President Buhari of Nigeria is in love with words that end in ism except One

by Okike Benjamin

Though, I never knew President Buhari well when he was a military Head of State in 1984 through 1985. I started secondary school in 1983. However, when he was overthrown by General IBB, I wept for the country because of his War AgainstIndiscipline (WAI).

But from what he has demonstrated as his style of leadership as the President of Nigeria today, I doubt if he was the same man behind WAI then. 

In the appointment of his cabinet members, he has clearly demonstrated that he is in love with words that end in ism (nepotism, tribalism, sectionalism, favoritism, cynism, ‘marginalism’ if such word exist and other similar ism ending words except one (criticism).

Unfortunately for our dear country, these ism ending words has givenrise to corruption which President Buhari campaigned to fight to a standstill during his campaign. Because of his love for ism ending words, some parts of this great country which feel marginalised are agitating for self determination. I am not part of those blaming President Buhari for the present economic woos of the present day Nigeria as I am not an expert in economy.

However, the appointment of his relations, old time friends and party members is largely responsible for the today’s economicrecession in Nigeria. At the early days of this administration when I saw the direction of appointment made by President Buhari, I wrote an open letter to him even though he does not know me as a person. But I believe, he read the letter, but possibly thought that I should concentrate on my research and teaching rather that dabble into politics. For those of you who were not privileged to have read my open letter to President Buhari, you can find that letter HERE.

When President Buhari took over the mantle of leadership from the ever smiling and gentleman to the core, former President Goodluck Jonathan on 29th May, 2015, in his address to Nigerians, he said that he belongs to everybody and also belongs to nobody. Nigerians were impressed by that statement including the author of this article. Little did Nigerians know that he was actually making use of scarsm, a word that is similar to the words President Buhari is in love with in that statement. 

My personal analysis of the statement is that, President Buhari belongs to everybody (everybody in this context means all the Northern people especially Katsina people and APC members). Again, when President Buhari said he belongs to nobody( nobody in this context means all other parts of the country outside North and other political parties apart from APC). That statement was meant to deceive Nigerians. Well, every human being on earth has one weakness or another. It is possible that President Buhari is on a revenge mission. 

May be, President Buharibelieved that Nigerians supported General IBB to overthrew him and put him in prison in 1985, it will be good if President Buhari should borrow a leave from the great world leader in the person of Nelson Mandela of blessed memory who was in prison for twenty-seven years, but when he came out of the prison to become the president, he preached the gospel of forgiveness to south Africans including his white counterparts who threw him into prison and also demonstrated that by his appointments.

It is not that I so much like former President Olusegun Obasanjo, but when he too came out of prison to become Nigerian President in 1999, he set up Oputa Panel for the purpose of reconciliation in order to unite all parts of this country. Also, former president Obasanjo was not partial in his appointment into position, otherwise people like the former EFCC chairman, Nuhu Ribadu and great woman of modern day Nigeria like Professor Dora Akunyili of blessed memory would not have been discovered. I am sure those appointments were not based on any of the word ending with ism.

I am a Nigerian and will remain a Nigeria and as such, I wish President Buhari best of luck in his administration.

Okike Benjamin is a teacher in the Department 

of Computer Science, University of Abuja.