PRESIDENT BUHARI HAS INDEED JETTISONED ALL THE GOOD ADVICE GIVEN TO HIM BY THE NORTHERN ELDERS – WITH HIS UNJUST AND UNFAIR DICTATORIAL REIGN OF GOVERNMENT
June 2, 2021 | News
It is said that “What an elder sees while sitting, the young ones (including those ones a bit older) standing on their toes won’t see.” And when the elders gather together to give one advice, it will be foolhardy and very unwise for one to ignore and disregard such advice.
-By Zik Gbemre
PRESIDENT BUHARI HAS INDEED JETTISONED ALL THE GOOD ADVICE GIVEN TO HIM BY THE NORTHERN ELDERS – WITH HIS UNJUST AND UNFAIR DICTATORIAL REIGN OF GOVERNMENT
Despite being told that Justice and Fairness are the bedrock for peace and stability, which will in turn bring about development and economic growth, President Buhari has instead chosen the path of injustice and unfairness…
Rather than being a government for all and sundry, the Buhari administration has become a government of few Northern extracts and a de factor President to the Niger Republic…
The Buhari-led APC Federal Government is far from being Just and Fair, neither does it show any element of an administration of a man that once said: “I belong to everybody, and I belong to nobody”…
When a leader has rejected good advice and refused to be corrected, that leader and those around him must eat the bitter fruit of their own selfish ways, choking on their own schemes…
It is said that “What an elder sees while sitting, the young ones (including those ones a bit older) standing on their toes won’t see.” And when the elders gather together to give one advice, it will be foolhardy and very unwise for one to ignore and disregard such advice. These were my thoughts, when I recently saw an old video clip making the rounds on social media platforms, showing elder statesman, Maitama Sule, who led the Northern Leaders Forum to visit Muhammadu Buhari when was the President-elect in 2015.
During that courtesy visit to the then President-elect Buhari, Maitama Sule, while speaking for the Northern Leaders Forum, noted this of him; “This is the same Buhari who gave this country a sense of direction when he was the military head of state. Now, I’m sure, Allah has brought him to correct the ills of the past, and to reform. But sir, it is easy, and you know it was easy when you were there as a military head of state. But what made it easy? Justice! WITH JUSTICE, YOU CAN RULE NIGERIA WELL.
“Justice is the key. If you do justice to all and sundry, and I mean all and sundry …. If you are going to judge between people, do justice, irrespective of their tribe, religion, or even political inclinations. Justice must be done to whosoever deserves it. Power can remain in the hands of an infidel if he is just and fair. But it will not remain in the hands of a believer if he is unfair and unjust. BEHIND EVERY CRISIS ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD IS INJUSTICE. THE SOLUTION TO THAT CRISIS IS JUSTICE. THE WORLD ITSELF CAN NEVER BE GOVERNED BY FORCE. NEVER BY FEAR, EVEN NEVER BY POWER. In the end, what governs is the mind. What conquers is the spirit. And the weapons of governing the mind and conquering the spirit are justice and fair play.
“I have always known you to be a man of justice. I ask you (Buhari) to please continue. Don’t change, don’t compromise justice with anything. May Allah help you. Mr. President sir, you know what we have gone through. I AM NOT ASKING YOU, AND I KNOW YOU’LL NOT; TO DISCRIMINATE AGAINST ANY PART OF NIGERIA. BUT I AM ASKING YOU TO DO JUSTICE TO ALL PARTS OF NIGERIA. JUSTICE WILL BRING ABOUT PEACE. PEACE AND STABILITY ARE THE PREREQUISITES OF DEVELOPMENT. DEVELOPMENT WILL BRING GAINFUL EMPLOYMENT. WITH EMPLOYMENT YOU WILL NOT HAVE IDLE PEOPLE. AN IDLE MAN IS THE DEVILS WORKSHOP. An idle man thinks nothing but evil. He plans nothing but evil and wants to do nothing but evil.
