[dropcap]Y[/dropcap]our president, Muhammadu Buhari, gallivanted around the world with billions of Naira to go warn foreign investors to be wary of investing their billions in Nigeria.
He did this by stating categorically that Nigeria is a corrupt country, but that he is here to fix it.
A young American named Mark Zuckerberg, simply breezed into Nigeria for 72 hours and did what your president should have done with the billions of Naira by showcasing Nigeria as prime investment haven to the world. Conversely, he considerably undid some of the damage your president had done for no less than a year.
Zuckerberg did this by simply tweeting and posting pictures and videos, talking about the unique zeal, the drive, the intelligence and entrepreneurial verve of today’s Nigerian youths.
Your government decided to redeem it’s reprehensible obtuse selfhood by appropriating a large chunk of Zuckerberg’s precious hours to its own use.
Your president had at least an hour of Zuckerberg’s time.
How did he spend it?
He posed for plenty photographs, then he de-marketed Nigeria and disparaged Nigerians some more by taking a swipe at the Nigerian culture by telling Zuckerberg that he is better than his counterparts in Nigeria. He of course managed to insert himself right beside Zuckerberg by telling him that they are alike.
Muhammad Buhari is the last good person in Nigeria. The quintessential last American virgin, if you like.
Buhari will end recession in Nigeria simply for existing. He has the power to.
This is why he was reluctant to appoint ministers to man the critical facets of the Nigerian economy. This is why it took Muhammadu Buhari, the president of an economy he claimed was comatose, 15 solid months to appoint a national economic adviser.
Not done, he affirmed that his economic team excluded captains of industry and key players of the private sector because as far as he was concerned, those ones would only seek selfish objectives to enrich themselves.
Dear Nigerians, Your president, in 2016, as head of a capitalist democracy thinks the private sector being enriched and enhanced is a fiscal immorality.
Now why am I even concerned about the head of a government I have even before time immemorial consigned to the dustbin of political, economic and sociopolitical ignominy?
This is why:
Your president, from the news, is reportedly in a “war room” jaw jaw section on the state of the Nigerian economy. And just so you know, your president has in that room a few key members of the same private sector which import he displayed his usual traditional ignorance about just days ago.
It was said of former President Goodluck Jonathan by his critics and traducers that he was only as intelligent as the last speaker. I had the same perception and thought that perhaps his being taciturn was as a result of this.
What does this attribute imply? He might not have the intelligence originally, but he would recognise it and parrot it.
This is better than one who wouldn’t even recognise Intelligence even if it slapped him in the face or sucked him one in the gut.
This one is now talking about “thinking outside the box”.
I would guffaw loudly if it weren’t so sad.
First he’d have to unbox no more than the equivalent of the number of minutes of his chronological age to even begin to have the faintest hope of not being boxed before he can even see the box he actually is.
We do not have that much leeway in terms of time. The president is at least 75. Convert this to hours, and then minutes… you get the picture.
President Buhari is the box. The Nigerian economic conundrum to be addressed.
His social media handlers will soon regale you with their usual fanfare of hifalutin grammar and long fangled jargon-speak. They will promise heaven and earth.
Do not listen to them.
President Buhari is the reason Nigeria is in recession today. He is totally ignorant about 21st century economics. His team is peopled by the worst of yes-men. It will be disaster as usual.
If you have doubts let me tell you that Nigeria has only ever gone into official recession twice in her history. Both, times a man named Muhammad Buhari was in charge of the government of Nigeria.
Your president clearly had no economic plan aside coming into power to wrestle monies out of the grimy palms of thieving politicians and those he thought were thieving politicians. This was the money he thought he would budget to fix roads, build hospitals and factories.
Your president, in 2016, thinks a 170+ million strong capitalist democracy is a primary school classroom where you flog the bully who stole some sweets, and then redistribute the sweets to the other cowed class members. Your president does not understand the first matter of basic economics and this in a third world nation of today’s fast growing globe is the prime definition of a disaster.
I want to tell you for free what the APC Buhari Vuvuzelas will attempt to conceal from you with fine grammar and long epistles. I can assure you they will come because there is a new campaign underfoot. The battle for the minds of Nigerians is on in earnest.
They will weave words and share flowery anecdotes about their travels and education. They will then arrive at their primary aim – to attempt to convince you that the Change the APC, led by Muh’d Buhari was voted for in 2015 to deliver is actually your sole responsibility.
Read their beautiful nonsense and their flowery prose. Enjoy… but have this one TRUTH as your breastplate armour at all times…
CHANGE BEGINS WITHOUT BUHARI.
The Nigerian economy can only be fixed and economic progress achieved if Buhari no longer has a say in what goes with the Nigerian economy.
You have only one mandate therefore, dear Nigerians.
Tell it to your children, your spouse’s, your neighbours. Rise with the thought, and go to bed with it.
Do not let anyone distract you from this mandate.
President Muhammadu Buhari must NOT be president of Nigeria beyond May 29, 2019.
The power lies in your hands to see to this. Do not ever let anyone tell you otherwise.
Temidayo Ahanmisi is a public affairs commentator.
The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author.
