenry as ‘his constituency’, should not be practicing gross nepotism in high proportion. A sincere leader will have empathy for the people he is governing, especially when they are being killed like animals by Fulani Herdsmen and Boko Haram insurgents. Where are the recovered loots and how much was officially recovered and who are the looters? Nigerians are yet to know anything about these ‘public thieves’ or feel the impact of the recovered loot. A sincere leader should work for the interest of the common man not that of his kitchen cabinet in Aso Rock. Let us be honest with ourselves, President Buhari came into power without a clear-cut vision and action plan to address pressing problems. I also don't think President Buhari reads and listens to the voice of the people other than his cronies and cabal who are clueless and with no vision like him. A good leader should deliver according to his campaign promises. Look at Donald Trump of the US, he is delivering on his campaign promises to restore America's dignity and bring back jobs. He has signed trillion dollars trade deals with Saudi Arabia, South Korea, and China, and he told them to invest in the US and not only taking from the US. Trump is delivering his promises to bring jobs to the low-income people and protecting Americans and not foreigners. If Buhari is sincere, he should start his reform from his kitchen cabinet. He might not be doing the alleged stealing ‘directly’, but he has been able to put people in places where they can be used to steal public funds in preparation for the next election. So, a father who is deliberately allowing his children to allegedly steal, cannot beat those children. In other words, President Buhari cannot be said to be fighting corruption in Nigeria with all sincerity of purpose as it is expected.
Truth be told, our nation is degenerating at a fast pace and we need to save it now. We as a people must positively change our attitude towards our dear country. It is in the light of these that we recently advised President Muhammadu Buhari to honourably leave office at the end of tenure come 2019, to allow those with the right-thinking capacity in addressing our national problems, to take over the driver’s seat.
Zik Gbemre, JP.
We all know that corruption in high and low places, has been the number one bane of Nigeria’s development despite the country being blessed with vast and untapped human potential and natural resourcefulness. But it is common for many to assume that corruption, only has to do with the accepting offers of money to do something or stealing public funds meant for other purposes. However, there is several definitions of corruption that cuts across human behavior as it affects others and other things. According to the Oxford Advanced Dictionary, the word corrupt can also be defined as “1. (especially of people with authority and power), willing to act dishonestly or illegally in return for money or personally gain: a brutal and corrupt regime, corrupt practices. 2, not following accepted standard of behavior…”
With this definitions at the back of mind, can we say that the current President Muhammadu Buhari Government is one of the most corrupt government we have ever had a nation? Agreed that on the general scale, the issue of nepotism, favouritism, ethnicitism, religion and political affiliations have been the attributing factors that has made the nation not to have political leaders that ought to be elected/appointed on merit and qualification to effectively and efficiently lead the country to great heights. But the degree and level this is evident in the polity varies in different past and recent governments, but it appears it is more obvious and prevalent in the present Muhammadu Buhari administration than we have seen same in past governments. These issues, have ‘blinded’ both the government and the governed from making sound and good judgements in the appropriation of public resources for the good of all and sundry by those in authorities, and in demanding such when they are not getting it right by those being governed.
In other words, the bane of this administration, is the reward for failure and gross nepotism. And we are not the only ones who has observed this skewed-style of leadership of the President Buhari Government. A look at all the Federal Government appointments to sensitive top Government positions since its inception, as well as the ‘body language’ and disposition of the Commander-In-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Buhari, are very clear and undeniable indicators of this verifiable fact – that President Muhammadu Buhari’s proclivity at pampering his ethnic stock over and above the other ethnic nationalities, is the highest Nigerians have witnessed in the country’s history. When people are appointed by the Presidency, and such appointments are not based on merit, expertise, established laws that put into consideration the country’s multi-ethnicity, credibility and integrity of the persons in question; then that government should be called what it is – a corrupt government that is clothed in gross nepotism. There are countless published/unpublished interviews by relevant stakeholders, elder statemen, including letters/articles and public statements justifying this fact.
For instance, Kano State-based politician and social critic, Dr. Junaid Mohammed, recently reiterated his claim of nepotism against President Muhammadu Buhari during an interview with one of the national dailies. Mohammed, a Second Republic lawmaker, accused the president of surrounding himself with unqualified persons who only got their positions because of personal ties with him or his cronies. He identified one of the persons with personal ties with the president who is presently in his government as Personal Assistant to the President, Sabiu Yusuf Tunde, who is the son of the President’s niece and younger sister to Mamman Daura, the President’s closest confidant. According to Mohammed, Tunde, who is in his 20s, had never worked in his life before his present appointment but “is one of the wealthiest 20-year-olds in Nigeria.”
