PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI,TRULY A GIFT FROM GOD. - Weynet Sidi

At an All Progressive Congress(APC) national executive council(NEC) meeting today,held behind closed doors, in the Federal Capital Territory(FCT) Abuja,we're told by no other person than the Governor of Plateau State Simon Lalong,that the President,Muhammadu Buhari,has declared,again behind closed doors, his intention to contest for another term of 4yrs (four years) in the 2019 general elections.

President Muhammadu Buhari rode on the shoulders of young patriotic men and women,the masses,talakawas and ordinary Nigerians, who had had enough of the stealing,ineptitude and clandestinest that characterised the PDP ruling government,to political power in 2015. The goodwill,patriotism and nationalism displayed by these men and women provided the platform/pillar to the president's ascension to power in 2015.


On assuming office on May 29th 2015,the newly elected president,Muhammadu Buhari,promised to fight corruption,insecurity,boko haram and made his famous "I belong to everybody and I belong to nobody" speech. There was palpable goodwill,rejoicing,hope and a lot of promise when the newly elected president,Muhammadu Buhari,took over the reign of government in the country.

Nobody however expected the turn of events after the historic transition/change of government. First,it took the newly elected president,Muhammadu Buhari,an unprecedented six months to send the names of persons expected to form the Federal Executive Council(FEC),a body responsible for the administration and running of different sectors of the economy in the country,to the National Assembly. Again when the newly elected president,Muhammadu Buhari finally sent the names to the National Assembly,it was mainly constituted of septuagenarians and octogenarians who had been an integral part of the government we were supposed to be changing.

Many of the president's executive team,were one time or the other,leading figures in the supposedky corrupt PDP led government. Not a few Nigerians were at a loss as to  how and why, after six months of dilly dallying,the newly elected president,Muhammadu Buhari,could only come up with the same set of persons  the Nigerian public was so eager to CHANGE,as his Ministers and executive team.

Again shortly after assuming office,the newly elected president,Muhammadu Buhari,made a media showmanship of his governments decision to relocate the command and control centre of the armed forces to Maiduguri,Borno State,to effectively contain and defeat the menace of boko haram. Shortly after this,Nigerians were greeted with the news of the "technical defeat" of boko haram,by the APC led Federal government.

The same president Muhammadu Buhari's APC led Federal government who declared the "technical defeat" of boko haram with pump and pageantry,has only just recently approved the sum of  $1billion to fight the "technically defeated" boko haram,only ten months to the 2019 general elections. The boko haram menace has taken an entirely new dimension, with the emergence of the present APC led government,the insurgents are alleged to have been payed mouth watering ransomes,with prison swap deals that involved release of its(boko haram) leaders. Only recently,the federal government is alleged to have released boko haram members it claimed had become repentant and extended amnesty to the terrorist group boko haram.

There is however a new menace, in this APC led government,that has stolen the title of the deadliest terrorist group in Nigeria from the boko haram terrorist group and that is the fulani killer herdsmen .It is alleged that gunmen,suspected to be fulani herdsmen,continue to reign havoc in the Middlebelt and parts of the North-West,South-West and South-East,accounting for the death of scores of Nigerians,including women,children and the elderly,unabated and unhindered.

Parts of the country,Zamfara State specifically is faced with the deadliest and worst security situation in its history. It is alleged that gunmen have taken siege of Zamfara State,killing Nigerians at will without any serious response or reaction from the federal government to the killings. Only recently,not a few persons were mercilessly gunned down while attending a funeral for persons killed in an earlier attack in the state. The same goes for Benue,Plateau,Taraba and some parts of Southern Kaduna who continue to record cases of gruesome killings and even alleged ethnic cleansing and genocide.

The presidents commitment to the fight against corruption was tested with the indictment of members of his executive including the secretary to the Federal government,chief of staff,Attorney General,Inspector General of Police to mention a few. It took the resilience and determination of the Nigerian Senate and the outcry of the Nigerian public for the President to relieve the then secretary of the Federal government,Babachir Lawal,from his appointment,not minding the fact that his replacement is his brother and allegedly handpicked by Babachir himself. If the removal of Babachir was a fallout of the people's outcry against the Buhari led government,same cannot be said about the mirad of other corruption cases by key members of the Buhari led Federal government.

The economy under the Buhari led government could undoubtedly be described as the biggest single casualty of this current government,what with the recession,shortly after the coming on board of the Buhari led government and the attendant spike in exchange rates,price of goods and services and the overall hardship experienced by Nigerians across board. The Buhari led government's economic policies have been severally criticised by economists,experts,opinion/political leaders and only recently the biggest single donor to the eradication of polio among many other charities in Nigeria and also the richest man in the world,Bill Gates criticised the Buhari led government'seconomic policies as not being people centred.

The issue of the prolonged absence from office of the president due to health issues and the handling of issues concerning information around the president's prolonged absence including the cost of keeping the presidential jet parked in the United kingdom on tax payers money,the cost and nature of the president's ailment including the campaign promise by the president vowing to end medical tourism formed a defining moment in the life of this government.

Buhari,with his recent declaration to contest a second term of four years in office,may just be a God sent to the youth and people of Nigeria to wake up from their slumber,put sentiments aside and take back our dear country from the hands of the cabal that has held us captive since independence from colonial rule. This declaration by the president may be that wake up call that Nigerians so badly need. The reality of another Mugabe in Africa and Nigeria in particular should be a cause for concern to all discerning young men and women of this great nation.

Buhari is the God sent leader for us to realise and recognise that we must look beyond ethno-religious sentiments,party lines and personal interests for our common good as a people and country. The presidents declaration may actually be a blessing to Nigeria,a start of a political and social revolution. I call on all well meaning Nigerians to join hands together and save Nigeria from a few who using different conspiracies,including divide and rule,continue to hold the entire country to ransom. We're faced with a make or break situation come 2019,I urge us all to take a deep breath and reflect on what we really want for our country,ourselves,our children and generations unborn. Nigeria needs us now,let us put aside our differences,our pride,our selfishness,our hatred/bitterness/envy and all that divides us and fight for the soul of our dear country. It is achievable.

DREAM IT,THINK IT,BELIEVE IT,DO IT.