Ride On, Mr President!

President Buhari, you are the messiah that Nigeria has been waiting for. God assigned the responsibility to you while you were still in your mother’s womb. You fought for it as a young man during the civil war. You were

ready to lay down your life for it. How else could you have demonstrated your patriotism, your love for country? 

Mr. President, don’t allow yourself to be distracted by anybody. You are on track. Your appointments are your right and in order. You can choose to be a sole administrator with you wife as your Senior Special Adviser and your son and daughters Personal Assistants. 

I was disappointed that you went to talk to BBC (that busy body congosa) about your appointments. You owe no apology to any person. Whoever you appoint to any position is your prerogative; after all you are the president. I don’t understand all the noise about southeast being left out. 

Did you not say it during your campaigns that you don’t forget nor forgive? You warned them but they refused to listen. Now, that you are in charge they want to be your subjects. Do not mind them, banza subjects. They can be your subjects only by name. They should not expect anything from you until they understand that you are on a divine mission, which is to liberate the Muslim north and nobody can stop you from fulfilling. 

But, how did you make the mistake of appointing Kachukwu to the top NNPC job? Dr. Junaid Mohammed could have handled that position very well. It did not matter what he studied. He is versed in Nigerian problems. As Adamu Ciroma, a historian became Governor of CBN, Dr. Junaid could have been at home in NNPC. His case is even different; after all, he is a scientist. Besides, he is a well knowledgeable person on the needs of the Muslim north.  

If it becomes necessary, he can remove the southeast states from the oil producing states and the NDDC. He can declare all the oil wells in Imo, Abia and Anambra to be located in Rivers, Delta and Kogi states, since they cannot be transferred to Kano. Let Ndiigbo do their worst. If they have forgotten the defeat of 1970, then Junaid will give them a fresh dose of it. The oil you fought for should not be left in the hands of a vanquished man. Please, consider reversing Kachikwu’s appointment. 

The most important public service job in Nigeria is the job of the Comptroller General of the Customs & Excise. Its enormous capacity to change lives of individuals and communities needs not be mentioned here. You understood it very well and took action as appropriate. That job is important for the economic transformation of the Muslim north. So, congratulations on your courage to do the needful. That the last occupant of the position was from the Muslim north was no reason for anybody to clamour for change. 

That is not the change you promised during the campaigns. Allah be thanked that you did not waste your time on whether or not there was a senior officer from the Muslim north to occupy it. I congratulate you for going out of the Service to bring your longtime friend and confidant, Col Hameed Ali. You will recall that he has never wavered in commitment to the interests of the Muslim north. 

When Saro Wiwa challenged our oil interest in the Niger Delta, Col. Ali was one of the three men arranged to condemn him to death, which General Abacha wasted no time to implement and sent him to  his early grave. With Justice Ibrahim Auta in the panel, Wiwa’s death was justified. That is why his kin’s man, Magnus Abe is solidly with us.

Ndiigbo and their greed! How on earth did they expect you to appoint one of them SGF or Chief of Staff? May Allah be praised that you did not make that mistake. The SGF is important to the agenda, which you so well-articulated in your address to select Muslim leaders on May 2, 2015 at the Queen Amina Hall of ABU, Zaria. Is it because of the aberration that was President Jonathan that made Ndiigbo to begin to dream dreams? I think they should be reminded the history of that office since the end of the civil war. Any way since they chose to dream, disregarding the reality, thank God that the obvious has happened. They can go to hell.

You can violate the constitution; nothing will happen. Heaven will not collapse. You can deny Ndiigbo ministerial and board appointments. If Femi Adesina cannot defend it well, then appoint Festus Keyamo your adviser on Igbo affairs. He will know what to do. Yes, Ndiigbo will surely meet their match in him.

By the way, what is wrong with having kaftans or overflowing white gowns with Shagari cap to match all over Aso Rock Villa? Is that not our culture? Nigerians are united in adopting them as our national costumes. Whatever the President wears becomes our national attire. If it happens to be kaftans, babanriga and Shagari cap, it shall remain so. Please, that so-called symbolism of wearing a conquered man’s dress should be discontinued. No more of that, please.   

Finally, warn Ndiigbo to mind their business, after all they are traders. They should not provoke you. The Muslim north has regained control of the military and the police are fully under your control. If they are not enough, you can fall back on Hisbah police from Kano, Jigawa and Zamfara states. Ndiigbo should not dare you. You fought for the presidency four times. You did not weep for nothing each time you lost the election. 

Nothing will make you drop the director of the State Security Services. The importance of the headship of the agency in the campaign against corruption is not lost on you. For all it cares, the PDP can make all the noise about the DSS activities. If they like let them liken the activities to Gestapo tactics. The end will justify the means. Human rights are not absolute. The state can redefine human rights as it likes. For all these considerations, bringing back Lawal Daura, your kinsman from retirement to head the DSS was the appropriate thing to do. It is worth it.    

Similarly, Mrs. Amina Zakari remains INEC chairman. It will be a tragedy for APC to be in office for only one term. While we will not go boasting like PDP, no stone will be left unturned to ensure our victory in the forthcoming two gubernatorial elections in Kogi and Bayelsa. There is no umpire without some bias. Those who betray their own interest are not found in the Muslim north. They may be found elsewhere. 

There are traditional ministries that belong to the Muslim north. If they were secured even under President Obasanjo and of course pliable President Jonathan, should they be lost now under your committed leadership? Allah kiyaye! Let the dreamers continue to dream. You will appoint them ministers of defense, FCT, Interior, finance, agriculture and petroleum. Is that all? They want to go to the Court of St James as High Commissioner. Foolish people! Do they know the relationship between the Queen and the Muslim north? With one of us in the White House, no Igbo man will near our Embassy in Washington as Ambassador! 

And this ministry of Niger Delta affairs! Are you going to let it remain? If you cannot scrap it, because of the oil interest of your people, then send Dr. Usman Bugaje to man it. He will not need any brief to do the needful while there.  

This democracy stuff is really mightier than the gun. Imagine that? Haba, Zaki don become akwuya and e don chop yam! Otherwise, all those Igbo leaders asking for too much and their newspaper columnists should now be cooling their heels in your gulag. Well, you have subscribed to it. Just tolerate them. In spite of their noisemaking has anything changed? Has the southeast got any appointment? Turenci people! Let them borrow from the Queen, if they have run short of vocabularies.

All in all, you are getting well entrenched by the day to start using the broom. No apologies, for the broom brought you to power and must be utilized. It cannot lie idle. 

He, who has ears to hear, let him hear ooo! Let nobody stand on the way of a moving train!

Ride on, Mr. President. Ride on.  

I am yours without rancour.

Ubanese Nwanganga; ubanganga@gmail.com