Why Buhari Should Not Die Now (1)
As humans, we should all wish the president well, writes Emmanuel Ojeifo
Rather than pray and wish that the president should die, I commit myself to pray for his good health so that he may more effectively discharge the onerous responsibilities of his high office
Iused to be very fond of Muhammadu Buhari before and shortly after he became president. I am not too sure if that pristine fondness is still intact. Photographs of his days as a lanky, young military head of state portrayed him as a very handsome but stern and disciplined army general. His calm mien, stoic reserve, asceticism and austere lifestyle made a deep impression on many people, including me. During the 2015 presidential election campaign, many of Buhari’s compatriots spoke about their perception of his personal integrity, asceticism and incorruptibility with saintly pride. When he was ousted as military head of state in 1985 – at a time of oil boom – he had barely anything in his bank account. The man was said to own only a modest house in Daura his hometown, another in Kaduna, and a few herds of cattle to his name. This was in a country where being head of state is like being the head of a massive wealth distribution and patronage agency. His successors must have considered him a fool when they seized power, amassed so much wealth, crippled the country and became some of the richest African leaders in history. But of Buhari, we can affix this searching wisdom, “I came into this world with nothing and I will leave with nothing. Why should I steal?”
When after his inauguration as president on May 29, 2015 his office sent some of his official portraits to the residence of Cardinal John Onaiyekan, the Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, I didn’t hesitate to quickly hang one of those beautiful well-made portraits on my wall. The strategic position of the portrait in my apartment, up till this moment, reminds me of my civic responsibility to pray for my leaders. Even though in recent time I have lost much of the deep admiration and affection I had for him, I am not one of those Nigerians currently wishing and praying that President Buhari should die.
Over the last couple of weeks, President Buhari’s state of health has been a subject of intense public controversy. Rumours making the round have it that he is lying critically ill in a London hospital. Some of the rumourmongers even went as far as saying that he is dead. To be sure, this is not the first time that Buhari has been declared dead by social media spin-doctors. During the build-up to the 2015 election, Buhari’s state of health became a matter of intense public discussion and a subject of political smear campaign. The ferocity of the rumour mill that went to market with the news of his death was helped by the general perception of his frail physique.
Sadly, this almost infinite human capacity for lies, falsehood and untruth has been greatly accentuated by the combustible nature of today’s social media where millions of people read only headlines before broadcasting trending news, without bothering to ascertain the veracity of their claims. I have seen on social media the great rejoicing among a cross section of Nigerians who wish Buhari dead. To carry their mischief to the supreme level of comic spirituality, some Nigerians have proceeded to circulate obituary posters of the president. This typical Nigerian attitude of making a comedy out of everything should be deplored. When it comes to the fragility and precariousness of human life, we are all victims. That is why we need to show sensitivity to people bogged down by ill- health.
Rather than pray and wish that the president should die, I commit myself to pray for his good health so that he may more effectively discharge the onerous responsibilities of his high office. Neither of the two major religions in Nigeria encourages their followers to pray that their leaders – or anyone for that matter – should die. So which God are those who wish President Buhari dead worshipping?
Addressing his Pastoral Epistle to Timothy his spiritual son, St Paul implored: “First of all, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions and thanksgiving be made for everyone, for rulers of states and all in authority, that we may enjoy a quiet and peaceful life in godliness and respect. This is good and pleases God” (1 Timothy 2:1-3).
In another place, St Paul preaches submission to authority. He notes that “There is no authority that does not come from God, and the offices have been established by God” (Romans 13:1). He goes further to say that those in authority “are the stewards of God for your good” (Romans 13:4). Speaking to Titus, another spiritual son of his, St Paul rehashes his firm teaching about respect for those in authority. “Remind the believers,” he told Titus, “to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient and to take the initiative in doing good. Tell them to insult no one; they must not be quarrelsome but gentle and understanding with everyone” (Titus 3:1-2).
I am quite sure that those Nigerians who wish the president dead may be using his health condition as an avenue to ventilate their frustrations with a leadership that has driven the country aground, but even if President Buhari should die today, his death will not conversely translate to liberation for the Nigerian people. What is the point of hoping for someone’s death when no one of us is beyond mortality? However, the present circumstances call for introspection and a deep examination of conscience on the part of our leaders. Over the years, Nigerian politicians have shown their deep disaffection for the people they govern through their insensitivity to their plight. Nigeria is one of the handiest contemporary versions of the Hobbesian state of nature where life is solitary and poor, brutish, nasty and short. Human lives are decimated in big numbers and our leaders do not seem to care. It would appear that for them the lives of ordinary citizens do not matter much.