By Muhammad Ajah<\/p>\n
Mr. President, Nigerians warmly welcome you back home from London after
\nyour medical vacation. You shall live long for our dear country. You shall
\nlive to see part of your elaborate, long-term, prosperous plans and solid
\nfoundation for national growth. Welcome \u2018Baba Development\u2019, even though
\nslow and steady win the race. Our hearts are gladdened, our hopes are
\nheightened, our fears are smoothened, our thoughts are sharpened, our
\nbeliefs are strengthened and our future is brightened. Nigeria has a
\ndestiny which is success and development. The time is ripe. All are
\nbecause our dear President Muhammadu Buhari has been straightened,
\nlightened, tightened and proven. We thank God that our President is back
\nto our motherland and that we did not wait for godot.<\/p>\n
Nigerians are overwhelmingly happy. There were wild jubilations across
\nNigeria. Crowds shouted \u201cBaba Oyoyo\u201d locally meaning \u201cBaba welcome\u201d in
\ncities and some villages across the country. Certainly, many are
\nfrightened. Some are traumatized. Many have been shamed. Others will
\nsurely but secretly apportion blames. Some will overtly trade blames.
\nUltimately, the country will be redirected, refocused and revived. The
\nreturn of Mr. President from London on Friday 10th March, 2017 has not
\nonly triggered the ever lively love for him by compatriots, but has also
\ncharted a renewed course in the administration of the nation. The
\nchallenge for the delivery of dividends of democracy has been reactivated,
\nthe expectations from the citizenry have been rekindled and the political
\nwill to deliver has been pricked and repackaged.<\/p>\n
The President touched down at about 7.40 am<\/span><\/span> at the Air Force Base in Though we have been with our leader spiritually, among prominent Nigerians The President had been nostalgic indeed. He said while away. \u201cI have rested as much as humanly possible, I have received, I think, the \u201cI think more important is that you demonstrated the belief in our system The governors expressed happiness too. Chairman of Nigeria\u2019s Governors Millions of Nigerian jubilated on hearing about his return. Brief contacts In Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Ebonyi, Rivers, Bayelsa, Oyo, Imo, Enugu, Cross The Abuja-Nasarawa road was shut down as Nigerians celebrated the Moreover, the All Progressives Congress (APC) joined compatriots in At the National Mosque Abuja, the area usually reserved for top government Though the president may not be willing to utilize precious times in
\nKaduna on board the Nigerian Air Force 001 before he was airlifted by Air
\nForce chopper to arrive at about 8.37 am<\/span><\/span> at Presidential Villa where he
\nwas received by the members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC), all
\nheads of security agencies and Governors Yahaya Bello of Kogi, Abdullahi
\nGanduje of Kano and Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara\u200e. He later met with them at
\nthe First Lady\u2019s Wing of the Presidential Villa in Abuja at a 30-minute
\nreception for him.<\/p>\n
\nwho physically welcomed the President were the Vice President, Professor
\nYemi Osinbajo, the presidential chief of staff, Abba Kyari, deputy
\ngovernor of Kaduna state, Barnabas Bala, Minister of the Federal Capital
\nTerritory, Muhammad Musa Bello, Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali,
\nNational Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno, Director General of the
\nDepartment of State Security, Lawal Daura, the Inspector General of
\nPolice, Ibrahim Idris, Senator Abdulaziz Nyako, all service chiefs,
\npresidential spokesperson, Femi Adesina who tweeted that the president
\nwill formally resume his duties on Monday<\/span><\/span>. \u201cPMB will Monday<\/span><\/span> transmit
\nletter to National Assembly on his return to the country. That makes his
\nreturn to work formal and constitutional,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\nNotwithstanding the whole stress, he met the Federal Executive Council
\nwhere he thanked Nigerians for their patience and prayers and appealed for
\nmore support, promising a rededicated life to service. He admitted that he
\nhad never been so ill even during his long stressful military career,
\nnoting that he feels much better and would resume duty with renewed
\nenergy. He has, however, kicked against sending of delegations to Abuja to
\nwelcome him.<\/p>\n
\nbest of treatment I could receive. I couldn\u2019t recall being so sick since I
\nwas a young man, including the military with its ups and downs. The best
\nway to pay back Nigerians is to rededicate myself to serve the country and
\nprotect the nation\u2019s interest in order to keep the trust.\u201d
\n\u200e
\nOn the powers of his vice to whom he constitutionally handed over, he said
\n\u201cI am pleased that the Vice President enjoyed this break and he has to do
\nmuch more. Youth and intellect is squarely behind him, age and purely
\nmilitary experience is behind me.\u201d And for the vice president, Nigerians
\nand the Federal Executive Council were happy to receive the President back
\nin the country in a hail and hearty condition. Osinbajo proclaimed: \u201cIt is
\na day of joy not only for us but for the whole country, Africa and the
\nworld. Mr. President, I must say that personally, this has been a very
\ninteresting few days for me. First I must say that I want to thank you
\nvery much for the confidence reposed in me by handing over the realm of
\ngovernment to me in the capacity of acting president.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nwhich is even more important than anything else. I want to say not only am
\nI, but I am sure the entire nation is grateful to you. For me I must say
\nthat it has been an interesting period going around the nation maybe in
\nborrowed robes. I must say I had a very interesting and challenging time
\nbut above all, the president gave us the good support\u201d, he said.