“Justice to all will do away with all these. I know you can do it. Do justice to us. Do justice to them, do justice to everybody. Allah will reward you for that. There are certain things, that perhaps, people may say that is political consideration. Well, Mr. President Sir, you should always have God at the back of your mind. For you are a believer that one day, you will STAND BEFORE GOD AND ACCOUNT FOR ALL THAT YOU HAVE DONE. It would rather that you disappoint people, rather than disappoint your great creator. And may God grant, that you will do that with pleasing God. Sir, we have come to congratulate you and congratulate ourselves. This is what you have been looking for. A Nigerian. And no matter what anybody may say, you are a Nigerian. But a Nigerian with a sense of Justice and fair play. By past records, you have that sense of justice and fair play. We are looking for a Nigerian that will be committed, dedicated, and you are such a person. We are therefore expecting much from you. We, on our side, are prepared to give you whatever support, in form of advice or anything, that will enable you to succeed in your task. By the grace of Allah, you will succeed. By the grace of Allah, nobody will laugh at us. In fact, by the grace of God, this shall be the greatest potential leader that we have ever had.”
Some words are written on a marble you would agree. But looking at how thus far that President Buhari has fared, from 2015 to date, it is apparent that President Buhari completely jettisoned and disregarded the good advice and words of wisdom given to him by his own fellow kinsmen and Northern Elders when he ascended the Presidency. In fact, I am sure most of the said Northern Elders, who were part of the delegation that visited Buhari then and gave him good advice and wished success then, would be greatly disappointed at the moment with President Buhari and his administration. I am sure the Northern Elders Forum cannot be bold enough to come out publicly beat their chest as proud kinsmen of Buhari, and declare that he will be “the greatest potential leader that we have ever had.”
If anything, I am 100% certain that if Maitama Sule was still alive today, and the Northern Elders Forum, will, and are greatly disappointed at their son and brother, Buhari, and his reign in Government since 2015. This is because, rather than us having Justice and Fairness from the Buhari APC-led Government since 2015 to date, what the majority of Nigerians have been witnessing from this Government is nothing but injustice and unfairness. In fact, almost every action of this Buhari Government tends to suggest parochialism and a penchant for ethnic chauvinism. It is like having a President of Northern Nigeria (instead of a President for all), who is also a de facto President of the Niger Republic.
Just like the Northern Elders Forum and Maitaima Sule had hoped when Buhari came into power, that was how many Nigerians had hoped too. But over the years, the relative peace, unity, progress, safety assurance – experienced by Nigerians before Buhari came on board, were completely rubbished as practically everything moved from bad to worse. That of the present insecurity situation in the country under the President Buhari-led Federal Government has become the most worrisome of them all. Though there were some recorded cases of terrorism activities in the past administration, but never have we seen things get so bad under this present Government. Even the relative economic boom Nigerians experienced under the past Government, have all been scattered and eroded by the Buhari-led administration.
Mind you, this was never what the majority of Nigerians had expected when they decided to vote for Buhari to take over the reign of power in 2015. And because of the fact that we all wanted a ‘Change’ from the then corrupt-ridden statuesque, and also considering the persistence and several attempts by Buhari who appeared then to be so desirous to govern Nigeria; the majority of the Nigerian people decided to give him a chance. Buhari at one time, shed tears on national television, expressing his passion and desire to bring about the needed change in Nigeria if given a chance. We never knew that all of that was a smokescreen, a complete sham! Nigerians were even more delighted then with Buhari’s famous quote of: “I belong to everybody, and I belong to nobody” – suggesting to Nigerians that he will be for the interest of the Nigerian people. Not knowing that all of that was an act of deception.
Though, it initially seemed as if the Buhari-led administration meant business when he took over the reign of power, as Nigerians witnessed some loot recovery, exposed corrupt practices, arrests and prosecution of high-profile public office holders, which were not commonplace before then. But as time progressed over the years, the signs of his true colours, weaknesses, and deception started manifesting in the polity. Even his fight on corruption has its loopholes, as Nigerians are yet to know exactly what this administration has used all that recovered loot for. Neither have the people felt any positive impact from it. Not to mention the fact that Buhari saw nothing wrong in appointing questionable characters that are having corrupt-cases hanging on their necks, as his cabinet members. Aside the fact that it took President Buhari several months to appoint his cabinet when he eventually did, Nigerians were amazed at his demonstration of gross nepotism and favouritism, especially in the appointment of sensitive Executive positions at the Presidency, and the Security Chiefs, which he has continued till today with the recent appointment of the new Chief of Army Staff, Maj. Gen. Farouk Yahaya.
