The case of Pa. Muhammadu Buhari appears to be similar to that of fiction character Wilson Taagbo in famous secondary school literature text One Week, One Trouble. Lately, the old soldier has moved from one unresolved question to another. First was the question of his being a Moslem with extreme views about Islam. Second was his N27M bank loan question. Third was his decision to nullify the office of first lady; thus discounting the role of women in governance and lately his inability to satisfactorily answer questions related to his academic records. Slim questions regarding his health status are still unanswered. In my opinion, that a Professor of law is being paired to run as assistant to a WAEC holder in a major election is an insult on Nigeria’s academic community. A case where the main candidate is unable to produce copies of the results under reference is in itself the highest form of mischief and irresponsibility.
Initially I was told the results were missing thus an affidavit. Later I was told the Nigerian Army has a tradition of withholding certificates of military personnel; serving and retired. Much later, I was told ex military President Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida stole or seized the results. After much ado, I was told every initial disclosure were figments of the imagination of the old soldier (see what old age can do) as he now recalls that the said papers are in the custody of the secondary school from where he graduated. Now that the results have been released, there’s no manner of discrepancy that it hasn’t been discovered to contain. To claim that I am surprised would be to tell a lie like Joe Igbokwe, Dele Momodu and Lie Mohammed because as a matter of fact, I am not. A political gang of yesterday’s men that can sponsor mass cloning of INEC’s voter’s card is capable of doing anything under the sun including instigating a suicide bomb attack against Jesus Christ in far away heaven.
I do not blame the old soldier for these inconsistencies. Old age has its effects which are not all pleasant. He once forgot the names of his running mate. He is unable to disclose his telephone number on request (I own four active lines and have them all at my finger tips). He once was unable to tell the meaning of INEC; he called it a different name entirely. There are instances where his statements exposed his hidden inability to lead a country as Nigeria. In the face of all these, I am only bothered that MOHAMED BUHARI my fellow country man who passed WAEC in 1961 in class 6 with LATE GEN. SHEHU MUSA YAR’ADUA who was already a soldier at that time in KATSINA STATE that didn’t exist at that time does not count it important to work on the impression most Nigerians have about him. He’d rather be more interested in keeping to the dictates of his religion which stipulates the role of women in leadership.
I do not consider myself a Nigerian who would support any form of waste of public resources under any guise but to suggest that the role of the wife of the president or any governor be scrapped on account of waste is wrong. To start with, every first lady is the “host” at of the official residence of the leader of the government. This role is normally combined with that of an advisor to the leader of the government as well as several other roles directly related to social activism. Perhaps this is what guided the most prominent first ladies Nigeria had between 1999 – 2007.
Within the periods under reference, the New Era foundation was among the most prominent not-for-profit organizations in Nigeria. This position it jointly shared with the Child Care Trust. While the former was and is still an initiative of Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, Late Mrs. Stella Obasanjo coordinated the activities of the latter within the same period. In Lagos State where the NEF was prominent, the spelling bee competition alongside the Youth Leadership Program were marvelous initiatives with which the NEF fulfilled its core mandate of wholesomely developing the youth within the family setting. The NEF believed that children would do better when supported by their families hence that organization went on to initiate the Maggi Junior Chef, the 30-hour compulsory community service in public schools and the advocacy campaigns on HIV/AIDS to artisan, market women mechanics and drivers initiatives.
Stella Obasanjo on the other hand joined the campaign against female genital mutilation on the 6th of February 2003 and declared that day the International Day against Zero Tolerance to female Genital Mutilation. It was an impressive feat that took the world by surprise especially as it came from an African. At a stage, Stella championed the cause of physically challenged children and those who were suffering from the Down syndrome disease. She leveraged on her position as first lady to solicit and raise funds from local and foreign agencies whose scope of work were in tandem with hers. Until she died, the Child Care Trust under did not lack support from government agencies and the organized private sector that saw it as a chance to fulfill corporate social responsibility. Space constraints have made it impossible to give a more detailed account of the impact these women made on society by making effective and responsible use of their positions.
Today, we are faced with a Presidential Candidate that thinks the role of women should not be beyond the bedroom and kitchen. To him beyond making food and satisfying sexual urges, a woman should do nothing else and possibly have no voice in leadership. Little wonder he kicked against the emergence of Sen. Aisha Alhassan as gubernatorial candidate of the APC in Taraba State hiding under the excuse that the procedure that caused her emergence was flawed. What falsehood? Which is more fraudulent? A candidate whom only MOHAMMED BUHARI thinks emerged from a flawed process or a MOHAMMED BUHARI who joined the Nigerian Army by RECOMMENDATION after leaving CLASS 6 in 1961 alongside LATE GEN SHEHU MUSA YAR’ADUA who had being a soldier since 1959? The same MOHAMED who whose original WAEC result bears KATSINA STATE before that state was created and has on it A MOST RECENT PASSPORT PHOTOGRAPH.
Buhari needs to change!
Ezeani, Chukwunonso Elvis is the South West Zonal Director of Communication, Research & Strategy at the Peoples’ Democratic Party National Youth Frontier. He can be reached via @NonsoEzeani1