Made in Abuja and London theatre shows

On the 18th of April, 2018, the whole world woke up to see and hear of a shameful drama in the National Assembly. A few men laughably and impalpably walked into the Senate and sweatlessly took “Mace” and openly left without being stopped by our security men. It shows that either Boko Haram or aggrieved and radicalized men and women could easily have entered the Senate and detonated bombs. If what happened yesterday could happen in a place as the National Assembly, then the poor man is not secure at all. Let no one deceive you.

With or without “Mace,” the Senate has not been useful to the man who daily walks the dusty streets of Nigeria. So my concern is not what was stolen, my concern is the security of a voiceless, oppressed and cheated Nigerian. Fifteen (15) years ago, I was part of a team that led a few people to the seat of power and the National Assembly was part of the places we visited. From the main entrance into the seat of power, we were stopped at five (5) different places by a lot of heavily armed security men before we could access the “Hall of Fame” in Aso Rock, the National Assembly…, so when I heard that a few men walked into the National Assembly and took “Mace” away, I do know that we are seriously in trouble in Nigeria. Mr. President told the whole world yesterday that he has fulfilled the promise of securing Nigeria and Nigerians, but Nigerians are being killed daily and as if that is not enough, some hours ago, a few people entered the lion’s den without losing a drop of blood.

Away from the discreditable stage show in the Senate, Mr. President who is currently living in the United Kingdom stood before the whole world, repeating what he does so well—rubbishing his own people while other Presidents are promoting and marketing their own citizens. When he landed in the United Kingdom, I knew like I know my fingers that a few hours after that he would start speaking brusquely. And to be fair to him, he has not disappointed me.

After keenly observing Mr. President for about three (3) years that he has been in power, I have been able to see a man who thinks he is too far better than the rest of us. He believes he is the only man of integrity while the rest of us are thieves. He believes we are too fortunate for him to be in power. Also, he paints a picture of someone who is not interested in politics as others who are in politics because of their Bank accounts, but the truth is; he plays politics just as other unimpressive politicians.

At the Commonwealth Business Forum in Westminster on Wednesday, Buhari said that Nigerian youths are lazy, only breathing for freebies. He said our youths like to sit down, doing nothing—hoping to get free housing, healthcare and education. Since those mortifying and unbecoming words jumped out of his mouth, some Buharists (people who never see anything wrong in what Mr. President says and do) are saying that he was just being blunt while speaking, but the truth is, the problem is not about being blunt; it is about President Buhari detesting those he is being paid to lead.

Let me take this ugly issue a little further, showing an aspect of some of our people that makes many right-thinking Nigerians sleepless and sad. This is it: PMB misfired before the whole world, rubbishing a very creative, productive and resilient generation and instead of the affected generation to humbly and politely show him how wrong he was—a few young folks on social media are everywhere justifying the gaffe of the only man of integrity from “Daura.” Show me another President, who rubbishes his or her citizens as our own gruffly and tactlessly does. The truth is, the youths of our nation—do not depend on petrodollar; it is the generation that Mr. President represents that has been living on oil money without laboring a hoot since oil was discovered some decades ago. If our youths were lazy and detest education as the President of Nigeria said before the whole world, Strive Masiyiwa wouldn’t have been speaking highly of our youths and the founder of Facebook would not have come to Nigeria.

Our youths do not have access to crooked oil-money as the generation of Mr. President does. They (youths) daily sell bread, gala, soft drinks…on the highway to survive. And each time they are fortunate to relocate to countries that do not treat their own citizens as animals, they shine across every sphere of life. No President uses his mouth to tear down the people he is being heavily paid to serve.

Lastly, I do pity those managing Mr. President. The way he consistently speaks—he is probably the most complicated President to manage in the history of Nigeria. If Buhari does not know, his handlers need to let him know that the modicum of honor we do have as a nation only comes from the generation that was publicly rubbished by their principal—the only man of ‘integrity’ in Nigeria.