A Letter to President Buhari from my Farm
Dear Your Excellency,
Greetings from my farm, trusting you are doing just fine and slept well. I’m praying that I return home safely in the evening.
I’m constrained to write you this morning through this open space because of the urgency of what is confronting us as a nation.
My short letter to you is unsolicited and may sound offensive to you or to those consistently feeding you with half truths or outrightly lying in order to continue feasting on our collective patrimony.
Our nation has never been brazenly embarrassed as we are witnessing now.
I’m going to restrict myself to only the security challenges which are not only threatening our survival as a nation but has put everyone one of us susceptible to the monstrous atrocities of the bandits.
Your Excellency, so far the security agencies are either incapable or are not ready to resolve the security challenges and restore this great nation to the path of glory. It is either they are not telling you the truth or you are simply incapable of taking any action against them.
You have consistently told Nigerians that you have given them every of their request/demands aimed at taming the security challenges, yet no respite despite the humongous sum of money allocated to them.
You have a National Security Adviser NSA that is only visible when you are traveling outside the country. No one is aware what exactly he is doing or if the office itself exist. You are complacent on this since you are still retaining him. What advice is he giving you in service to our country? We need to know what he is doing Sir.
Your Excellency, listen to some people outside your kitchen cabinet. Nobody has the monopoly of wisdom. Your administration’s lack of listening ear is partly responsible for this mess.
We have advised on several forums on the necessity to think out of the box and compare notes with a view of proffering workable solutions to the security challenges. No one is willing to listen to us!
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Talking about the economy is just sheer waste of time and energy since your economic managers are comfortable with the status quo where 70% percent of our revenue goes into debt servicing leaving only 30% for other existential necessities. The dollar today is $1 = N650! We are simply broke as a nation under your watch!
Sir, the number one priority of every government is to safeguard lives and properties of the citizens. So far you have demonstrated gross incapacity in the discharge of this onerous task. Nigerians and indeed Nigeria are paying dearly with this gross incapacitation with their lives on daily basis.
The recent video where bandits are whipping their innocent captives with impunity is an example of our woes.
Every attack is followed by condemnation from you and a fabled promise that you will act decisively. So far so bad, only the condemnations and fake promises are consistent. The action required is completely missing!
You have in many of your promises directed the service chiefs to smoke out the bandits and make our open spaces free and habitable to the communities, yet no one is held accountable for his actions or inactions.
Your Excellency, you are making a mockery of yourself and the institution of the exalted office you are occupying. To whom much is given much is expected!
Nigerians are tired of being mislead and lied to by those vested with positions of responsibility.
Most of your appointees and even cabinet members are just bench warmers and Nigerians need no soothsayer to tell us this. From their actions and utterances we know them.
My simple advice; wake up from the deep slumber you have indulged yourself into. Break the circle of inaction, hold people accountable for their actions and demand accountability.
The nation is bleeding from your seeming docility in all aspects of our national development.
Nowhere is safe including our correctional facilities. Jail breaks in the country is becoming a quarterly ritual where dangerous criminals and terrorists are released back into our folds. No one is held responsible for this. Why?
You are the captain of this ship and your hands must be firmly on deck so that you can steer us to the coast safely.
I felt compelled to write this to you as a stakeholder in the Nigerian project as well as someone who stood for 8 hours in the scorching sun and voted for you.
Accept the assurances of my best wishes and prayers.
Salim Musa Umar – Jos
