Opinion

Buhari’s Intolerance To Criticism: Omotola Ekehinde’s Case In Focus, Muyiwa Olayinka

By Muyiwa Olayinka

The beauty of democracy is the ability of people to freely choose their leaders through an election. The leaders elected are given the mandate of the people to exercise authority over their affairs for a stipulated period of time. Leaders elected are expected to do the bidding of the people according to the promises made to the electorate.

The power given to a leader is not absolute; it can be taken away constitutionally if it is not exercised as it’s expected. Leaders found in the executive and the legislative branches of government have inbuilt mechanism in democracy to be a check on each other.

Criticism of government is enshrined in democracy if the representatives of the people are found to be derailing. One of the reasons why criticisms are allowed is to guide and put the leaders on their toes always so as to deliver democratic dividends to the electorates.  Though criticisms could be destructive and constructive in nature, but leaders are expected to take it in their strides. Criticism could come from the opposition party and also from cross sections of the people irrespective of religious, professional or political affiliations.

Human beings naturally abhor criticism or correction, especially in Africa, where leaders see themselves as tin gods and not servants of the people. Therefore critics are labeled as enemies or political detractors but not partners in progress.

Nigeria has vibrant groups of critics; they were more active in the days of military rule. Military rule in its purest form rolls out draconian laws but were resisted and consistently criticized by pressure groups and human rights organization. The likes of Professor Wole Soyinka, late Tai Solarin, late Gani Fawehinmi, Fela Anikulapo and his brother Dr Beko were thorns in the flesh of Nigerian military rulers. Most of them suffered worst humiliations and threats to lives.

With the advent of the Fourth Republic, critics become more vociferous with the freedom of speech that is associated with democracy.

Expectedly the Buhari administration just like any other past administrations has been having its fair share of criticisms because the government made many unrealistic promises to the people but able to deliver little. The government came in with a lot of goodwill from across Nigeria in 2015.

This government replaced a government that was weak in battling endemic corruption; expectedly Buhari hung the plank of his administration in fighting corruption, tackling insecurity and fixing the economy. Modestly it has recorded many successes in fighting corruption and curbing insurgency resulting from Boko Haram crisis, but the economy has been badly hit.

The economy has refused to tick with almost all economic indices on the downward slide; the resultant effects are massive job losses, spiral unemployment rate, soaring food prices and induced poverty. Hence many Nigerians are becoming less hopeful, after four years of this government, thus becoming more despondent with the current state of the nation. Day in day out, this government is losing many of its supporters despite winning its second term in a rancorous and contentious general election.

With the hope of any improvement in their lots dimming, many Nigerians are coming out strongly to criticize the lackluster performance of this government. With the rash of criticisms coming out from cross sections of the economy, Buhari government has steadily resorted to strong arm tactics to criticism.  It is no longer news that many critics are being blackmailed using subterfuge means and coercion in payment of multiple taxes by tax personnel.

Omotola Ekeinde, a famous thespian celebrated at home and abroad has become the latest victim of Buhari’s government strong arm tactics. A celebrated Nollywood star and a music artist,  has received many awards including MFR, a Nigeria national award, was also honored in 2013 in Time magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people in the world alongside Michelle Obama, Beyoncé and Kate Middleton.

She publicly berated President Buhari and Vice President Osinbajo over the unfavorable living conditions that have ravaged the country under their watch. She noted that the poor circulation of money in the country coupled with the shortcomings of officers of the law is going to make the country implode as citizens are being put in a state of fear, insecurity and desperation.

She wrote in her Twitter handle “The country under your watch is hellish! @ProfOsinbajo @MBuhari @NGRPresident. The lack of money in circulation now coupled with the continuous killings by uniformed men will make this country implode!!! It’s unbearable! Do something! Insecurity! Fear and desperation everywhere”.

Ekehinde is stating the obvious; there are mass killings through banditry and herdsmen in the north, draconian and extra judicial killings by security agencies, especially SARS (Special Anti-Robbery Squad), rising poverty, soaring food prices and the sliding value of the nation’s currency, the Naira.  

Buhari’s government is expected to heed to her warnings and be tactical in responding, but it did otherwise by attacking Omotola.  Most of agents of this government including Mr. President are habitual in attacking critics without addressing issues raised.

One of the aides of President Buhari, Bashir Ahmad rose to the occasion insulted her, alluding that honest people are making CLEAN money, she was only complaining because there is no free money in the system.

In his response, Ahmad tweeted “Madam Omotola those who are working for CLEAN money are not complaining and will never refer our dear country as ‘hellish’. In Kano state alone, from 2015 to 2018, No fewer than 200 medium and small scale rice milling centers emerged. For that billions circulated among millions”.  This is the trade in stock of Buhari’s men in responding to critics; character assassination, attaching corruption tag without credible evidence. Bashir Ahmad will need a lot of convincing to do to Nigerians of his phantom rice revolution. Imported rice is still in abundance in Nigeria while local production of rice is low and it comes with high price increasing astronomically.

This is not the first time Buhari’s aides will lampoon publicly to critics. The worse culprit is Senior Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to President Buhari, Mr Femi Adesina.  He had made many enemies for himself through damaging remarks while defending his Principal. In one of his rhetoric outbursts, he said “Some people will criticize anything they will find faults about anything. If they don’t have something to fault, they will fault themselves. Therefore it doesn’t worry us when we hear people like that because even if they mistakenly get to heaven, they will find fault with God”

With statements like this, Femi Adesina has subconsciously made Buhari to be infallible, a perception of the relics of the past or old aged century predating constitutional democracy.

This is the bane of our society. The people that are working in corridors of power are probably overwhelmed with the aura and temporal privileges they enjoy; go overboard to make flippant statements. With their choice of words and actions, they have created a wide gulf between the people and their leaders. They deliberately shield their principals from realities. Instead of telling them the truth, they deify, glorify and worship them

Promoters and supporters of this government are worse. They paint a rosy picture and attack the personality of critics in social media platforms. They have subsequently become attack dogs barking at critics. Either they are being financed secretly by agents of government, or they are being sycophantic, their bile awash the social media platforms.

For example, a supporter of Buhari labeled Omotola a “prostitute”, even Bashir Ahmad surreptitiously accuse of her of not paying tax. In the coming days, Nigerians won’t be surprised if staffs of Federal Inland Revenue comes knocking on Omotola’s door.  

This government is becoming increasingly intolerant of criticisms.

As President Buhari is getting prepared to be sworn in for second term, my advice to him is to do away with sycophantic aides and spin doctors. He should surround himself with people that will tell him the truth. The buck stops at his table and his government will be judged by posterity on its merit and not on the sycophancy of his aides and hangers on.  

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