Not Yet Uhuru As Tinubu, Like Buhari, Embraces Incessant Foreign Trips

More still needs to be done for the All Progressives Congress ( APC) government to win the hearts of Nigerians as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, again travels out of the country as Nigerians face crushing economic hardship, write Bridget Chiedu Onochie, Terhemba Daka And Daniel Okejeme in Abuja

WHEN then Gen. Muhammadu Buhari ( rtd) threw his hat in the ring to contest the 2015 presidential election, the move completely changed the political rhythm in the country. Campaigns heightened with many positing that with candidate Buhari in the contest, a Daniel had come to judgment if he won.

With the country’s health sector bedeviled and forcing Nigerians to embark on medical tourism, many saw candidate Buhari as the ‘ messiah’ with the capacity to cause the needed change in the deteriorating health facilities in the country for the better.

Indeed, Buhari basked with swagger as his campaign train traversed the length and breath of the country, armed with his attribute as a no- nonsense leader, which he earned as Head of State from December 31, 1983 to August 27, 1985 as a unique selling point.

Many saw Buhari and alluded to the biblical character Daniel, who was attributed with having fine powers of judgment.

“I have even heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods is in thee, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom is found in thee. Daniel 5: 14 ( King James Version).

But, the rest is now history as President Buhari was constantly weighed down by an undisclosed ailment, which saw him in and out of the United Kingdom with attendant consequences on governance and the economy generally.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu last Wednesday travelled to France. His Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, disclosed scant details about the latest travel. He simply said the trip is a “private visit.”

The terse statement did not state the reasons for the visit. Ngelale simply said: “He will return to the country in the first week of February 2024.”

Last Wednesday’s visit was Tinubu’s third to France since he assumed office eight months ago, May 2023.

On June 20, 2023, three weeks after assuming office, Tinubu opened his foreign schedule in Paris, the French capital. A statement signed by then Special Adviser, Special Duties, Communication and Strategy, Dele Alake, had explained that during his four- day stay, the President participated in the Paris Summit for the New Global Financial Pact, to “review and sign a New Global Financial Pact that places vulnerable countries on the priority list for support and investment, following the devastating impact of climate change, energy crisis, and after effect of the COVID- 19 pandemic.” In September 2023, the President spent nine days with world leaders in New York, USA, at the 78th United Nations General Assembly, which began on September 19, his first UNGA as President. Afterward, he proceeded to Paris, France, where he spent five days, arriving in Abuja on September 29 ahead of Nigeria’s 63rd Independence Day anniversary on October 1.

Reacting, the PDP had challenged the Presidency to come clean regarding the President’s travel to Paris, France.

“The feelers we are having are that he ( Tinubu) has gone for medical treatment as usual because that is where his doctors are. So, we challenge the Presidency to come clean and explain to us the details of his ailment.

“Though he’s been around for some time. We commend his decision to stay back, but we also would want it to be sustained. For now, we are wishing him well but we are asking his handlers to come clean and tell us what exactly is disturbing him, what he has gone for, and how he intends to avoid incessant trips because the machinery of state and the life of over 250 million Nigerians are in his hands.

“We will be concerned as Nigerians because the state of the nation is appalling economically, politically, security- wise; the nation is under siege. This is the worst time for a leader who understands what his responsibility or mandate requires of him. These are not the best of times for Nigerians; they are living on imagination first of all from the economic angle. Nigerians are also in palpable tension from the security angle. Nigerians are equally disturbed about even the uncertainty from the political angle,” the frontline opposition party said.

Tinubu’s frequent travels out of the country has also not gone down well with some Nigerians who feel that Mr. President has not given challenges confronting the country desired attention.

In his reaction, a civil rights activist and Executive Director, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre ( CISLAC), Mr. Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, identified reasons that made France an attractive destination for the Nigerian President.

“The first issue is about President Tinubu’s personal business relationship with some French companies for business connections and thereby seeking legitimacy and acceptance as many European and western countries appear very reluctant to welcome and accept the President given some allegations and scandals around his personality and his election.

“Incidentally France is losing relevance within West Africa due to the consciousness of the French speaking countries in West Africa who are tired of economic, political and military control by the France government.

“Therefore, as part of deal to recognise President Tinubu, some political analysts alleged that the French government is using ECOWAS through Tinubu to fight against Niger Republic, who insisted that they will no longer accept France’s economic, political and military control.

“Now there is allegation that President Tinubu is going to sign agreement with the French government to deploy military in the Northern Nigeria bordering Niger Republic to forcefully remove the military junta in Niger Republic so that they will continue with their imperialism. Nigerians are very concerned with this development because this has created mistrust and terrible feelings about the intention of French government for its desperation to use ECOWAS and Nigerian president to carry out military operations against the will of Nigerians and Niger Republic people,” Rafsanjani said.

He also noted that political elites are not being faithful and fair to Nigeria especially when they know they have underlining health challenges but still insist on taking power and eventually they don’t give the required attention to governance.

“They always run to overseas hospitals to seek for medical assistance thereby refusing to build and maintain standard hospitals in Nigeria. Again the costs involved are very huge and doesn’t speak well for our country. In spite of our numerous professional and excellent medical doctors who are all over the world, Nigeria doesn’t invite them to look after our public officials. The frequency of President Tinubu’s travelling to France is alleged to be associated with his health condition,” he added.

Also reacting to the issue, President of the Civil Liberty Organisation ( CLO), Mr. Igho Akeregha, stated that it is within the right of the president as given to him by the constitution to exercise his freedom of movement, once it is within the stipulated number of days granted by the constitution.

Akeregha informed that notwithstanding, the president should be compassionate enough to use such time to visit victims of Plateau crises and do his job as the country’s Commander- in- Chief in the fight against insecurity.

He said: “A serious president is supposed to visit the families of the bereaved in the Jos crisis and sympathise with them. He is supposed to extensively supervise the security forces, making sure they nip the issue of insecurity in the bud.

“Our economy is in dire strait; it is not looking good at all. There is high rate of unemployment and decayed infrastructures. The president should sit down and address these national concerns before embarking on such frivolous travels. Traveling at this time that the country is burning shows lack of human sympathy,” Akeregha said.

On Monday, May 29, 2023, when President Tinubu and his Vice, Senator Kashim Shettima, assumed the leadership of Nigeria, many people had expressed confidence that the coming of President Tinubu and Shettima would open another vista for Nigeria, especially in the areas of revamping of the economy, improved attitude to work and increased productivity by civil servants as well as improved social and utility services such as electricity.

This stems from the conclusion that the President barely took over from his predecessor, and proceeded to create a massive economic dislocation by announcing the removal of subsidy on petrol without thinking through the remedial measures he ought to have implemented before doing so. It was shortly after the decision that he started searching frantically for palliative measures to implement. The policy has, no doubt, made more Nigerians poorer in the 100 days of his administration.

But the President in his speech to the nation announced a series of measures aimed at providing a cushion to the hardships being faced by Nigerians.

However, eight months into the administration, and despite the government’s Renewed Hope mantra, Nigerians are still groaning following the soaring high cost of living in every part of the country.

The hope of survival, many say, is dimming as the days go by, even as they wonder what the President’s private visits to France would bring to their tables.