President Buhari’s Most Recent Missteps

 

Warning: Let no wailer see this as an opportunity to wail uncontrollably. This article is in line with my personal resolve to call the president to order on this forum whenever he missteps. Besides, GEJ was not an option in the last election. So, please keep your sermon of “we told you”, “we warned you”, “Buhari is incompetent” and other bla bla blas to yourself.

Fuel Scarcity: Deafening Silence from the president
One area that our hopes and expectations of good result of Buhari’s presidency were high is in the petroleum industry. Apart from the fact that the president has failed to find a permanent solution to the issue of oil subsidy in the last six months he has presided over the affairs of Nigeria, he has also failed to provide petrol to Nigerians at the regular pump price of N87 and with ease.

To say that the current situation of fuel scarcity has brought untold hardship and resulted in irreplaceable loss of productive time is an understatement. The more worrisome is the fact that the president who doubles as the nation’s minister of petroleum has not deemed it fit and necessary to address the nation (through TV or through one of his media aides) on the hardship citizens are passing through and also use the opportunity to apologize and assuage our anger. This silence is too deafening to be ignored and I hereby condemn it in its entirety, the president’s handling of the fuel scarcity we have at our hands. He should as a matter of national urgency address the nation on what is happening, the government’s efforts to normalize it and above all the long term solution (if not permanent) to the problem. Anything short of this amounts to taking Nigerians for a ride. Pure and simple!

Excessive Overseas Trip
Another area I think the president has erred in recent times is that of gallivanting abroad at every given opportunity. When ministers had not come on board I could understand the need for him to personally attend to those numerous summits and conferences but with the coming of all ministers I’d expected that there will be a drastic reduction in such journeys. The latest one to Iran for Gas Exporting Countries didn’t require his personal presence plus that of Ibe Kachikwu (Min. of state for petroleum) and Tunde Fashola (Min of Power, Works and Housing). He could have let Kachikwu and Fashola attend that one and if he must attend he should have let Ibe Kachikwu stay at home tending to the fuel crisis at hand.

As if the gaffe of the Iran trip was not enough, I read moment ago that the president is due to lead a delegation to Paris on Climate Change! Now, this one is a trip too many in my opinion. We have more pressing issues at home than climate change. Besides, we have a minister of Environment who can lead a Nigerian delegation if we must attend. Why our president must reduce himself to “Ajala travels all over the world” in the face of enormous challenges at the home front beats my imagination.

Dear PMB, you have a chance to prove to Nigerians that we did not make a mistake in electing you president. If you however choose to do as it pleases you even in the face of sufferings of the common man, 2019 is not far away.

May God Bless Nigeria!