By: Femi Fani-Kayode<\/p>\n
During his throughly uninspiring six minute broadcast this morning instead
\nof appealing to Nigerians for patience and understanding and instead of
\napologising to them for the ineptitude and sheer incompetence that his
\ngovernment has displayed over the last 2 years, President Muhammadu Buhari
\nhas returned home after 105 days on his sick bed in the United Kingdom and
\nnot only insulted Nigerians\u00a0 but also threatened them.<\/p>\n
He made no attempt to reach out to the people, to build bridges and to
\ncalm the troubled waters in what is clearly a traumatised and divided
\nnation and instead he sought to intimidate and talk down on our people and
\nhis perceived enemies.<\/p>\n
The President appears to have failed to appreciate the fact that times
\nhave changed and that he cannot impose his will on others.<\/p>\n
He claims that his views represents the thinking of the majority of
\nNigerians yet he refuses to accept the idea or acknowledge the legitimacy
\nof a national referendum.<\/p>\n
He is meant to be a servant leader and a democratically-elected President
\nand not a military dictator, a Caliph or a King.<\/p>\n
If he wants to enhance national unity, which is of course a noble and
\nrighteous venture, and if he really wants Nigeria to remain one then he
\nmust desist from his dangerous and provocative rhetoric, he must treat all
\nNigerians like human beings and as equals, he must exhibit a much higher
\ndegree of sobriety and accomodation of contrary and dissenting views and
\nhe must display far more sensitivity, understanding and restraint in his
\ninteractions and discourse with the opposition and those that do not agree
\nwith him.<\/p>\n
Failing that and without a quick recourse to the devolution of power from
\nthe centre and the neat and timely restructuring of what is essentially a
\nfake pseudo-federation and a functional unitary state, the agitation for
\nemancipation will become more pronounced, the various ethnic nationalities
\nin this country will eventually exercise their right of self-determination
\nand our nation will eventually break.<\/p>\n
The fault lines are there and they are visible for all to see. We must
\nrecognise our differences, acknowledge our fears, concerns and anxieties,
\nsooth frayed nerves, bridge the gap, make the necessary concessions and
\nheal the wounds or we must prepare for the very worse in the not too
\ndistant future. That is the way forward and that is the only way to ensure
\nand guarantee lasting peace and unity.<\/p>\n
Since the President mentioned the late and reverred Chief Emeka
\nOdumegwu-Ojukwu, the Ikemba Nnewi, the former Head of State of the old
\nBiafra and the Eze Gburugburu of the Igbo, in his morning address let me
\nadd the following.<\/p>\n
If this great man were still alive today to witness what his Igbo people
\nhave been subjected to over the last two years under the Buhari
\nadministration he would have been the first to insist on Biafra all over
\nagain.<\/p>\n
And the truth is that Ojukwu, Major Chukwuemeka Kaduna Nzeogwu and the
\ngreat Zik of Africa, the Owelle of Onitsha, Chief Nnamdi Azikiwe have
\ncollectively resurrected in a young lion from the east called Nnamdi Kanu
\nwho he must handle with the utmost care.<\/p>\n
What the President is unable to grasp and fails to comprehend is this: we
\nare not children, we are not animals and we refuse to be second class
\ncitizens.<\/p>\n
Simply put we would rather die as free men, standing on our feet and
\nresisting evil, tyranny and subjugation than live as servile slaves and
\npliant bonded servants with bowed heads and on bended knee.<\/p>\n
All Mr. President’s sinister and inappropiate talk about “red lines” and
\nhis insidious threats of bloodshed and bloodflow cannot change that and
\nneither is anyone intimidated. Such talk is reckless, dangerous,
\nirresponsible and inappropiate.<\/p>\n
Worse of all other than saying that every Nigerian has the right to live This strange omission and instructive refusal by Mr. President is It was also a missed opportunity to allay the legitimate fears and genuine I sincerely hope that history does not repeat itself in this regard.<\/p>\n Finally the President expressed his concerns about the social media.<\/p>\n The truth is that the internet has always been the nightmare of tyrants This is because it is designed to ensure the free flow of information and Now that our President has acknowledged his disdain and hate for this We will keep them on their toes and hold them to account by utilising the His morning address was shallow, insensitive, uninspiring and divisive That would be the best thing that he could do for Nigeria and that would By: Femi Fani-Kayode During his throughly uninspiring six minute broadcast this morning instead of appealing to Nigerians for patience and understanding and instead of apologising to them for the ineptitude…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":41594,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-59191","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles-opinions"],"yoast_head":"\n
\nin any part of the country, which in itself is undoubtedly a welcome and
\ngratifying assertion, he refused to order the arrest or threaten to cage
\nand bring to justice those that gave the Igbo people a chilling quit
\nnotice and that have promised to unleash genocide, ethnic cleansing and
\nmass murder on them if they refused to abide by it and leave the north by
\nOctober 1st<\/span><\/span>..<\/p>\n
\nunacceptable and it feeds into the narrative that there may well be some
\nkind of frightful hidden agenda unfolding.<\/p>\n
\nconcerns of many Igbos and southerners that live in the north.<\/p>\n
\nand dictators all over the world ever since it came into existence.<\/p>\n
\nto expose their excesses and atrocities.<\/p>\n
\nmedium we will increase our efforts to make life more difficult for his
\ngovernment through it.<\/p>\n
\nsocial and traditional media all the more. What he wishes to hide shall be
\nmade manifest and known to all.<\/p>\n
\nand, judging from what I saw, I believe that he should resign, go home and
\ntake care of his health.<\/p>\n
\nbe the best way to enhance national cohesion and unity.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"