Speaking on allegations of nepotism against Buhari, Mohammed said, “ This is an update of what I started saying two years ago. They now have their sons, daughters, sons-in-laws and nephews as beneficiaries of the appointments made so far… If they are going to treat this country as if it was conquered by them and or by their families, you can imagine what the picture would look like, if Buhari were to be given a second term and how they are going to use our resources and how they are going to abuse power. Mamman Daura’s daughter, who is married to one of the Dantatas, is the S.A to the Central Bank Governor (CBN) Governor. Then Buhari’s sister’s son is also an S.A to Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, the junior Minister of Petroleum Resources. The Chief Personal Security Officer to the President, DCP Abdulkarim Dauda, is Mamman Daura’s younger brother. The Chief Security Officer (CSO) Col. Bashir Abubakar is also married into the family. The State Chief of Protocol, Lawal Kazaure, who has not reached the rank of an Ambassador, is also married to Mamman Daura’s eldest daughter…And that is how the country is being governed. The national Commissioner at INEC is Buhari’s niece. In addition, her husband, who used to be a manager in UBA, died. Now when an opportunity arose, they went and picked the late husband’s younger brother and made him Director General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). He is Brig. Gen. Zakari from Kazaure in Jigawa State.”
Mohammed advised Nigerians against granting Buhari a second term in office, saying the president lacked the capacity to move the nation forward. He equally reiterated an earlier statement that the Buhari adminstration is being run by a cabal made up of unelected persons. Mohammed stated, “When I started talking about the cabal over two years ago, many Nigerians, some of them with the best but naïve intentions, thought there was no such thing as cabals. But there is a cabal. Because Buhari has been out of government for many years, he has not been able to update his knowledge in terms of development and events in and outside the country. And because of this and in my own estimation, we now have the least competent, the most isolated, most divisive and arrogant leader in the history of Nigeria. And in a country, that is so complex and not so cohesive, this is clearly a disaster, which is where we are heading.
“Right now, nobody doubts that there is a cabal. The de facto President of the country from May 29, 2015 has been one joker called Mamman Daura, who was a one-time Managing Director of the defunct New Nigerian newspapers. He is the head of the cabal and the de-facto President, because there have been instances when President Buhari would give an instruction, he would undermine the instruction and nothing would happen. There have been times policy decisions or appointments would be made and his lackeys – Abba Kyari, the President’s Chief of Staff, the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Babachir Lawal, who was appointed against all odds, but who remained there because he was in the cabal’s good books, will tamper with it. We all knew how he diverted donor monies belonging to international donor agencies, until they told Buhari in no uncertain terms that he had to be punished. But the others like Mamman Daura and Abba Kyari are sitting tight and taking decisions for you and me, as well as all Nigerians. None of them was elected and though Kyari has a letter of appointment as Chief of Staff, Mamman Daura does not have a single letter indicating that he is whatever he is, but how he came about exercising such enormous powers is what nobody knows.”
Without a doubt, these are very weighty allegations by Dr. Junaid Mohammed, which the Presidency owes it to Nigerians to come out and explain. If this is the pathetic situation in the Presidency, under President Buhari’s watch, then what do we call this Government? How should we now see the President’s so-called fight against corruption in high places, when his ‘kitchen cabinet’ is surrounded by persons whose agenda will be to promote some ‘personally agenda’, especially as we approach an election year?
In comparing this government with others before it, another analyst presented facts to justify the subject matter. And noted that: “Record has it that President Obasanjo sacked his IGP, Tafa Balogun for corruption. He sacked the then Senate President, Adolfus Wabara for corruption. He also sacked his own Ministers, Fabian Osuji, S.M Afolabi, Hussein Akwanga, Tim Menakaya, etc., for corruption. He also sacked Mrs. Mobolaji Osomo for administrative infraction. The same way late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua sacked Mrs. Adenike Grange as Minister of Health for administrative infraction. It is on records that President Jonathan also sacked Stella Odua for corruption. Stella Odua was one of the most powerful ministers in president Jonathan's administration. But when she erred, President Jonathan sacked her. President Jonathan also sacked Mr. Abdulrasheed Maina as the Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Pension Reform, for corruption. Now, tell me who President Buhari has sacked for the reported cases of corruption in his government?
“Mind you, if you tell me that President Buhari sacked Babachir, I will happily remind you that the same President Buhari wrote the Senate, defended and exonerated Babachir of all wrong doings leveled against him. It was the cry of people like you and me and some other good Nigerians that forced him to sack Babachir and have him replaced with his own brother, Boss Mustapha. In other words, Mr. Babachir brought his own replacement. Yet, some (persons) will still want me to believe that President Buhari is ‘Mr. Integrity’ and that he is fighting corruption. Let me also remind you that President Buhari also reappointed the following guys who were all sacked for corruption and violation of their oaths of offices: Abdulrasheed Maina, who was the Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Pension Reform. He was secretly recalled and reinstated by president Buhari. He was even promoted to the position of Director in charge of Human Resources in the Ministry of Interior. Maina was dismissed by President Jonathan in 2013 following recommendations by the Office of the Head of Service. He was said to have stolen over 20 billion naira from the pension fund.
