By Abba Dukawa
The purpose of government is to enable the people of a Nation to live safely and happily. Government exists for the interest of the governed and not for the governors” (Thomas Jefferson 1743 – 1826).
Dear Mr President, with utmost respect to you and your office, i hope you are well in spite of recent backlash against your administration wrong decision.
I am sure you never forget those that died while trying to catch a glimpse of you in those years ; old men and women who called you Baba, and who despite their old age and weak bodies spent hours under hot sun to see their votes counted in your favour.
we the youths were optimistic for spending the nights celebrating your victory though it cost us some lives. As both the old and the yong believed their future and that of their children are secured under you.
It is disheartening to let you know that we had a great opportunity for the country to regain its lost glory when we had a change of government in 2015 with unwavering hope that your administration would set an agenda for national rebirth and put the economy on reset.
But in the past seven years, the administration has failed to create the basis for improved economic prosperity. In 2015, the administration came to power through it’s change mantra with promised to fight corruption to improve the economy, security, education, and health.
7 years down the line, it has underperformed in this critical areas.
Contrary our convictions that your administration would right the wrongs committed by your predecessors, the utmost surprise to Nigerians today is that the country was better in all ramifications under your predecessors governments.
Nigerians never expected that you would be relentless in your fight against the nation’s treasury parasites – no matter how highly place and connected they may be.
The fight against all forms of corruptions – grand, political, and administrative – in all sectors must be won, against all odds, for the survival of the country.
When the news was broken to the nation that National Council of State presided by you has endorsed the pardoning of Dariye, Nyame and 157 other convicts it was totally condemned by Nigerans as a very wrong decision by the National Council of State.
It seems that PMB’s Government has not weighed the implications of the state pardon before the pronouncement as such extra-legal interferences, only encourage political thieves and other opportune public servants to embezzle public treasury and go unpunished. In any ideal society and a country at large, the essence of punishing people for committing crimes is to make restitution to the victims and serving as deterrence to other people from engaging in criminal activit“““““““““““““““““““““““““““““`ies, amongst others.
Nigerians wonder why the President granted such pardon despite the fact that he always says corruption is affecting Nigeria’s growth.
Corruption in Nigeria became so cancerous make the electorates to erroneously believes the current administration would fight and eradicate the menace, unfortunately the administration’s anti-corruption campaign has not fared any better than its predecessors because of lack of political will to march the fighting with actions. Certainly, your decision has violated your oaths of office and allegiance to defend the Constitution in my humble view, the pardon will nurture and elevate corruption to a fundamental objective and directive principle of State policy.
It is so sad and counterproductive in addition to the Moral implications of granting pardon to ex-convicts and serving prisoners Granting such pardon has really tarnished your credibility and your historical stand on corruption.
This is general opinion in the court of public view because crimes are vices that should not be tolerated by any government and it’s shows by extension that the administration has sabotaged it’s anti-corruption fight with state pardoned granted to convicted ex governors and other.
Whatever reason for this misdemeanor decision, history will not be kind to the administration and it leaders for condoning corruption in the face of your hard earned reputations of being incorruptible and honest person, an estimation that has not only been badly shattered but has also become a subject of scrutiny in the court of public opinion.
It is still fresh in the mind of Nigerians when Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, while dismissing Transparency International which rated Nigeria among the most corrupt countries in the world, by saying that Nigeria President Muhammadu Buhari administration will not take the rating seriously.
Really the administration proof itself right for not being serious in fighting this cancer by pardoning ex-convicts notwithstanding the fact that courts with competent jurisdiction convicted them for the crime beyond of any reasonable doubt.
The recent development has sparked outrage, against your administration with human rights lawyer, Femi Falana and other concern Nigerians asking you to pardon all thieves in prison. Let Mr president recalls, nine years ago, ex-President Jonathan, was under same hammer over a similar pardon granted to Diepriye Alamieyeseigha, back then, El-Rufai had said it typified the height of insensitivity of Jonathan’s government to the feelings of Nigerians about the war against corruption.
Nigerians then accused Jonathan of damaging Nigeria’s image over pardon. “Nobody said you should eradicate corruption, but don’t go around pardoning convicted people that have been convicted by regular courts for corruption and then you say you are fighting corruption.
You are sending the wrong signal not only to those engaging in corruption but to young people who see that there is reward in being corrupt. That is what Jonathan is doing.
El-Rufai had said. In my view GEJ re-integrated a person who has finished his jail term back to the society while your administration pardoned people who are still serving jail terms notwithstanding the fact that the highest court in the land, the country Supreme Court in 2021 dismissed an appeal of the pardoned person.
Almighty God knows I am part and parcel of the people that voted for your Baba Buhari for 5 times three times as presidential candidate loser and two times as winner this implying that i am unapologetic ExBuharists. `
`Let the image makers of the administration to hear this Hausa, saying that: DUK WANDA YA SO KA DA SAFE, AMMA DA RANA YA KI KA TO HAKIKA LAIFIN DAGA GUN KA NE (whosoever likes you in the morning but dislikes you in the afternoon, then definitely the fault is from you).
“““““““““““““““““““““Don’t know if president and those who cares for him and Nigerians at large know this is not best of times in the country’s history, I don’t know if you care how history will judge you when you vacate office next year.
It seems you and those around you do not care about that. Telling the true means you will be ready to bear all kind of insults from administration image makers. It is has become a normal practice for them to disparage and abuse anybody in defence of their principal.
They must be guided by high-level moral values and ethics. Yes, they needs to defend their principal, but they should do so only on the bases of truth honesty, and employing circumspection and empathy.
We were with Him and wished the administration success even before opportunity made them what they are today. This is true especially to Buharists, Ex Buharists and goodwill Nigerian are worry about whatever will portray the administration and it’s leader for doing either similar or worst than what than GMB accused successive administrations in the country of doing.
Dukawa is a staff of the Triumph.
