PMB : An Inspiration Beyond Contradiction
OGUNMOLA AJAYI
Great revolutionaries are hued in heaven, but their turf of messianic impact is the world they find as habitation. They are both hated and loved. They are admired and scorned, but beyond contradictions by both friends and foes.
Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari strikes this image and persona of an inspirational leader and transformer. He found himself on a redeeming mission at a time the country unreservedly agreed, he is the only panacea personified. Nigerians endorsed President Buhari as the savior and fixer of the country’s confirmed many woes and tribulations.
What many failed to discern at the outset was the depth of his actions. Many erroneously thought they could be spared his wrath or pardoned for the sustained malfeasances against the state. The few wrongly presumed, Buhari could grease the cord of friendship and fraternity to consent to their diabolical schemes against the state.
Belatedly, these power monks understood that the sword of the Buhari’s purification of Nigeria would neither spare a friend nor foe. So, the political gods of the land are angry. They are disarmed in their tracks and deeply vexed with the Buhari Presidency.
These club destroyers have spared nothing against him. Assorted weapons of hate and disrepute are arrayed against him. But he has remained undaunted and unperturbed. All the times, he dares the forces by voicing out the truth and defending the truth, regardless of blackmail.
Therefore, he has enough enemies within the conclave of political elite in the country. But he is not afraid and ever willing to dare them again and again, with his truth, so much hated.
Perhaps, Great Greek Philosopher, Plato had President Buhari in mind when he awed his ancient world with this axiomatic wisdom; “No one is more hated than he who speaks the truth.” But the leviathans’ of power are coming home to roost, with the gradual discernment of President Buhari as a leader, unrepentantly aligned to the truth and would not let go, at the cost of anything.
Nicely, these self-acclaimed landlords of Nigeria’s leadership patrimony have woken up to the dawn of a new reality. They are aware that to understand the President, you must first hate him. One is free to even hurl tantrums at him, fire demonic salvos and castigate him before the illumination of his mindset strikes like blasting thunder on a dark night.
Unlike multiple other African leaders, President Buhari detests embalming any matter with the fragrance it does not deserve. He hates falsehood and pretensions. Innately aversed to sweet talks, embellishments and destructive diplomacy, he releases hard truth, in a manner that would shudder the heart and trigger positive reincarnation of the self.
He is not part of the clan of sweet-talking African leaders, whose words charm their people with consoling, but empty words, by veiling the truth. While the reality sees the Africa continent in ceaseless impedance on all development indices.
So, his restless adversaries have discovered that if you aspire towards frankness or bluntness in governance, President Buhari is your worthiest companion. On the contrary, those who hate to hear the truth; indignantly scurry away from Buhari because he is disposed at all times to give you a tormenting nightmare in daylight.
Pathetically for decades now, Nigerians are only getting to know the truth about themselves and their country, dubiously concealed from them by delusive leaders. It is has been the naked truth on economy, security, corruption and so forth.
Nigerians hardly knew anything about the shameful facts about their country. Leaders had a penchant to outrightly forge economic growth figures from anywhere and trumpet glowingly; about an indiscernible prowess and intelligence that has got the economy back on its feet. Buhari has refused to be part of this game.
And in consonance with his bent, it is President Buhari who exposed the artificial bubbling “Lagos” economy where shares continued to rise, even after former CBN boss, Emir Sanusi Lamido Sanusi busted the racket of economic statistical forgers. Nigerians can recall how Chief Executives Officers of banks declared huge profits only in the media, while concealing the rot within.
Nigerians’ can attest that before Buhari’s ascension to power, stealing was not corruption. But in the same country, public funds were looted, converted into hard currencies and stored in farms, septic tanks and residential saves of powerful and influential Nigerians. These were the stolen commonwealth that should have aided farmers to grow cassava, rice or other cash crops. But Buhari says it loud now that it is corruption.
Nigerians were burdened with leaders, who approved subsidy everything for the rich, at the expense of the poor. The poor continued to wail in abject poverty, as they paid heavily for the epicurean lifestyles of the wealthy. But such evil has been exposed and reversed today, as Nigerians are served the truth.
Asphyxiating insecurity almost deleted Nigeria on the map of the world. Troops on the warfront either bid a retreat in the face of enemies or mutinied, while facing insurgents. They were compelled to battle terrorists with dane guns and “chaka bulla.” Yet, billions of dollars of arms funds were diverted into private pockets.
With due apology, whilst the pockets and bank accounts of the arms looters were winning; human lives and properties were being destroyed. Those who loved shedding of blood became the actual winners, while terrorism triumphed deviously.
But the misguided leaders preferred to lie to Nigerians, claiming they were winning the war against terrorism. Nigerians have seen the crystal difference under Buhari. Even Nigerian troops were only “winning” with hunger; barracks were in tattered state and the family of those making sacrifices to defend the country had nothing to eat. Oh! Sorry, now, it’s the old way of winning, which has been positively redefined by President Buhari.
The new reality under Buhari is that factional Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau confesses with his own lips that the terror war is finished; his top commanders continue to surrender in droves and seized territories recovered. Troops at the warfront are being rewarded with various incentives from timely promotions to special recognitions and medals for extra-ordinary performances.
It was consequently not unusual, when President Buhari spoke at the Commonwealth Economic Summit in London and the enemies of the youths took time to craft and spew an adulterated version of the truth. But Buhari has said nothing wrong, but rather an inspiration and light to the youths.
As leader, the President feels the pains of seeing the youths of his country far behind their peers elsewhere in the world. Those with positive minds have seen it as an encouragement and source of inspiration to work harder.
The youths can leverage on the President’s statement to take advantage of the efforts he is making to build on the foundation the administration is laying to become great citizens of Nigeria and the globe. So, in spite of organized vituperations, it is one truth from Buhari, youths with an eye on a prosperous future, as leaders of tomorrow prefer to hear, which has spurred deep reflections and commensurate actions.
Leaders of yesterday, masked this truth. But when they reigned the youths they decorated with epaulets could not own a farm or a business of our own. Nigerians are now resentful to those who refer to youths as Kings, yet under their watch universities could be shut down for upwards of avoidable 20 months unapologetically.
The strong and rare leadership character of President Buhari in unmasking the truth is what Nigeria’s youths now cherish. And rather than feel vilified, the youths have seen the spoken truth as a weapon to inspire them into greater performance.
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