A Disappointing Presidential Broadcast By Ebun-olu Adegboruwa

Reading through the presidential broadcast, however, one cannot
but express a sense of utter disappointment. This is a president
who virtually sneaked out of Nigeria, who breached his own
self-declaration of transparency, by keeping Nigerians in the dark
for over 100 days, and in that process grinding the wheel of
progress of the nation.

Notwithstanding that the president took Nigerians for granted,
he was not impeached, but rather Nigerians were offering prayers
for his recovery, daily, only for him to return with a language of
combat and insult, describing his own citizens as “irresponsible
elements”!

There must just be something about the APC ruling govt that
detests truth and consistency. Whilst the president was away, his
Vice President translated our freedom of expression into hate
speeches and terrorism and here is the president, few days
thereafter, piling up hatred and animosity upon Nigerians, who are
simply demanding restructuring, true federalism and dialogue,
asking the president and his party, to fulfill their campaign
promises.

This should not be the language of a president that has
benefited from the goodwill and magnanimity of his people, this
cannot be the message of gratitude that Nigerians deserve from the
president, who has been absent from duty.

The president has not addressed the questions on the lips of all
Nigerians, as to make full and frank disclosures, on the nature of
his ailment, that took him out of Nigeria for 103 days, the state
of his health presently, and the nature of his treatment, so as to
engender hope in this regime and bring certainty to governance.

I had thought that the aides of the president were being unduly
diplomatic, all the while, by keeping the sealed lip over his
health status, but it is clear now from the president’s speech,
that they were only acting out his script of secrecy, contrary to
his oath of office.

The greatest disappointment in the presidential broadcast is the
act of buck passing, on the issue of restructuring, true federalism
and devolution of powers, which were the main campaign slogans of
the president, as encapsulated in the APC manifesto. So, I now ask:
what was it that the president was discussing with the senate
president and the speaker of the House of Representatives when they
all visited him in London?

Did they not tell the president that members of his ruling APC
party killed the demand for restructuring, devolution of powers,
true federalism, state police, etc, while he was away?

Reading through the presidential broadcast, however, one cannot
but express a sense of utter disappointment. This is a president
who virtually sneaked out of Nigeria, who breached his own
self-declaration of transparency, by keeping Nigerians in the dark
for over 100 days, and in that process grinding the wheel of
progress of the nation.

Notwithstanding that the president took Nigerians for granted,
he was not impeached, but rather Nigerians were offering prayers
for his recovery, daily, only for him to return with a language of
combat and insult, describing his own citizens as “irresponsible
elements”!

There must just be something about the APC ruling govt that
detests truth and consistency. Whilst the president was away, his
Vice President translated our freedom of expression into hate
speeches and terrorism and here is the president, few days
thereafter, piling up hatred and animosity upon Nigerians, who are
simply demanding restructuring, true federalism and dialogue,
asking the president and his party, to fulfill their campaign
promises.

This should not be the language of a president that has
benefited from the goodwill and magnanimity of his people, this
cannot be the message of gratitude that Nigerians deserve from the
president, who has been absent from duty.

The president has not addressed the questions on the lips of all
Nigerians, as to make full and frank disclosures, on the nature of
his ailment, that took him out of Nigeria for 103 days, the state
of his health presently, and the nature of his treatment, so as to
engender hope in this regime and bring certainty to governance.

I had thought that the aides of the president were being unduly
diplomatic, all the while, by keeping the sealed lip over his
health status, but it is clear now from the president’s speech,
that they were only acting out his script of secrecy, contrary to
his oath of office.

The greatest disappointment in the presidential broadcast is the
act of buck passing, on the issue of restructuring, true federalism
and devolution of powers, which were the main campaign slogans of
the president, as encapsulated in the APC manifesto. So, I now ask:
what was it that the president was discussing with the senate
president and the speaker of the House of Representatives when they
all visited him in London?

Did they not tell the president that members of his ruling APC
party killed the demand for restructuring, devolution of powers,
true federalism, state police, etc, while he was away?