It’s amazing how difficult it is for Nigerians to say “Allah sam barka” (May Allah bless the effort).
I mean all I did was to instruct Boss (Mustapha) to say we are planning an Independence day celebration that will last a year, and they are all up-in-arms.
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Some are even saying that we have no reason to set aside a day, let alone a year, to mark our diamond jubilee because we are beset with problems as a nation.
What kind of people are they that they can’t see the sense in fun and merry-making, even on our National day?
The endless thumbs-down that greeted our year-long celebration plan are all centered around the fact that we have numerous challenges, economic, security and others, and so according to them, it’s a misplacement of priorities to mark our 60th anniversary in grand style.
Last week, I suffered the same severe criticism when both fuel price and electricity tariffs were increased.
As if there was anything I could do about it, opposition individuals, organised labour and other categories of people all descended on me with accusations of betrayal and bringing unnecessary suffering to my countrymen.
They insisted that the buck stops at my table and I could reverse these decisions if I wished.
But that’s not true, it’s not how things work.
I mean market forces determine these things, how can it be my fault since I do not dictate to market forces?
But the accusations and criticisms persisted and today organized labour is threatening a strike very soon.
Somehow I can’t believe people accept all the evil things that are being said about me.
I’m really not bad or insensitive or unaware of the problems of Nigerians, it’s just that when I can’t help something, it must not be claimed that I am in a position to help it.
And this kind of defensive spin is what Garba and Femi are being paid to do. But are they doing it?
Yes, Garba did say that I also feel the suffering of ordinary Nigerians when he wrote last week, but I’m not sure many believed him, at least not from the reactions I heard.
Why are Nigerians becoming less and less appreciative and supportive of us?
Have these two lost their touch and that’s why they no longer sound convincing to our compatriots?
Maybe I should sack them. Yes, if they are doing so poorly that Nigerians are beginning to think less highly of me, then Garba and Femi must go.
But how can I do that? I’m not the sacking type.
I mean it’s not in my character to sack ministers, advisers, special assistants and service chiefs.
Why should I start now? The national, inter-tribal, multi-ethnic, inter-regional and multi-religious calls for the sack of my service chiefs fell on deaf ears only because it’s not in my nature to change my appointees.
Why should I taint my untainted record by giving the boot to my media aides?
And so I must turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to these unfair criticisms by the very people we are trying hard to serve.
There are those who say I’d grown so haughty that 36 years ago I called on Nigerians to remain here and salvage things together but today despite being a civilian all I said was to whoever wants to go ‘bye bye.’
Then others say that food has grown very expensive and there is a general decline in income caused by the pandemic but that none of that worries me because I’m more interested in planning our independence jamboree than in feeding the people.
There are those who say I am immune to the plight of the IDPs spread in different parts of the country because I didn’t bother to visit them and commiserate.
But must I do everything personally? Isn’t that why I have people like Sadiya (Umar Farouq) to run around and deliver humanitarian aid and give support?
Why must I be all over the place when there are people I can delegate?
The most vocal group among my critics are those who say the security situation in the country is worsening and my government is not doing enough.
To these people I can only do enough when I retire my service chiefs and appoint people they like.
But I don’t act on blackmail and certainly won’t give in to their pressure.
Yes we have security challenges but we can overcome them with patience and understanding.
To those who say that hunger, job losses and increased poverty are the reasons banditry and kidnappings are on the rise, I say, did these things start during my administration?
Why am I being blamed for what I inherited from the previous government?
Then there is the more personal attack from that fiery Sokoto preacher, who said that I came in with sunken cheeks but after a diet of fresh milk and fried eggs I’m now looking chubby and well-fed.
Is he trying to say that I wasn’t eating a good diet before coming to this office?
Has he forgotten that I was a governor, a minister and a head of state before now?
Didn’t I have enough to afford a well balanced meal before becoming president?
Truly Nigerians are a hard-to-please, unappreciative lot.
I no longer care what they say because majority of them are not ready to see the good in us.
And that old Otta farmer is not making things easy for me too, with his frequent criticisms and unsolicited advise.
In the final analysis, it’s left to me to decide whether to listen to all these kill-joys and cancel our diamond jubilee or forge ahead with our parties and have a whole year of merry-making.
I choose the latter, because we aren’t coming apart at the seams that we have to forgo our national day celebration to do what some people want.
In other words, a year-long party it will be, at all costs.
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