By Bayo Oluwasanmi
"With his waffling, wobbling, and shuffling, on restructure, and the genocide carried out by Fulani herdsmen, President Buhari hastens Nigeria's break up." - Bayo Oluwasanmi
President Muhammadu Buhari fiddles while Nigeria burns. The truth of this phrase lies in its evocative description of national chaos, crisis, disaster, and failed leadership that have become permanent features of Buhari's regime. In the history of a nation, each historical moment presents a distinct set of problems for its current leader. Each leader in different ways and with varying degrees of success sees himself as a protector and provider for his people.
The reputation of Buhari has vaporized like his administration. Driven by myopic northern hegemonic order, a visceral longing to be president and obsessive inaction, he poisoned the Nigerian political atmosphere with his cowardice, hypocrisy, and nepotism. Many of us who campaigned for him have been consumed by guilt and shame that we have settled for a subtle, primitive tribalist who is addicted to parochial and selective governance. His indifference, inaction, and palpable slowness atrophied his physical courage. His bias and prejudice undermined his moral courage.
It's obvious that Buhari has no plan to move Nigeria forward. He's not ready to embrace the needed reforms and transformation that will unite and keep Nigeria as one nation. He has subscribed to cowardice and nepotism as new normal in the Nigeria political engagement. Buhari is a classic example of a leader who lacks the courage to do the right thing. He yields to his lesser self and fails to do the right thing.
The cowardice of a leader at the very top is disheartening as it is damaging. Buhari promised change, instead, we're given chaos. He promised to kill corruption before corruption kills us. Corruption has not only killed us, we're buried under the rubble of corruption. He promised security, but we've never been more open to insecurity. The country is worse off today than at any other time. One of the most important attributes of a good leader is the willingness to seek feedback and listen. It's also important for a leader to have the humility to expose his views to scrutiny and analysis and to engage feedback on same.
President Buhari looks the other way while his kinsmen – Fulani herdsmen – have turned Benue and other states in the country to killing fields. It is evident that he tacitly approved the killings. With his waffling, wobbling, and shuffling, on restructure, and the genocide carried out by Fulani herdsmen, President Buhari hastens Nigeria's break up.