PRESIDENT BUHARI AND THE BOTCHED VISIT TO OGONI LAND.

www.skytyms.blogspot.com 

President Buhari

When it was announced earlier in the week that Nigeria's President, Muhammadu Buhari will make a one day visit to Rivers State to launch the Clean-up of oil spillage -ravaged Ogoni Land, I was a bit skeptical because a similar trip to Lagos State was called off just at the eleventh hour with no official reason given other than the rumour generated and circulated on the social media that the President developed an ear infection. How sad!

The Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) stood in for Mr. President at that auspicious occasion in the commercial hub of the country. 

Despite this doubt, I still believed that the President will make this historical visit to the Niger Delta region. 

 When an impeccable source hinted last night that President Buhari is billed to be received by President Macky Sall of Senegal later today or Friday morning, my conclusion was that Mr. President will jet off from Port-Harcourt straight to Dakar after the official launch of the Clean-up. 

Strangely, I wasn't bewildered when in the early hours of this morning; I heard that the President has cancelled the planned trip to the Garden-City. As usual, no official reason has been given by the Presidency for this sudden change of plan. 

In all honesty, the Presidency is one and the same. Whether the President or his vice commissions, launches and or inaugurates any project, makes no difference to me. 

The President has the power of delegation, thus he can so delegate a minister in his cabinet to perform functions on his behalf or on behalf of the Federal Government. It is one Presidency!  

However, the President's presence in Bodo, Ogoni would have made a lot of difference in several aspects in this dispensation. 

Firstly, right or wrong, there is a speculation that the Buhari's administration has by omission or commission neglected the South-South and the South-Eastern people. 

These regions voted massively for Dr. Goodluck Jonathan in the last two Presidential elections. 

 The much criticized 5% and 95% comment by the President after his inauguration last year is still very fresh in the memory of the people of these regions. (of course, some of the President's loyalists and core supporters have insisted that he was quoted out of context).

One year after, the appointment of key officials of his administration so far has added impetus to this speculation! 

A visit to the Niger-delta today would have clear some doubts and the President would have personally used the opportunity to reaffirm his commitment to the Niger-Deltans and his much celebrated inaugural speech of "I Belong to Everybody and I Belong to Nobody" would have resonated once again! 

Secondly, the militancy in the region has once again reared its ugly head. In fact, it's taking a dangerous dimension! 

Oil pipelines are daily being blown up and a new militant group, code named 'Niger-Delta Avengers' has come out to take responsibility for this latest onslaught on our pipelines, thereby affecting crude oil production! 

This faceless group in the course of the week threatened that Mr. Buhari would be taken out of the region lifeless should he dare visit.

Perhaps, just perhaps the President's handlers advised him against the visit owing to the threat by the N.D.A. 

If this is the case, then, we are sending the wrong signals to both local and international investors that Nigeria is not safe because the President cannot freely move around his country. 

Sadly, history is repeating itself in another form. 

 President Jonathan made similar mistake during the Chibok girls saga in 2014. He was advised not to visit Chibok, Borno state and Boni-Yadi, in Yobe State. 

When he eventually visited Boni-Yadi after much delay, several people including the international community saw it as a visit coming rather too late! 

This and several other mistakes by the Jonathan's Presidency cost him his re-election bid in 2015 and not necessarily for lack of performance. 

The then opposition Party, the APC capitalized on these flaws and took over the Presidency!  

Furthermore, the gloomy atmosphere in Bodo, Rivers State today shows that the presence of Mr. President would have made a lot of difference.

 The Ogoni people have been beaten, oppressed, marginalized, alienated and left in squalor over the years. 

The implementation of The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) recommendation by the launch of the clean-up today by the Federal Government is a milestone in the struggle for a better, saner and friendlier environment for the Ogonis.

The personal presence of Mr. Buhari would have brighten up the faces of the people and they would been reassured of a better community where they can farm, fish on clean water and get safe drinking water in the nearest future after the successful clean-up. Then, Ken Saro Wiwa of blessed memory would have looked on Buhari with a broad smile from the great beyond.

The gloom was even very apparent on the faces of the dignitaries present, including the former Governor of the State and current Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Chibuke Ameachi who must have been repeatedly assured of the President's physical presence in Rivers State only to be told of the cancellation plausibly this morning. This, no doubt is disheartening. 

In other reasonable and sensitive climes, the President of the country would never miss this type of epoch making event since the Ogoni clean-up has become an international issue! 

The President, by this faux paus, has further alienated the people of the South-South region from his Presidency and from his party, the All Progressive Congress, (APC).

The bragging right of the few APC members in this region has been further diminished and ridiculed by the absence of President Buhari in Rivers State today! 

Within two weeks, the president has lost considerable goodwill by the abrupt cancellation of planned visits to the two most important and richest States in Nigeria after enormous publicity. Lagos State being the first and now Rivers State!  

President Buhari was also expected in Edo State this last month to commission the over bloated few projects Governor Adams Oshiomhole executed in the state, that visit has also been put in abeyance.

  

Conclusively, Mr. President seems to be more comfortable with attending events only in Northern States and outside the shores of the country.

The handlers and those around him should discourage him from this trend if the President must really be seen as belonging to everybody and to nobody. 

 My final take is this: if President Buhari couldn't keep a mere promise to visit a state within the country, should we then expect him to keep the promises he made during the campaigns? 

I am therefore not surprised that some of Mr. President's electioneering promises have either been cancelled, amended or out-rightly denied. 

On a lighter mood, no wonder his party, the APC is now known in unofficial quarters as All Promises Cancelled (APC). 

Itote Prestige Damisa is a Lawyer, Journalist and a Youth

Advocate