THE BETRAYAL OF A NATION

In 2015 Buhari was a wrong choice; in 2019 he is still a wrong choice. I knew this then, I know this now. But many Nigerians – 15 million of them that could vote, put their trust in him. He wasted no time in betraying that trust, right from the very first day in office. It was in the fascinating story of Macbeth where William Shakespeare wrote, “look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under it”. This president fooled many Nigerians with his faux integrity. To be fair to the people of this country, I am of the opinion that they were subliminally manipulated with the most powerful tool there is, the media. Their media campaign painted a picture of doom and gloom about a Nigeria whose economy was the third fastest growing in the world at the time. They told false tales of corruption, Nigerians believed. They said it was anti people to remove subsidy in 2012, Nigerians believed. They said the government sponsored Boko Haram, Nigerians believed. They believed all they were told and turned against perhaps the most policy- driven government in the history of Nigeria. Such is the power of the media. It was the media the Republicans used to convince Americans that Iraq had to be invaded in 2003 even though it was obvious that the Saudis carried out the 2001 attack of the World Trade Centre. Billions of dollars and thousands of human lives later, Americans saw through the forest of sleaze. It was the media in 1994 that convinced the Hutus that the Tutsis with whom they had lived together for centuries and share common culture were cockroaches that needed to be wiped out of Rwanda. Nigerians believed Buhari and APC’s change agenda, voted them to power, but they have so far disappointed on all fronts. This is a president that keeps political opponents locked up against court orders. This is a president that was on national television ( the only time he had a media chat) to justify the killings of Shiites and IPOB members while making excuses for herdsmen killing farmers. This is a government which according to the House of Representatives, has just looted N5.8bn from NEMA, money meant for the feeding of IDPs. This is a government that looted N49bn through a fraudulent school feeding that has neither improved enrolment nor quality of education in Nigeria. The corruption by this government is simply endless and heart- wrenching. How can this people be so heartless? This is by far the worst Federal Executive Council since the amalgamation, they inspire nothing. This is a government that has borrowed more money in three years than PDP did in 16 years, yet nothing to show. No infrastructure, no power, nothing! This is a government that has looted over $ 300m returned Abacha loot in the name of doing social intervention programme. This is a government led by a man that continues to divide Nigerians along ethnic and religious lines. Buhari has betrayed Nigerians. There are several remarkable stories of political betrayal throughout history. There is the betrayal of Julius Caesar by his friend Brutus in 44BC. Before this time in 509BC, an ancestor of Brutus had been responsible for overthrowing the Roman monarchy and helped bring the Senate to play. The senate used this to their advantage by convincing Brutus that he was destined to betray his friend Caesar and ultimately save Rome. Julius Caesar was known for wielding his political power like a dictator. It was only a matter of time before he would get rid of the senate to become the paramount ruler of Rome. He was assassinated right in the Senate building in 44BC. Before his betrayal, it was Captain Boukari who advised Thomas Sankara to order the arrest of Blaise Compaore his friend who was known at the time to be planning the assassination of Sankara. His reply was, “there is no friendship that cannot be betrayed”. It was on October 15, 1987 when Sankara was shattered with bullets in an act of ruthless betrayal by his close friend and ally. He is still considered by many as the best president Africa ever had. None of these compare to the betrayal of Nigeria by Buhari. This government has continuously and unapologetically shown to be ruthless against voices of opposition. What is the value of a Nigerian life under this government? How did we get here? What were we thinking? But we have another opportunity to make amends in 2019. God has given us another chance, we must change the change.