By Muhammad Ajah
Come back home, come backhome
Come back home, come backhome
Come back home; Nigeriansare missing you
Come back home; Nigeriansare waiting for you.
Mr. President, your healthand wellbeing are important to us. Nigerians
want to see and feel you. We arelike a family whose breadwinner has been
away for sometimes. We know that youfeel nostalgic. But do not be in a
hurry if something is yet to be finalized onyour health. We are patiently
waiting, praying and working for our nation inyour absence.
The Presidency told Nigerians thepossibility of your return because you
are no longer “enjoying your stay’’outside our beloved country. Your
Senior Special Assistant on Media andPublicity, Malam Garba Shehu to us:
“As a matter of fact, we should be gettingready to see the president in
fresh and that will be soon as possible. ThePresident himself is looking
to being home to be with his people. I don’t thinkhe is enjoying any
longer with an extended vacation outside the country.’’
We are happy that your vacation wasutilized for many things. One thing is
clear. You have shown your sincerity bygranting unhindered control of the
government to your vice, the vibrant and eruditecompatriot, Professor Yemi
Osinbajo. He has performed wonderfully in yourabsence. Secondly, your
vacation has revealed that Nigerians are massivelybehind you despite the
few discordant voices from some quarters. Nigerians loveyou and they want
you to come back and look after them. Thirdly, it has shownthat what
unites Nigerians is stronger than what divides us because even
theoppositions are heaving signs of relief that you are great and
God-sent. They alsofeel your absence and want to see you physically at
home.
We are happy that you spoke with theAmerican President. America knows the
importance of Nigeria for their economicwellbeing. Mr. Trump, like his
predecessor, Barack Obama, recognizes your sincerityof purpose and
leadership style. Nothing is more heartwarming than thisinternational
recognition. It is the beginning of a friendship that will seeNigeria
progressive amidst earlier uncertainty that the new America will
antagonizeyour government.
Many prominent Nigerians were receivedby you in London. Surely, it is not
easy to differentiate the purposes fortheir visits. The heart is a sealed
bag; only God knows its content(s). But beassured that millions of
Nigerians who can never afford to travel are with youin prayers. By God,
it is their sincere prayers that are really working for youand the nation.
Many of us want nothing than good health and success for youand the
nation. And so it shall be. Ameen.
Your wife, Aisha recently returned from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia where
sheperformed Umrah. She must have cried out her eyes to God for youin the
Grand Mosque of Makkah. As she arrived the Nnamdi Azikiwe
InternationalAirport, Abuja, she asked Nigerians to pray harder and do
good deeds forNigeria and expressed gratitude to all Nigerians for their
supports for you.
Yourministers have been up and doing. The leadership of your party APC and
itsmembers are loyal and doing their best. The national assembly has been
workingon the 2017 Budget which you presented to them in December. You
said it isgoing to be free from padding and we believed you. But there are
reports thatsome things have been observed in it by the assemblymen. One
of your ministers,Babatunde Raji Fashola shocked the Senate when he
disclaimed the sum ofN2billion voted for Regional Housing Scheme by the
Ministry of Finance out ofthe N64.99billion budgetary proposal for the
housing sector for 2017.
Thelawmakers in their various standing committees are carrying out wide
scrutinyof at least 590 suspicious line items as budget defence by
governmentministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) goes on. Senate
President BukolaSaraki was reported to have given all Senate committee
chairmen a workingdocument and directed them to thoroughly examine all
allocations in the budget.
Thedocument, titled “2017 Budget: Frivolous & Suspicious Items”, was
prepared andpresented to the National Assembly by a leading government
transparency organization– BudgiT, led by Seun Onigbinde which outlinedthe
questionable 590 items in the 2017 budget from 32 MDAs. Reports say that
there are about six outrageous andsuspicious items that raised various
questions in the ministry of Power, Worksand Housing apart from other
items on other ministries and parastatals ofgovernment. The document also
according to reports showed that there isabout seventeen line items worth
over N2.1trillion in the Ministry ofTransportation. This means that the
padding regime is not yet over.
The civil servants are hungry, though patient andyearning for your return
to increase their salaries. There are stories, justlike before, that smile
will soon be put on their faces. The Nigerian farmers wantyou back. The
Nigerian children want their grandfather back home to give themwarmth and
love.
We want toassure you that our love for you is great, our wishes for our
nation aremagnificent, our expectations are high and we wish you safe
journey back home.
MuhammadAjah isan advocate of humanity, peace and good governance in
Abuja. E-mail mobahawwah@yahoo.co.uk.