Everything about the Buhari-led APC Federal Government is far from being Just and Fair, neither does it show any element of an administration of a man that once said: “I belong to everybody, and I belong to nobody.” The one that has become clear to all, is the fact that the Buhari-led administration is not sincere and honestly willing to bring to an end the carnage caused by Fulani herdsmen, and Boko Haram/Bandits terrorist attacks on countless communities across the nation. All the signs and indicators are there to justify this fact, which many believe is because he is from that ethnicity. From their body language, disposition, utterances, prescribed policies as supposed solutions to the problem, to their partiality and insensitivity to the plight of the Nigerian people that are victims of these criminal elements.
And true to the words of Maitama Sule, the increased crisis and insecurity we see today all across the country, can only be traced to the fact that this Buhari Government has not demonstrated Justice and Fair play in its governance and activities since 2015 to date. Nigeria has never been this divided, disunited, and in turmoil, like we are currently witnessing under the Buhari-led administration. Due to this administration’s lack of demonstrating Justice and Fairness amongst the polity in its governance, the level of disunity, animosity, divisiveness amongst and between the Southern parts of Nigeria with the Northern parts of the country, has reached threatening heights capable of causing a full-blown war in the country.
While the Northern Elders Forum has, over the years and in recent times, maintained their stand against some of the actions of the President, but it appears President Buhari has turned deaf ears to whatever they have to say to him. In April this year, following a two-day Northern summit, Arewa Elders threw their weight behind calls for the restructuring of the country, saying that is the only way Nigeria could realize its potentials for economic development. And in May, the same Northern Elders Forum that had organized the two-day Northern summit, threw its weight behind calls for the impeachment of President Muhammadu Buhari, warning Nigeria cannot survive two more years under this regime.
With all of this, one then begins to wonder what is going on in the head and mind of President Buhari, for his refusal to listen to good counsel, and simply do what is right? What sort of self-driven agenda is he pursuing, that every other thing else, including the words of advice from his kinsmen, no longer mean anything to him? Well, as noted in the Holy Writ: “They rejected my advice and paid no attention when I corrected them. Therefore, they must eat the bitter fruit of living their own way, chocking on their own schemes.” (Proverbs 1:30-31); “It is better to be poor but wise youth, than an old and foolish king who refuses all advice.” (Eccl. 1:13). President Buhari should change his ways, or else he wants to end up as the worst President Nigeria will ever have.
Zik Gbemre.
June 2, 2021
We Mobilize Others To Fight For Individual Causes As If Those Were Our Causes
-By Zik Gbemre
PRESIDENT BUHARI HAS INDEED JETTISONED ALL THE GOOD ADVICE GIVEN TO HIM BY THE NORTHERN ELDERS – WITH HIS UNJUST AND UNFAIR DICTATORIAL REIGN OF GOVERNMENT
Despite being told that Justice and Fairness are the bedrock for peace and stability, which will in turn bring about development and economic growth, President Buhari has instead chosen the path of injustice and unfairness…
Rather than being a government for all and sundry, the Buhari administration has become a government of few Northern extracts and a de factor President to the Niger Republic…
The Buhari-led APC Federal Government is far from being Just and Fair, neither does it show any element of an administration of a man that once said: “I belong to everybody, and I belong to nobody”…
When a leader has rejected good advice and refused to be corrected, that leader and those around him must eat the bitter fruit of their own selfish ways, choking on their own schemes…
It is said that “What an elder sees while sitting, the young ones (including those ones a bit older) standing on their toes won’t see.” And when the elders gather together to give one advice, it will be foolhardy and very unwise for one to ignore and disregard such advice. These were my thoughts, when I recently saw an old video clip making the rounds on social media platforms, showing elder statesman, Maitama Sule, who led the Northern Leaders Forum to visit Muhammadu Buhari when was the President-elect in 2015.
During that courtesy visit to the then President-elect Buhari, Maitama Sule, while speaking for the Northern Leaders Forum, noted this of him; “This is the same Buhari who gave this country a sense of direction when he was the military head of state. Now, I’m sure, Allah has brought him to correct the ills of the past, and to reform. But sir, it is easy, and you know it was easy when you were there as a military head of state. But what made it easy? Justice! WITH JUSTICE, YOU CAN RULE NIGERIA WELL.
