THIS POLITICAL STORM WILL HELP OUR DEMOCRACY

The storm in the National Assembly is not to make any political party or person fear. The storm is about the right of people to associate and express political views without being terrorized by State apparatus. If former President Jonathan’s arrowheads had done half of what President Buhari’s men are doing to perceived internal and external political opponents, the President would be no where near the gate of Aso Rock.

President Buhari must sustain the democratic environment that created the opportunity for him to assume office as President. He cannot stay more than eight years in office. There is no need to pretend that it is a life time job. President Buhari should fight corruption transparently within the law and no one would cry for what would legally befall the truly corrupt.

The Police should concentrate on the protection of Nigerian citizens along Kaduna/Abuja road and other black spots in our country. They are so many that the number of citizens who daily lose their lives to hoodlums and herdsmen are unbelievable in Peace time. Never before has life been so cheap in our dear country. What a state of insecurity sustained by the continuous incapacity of those that the President has entrusted with such crucial assignment.

The security agents should block the killing fields in our country and stop over concentrating man power on escorting VIPs and laying siege on political opponents or intimidating voters. Our country should show the light in sustaining democracy in Africa in order to rebuild our society and drive it to egalitarianism. We cannot go the way of Cameroon’s Paul Biya and a host of other wayward nations whose graduates yearly attend the Nigerian law school as they do not even have one in their countries.

President Buhari should not allow the Party cheer leaders and supposedly non- partisan hailers to mislead him by calling him a strong man for the growing political intolerance of his opponents. In the event that he fails his second term bid, they would abandon him.

Former President Jonathan got good advice from well meaning Nigerians in respect of spiraling corrupt activists, inefficiency of the public sector and how to curb the growth of Boko Haram insurgency which characterized his era. He did not heed.

The powers of incumbency could not save his fall like Humpty- Dumpty and all the kings men who sang Hosanah -in-the- highest deserted him. Some defected to other Political parties and pointed accusing fingers at him. Such is the fluid nature of our political environment.

Let the President redirect his energies in dealing with what worries the public the most- the state of insecurity in the country. He should keep on working to improve the economy in order to create more jobs, reduce poverty and raise the standard of living of country men and women. If the Government cannot build new infrastructure, it should strive to complete the incomplete projects on ground and renovate the existing ones. At the end, he should let Nigerians judge him and decide whether or not he deserves a second tenure in office.

May God bless Nigeria.

Dr. West-Idahosa.