by Portia Emilia Anthony
General Muhammadu Buhari said he had only one million Naira in his account and 150 cows to his name before he became president and you jumped, clapped and said, “Yes, that is a man with integrity. He is dirt poor.”
Shortly after the elections, and without declaring his assets publicly, you realised that Buhari has N30 million in his UBA personal account and owns a palatial lakeside estate in Asokoro, Abuja worth over N2 billion. You said, “It is okay, Buhari is a man of integrity. He can own a house anywhere. He is not as rich as IBB, Abdulsalam, or Danjuma.” Instead of you to call him out for what he is, a man of questionable character.
He said he borrowed N27 million to buy his nomination form to run for president on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and you clapped for him that he is “so poor” he had to borrow money and no president had ever been “so poor”.
A few weeks later, the wife of a “poor” general, makes a donation of N130 million to internally displaced persons in Adamawa. Because her name is Aisha Buhari, some people raise eyebrows and ask, if she had N130 million to give away to the real poor people, why couldn’t she give her “fake poor” husband a paltry N27 million to buy his form. You said, “Oh! She is from a very wealthy family, the same family of Nuhu Ribadu who also is an acclaimed “poor man” with cows to his name.” Without probing deeper, you swallowed the story of Aisha Buhari’s “wealthy family” hook, line, sinker, and fish.
Buhari said he owns nothing abroad, but yet his wife lives at Mayfair in London. Mayfair is one of the most expensive and exclusive neighbourhoods in the world. So, you really believed the lie that Buhari’s family, would live in a government assisted house (council home) in UK? I repeatedly told you that Buhari owns the house in Mayfair where Aisha Buhari stays… instead of doing research or at least some cognitive reasoning, you decided to call me names… Oh, never mind.
While, Buhari was petroleum minister, N2.8 billion (valued at N645 billion in today’s money) grew wings and flew away from the NNPC account in London. Buhari claims he knows nothing about it. You decided he was innocent until proven guilty, after all, he has sold you the dummy that he is Mr. Integrity. Yet, you feel comfortable hounding Diezani Alison-Madueke for money that IS NOT MISSING of which a Senate committee investigated and cleared her of any wrongdoing following allegations fabricated by Buhari’s brother Sanusi, the Emir of Kano. Buhari – innocent until proven guilty though money got missing under his watch; but Alison-Madueke – guilty even if proven innocent on money that is not missing.
Buhari said he would bring back the Chibok girls within 30 days of assuming office. It is going to six months now instead of you demanding for the return of the girls you said you want to give him time. Okay, Buhari, please take your time.
He promised to wipe out his misguided brothers, Boko Haram within 100 days in office because it would be a walk in the park for him as an ex-military ruler. You believed him and what has happened since? Over two thousand innocent Nigerians have been slaughtered by his misguided brothers under his watch. The deadliest reign of the Islamist terrorist group since they began their Jihadist campaign in 2009. Yet, instead of asking Buhari questions, you engage in an equally blood-stained conspiracy of silence.
Buhari claimed Jonathan left an empty treasury. But in six months of zero action on the economy and with foreign investors fleeing Nigeria, and with no cabinet… Nigeria is still in one piece. Please, where does he get the money to preserve the economy? Instead of asking Buhari these questions and asking if he has been paid his salary and allowances in those six months you are busy passing the blame to a man who has left office.
Buhari has been jetting around the world disgracing Nigeria and Nigerians in the failed quest to be seen as a corruption fighter. He is running Nigeria down and making gaffes at every point… What do you do? Instead of holding him to account, you excuse him and point to none existent gaffes of a Ph.D. holder president whom you love to hate. At this point, I have to say you are an idiot.
Buhari, is busy fighting the mantra “corruption” and the economy is grounding to a halt. You are losing your jobs and investments, instead of you to tell him that he can fight corruption and still keep the economy rolling you make dumb excuses for him and say he needs time to “fight corruption properly”. What does ‘properly’ mean? You probably can’t say. But you give him a pass as Nigerians groan under the weight of a failed economy caused by a frozen-in-1984 president.
Instead of reminding Buhari of his lack of an educational qualification for the job and why he should swiftly put up a team that does have the requisite certification, you instead celebrate the “return of power to the North”. You forget to ask him how he is going to sustain the power he has. Instead, you remember to remind him that he is the messiah of his time.
Have you asked him what is happening to our currency which is depreciating by the minute? Why is the naira not equivalent to a dollar already? Have you asked him why Nigerian school children are not fed once a day as promised?
Have you asked him why NYSC members have not received their N50,000 monthly allowance that he promised during the campaigns? Or have you asked him why the current “paltry” sum paid to corps members are being owed under Buhari?
Have the docile “men of the fourth estate” aka Nigerian journalists reminded him of their insurance policies? Their case is ever so sad and funny at the same time… No, they have not but rather are still carrying on with mass broadcasting of lies and propaganda for the APC and Buhari.
Have you asked him why petrol is N140 today instead of N40 as promised by his campaign surrogate? You idiot voter, you still haven’t seen a reason to converge in Freedom Park in Lagos, singing “solidarity forever” to force Buhari to keep his campaign promises.
Have you asked him why he has not paid the pensions of old retirees such as himself? Buhari promised you the best “angels and saints” of Nigeria as ministers but gave you the most rapacious criminals as noisemakers. Have you asked him why? What happened to his heavenly plans? Why did he trade angels for demons? Have you asked him why he took you on a ride for six months? No. But you have the liver to go round telling people he has a right to reward his thieving friends.
Buhari went to India and irresponsibly declared Nigeria broke. Reacting, Governor Ayo Fayose asked him to account for the monthly revenue of the country as the previous government was doing. Instead of being transparent, Buhari thinks the best response to a call for accountability it to attack and insult Fayose. Does Fayose look like someone he can harass and intimidate? Please, pull over, Sir. Park well!
Why does Mr. Integrity see it as an insult to be asked to be accountable to the Nigerian people who elected him into office? Isn’t that the true meaning of being “non-corrupt”? Buhari has proven himself as a fraudster, lacking all forms of decency.
If after all of these, you still think that Buhari is a man of integrity then you would believe the earth is flat.
You are fools, but Buhari is a congenital liar.
Stand up and say no to #BuhariSpoilingNigeria.
Portia Emilia Anthony is a lawyer (not an oil marketer). She is a public affairs analyst. Connect with her on Facebook.
The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author.