“Justice is the key. If you do justice to all and sundry, and I mean all and sundry …. If you are going to judge between people, do justice, irrespective of their tribe, religion, or even political inclinations. Justice must be done to whosoever deserves it. Power can remain in the hands of an infidel if he is just and fair. But it will not remain in the hands of a believer if he is unfair and unjust. BEHIND EVERY CRISIS ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD IS INJUSTICE. THE SOLUTION TO THAT CRISIS IS JUSTICE. THE WORLD ITSELF CAN NEVER BE GOVERNED BY FORCE. NEVER BY FEAR, EVEN NEVER BY POWER. In the end, what governs is the mind. What conquers is the spirit. And the weapons of governing the mind and conquering the spirit are justice and fair play.
“I have always known you to be a man of justice. I ask you (Buhari) to please continue. Don’t change, don’t compromise justice with anything. May Allah help you. Mr. President sir, you know what we have gone through. I AM NOT ASKING YOU, AND I KNOW YOU’LL NOT; TO DISCRIMINATE AGAINST ANY PART OF NIGERIA. BUT I AM ASKING YOU TO DO JUSTICE TO ALL PARTS OF NIGERIA. JUSTICE WILL BRING ABOUT PEACE. PEACE AND STABILITY ARE THE PREREQUISITES OF DEVELOPMENT. DEVELOPMENT WILL BRING GAINFUL EMPLOYMENT. WITH EMPLOYMENT YOU WILL NOT HAVE IDLE PEOPLE. AN IDLE MAN IS THE DEVILS WORKSHOP. An idle man thinks nothing but evil. He plans nothing but evil and wants to do nothing but evil.
“Justice to all will do away with all these. I know you can do it. Do justice to us. Do justice to them, do justice to everybody. Allah will reward you for that. There are certain things, that perhaps, people may say that is political consideration. Well, Mr. President Sir, you should always have God at the back of your mind. For you are a believer that one day, you will STAND BEFORE GOD AND ACCOUNT FOR ALL THAT YOU HAVE DONE. It would rather that you disappoint people, rather than disappoint your great creator. And may God grant, that you will do that with pleasing God. Sir, we have come to congratulate you and congratulate ourselves. This is what you have been looking for. A Nigerian. And no matter what anybody may say, you are a Nigerian. But a Nigerian with a sense of Justice and fair play. By past records, you have that sense of justice and fair play. We are looking for a Nigerian that will be committed, dedicated, and you are such a person. We are therefore expecting much from you. We, on our side, are prepared to give you whatever support, in form of advice or anything, that will enable you to succeed in your task. By the grace of Allah, you will succeed. By the grace of Allah, nobody will laugh at us. In fact, by the grace of God, this shall be the greatest potential leader that we have ever had.”
Some words are written on a marble you would agree. But looking at how thus far that President Buhari has fared, from 2015 to date, it is apparent that President Buhari completely jettisoned and disregarded the good advice and words of wisdom given to him by his own fellow kinsmen and Northern Elders when he ascended the Presidency. In fact, I am sure most of the said Northern Elders, who were part of the delegation that visited Buhari then and gave him good advice and wished success then, would be greatly disappointed at the moment with President Buhari and his administration. I am sure the Northern Elders Forum cannot be bold enough to come out publicly beat their chest as proud kinsmen of Buhari, and declare that he will be “the greatest potential leader that we have ever had.”
If anything, I am 100% certain that if Maitama Sule was still alive today, and the Northern Elders Forum, will, and are greatly disappointed at their son and brother, Buhari, and his reign in Government since 2015. This is because, rather than us having Justice and Fairness from the Buhari APC-led Government since 2015 to date, what the majority of Nigerians have been witnessing from this Government is nothing but injustice and unfairness. In fact, almost every action of this Buhari Government tends to suggest parochialism and a penchant for ethnic chauvinism. It is like having a President of Northern Nigeria (instead of a President for all), who is also a de facto President of the Niger Republic.
Just like the Northern Elders Forum and Maitaima Sule had hoped when Buhari came into power, that was how many Nigerians had hoped too. But over the years, the relative peace, unity, progress, safety assurance – experienced by Nigerians before Buhari came on board, were completely rubbished as practically everything moved from bad to worse. That of the present insecurity situation in the country under the President Buhari-led Federal Government has become the most worrisome of them all. Though there were some recorded cases of terrorism activities in the past administration, but never have we seen things get so bad under this present Government. Even the relative economic boom Nigerians experienced under the past Government, have all been scattered and eroded by the Buhari-led administration.