“CP Zakari Biu, who was dismissed following his complicity in the escape from police detention of notorious Boko Haram suspect, Kabiru Sokoto. He was reinstated and promoted to the rank of AIG by president Buhari before he was gloriously retired from active service; NHIS Boss, Prof Usman Yusuf, who was said to have squandered over 997 million naira from the schemes intervention fund. Investigation was carried out and he was dully sacked by the minister of health. But because he is president Buhari's brother, he was recently reinstated; Mallam Ahmed Saleh, who was the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court. He connived with two others (Mohammed Abdulrahaman Sharif and Rilwanu Lawal) and stole 2.2 billion naira belonging to the apex court. They were also said to have received gratifications totaling 74.4 million naira from private contractors who were providing services to the apex court. Mallam Saleh was sacked but president Buhari reinstated him and promoted him as the Secretary of Legal Council of Nigeria. Do not ever tell me that President Buhari is fighting corruption. Facts on ground are showing otherwise. Some of us work with facts not emotions.”
All of this, clearly shows that there is a cloud of doubt concerning President Buhari’s sincerity in the fight against corruption. It is under this administration that we started hearing stories that are unheard of in other climes. From a mysterious snake swallowing 36 million naira from JAMB Office, to a monkey accused of stealing 70 million naira. In fact, these two recent instances of animals being made scapegoats in an attempt to cover up alleged corruption in Nigeria have left social media highly amused. Then there was the recent reported interview by Bakare of the Latter Rain Assembly (LRA), who said that Nigerians will weep should they truly know what President Muhammadu Buhari-led All Progressives Congress (APC) Federal Government has done to the country. Regretting the danger, the actions of Buhari’s government portends to the future of Nigeria, Bakare said, “If you truly know the truth, you will weep, if you know how much we are owing as a nation, you will weep. For 16 years of PDP they borrowed N6 trillion, for three years of APC, they borrowed N11 trillion. And they are not going to pay the debt. You and I, and our children, and our children’s children will pay the debt, unless they write them off again.”
The Lagos-based clergy and a onetime Presidential running mate to Buhari, also lambasted the President for attending the wedding of son of Governor Abiola Ajimobi and the daughter of his counterpart, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje in Kano recently when 110 Dapchi schoolgirls from Yobe State are still in captivity. Pastor Bakare spoke during a Sunday service in his church in Lagos, saying that he cannot understand what Buhari and other governors were doing at the wedding in Kano with other peoples’ daughters still in the captivity of the terrorists the same government told Nigerian have been totally defeated. Let us be honest with ourselves, President Buhari is unwilling and cannot fight corruption in the country with all sincerity of purpose. This is because, he has surrounded himself with a cabal that reeks off corruption. Such a man cannot successfully fight corruption in high places. Fighting few persons of the immediate past government and leaving those close to him untouched, cannot be said to be fighting corruption. A man who wants to fight corruption must be seen to be corruption-free. Is gross nepotism not corruption? President Buhari cannot be said to be sincere when his fight against corruption is targeted more against the opposition party members. Not that we are trying to defend the opposition party or anything like that. But we believe the corruption fight should cut across everyone.
Again, a sincere leader whose duty is to take the whole country and its citizenry as ‘his constituency’, should not be practicing gross nepotism in high proportion. A sincere leader will have empathy for the people he is governing, especially when they are being killed like animals by Fulani Herdsmen and Boko Haram insurgents. Where are the recovered loots and how much was officially recovered and who are the looters? Nigerians are yet to know anything about these ‘public thieves’ or feel the impact of the recovered loot. A sincere leader should work for the interest of the common man not that of his kitchen cabinet in Aso Rock. Let us be honest with ourselves, President Buhari came into power without a clear-cut vision and action plan to address pressing problems. I also don't think President Buhari reads and listens to the voice of the people other than his cronies and cabal who are clueless and with no vision like him. A good leader should deliver according to his campaign promises. Look at Donald Trump of the US, he is delivering on his campaign promises to restore America's dignity and bring back jobs. He has signed trillion dollars trade deals with Saudi Arabia, South Korea, and China, and he told them to invest in the US and not only taking from the US. Trump is delivering his promises to bring jobs to the low-income people and protecting Americans and not foreigners. If Buhari is sincere, he should start his reform from his kitchen cabinet. He might not be doing the alleged stealing ‘directly’, but he has been able to put people in places where they can be used to steal public funds in preparation for the next election. So, a father who is deliberately allowing his children to allegedly steal, cannot beat those children. In other words, President Buhari cannot be said to be fighting corruption in Nigeria with all sincerity of purpose as it is expected.
Truth be told, our nation is degenerating at a fast pace and we need to save it now. We as a people must positively change our attitude towards our dear country. It is in the light of these that we recently advised President Muhammadu Buhari to honourably leave office at the end of tenure come 2019, to allow those with the right-thinking capacity in addressing our national problems, to take over the driver’s seat.
Zik Gbemre, JP.