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The world is full of sound and fury,signifying nothing- William Shakespeare
The above statement was made by Macbeth when he heard of Lady Macbeth’s death in the play Macbeth, one of Shakespeare’s memorable plays.
Today, since he became Nigerias President after an election which was greeted with funfare and much expectation from a traumatized Nigerian citizenry,Muhammadu Buharis attitude,words and actions have all translated into mere sound and fury signifying nothing. They signify nothing because they meant nothing and translated into nothing.
Yes,in spite of what has happened under former President Good luck Jonathan presidency and the lack lustre performance of the most lettered and academic leader the nation have had,they still hope for a better country under a new President who have determinedly craved for and sought that office three times before heaven smiled on him and he got to power.
Though,he declared on assumption of office that he is for nobody and for Nigeria,the contrary has been the case as he himself alone and the few cabals can define what he meant in this last six years as almost every aspect of the country’s life have been reduced to nothing . His performance in public office is far below what they experienced before they went to the ballot box to elect him as President.
The North which was then reeling under the activities of armed insurgency led by dreaded Boko Haram, have had more violence visited on it as it grew in leaps and bounds and has even duplicated into ISWAP and other terrorists groups while banditry and kidnapping of locals,farmers,the elite and even hitherto scared traditional rulers have now become the established order.
For a week to pass without incidence of kidnapping, banditry,mindless killing of villagers and locals is an abnormality. Yet,inspite of all this,the President idles away Rome burns dishing out prepared press statements, all full of sound and fury signifying nothing!. The statements are often couched in warnings,threats and declarations which are not allowed to drop before the evil men who have perfected their acts with more lethal weapons than the Nigerian Army on which billions of naira have been budgeted for can boast of commit another mayhem.
Today,the Army has suffered collective casualties probably far more than it did during Nigerias famed 30 months civil war, while at least 350,000 civilians were killed,310,000 estimated refugees in the Internally displaced camps(IDPs) and 3 million displaced in the Lake Chad basin alone. And yet the President kept on boasting and grandstanding of his readiness to tame the scourge of human misery visited on the millions who voted for him especially in the North .
Besides,the North which is the immediate theatre of war,the nation has also witnessed occassional incursions into the South West through the activities of foreign and militant Fulani herdsmen largely encouraged by President Buharis provincialism by allowing his brethren from other West African countries to migrate into Nigeria un-profilled.
On its own, the South East too is dripping of blood from the activities of invading land grabbing Fulani herdsmen and its own internal self contradictions led by the IPOB .
Ironically, the President has dissipated more energy aggregately in fighting agitators for inclusiveness in governance and self- rule from the Southern parts of the country than seriously fighting insurgency under his nose. Instead,granting amnesty to insurgents who have caused misery, grief and agony to several families have attracted more attention to the man they elected than making attempts to resettle them and compensate for their loss. What a President,what a country!
In the last six years, talks about how to improve on Nigerias electoral system have dominated discussion in the country until it got the attention of the 9th National assembly which is understandably under the grips of the President, did the unthinkable by amending the Electoral Bill 2021 by two thirds majority.
By tampering with and inserting the conduct of Direct primaries to pick candidates by political parties,the APC controlled NASS swung a surprise. Yes, observers may say it is self- preservation as the NASS members may have done so to escape denial for a return ticket by our all conquering governors who have muzzled democracy in their respective states than the President does, yet it is largely an attempt to broaden political participation in parties . It is a step aimed at reducing selection of candidates to the whims and caprices of state governors who are all conquering.
By dilly -dalling over whether to sign the Bill into law after its transmission weeks ago until it expires today while he was enjoying in far away Turkey to mark his 79 birthday , speaks volume of a man who has promised to deepen democracy before he leaves power in 18 months.
Professor Attahiru Jega feels strongly that unless the security challenges ravaging all parts of the country are adequately addressed,the 2023 general elections may not hold.
As a former head of the electoral umpire, you don’t need a sooth sayer to confirm his fears.
You also don’t need a seer to accept as he said that unless elections are conducted in a secure and peaceful atmosphere the integrity and legitimacy of such an election will be questioned.
What is also very clear about the dangers ahead is that the problem of pervasive insecurity in the country may have already undermined democracy which President Buhari having ride to power by public acclaim promised to deepen.
It is quite unfortunate too that while the President was enjoying his birthday in far away Turkey with some members of his family, a sizeable number of his cabinet led by the Vice President,Yemi Osinbajo are in Katsina to witness the fanfare of the Turbaning of Buharis only son,Yusuff ,as head of an emirate in his bandit infected state of origin. This was at a time many people lost their lives in Zamfara,Kebbi,Plateau and indeed Sokoto that has witness relative peace of recent, when their bereaved families were reeling in agony without a symohatethic visit but only content with prepared condolence messages which has become the trademark of the government . It smacks of outright incompetence and sheer lack of emphathy by a military general reeling under defeat of a force he once headed.
Lack of emphathy has become the norm here as killings have become a national past time.For us in this country, it is no feeling,emphathy and compassion by those elected primarily to secure lives.
There are generals and there are Generals indeed!.
It is on record that 31 of the 45 United States Presidents have served in the Armed Forces.
George Washington,Dwight Einshower and Ullyses S Grant all served during crucial periods in the nations history and they made a difference.
History is replete with what many of them did as they showed the stuff they were made of but provincialism, inertia and lack of vision has portrayed the man who Buhari really is and not what those who goaded him to contest and those elected him thought he was!