\n\u200e
\nThe wife of the President, Mrs. Aisha Buhari who received her husband
\namidst cheers from families, friends and well wishers, at
\nabout\u00a09am<\/span><\/span>\u00a0thanked Nigerians for their support and prayers for the
\nPresident. She was joined by the wife of the Vice-President, Mrs. Dolapo
\nOsinbajo, wives of State Governors, Ministers, family members and her
\nclose associates.<\/p>\n
\nForum, Abdulaziz Yari,\u200e welcomed the president on behalf\u00a0\u00a0of the 36
\ngovernors of Nigeria\u200e. Information Minister, Lai Mohammed\u00a0described the
\npresident\u2019s return as a vindication of their position, thanking Nigerians
\nfor their prayers and VP Osinbajo who gave cabinet members a sense of
\nbelonging. The Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Abayomi Gabriel Olonishakin
\ngave assurance of the military\u2019s renewed commitment to achieve the
\npresident\u2019s desire on national security.\u200e The Head of the Civil Service of
\nthe Federation, Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita, expressed happiness and urged
\nNigerians to continue to pray for their leaders to enable them deliver
\ngood governance to the people.<\/p>\n
\nwith several citizens across the country showed the ecstasy with which he
\nwas received by countrymen in their respective states and the unalloyed
\nsupport they have for him. Some exchanged beautiful messages
\ncongratulating themselves and also praising God for the life of the
\npresident and his safety return back to Nigeria. Others thanked God and
\nprayed for steady good health for the president which they believed has
\nbeen a kind of disruption to his focused strategies to reclaim Nigeria for
\nNigerians. One of my friends when I released the news to him was short of
\nwords. He simply replied saying: \u201cIf God be with our President, who can
\nstand against him?\u201d<\/p>\n
\nRiver, Lagos and Ondo, amongst others, the general retort was \u201cThank God,
\nour president is back\u201d. Madam Eberechi Okoh shouted: \u201cHalleluiah, Jesus is
\nLord.\u201d\u00a0 Luke Bonmene and Rosemary Okiri exploded in corroboration: \u201cWe are
\nglad that President Buhari returned to Nigeria alive! We pray and hope for
\nhis quick recovery.\u201d Adebayo Adeniyi said: \u201cI pray for the president and
\nwish that his first action will be building medical centers, hospitals all
\nover the country that will provide the type of care he received in
\noverseas hospitals. Having such hospitals in every state, he said, will be
\na major accomplishment. Such will save millions of Nigerian lives. Such
\nwill allow future presidents and other officials to stay within the
\ncountry when sick. \u201cA nation gains nothing when their leaders do not
\nprovide them with adequate healthcare. Nigerians love money but they do
\nnot know how to use the money. Thus they die needlessly amidst the very
\nwealth they spend so much time acquiring.\u201d For majority of friends from
\nthe north, \u201csai baba and Alhamdulilaahi baba is back\u201d were their words.<\/p>\n
\nPresident\u2019s return. They chanted \u201csai baba\u201d in vehicles and on bikes and
\ncaused serious holdup on the way. Some poured sachet-water commonly called
\n\u201cpure-water\u201d on themselves or on one another as some chanted \u201cbaba is
\nback, mai sugudu sugudu\u201d meaning \u201cthose who want to run should run\u201d. That
\nis for those who wished otherwise for the president or have skeletons in
\ntheir cupboards. Police and soldiers were, however, standing by to
\nforestall any breakdown of law and order, though they scared them at times
\nwith gun sounds.<\/p>\n
\nwelcoming him back. In a statement issued\u00a0by its National Publicity
\nSecretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party commended the President for
\nfollowing due process by properly handing over power to Vice President
\nOsinbajo, which naturally saved the country the needless controversies and
\ncrisis that Nigeria experienced in the past. We can recall the
\ncontroversies and tension the Umaru Musa Yar\u2019Adua\u2019s saga caused the
\nnation. Therefore, the ruling party lauded Osinbajo for competently
\nholding forte on behalf of his principal and for his loyalty and
\ncommitment to the party\u2019s \u2018Change Agenda\u2019.<\/p>\n
\ndignitaries was virtually vacant which was an indication that all were at
\nthe Aso Rock Mosque to have a physical glimpse or touch of Mr. President.
\nThe President, however, did not attend the Jum\u2019at prayer at the Aso Rock
\nMosque. So the government officials were left in disappointment.<\/p>\n
\nreceiving delegations from states and organizations which may soon begin
\nto troop into Abuja to show solidarity, the APC leader, Asiwaju Bola
\nTinubu is said to have assembled all the Yoruba Obas to go in his
\ndelegation to welcome Buhari. It is reported that they will depart to
\nAbuja after consulting with the Emirs. Some states might be closed in
\ncoming days to show allegiance and to welcome Mr. President. Some may
\ndeclare public holidays. Some state may employ other means. The crux of
\nsolidarity in this regard is total support to the President in fighting
\ntreasury looters, recovery of national assets and funds and rebuilding the
\nnational economy. Corrupt politicians should sincerely return stolen
\ncommonwealth to show solidarity and support to President Buhari\u2019s
\nleadership. Hypocritical interfaces, eco-political manipulations and
\nparochial tinges must be limited. As Nigerians stood behind, are happy for
\nthe president\u2019s health and safe home return, let justice and fairness in
\ngovernance prevail.<\/p>\n