PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI: PROTAGONIST OR ANTAGONIST OF ETHNIC AGITATION?

President Mohammadu Buhari is the democratically elected president of the federal Republic of Nigeria. He swore to defend and uphold the sanctity of the constitution of the country. The question here is, is the president truly protecting and upholding the dictates and contents of the constitution? The answer is capital NO. Is the president treating the entire country as his constituency? the answer is NO. Is the president protecting the lives and property of all Nigerians living in all parts of the country? the answer is NO. Has the president been fair to all the component units of the country in his appointments and project distribution in accordance with the constitution? the answer is still NO.

My attempt here is to put in a capsule few of such actions and inactions of president Buhari that tend to promote ethnic agitations across the country. It is no more news that there are an alarming level of distrust, hate, suspicion and divisions on religious,ethnic,political and cultural cleavages at a depth that has never, not since 1966 and the subsequent civil war; experienced in our effort at nationhood. The issue of justice, equity and fairness and whatever else we choose to call those ingredients that contribute to nation building,are practically lacking in our space,hence the proliferation of ethnic agitations.

Most regrettable is the fact that president Buhari and his APC government are daily falling deep and deep into an irredeemable putrefaction. From what he has done so far with our armed forces and the entire Nigerian security apparatchik, it is apparently glaring that he has succeeded in creating a northern military and national security by replacing all military commanders with his brothers,uncles, in-laws, the Hausa/Fulani all in a bid to protect northern selfish interest and continue their mad desire to rule and dominate national political leadership and resources forever.

President Buhari should understand that the issue and problem of Nigeria is not IPOB, Massob or Nnamdi Kanu. It is not Niger Delta Militants/ self-determination agitators. It is not Oduduwa. They are not Nigerian problem; pretending and claiming that they are the problem is unfair,dishonest and hypocritical.

The issue and problem is the president and his government ; it is about justice,it is about equity, it is about love and respect for one another, without consideration to ones ethnic, religious,cultural and political faith.

It is about doing the right thing in accordance with our constitution ; it is about true federalism, it is about restructuring; it is about truth and honesty. We can not build a true virile nation under the present structure; under this hate mentality; under injustice,inequity, marginalization, enslavement, especially of a major ethnic region that has paid her dues. We cannot build a nation under this barbaric and criminal killings by Fulani herdsmen, with government looking the other way.

We can not build a nation where true and genuine agitation is muzzled. Therefore, for president Buhari to think that he can effectively and successfully isolate the entire south east from being part of his government and not partake in democracy dividend and expect them to keep quite and not raise their voice is rather delusional.

Delusive as the thought of the proverbial bird that perched on an ant-hill in conviction that the sand under its feet is different from that on the ground around its location.

Taking from president Buhari’s London medical return speech, where he insisted on the indissolubility and indivisibility of Nigeria as an entity, while at the same time failing to walk the talk by ensuring that all the ingredients that fertilize and enhance national unity and cohesion are duly planted,watered and nurtured.