By Hon. Ken Robinson
This year’s Independence Day speech by President Muhammadu Buhari can easily be deemed the worst independence day speech in Nigeria’s history.
The speech was indifferent to the mood of the country; the growing disaffections, dissensions and disillusions, arising from the actions and inactions of the government. Rather, it’s full of hallucinations and wishful thinking, perhaps, based on what might be pleasing to the President, and not the citizens.
There is something wrong with the president’s speechwriters and handlers. They offend citizens’ sensibilities in their ridiculous, tenuous justification of the colossal failure of the administration. They are either making excuses or playing the blame game; it’s always someone else’s fault.
How can they say it is hoarding by “middlemen” that is responsible for the current food crisis in the country?
Unsurprisingly, no mention was made of the killer herdsmen, bandits and insurgents who are destroying farms and hunting farmers away from their farmlands, across the country. Of course, they are untouchables!
The assertion that the government is taking the fight against insecurity to the enemy and winning, is also odd. How?
A few days ago, gunmen, reportedly, again, invaded Sarkin Pawa, headquarters of Munyan local government area of Niger state, killing no fewer than thirty people. Bandits also, allegedly, overran a joint military base in Sabon Birni local government area of Sokoto State, killing some security personnel, last week.
And, last Sunday, suspected Boko Haram insurgents also reportedly attacked a community in Yobe State. The incident, which caused many of the villagers to flee, came a month after the terrorists launched a similar assault on the community. Reports of the horrendous activities of Bandits, Insurgents and Herders are upsetting and terrifying.
So what “fight against insecurity” is the government winning? Is it the fight against Sunday Igboho and Nnamdi Kanu?
That explains why, they, easily, can declare to have identified sponsors of Igboho and Kanu but remain silent on sponsors of the insurgents, bandits and killer herders, who are the true enemies of the country. It’s a shame.
This independence day speech reverberates the bigotry and nepotism of the Buhari administration. And that’s Nigeria’s greatest problem today.
Hon. Ken Robinson is the National Publicity Secretary of the Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF. He wrote from Port Harcourt.
