Sir: President Muhammadu Buhari’s broadcast to the nation on Monday, August, 21, though short (six minutes), was soothing to the nerves of his well-wishers, to Nigerians but, may not be so to those who see him as their bete noire.
I expected to see him appear gravely- ill as put out by many people including a governor, but his appearance on television belied that assessment. His speech focused on educating Nigerians on the need to live in peace whilst tolerating differences away from ethnocentrism because Nigeria needs all of her citizens to contribute to development.
Regardless of the bellicosity displayed by the president’s detractors, he was able to deliver his speech without being hot-under-the-collar. I appreciated his stance on his government’s plan to tear down divisive walls of hate speeches and to go after farouche men bent on causing mayhem; those farouche men who will start a Kentish fire and run away overseas when push comes to shove leaving the vulnerable to die.
Dark Lords attracted by the frills of power, addicted to the frills of power but who do not know that the frills of power devours and despoils.
Truth be told, those farouche people everywhere need to be tamed and prevented from returning full-time to spread hate messages, propaganda, dangerous rhetoric, which helps to dividing Nigeria. Nigeria – needs to be able to tame and fight back gloomy gusses, “irresponsible elements,” the same way Indonesia and Singapore did.
Our children are Nigeria’s future. Jeopardizing the future of this country by tolerating men-of-straw who are not to ready to live in the community of the whole is simply unacceptable., Every person has the right to live anywhere.
For Nigeria to move forward, the rich in this country must commit class suicide, go on a crying jag and care. It was Martin Luther King Jnr. who said, “It is time we moved from thick paper to thick action.” Our country is saddled with thick papers of policies but no action. The president alone can’t fix Nigeria’s problems but can in synergy with all Nigerians.
- Simon Abah,
Port Harcourt, Rivers State.