TAIWO FAROTIMI
President Muhammadu Buhari has assured Nigerians that the pains they experience now will soon fizzle out. According to him, the discomfort was brought about by efforts at correcting the wanton damage to the economy, the correction of which he had been saddled with.
He said, “These pains are temporary. The APC administration, which I am privileged to lead is beholden to the ordinary Nigerians and will leave no stone unturned to make their security, welfare and happiness our priority,”
He, however, admonished Nigerians to stop glorifying those who have been indicted for looting the resources of the country. This is similar to the plea that Wole Soyinka, Nobel laureate made to him last June 12, at the investiture of icons of democracy in the land. Soyinka had told the president that his admiration for late General Sani Abacha, former dictator was at variance with his acceptance of democratic ideals, including the belief in the sanctity of June 12, 1993 presidential elections won by MKO Abiola.
President Buhari had said that those who are critical of Abacha were unfair to him as he was a humanist and good leader. The curious thing is that of all past leaders in the country, Abacha is believed to have stolen much more and had stashed same away in foreign bank accounts. The probe and recovery of funds allegedly stolen by him, though started by former president Olusegun Obasanjo is still on today. A sum of $500 million is about to be repatriated by the current administration.
The president in his message asked people of all religions to allow the tenets of their faith to permeate their daily activities. The faith, he said, should guide people to stay away from graft. Hear him: “It is impossible to separate morality from religion, and removing this connection encourages corrupt leaders and other exploiters to commit atrocities against the society.”
