PMB: Remain and restore

BY SUNDAY ATTAH

It was a reassuring sight, the image of President Muhammad Buhari receiving his media team at the Abuja House in London led by the minister for Information, Lai Mohammed.

The president who looked cheerful and boisterous, shaking hands and dropping few banters with his aides has proven that not only is he in a good health condition but that he’s not a man given to playing to the gallery but only does what is necessary for the common good.

This explains the restraint he took on the controversy surrounding his health, not allowing the noise to push him into taking hasty decisions and the manner the visits were organised to reveal the truth about his health and how the visits addressed the questions without rancor.

When at the first instance about six governors went to see the president, it was only his image and theirs that were beamed to the public, the second visit which included some PDP governors showed the president posing for pictures with them outside the hall and the most recent one included a video with a convincing audio.

Without doubt, one can say all is well with the president and there’s no cause for alarm and if all is well with the head then the body can be said to be equally on sound footing.

This revelation should shut the mouth of those return-or/resign campaigners as all can see that the president will soon return so there won’t be any need for him to resign.

But beyond shooting down the histrionics of going to protest at the villa out of the equation, the image of the president, walking on his feet with full confidence has given many Nigerians the hope that it remains a matter of time before the president returns.

It is also a positive statement that ours will no longer be a near success syndrome where a positive development packs up at the point of conclusion but that the driving force will return to complete his work.

It has served to reassure the average Nigerian that the success recorded by the current administration in the areas of providing security to the citizenry, fighting terrorism, recovery of stolen funds and reorienting public officers about their work schedule would not be abandoned but pursued to their logical conclusion until all Nigerians see the benefits of living in one united, peaceful and prosperous country.

Without doubt, since the resurgence of armed threats against the state and its people by elements on the north-east fringe of the country, the current military operation has been the most successful engagement that has not only sacked them from holding territories but has reduced them to a band of irritants clutching at straws.

Unlike in the PDP days when the Boko Haram were holding on to territories and claimed some as their capital and abducted women and girls as sex slaves.

This is because the current leadership has not allowed them latitude and has taken the battle to them right in their territories and totally degraded their operations.

The order by the acting president for the service chiefs to relocate to the north-east has also helped in conquering the terrorists as ground and air operations have continued unabated resulting in the current calm being experienced and the high proclivity that even the leader of the sect may have finally been taken care of.

This is also the first time that the menace of kidnapping has been dealt a deadly blow at the heart.

Kidnap kingpin, known as Evans, who for seven years had been declarer wanted by the police and had remained at large but continued to
wreak havoc on individuals, families, businesses and the entire socioeconomic fabric of the country, was arrested.

Due to the success of the operation, he couldn’t even deny any of the charges but admitted to his heinous crimes to the extent of even listing his victims and the ransom received from them.

More than 600 policemen have also been placed on the now notoriuos Abuja-Kaduna express way with no less than 60 arrest made within two weeks bringing down the crime to almost zero in recent weeks.

Victims have been reunited with their families and the atmosphere has been made less conducive for operation by criminals. Generally the form of insurrection disguised as militancy has also been highly reduced as the military was able to contain such outbursts.

The militancy within the Niger Delta has been controlled by the continuity in the amnesty program as well as the military operation launched in the area to check the militancy from being hijacked by hoodlums.

In all, it is obvious that the president has handled the country well and Nigerians are eager to see him return to continue with the good work he has started. Buhari should remain and restore Nigeria’s lost glory.

Attah, president, Stand Up for Nigeria, writes from Utako, Abuja