The THIRD Force, a coalition of young Nigerian politicians and professionals committed to the birth of a new Nigeria, has condemned in strong terms a banquet organized on Tuesday by Aisha Buhari, wife of President Muhammadu Buhari for some “Social Media Change Agents”.
In a statement delivered by email to The Trent on Wednesday, December 23, 2015 by the spokesperson of The THIRD Force, Ishaq Abubakar, the group described the banquet as morally repugnant and a slight on the sensibilities of Nigerians in a trying moment of economic depression, insecurity and acute poverty.
According to the statement, “The THIRD Force considers it morally repugnant and a slight on the sensibilities of Nigerians that at a time when over 2,000 Nigerian lives have been reportedly wasted and unaccounted for in the Zaria Shia massacre; at a time when Nigerians are confronted with severe economic hardship, fuel scarcity and Nigeria’s worst ever crash of the Naira against the dollar; at a time when Nigerians are groaning under the yoke of what may be the worst Christmas celebration ever; at a time when the scourge of Boko Haram attacks have overwhelmed the capacity of our military to defend the territorial integrity of Nigeria Aisha Buhari, the wife of the Nigerian president is throwing a lavish party that was not only obscene in its opulence, but callous, wicked and insensitive to the plight of millions of deprived Nigerians who are bearing the brunt of this government’s record cluelessness, lack of direction, and phantasmagoric policies.
“What exactly are we celebrating? Has President Buhari’s government achieved so much that a party of rice, pounded yam, fruit juices and malt drinks organized for starving youths of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) party is the priority of the moment? What happened to the IDP camps with millions of displaced Nigerian citizens who have been reduced to beggars by a government that failed them?
“Under Buhari, Nigeria’s economy has suffered terrible blows. Nigeria appears directionless; the right of citizens to free speech is being threatened; our stock market is crashing; citizens are being killed and their rights violated by the same authorities that swore to protect them; our president is globetrotting like foreign trips are running out of fashion; we wake up every day in a Nigeria where election promises are being denied by the ruling party and return home to food left over by the movers and shakers of the country. Yet here we are, organizing a party to immortalize the folly. What disdain!
“If the organizers of Aisha Buhari’s Aso Rock banquet were too impervious to the mood of the nation, one would have expected the invited youths to be more self-respecting. If after campaigning and being used for President Buhari’s presidential campaign, the value of their contributions is being reduced to plates of rice and bottles of malt drinks, it simply means that Nigerian youths have a seat only at Aisha Buhari’s dinner table. Shame.
“In Sweden, Johan Gabriel Wikström was appointed Minister of Health in 2014 at the age of 29. Moussa Mara became the Prime Minister of Mali in 2014 at the age of 29. Charles Michel is the Prime Minister of Belgium. He assumed office on October 11, 2014 at the age of 39. Irakli Garibashvili was appointed Georgian Minister of Internal Affairs in 2012 at the age of 30. In Nigeria, youths are used, dumped after elections and later invited for banquets where they are encouraged to eat and forget their sorrows. Nigerian youths arise! You cannot continue like this.
“In the history of Nigeria, it is on record that no government has insulted and treated Nigerian youths with such disdain like Buhari’s government within the last nine months of assumption of office as a civilian president. As if that is not bad enough, his government and their cheerleaders, continue to mock the sensibilities of Nigerians youths by running frivolous tweets and social media commentary in defense of Buhari’s government. Wake up. You are being used, and for what? Plates of rice and a bottle of Maltina!
“Clearly, Aisha Buhari’s charade with ‘change youths’ on Tuesday in Aso Rock is nothing but a fanciful parade of dull vanities. At its best, it was simply another platform for the flagrant wastage of Nigeria’s meager resources and an opportunity to tell Nigerian youths how cheap, irresponsible, and unprepared for leadership they are.”
