Gbenga Omokhunu, Abuja
The Director, Media, and Publicity of the Muhammadu Buhari 2019 Presidential Campaign Committee, Engr. Kailani Muhammad has berated unnamed governors and federal lawmakers for their part in hoarding palliatives meant for distribution to Nigerians in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
He expressed sadness that their actions: “revealed how selfish elected leaders have become.”
Muhammad who lauded President Buhari for his investment in the youth population said had leaders across other layers of government did a fraction of what the first citizen has done; the fortunes of the youths would have been better than it is today.
Addressing reporters in Abuja, Muhammad said the time has come to let truth prevails in the affairs of the nation, adding that but for the twist in the #EndSARS protests, Nigerians wouldn’t have known that foodstuffs meant for distribution were safely in warehouses for reasons unknown to millions across the country.
His words: “The average Nigerian hardly eats two meals a day, but our politicians from the National Assembly to governors, cruise flamboyantly in Sports Utility Vehicles, SUVs around town. I am optimistic that this #EndSARS movement will jilt them out of stupor. The protesters have touched the conscience of a mass section of the various stratum of our nation across the board. What our so-called leaders need to do now is to sit back and think deeply about where they went wrong.
“Those who are scared of the unknown by these protests because of skeletons in their cupboards must have a rethink. They must readjust themselves so as not to be caught in the crossfire that may occur. The consequences of a repeat of a daring youth stratum, who might take a second peep through the lenses to detect deliberate damaging attitude by any section of governance, which inflicts avoidable pains on the populace might not have a hiding place.
“It was during the protests that Nigerians got to know that President Muhammadu Buhari had long ago, approved a whooping sum of N75 billion for Youth Investment Fund, YIF, that is meant to empower the youth stratum with a loan facility ranging from N250, 000 to N50million. That was a heartwarming revelation. Moreover, over N53 billion was approved for state governors apart from the palliatives from the Humanitarian Ministry.”
Describing the attitude of some governors in the handling of palliative funds, Muhammad added that it was nothing short of: “a nonchalant attitude toward a suffering populace by government.”
He continued: “Who among the governors has a mind big enough to groom the youths to take the mantle of leadership of this country when their crop filters out to the great beyond? The fact is that they are rather grooming their children, cronies and those that take oaths to protect them from prosecution for theft, fraud, embezzlement and abuse of office. Fortunately, the handwriting is now on the wall for those who can read the signs.”
In what appears a justification of the actions of the genuine protesters to hit the streets, the former campaign director had this to say: “Undoubtedly, the protests were a result of pent-up fury and frustration by Nigerians, most especially the youth. Nigerians were tired of falsely painted portraits of a better tomorrow that never materialized while the privileged few live in opulence. There were deliberate cosmetic approaches that were never intended to solve critical national concerns.
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“Seizing an ample opportunity to inflict irreversible damage on the populace and the government, the #EndSARS protests was hi-jacked. There were individuals and groups hiding behind the mask that fuelled the phenomenon like the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB led by Nnamdi Kanu and others but the plot failed woefully, adding that “those who infiltrated the #EndSARS protests with theories of reconstruction of the entity are mere casualties of psychological failures. They are aware, but not in tandem with democratic norms and avenues for addressing political distractions like this at the National Assembly.”
He also condemned those advocating for the breakup of the country: “Those advocating for the break- up of this country, have deliberately refused to appreciate or consider the implications or the dire consequences attached to its disastrous fallout. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republic, USSR experience is a good example and an eye-opener to us. Patriotic Nigerians should be wary of foreign powers that see Nigeria as a potential threat that can become a world power, thereby crowding their relevance on the global scene.”
He called on state governors to explore ways of improving on their Internally Generated Revenues, IGR, rather than squaring up for a fight with the federal government over local government autonomy.
Muhammad further advised Nigerians to continue to be united no matter the situation.
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