By Adetunji Ayobrown
Wailing citizen and insensitive government are not too good topics to begin the New Year with. Even if that is what it was before but then all ought to have gone with last year. New Year, new hopes and aspirations on the part of the government at all levels should be their main topic.
Necessity is the mother of all inventions. Despite his health challenges, late President Yar’adua’s people’s policies are felt by many Nigerians. Such had shown that it does not matter, better still, it may be inconsequential when an incapacitated president has good hands as advisers and other aides.
Never start a new year on a wrong note should be the take of every living being, including governments and the governed after crossing over from the last dreaded year. To get started easily with governance and strategy in the New Year 2021 and do things with better hopes for positive life, it is rather better to start on clean and new notes devoid of all acrimonies and grievances. To advance in the New Year, things can never be achieved where people are silenced in a tension filled environment. And any government formed by the people for the people always must be ready to listen to criticism from the governed and all calibre of the citizenry. Except any other type of government, apart from in a democracy, no government will classify its citizen aspirations’ as ‘wailing’.
The President’s spokesman said he gave Buhari’s critics the nickname ‘wailers’ because they were fond of criticising him even to the point of absurdity, but was unable to explain the absurdness in the citizens’ demands or how requesting for one’s legitimate rights became howling to an insensitive government.
While analysing his statement, many wondered what sort of advice such people give to their boss, considering the Special Adviser to the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) on Media and Publicity, Femi
Adesina, with such a mind frame. As if he never understood democracy or what else can one say when he noted that the critics of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), should reduce wailing in 2021 and hail the President’s minute, intangible and unseen efforts.
Only a lazy and uninspiring leadership will think asking for your fundamental human right is wailing. But whatever this government’s policies are, more than ever before, Nigerians are set, anxiously waiting and seriously prepared to respond properly and adequately when the time comes.
The question is still what sought of advice do these advisers offer President Buhari, is it the like of ‘reduce wailing in 2021, as Adesina tells Buhari’s critics. Perhaps, Adeshina is right about Buhari that no matter how much Nigerians groan, this government is set to be deaf to their yearnings.
Nigerians are no wailers, only citizen with agitations; but who will tell this to Mr president when his adviser seems to be incapacitated too. Many have noted that the likes of Adeshina should learn from others with developed minds and from nations on how ‘wailers can advise a government that is not ready to listen, or is Adeshina’s other title about to counsel Nigerians in another episode?
For the records, the president’s critics are truly proud about accepting the nickname but Buhari’s supporters called hailers are not ready to accept theirs.
Certainly, any government that wants serious and better supports from its citizens will not be first to tagged them wailers and be proud of such then would expect harmonious relationship.
For the year 2021, to attain the maximum in all strata of life, despite government’s wrong start in new year, FG must be ready for more criticism and Adesina’s taunting, ‘calm down and wail less’, will only attract more negative reactions and only achieve the opposite of expected achievements
For wailings to be reduced or stopped, President Buhari should do the needful and expect normal reactions. Seems Adesina and some of his cohorts do not know the full import of his statement on Buhari’s critics, whose impact is not lost, not only on the critics but also on the government he is representing. And if asked to score Buhari’s government, many are quick to know what the response would be among Nigerians. I wonder what government’s problems are with the citizens; it’s as if it is Nigerians that are responsible for this government’s deficiency.
One wonders if those government aides are proud of the country’s underdevelopment, to be honest, castigating the already impoverished citizens’ and having the courage to speak of its non-performances as if they are nothing, or something one truly feels and could behold.
The Nigeria FG deserves more than support as many of its hailers are quick to say but Nigerians know better.
These days, Adeshina is quick to cite ‘achievements’ like that of Kankara school students’ release.
To Adesina, some critics fail to acknowledge Buhari’s achievements but what is the truth remains guess work.
If you must know, Mr President, people are dying daily. anybody who truly loves this country must not think it is a distraction for citizens to ask government to be more focused on national challenges like insecurity, nose diving economy, unemployment, inflation and sensitivity towards improving quality of lives, adequate provision of social services and amenities among many others.
Who are the Buhari’ hailers? This seems to be FG’s 2021 latest gist but with recent statistics and pictures, they are very insignificant number compare to millions of needy Nigerians who are being called wailers’ because they are criticising the government they voted.
If not that absurdity is undervalued here, imagine in a democratic nation that tolerate nonsense, someone has the gut to accuse our collective sense as nonsense. That we all know is absolute nonsense. By now neither Buhari nor Adeshina should be in office with the recent developments in the country, but instead, here it is the opposite. So unfortunate!
*Ayobrown, Senior System Analyst, National Pilot Newspaper, writes via [email protected]