Mind you, this was never what the majority of Nigerians had expected when they decided to vote for Buhari to take over the reign of power in 2015. And because of the fact that we all wanted a ‘Change’ from the then corrupt-ridden statuesque, and also considering the persistence and several attempts by Buhari who appeared then to be so desirous to govern Nigeria; the majority of the Nigerian people decided to give him a chance. Buhari at one time, shed tears on national television, expressing his passion and desire to bring about the needed change in Nigeria if given a chance. We never knew that all of that was a smokescreen, a complete sham! Nigerians were even more delighted then with Buhari’s famous quote of: “I belong to everybody, and I belong to nobody” – suggesting to Nigerians that he will be for the interest of the Nigerian people. Not knowing that all of that was an act of deception.
Though, it initially seemed as if the Buhari-led administration meant business when he took over the reign of power, as Nigerians witnessed some loot recovery, exposed corrupt practices, arrests and prosecution of high-profile public office holders, which were not commonplace before then. But as time progressed over the years, the signs of his true colours, weaknesses, and deception started manifesting in the polity. Even his fight on corruption has its loopholes, as Nigerians are yet to know exactly what this administration has used all that recovered loot for. Neither have the people felt any positive impact from it. Not to mention the fact that Buhari saw nothing wrong in appointing questionable characters that are having corrupt-cases hanging on their necks, as his cabinet members. Aside the fact that it took President Buhari several months to appoint his cabinet when he eventually did, Nigerians were amazed at his demonstration of gross nepotism and favouritism, especially in the appointment of sensitive Executive positions at the Presidency, and the Security Chiefs, which he has continued till today with the recent appointment of the new Chief of Army Staff, Maj. Gen. Farouk Yahaya.
Everything about the Buhari-led APC Federal Government is far from being Just and Fair, neither does it show any element of an administration of a man that once said: “I belong to everybody, and I belong to nobody.” The one that has become clear to all, is the fact that the Buhari-led administration is not sincere and honestly willing to bring to an end the carnage caused by Fulani herdsmen, and Boko Haram/Bandits terrorist attacks on countless communities across the nation. All the signs and indicators are there to justify this fact, which many believe is because he is from that ethnicity. From their body language, disposition, utterances, prescribed policies as supposed solutions to the problem, to their partiality and insensitivity to the plight of the Nigerian people that are victims of these criminal elements.
And true to the words of Maitama Sule, the increased crisis and insecurity we see today all across the country, can only be traced to the fact that this Buhari Government has not demonstrated Justice and Fair play in its governance and activities since 2015 to date. Nigeria has never been this divided, disunited, and in turmoil, like we are currently witnessing under the Buhari-led administration. Due to this administration’s lack of demonstrating Justice and Fairness amongst the polity in its governance, the level of disunity, animosity, divisiveness amongst and between the Southern parts of Nigeria with the Northern parts of the country, has reached threatening heights capable of causing a full-blown war in the country.
While the Northern Elders Forum has, over the years and in recent times, maintained their stand against some of the actions of the President, but it appears President Buhari has turned deaf ears to whatever they have to say to him. In April this year, following a two-day Northern summit, Arewa Elders threw their weight behind calls for the restructuring of the country, saying that is the only way Nigeria could realize its potentials for economic development. And in May, the same Northern Elders Forum that had organized the two-day Northern summit, threw its weight behind calls for the impeachment of President Muhammadu Buhari, warning Nigeria cannot survive two more years under this regime.
With all of this, one then begins to wonder what is going on in the head and mind of President Buhari, for his refusal to listen to good counsel, and simply do what is right? What sort of self-driven agenda is he pursuing, that every other thing else, including the words of advice from his kinsmen, no longer mean anything to him? Well, as noted in the Holy Writ: “They rejected my advice and paid no attention when I corrected them. Therefore, they must eat the bitter fruit of living their own way, chocking on their own schemes.” (Proverbs 1:30-31); “It is better to be poor but wise youth, than an old and foolish king who refuses all advice.” (Eccl. 1:13). President Buhari should change his ways, or else he wants to end up as the worst President Nigeria will ever have.
Zik Gbemre.
June 2, 2021
We Mobilize Others To Fight For Individual Causes As If Those Were Our Causes