There have been apocryphal stories trending on online and social
media that the Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki is in a tussle with
President Muhammadu Buhari. This information is not true and is used by mischief
makers to gain easy attention and cast aspersion on Saraki. He has no problem
with Buhari as he supports Buhari’s initiatives that best serve the overall
interest of Nigerians.
Saraki espouse the belief of the rule of law just as Buhari does.
He has supported Buhari’s positive ideals in ensuring that Nigeria is a better
country. He evinced his love for
Nigerians by supporting many bills and activities that would be of potent
impact on Nigerians.
It has been his fervent desire that Buhari’s government should
succeed because if Buhari fails to deliver, it is Nigerians that will suffer
from the ripple effect of poor leadership. He has on numerous occasions
reemphasized that Buhari and all leaders should ensure that they do not make
ephemeral impact on Nigerians but indulge in long-lasting and life-changing
development in their respective places of leadership.
He has been on the same page with Buhari on working in solving
Nigeria’s fundamental problems that have been having adverse effect on
Nigerians. He has the alacrity to work with anyone who has the interest of
Nigerians at heart and he has been working with Buhari to move Nigeria forward.
The LEADERSHIP published an article on September 21, 2017 faulting
Saraki’s statement and activities with respect to the Indigenous People of
Biafra (IPOB) being proscribed a terrorist organization and accusing him of leaving
Kwara State in debts among other issues.
Saraki wanted due process to be followed in the declaration of
IPOB a terrorist organization. He is a man that wants the situation not to degenerate
and in doing so, he met with South East Senators on Tuesday September 19, 2017
and also met with Northern Senators on Thursday September 21, 2017. He discussed
sensitive issues of Nigeria’s indivisibility which they all agreed to work not
just with him and Buhari to ensure the peaceful co-existence of Nigeria but
also all leaders who are driven by their patriotism for Nigeria to ensure that
it unity remains indivisible. Why would someone accuse Saraki of working
against Buhari and the unity of Nigeria?
On the issue of Saraki leaving Kwara State in debts, did
LEADERSHIP bother to reflect the infrastructural development and the impact
such loans made on the people of Kwara State while he was the governor? Besides, is there any state in Nigeria that in
not indebted? In fact, most states even
have outrageous debts that do not reflect the achievements or impact claimed to
have been made, but this is not the same case with Saraki.
When some group of people are hell-bent on pulling someone down,
they will be blindfolded by hate, sentiments and selfishness, and will not
acknowledge the achievement and impact the person has made but would rather
dwell and magnify the person’s shortcoming which every leader has in one form
or the other.
Saraki as a leader has his own shortcomings which every leader
does including Buhari. Saraki hate writers have never reflected any good he has
done. Do they mean that there is nothing right Saraki has ever done? When one
reads such articles and stories you will just read what was or is on the minds
of such hate writers ever before putting the articles or stories in place.
I have written series of articles in support of Buhari and he
received approbation from most Nigerians for the good work he has done so far. On
the contrary, many people cast aspersion on me for saying that Buhari is the
best president Nigeria has ever produced. I support Buhari’s Ideals of making
Nigeria a better country. But despite all these, Buhari also has his numerous
shortcomings which pro-Buhari and anti-Saraki writers fail to acknowledge.
There are many “bad eggs” in Buhari’s cabinet and government which
he is very much aware but has given a blind eye to issues of corruption and falsehood
concerning them. So many activities in
his government have put to test his mouthed mantra of zero tolerance for
corruption.
THE WILL, an online news platform published a story on August 6,
2017 against the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Emmanuel Ibe
Kachikwu for involving in bribery scandal with the Chairman of Taleveras Oil,
Mr. Igho Sanomi. THE WILL notes further that total payments of the bribe to
Kachikwu by Sanomi are estimated to be close to N2 billion as at when the shady
deal was consummated according to inside sources in Nigeria National Petroleum
Corporation (NNPC). It was alleged that he bribed THE WILL to pull down the
story which was pulled down. Despite the calls by many Nigerians, NGOs and the media
for Kachikwu to be probed, Buhari gave “a blind eye and a deaf ear” to the
calls.
Senator Isha Hamman Misau, representing Bauchi Central Senatorial
District, in a story published by THE EAGLE ONLINE on August 25, 2017, accused
the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris Kpotum of cornering N10
billion monthly and taking bribe to post Commissioners of Police to juicy State
such as Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta States among others. There were calls
from Nigerians, NGOs and the media for IGP Idris to be probed and the Police
Service Commission reformed. But Buhari gave “a blind eye and a deaf ear” to
the calls.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed has been one
of the most contradictable Information Minister Nigeria has produced. He will
say one thing today and tomorrow deny he said it. He manages Buhari’s image in
an abysmal way. Recently he said that the Federal Government asked the United
Kingdom (UK) to shut down Radio Biafra, but UK insists that Nigerian Government
did not ask them to shut down Radio Biafra and they are not aware of any
representation from Nigerian Government about Radio Biafra. Has he not done
enough damage to be replaced?
One of the areas where Buhari has given “a blind eye and a deaf
ear” is the issue of Fulani herdsmen attacks. The Fulani herdsmen have been committing
series of acts of impunity by unjustifiably killing farmers/villagers. Buhari
has never made any public statement neither by himself nor through his Special
Adviser on Media and Publicity against such attacks. Such attacks have never
been vehemently condemned nor have he seriously ordered a crackdown on them by ordering
security agencies to carry out “fierce crackdown”. As a result of Buhari’s reluctance
and negligence on the matter, many are of the opinion that since he is Fulani
and also own cows, he is sympathetic to them and will not be fervently moved to
fight his own people who are herdsmen. This is also corruption in another form
outside financial corruption.
The LEADERSHIP says further that Saraki emerged Senate President
in the most dubious way. Shortly after Saraki emerged Senate President, Bola
Tinubu, Senator George Akume, Senator Ahmed Lawan among others approached
Buhari and told him that they will take legal action against Saraki. Buhari in
his response told them that constitutional process was followed in the election
of Saraki as the Senate President and nothing anyone or the court, not even the
Supreme Court can do.
If Saraki’s emergence as the Senate President followed
constitutional process, what then makes his emergence dubious or illegal? Was
his emergence as the Senate President unconstitutional? If his emergence was
truly unconstitutional whey was he not taken to court?
People should stop having ambivalent feelings towards Saraki.
Saraki has nothing in mind against Buhari. The reserve is actually the case.
Saraki’s only crime to Buhari and Tinubu is his emergence as the Senate
President against their preferred candidate Senator Ahmed Lawan. There are many
other politicians who are worse than Saraki but nobody talks about them because
they are dancing to the tones of the political elite. That is how politics
plays out in Nigeria. If Saraki had not emerged the Senate President, hate
writers and those fighting him would have used their “prowess”, “wherewithal”
and “energy” to attack others standing on their way and Saraki would have been “free
like a bird”.
Saraki urges Nigerians to desist from making callous comments
against others and indulging in calumny against them as these uncivil acts
increase political and social tensions and retard development.
He admonished Nigerians to continue to pray for Buhari and all
Nigerian leaders so that they will reignite their pledge to making Nigeria a
better and safer country where tranquillity will prevail over violence and
disorder.
By Terfa Naswem