Nigerian president Muhammadu Buhari, shown here on June 14 in Johannesburg, South Africa. | Mujahid Safodien/AFP/Getty Images
by Portia Emilia Anthony
General Muhammadu Buhari said he had only one million Naira in his account and 150 cows to his name before he became president and you jumped, clapped and said, “Yes, that is a man with integrity. He is dirt poor.”
Shortly after the elections, and without declaring his assets publicly, you realised that Buhari has N30 million in his UBA personal account and owns a palatial lakeside estate in Asokoro, Abuja worth over N2 billion. You said, “It is okay, Buhari is a man of integrity. He can own a house anywhere. He is not as rich as IBB, Abdulsalam, or Danjuma.” Instead of you to call him out for what he is, a man of questionable character.
He said he borrowed N27 million to buy his nomination form to run for president on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and you clapped for him that he is “so poor” he had to borrow money and no president had ever been “so poor”.
A few weeks later, the wife of a “poor” general, makes a donation of N130 million to internally displaced persons in Adamawa. Because her name is Aisha Buhari, some people raise eyebrows and ask, if she had N130 million to give away to the real poor people, why couldn’t she give her “fake poor” husband a paltry N27 million to buy his form. You said, “Oh! She is from a very wealthy family, the same family of Nuhu Ribadu who also is an acclaimed “poor man” with cows to his name.” Without probing deeper, you swallowed the story of Aisha Buhari’s “wealthy family” hook, line, sinker, and fish.
Buhari said he owns nothing abroad, but yet his wife lives at Mayfair in London. Mayfair is one of the most expensive and exclusive neighbourhoods in the world. So, you really believed the lie that Buhari’s family, would live in a government assisted house (council home) in UK? I repeatedly told you that Buhari owns the house in Mayfair where Aisha Buhari stays… instead of doing research or at least some cognitive reasoning, you decided to call me names… Oh, never mind.
While, Buhari was petroleum minister, N2.8 billion (valued at N645 billion in today’s money) grew wings and flew away from the NNPC account in London. Buhari claims he knows nothing about it. You decided he was innocent until proven guilty, after all, he has sold you the dummy that he is Mr. Integrity. Yet, you feel comfortable hounding Diezani Alison-Madueke for money that IS NOT MISSING of which a Senate committee investigated and cleared her of any wrongdoing following allegations fabricated by Buhari’s brother Sanusi, the Emir of Kano. Buhari – innocent until proven guilty though money got missing under his watch; but Alison-Madueke – guilty even if proven innocent on money that is not missing.
Buhari said he would bring back the Chibok girls within 30 days of assuming office. It is going to six months now instead of you demanding for the return of the girls you said you want to give him time. Okay, Buhari, please take your time.
He promised to wipe out his misguided brothers, Boko Haram within 100 days in office because it would be a walk in the park for him as an ex-military ruler. You believed him and what has happened since? Over two thousand innocent Nigerians have been slaughtered by his misguided brothers under his watch. The deadliest reign of the Islamist terrorist group since they began their Jihadist campaign in 2009. Yet, instead of asking Buhari questions, you engage in an equally blood-stained conspiracy of silence.
Buhari claimed Jonathan left an empty treasury. But in six months of zero action on the economy and with foreign investors fleeing Nigeria, and with no cabinet… Nigeria is still in one piece. Please, where does he get the money to preserve the economy? Instead of asking Buhari these questions and asking if he has been paid his salary and allowances in those six months you are busy passing the blame to a man who has l |
