By Abdulrazak Enesi
Essentially, opposition is a key component of any democratic set-up anywhere in the world. Governance loses its allure and substance once there is no opposition in place. Ideally, the primary function of the opposition is to provide alternative ideas or views on governance.
Opposition employs constructive and objective criticisms based on a genuine, patriotic bid to make things better for the people. The existence of opposition is also necessary for the people to be able to access an alternative platform when a ruling party has not done well.
But do we really have true opposition in Nigeria?
At best, what we have in Nigeria is an opposition that is vile, sadistic and unpatriotic; a group of people who had plundered the nation’s resources in the past but who cannot wait to tell every lie possible to be able to return to power and have access to the country’s commonwealth once again.
Reminiscent of calling a dog a bad name in order to hang it, they often say President Buhari is sectional, divisive and that he is a northern irredentist. Some even go to the ridiculous extent of saying he hates a certain ethnic group. This is a lie repeatedly told!
The following are some of the facts they don’t say about the achievements of President Buhari since 2015. They avoid saying them because the facts are not convenient for their plan to mislead you into thinking Buhari truly hates some Nigerians. Secondly, they avoid mentioning them in their consistent tirades against the President because they believe Nigerians have short memories and always forget.
1. In October 2017, in his trademark magnanimity and human kindness, President Muhammadu Buhari ordered the payment of 88 billion naira for the compensation of Igbo victims of the Nigerian civil war and the evacuation of abandoned bombs and other lethal weapons, as well as the construction of schools, courts, and churches among other social amenities in the southeast that were affected by the war. Note that this was 47 years after the war. Successive Nigerian leaders had not taken any step close to this.
2. Just few days ago, the same President ordered the release of 22 billion naira for the payment of retirement benefits to workers of the defunct Nigeria Airways, these retired workers were mostly from the southern parts of the country. Note that many of these retirees had been living in misery for 15 years while others died in pains as three successive PDP presidents ignored their cry for help. Note also that the retirement benefits were supposed to be part of the plans to bring on board a new national carrier called Nigeria Air; so when the suspension was announced few days ago, the prospective beneficiaries of the retirement benefits lost hope. Trust President Buhari, a leader who derives pleasure in wiping the tears of his people and offering hope where there seems to be none, he quickly ordered the ministry of finance to pay the money.
3. The Buhari administration has 69 ongoing road and bridge projects scattered across the five states of southeast, in different stages of completion. There is no part of Nigeria that has received anything close to this kind of attention from the President. So much for ‘hatred.’
4. The administration is also constructing a new International Terminal at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu, at the cost 2 billion naira.
5. The coastal rail line being done by the administration also has its route alignment passing through Aba in Abia State and Onitsha in Anambra State.
If it takes ‘hatred’ for a man to commit this amount of time, energy and resources into taking care of a particular tribe, our brothers and sisters from the southeast should be happy with this ‘hatred.’ Other tribes should beg the President to start ‘hating’ them too.
… Abdulrazak can be reached through Enesizak@yahoo.com