By Mustafa Yahaya
I marvel at the way and manner we think in this country, worst of it the way we think in the north. It is just a few months ago that we all continually lambasted president Jonathan's cluelessness, I referred to him as the "drunken master of Otuoke", and nobody harassed me, and now because they fear the power of the media that brought them to power they want to castrate the social media, with Buhari firing the first shot in an interview with Sahara reporters' Adeola in New York, why, is it because it is Buhari?
We demonstrated against pump price increment for petrol, government of president Buhari wants us to swallow the same pill we rejected a few months ago, yet some of my northern compatriots see nothing wrong with that, is it because it is Buhari? When three sons of Sheik Zakzaky were murdered during the Jonathan administration, El-Rufa'i called it genocide by the jonathanian army, now under Buhari more than 200 are killed, their mosque and houses destroyed under Elrufai's nose as Governor of the same state, he has not called it genocide by the Buharian army, is it because it is Buhari?
Under the Jonathan administration subsidy payments were termed as fraud, and there were hues and cries to crucify oil marketers, Buhari even called it a fraud himself, we also thought so, Six months later the same Buhari is paying for subsidy yet nobody is calling it a fraud, why, is it because it is Buhari? We criticized Jonathan for keeping a large fleet in the presidential fleet and wasting monies on maintenance, only recently President Buhari's spokesman admitted 2 billion Naira was spent on their maintenance, when other presidents are even doing away with their jets, yet we sit down and watch helplessly, is it because it Buhari? Fuel scarcity is biting harder, value of the Naira is going rock bottom, inflation is now on auto pilot, while profits are dropping, purchasing powers are becoming weaker, yet we are asked not to query them, is it because it is Buhari?
If we criticized Jonathan for cluelessness, we will also criticize Buhari for helplessness. While tribal and regional jingoist see nothing because it is Buhari, what I see first is Nigeria and not whether Jonathan is a southerner or Buhari is a Northerner, we. Cannot continue to be trapped in the closet of tribalism, regionalism and religious bigotry yet expect our country to remain one and grow. Yes! we might be of different orientation and background but what is good is good any where any time and what is bad is bad, I cannot be suffering and keep smiling because "my brother" is the president.
I marvel at the way and manner we think in this country, worst of it the way we think in the north. It is just a few months ago that we all continually lambasted president Jonathan's cluelessness, I referred to him as the "drunken master of Otuoke", and nobody harassed me, and now because they fear the power of the media that brought them to power they want to castrate the social media, with Buhari firing the first shot in an interview with Sahara reporters' Adeola in New York, why, is it because it is Buhari?
We demonstrated against pump price increment for petrol, government of president Buhari wants us to swallow the same pill we rejected a few months ago, yet some of my northern compatriots see nothing wrong with that, is it because it is Buhari? When three sons of Sheik Zakzaky were murdered during the Jonathan administration, El-Rufa'i called it genocide by the jonathanian army, now under Buhari more than 200 are killed, their mosque and houses destroyed under Elrufai's nose as Governor of the same state, he has not called it genocide by the Buharian army, is it because it is Buhari?
Under the Jonathan administration subsidy payments were termed as fraud, and there were hues and cries to crucify oil marketers, Buhari even called it a fraud himself, we also thought so, Six months later the same Buhari is paying for subsidy yet nobody is calling it a fraud, why, is it because it is Buhari? We criticized Jonathan for keeping a large fleet in the presidential fleet and wasting monies on maintenance, only recently President Buhari's spokesman admitted 2 billion Naira was spent on their maintenance, when other presidents are even doing away with their jets, yet we sit down and watch helplessly, is it because it Buhari? Fuel scarcity is biting harder, value of the Naira is going rock bottom, inflation is now on auto pilot, while profits are dropping, purchasing powers are becoming weaker, yet we are asked not to query them, is it because it is Buhari?
If we criticized Jonathan for cluelessness, we will also criticize Buhari for helplessness. While tribal and regional jingoist see nothing because it is Buhari, what I see first is Nigeria and not whether Jonathan is a southerner or Buhari is a Northerner, we. Cannot continue to be trapped in the closet of tribalism, regionalism and religious bigotry yet expect our country to remain one and grow. Yes! we might be of different orientation and background but what is good is good any where any time and what is bad is bad, I cannot be suffering and keep smiling because "my brother" is the president.
By Mustafa Yahaya
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