Call it what it is. A rare rat race of ruins, of destruction. That’s exactly what’s tragically playing out. It is detrimental in all facets. What a race of some heinous sort! Needless contest of the absurd.
Awful. We have carelessly watched it evolved. Before our very open eyes. It’s recklessness on our part. The ruled and the rulers alike. See the monstrous mess we have chosen to make out of it. It’s festering like a wild harmattan fire.
It’s more than just a bush fire. It is farthest than that. It was well conceptualised by the species involved. The reason it’s sprouting like maize. It is a race of damnation. And of ultimate condemnation. Atypical.
They tag it all kinds of obnoxious tags. And label it all types of detestable labels. It all boils down to foreign trips. No colouration should be intended. Our dubious rulers christen it varied variations: State visit. Official trip. Investment drive. Working visit. Private visit. Business visit. Working vacation.
They attempt a desperate, futile deal. And re-package it “medical tourism.” It never works. It’s mere deodorisation. And this is odious. We ought to have moved fast past these trivialities. Frivolities not anymore. We hate the irritation. So, we call it rat race. Apt and appropriate.
Theirs has turned to travel rivalry. The main actors are the uncommon pairs: Late Muhammadu Buhari and Bola Tinubu. The immediate past and incumbent presidents. What a queer tag-team. They are in evil synergy against us. They turned serious governance into pleasurable voyage.
For the eight sordid years he happened to us. Buhari spent 431 days outside Nigeria. His medical trips gulped 226 days. And we paid heavily for it. In terms of human and financial resources. Official trips made do with the remaining 206 days.
Broken down. The picture becomes more appalling and disgusting. You will weep profusely. They are bleeding us to the bones. Our marrows under threaten. Still, they remain unperturbed. Beating the drums harder, louder with all their strengths. They won’t stop the music. Not for our sake.
Buhari landed on May 29, 2015. He knew why he came, what he came for. He had his focus on where he was going. And fixed his gaze on fast to get to destination. He started early enough and in earnest.
He was up and doing. Before 2015 closed shop, he had visited 16 countries. For 25 days, he was outside Nigeria. Manoeuvring, exploring and sightseeing in foreign lands. This included but not limited to Niger, Chad, Germany, South Africa, USA, Cameroon, Benin, France, Ghana, India, Sudan, Iran, Malta.
The following year, 2016, he was modest. He selected another set of 16 countries. But he couldn’t limit himself to 25 days. He ended up spending 35 days outside. A surge came in 2018. Buhari made it to 11 countries in 36 days.
A gloom gave us a rude shock in 2020. There was a drastic downturn. It came to the lowest, almost zero level. Understandable. A worldwide total luck-down did us in. Courtesy; COVID-19 pandemic. Buhari was compelled to comply. He could only make a miserable two countries. Spending a dismal six days outside Nigeria.
It picked up slightly in 2021: Visited five countries, spending 19 days outside. However, in 2022, it almost returned to a full blast. He was in 17 countries, spending 29 days outside.
Buhari was forced to slow down again in 2023. Between January and April, he hurriedly visited five countries. He was anxious to cover gaps. Time was not on his side, ticking fast. So, he spent 16 days outside.
He was eager to stay within the limit allowed. The end was near. That eclipse happened to him on May 29. It was the final blow that must. And his fears became a stark reality.
His dark era came to a close in our lives. Forever dumped in the stinking dustbin of our ugly history. Never to be witnessed and experienced again. In any form, shape or mode. We are glad we missed him for life. What an everlasting relief!
His medical trips came in between his “state visits.” The confused, frustrated moments of the Buhari days. Two of such drab times stood out. Never to be forgotten, erased in our short memory.
For 51 days. Buhari was put under intense medical examination. At home, we were in total pitch darkness. Buhari’s handlers cared less. And handled him with optimal carelessness. With maximum recklessness.
Inflicting enormous damages on him. No apologies. No remorse from any quarters. We were not talked or spoken to. Our nights and days were drenched in pitch dark.
Somehow. They wangled their crooked way through. And Buhari survived. He resurfaced in Nigeria on March 10, 2017. Having been there since January 19. His sycophants celebrated his return to high heavens.
The relief was rather short-lived. And their celebration cut short. On May 7, 2017, he was ferried back to UK in great haste. He was there for 104 days. The longest ever by any Nigerian sitting President or Head of State.
Thick cloud shielded Buhari from us. He could not even recognise his immediate environment. Practically, he was not aware of anything. Near or far.
The cabal caged him effectively. And were churning out brazen lies about his health. They made him look good. They turned his ill health to oil well. A cash cow of hideous sort.
The US and UK form a ring round Buhari. They are the epicentres of Buhari’s sojourn in other lands. Meta AI would not keep quiet. It testified loudly: “Buhari visited the United States the most, with 11 trips, followed by the United Kingdom with five trips. He also frequently visited Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia, and France.”
Our foreign currencies drained, depleted. Those countries reaped bountifully from our avoidable lapses. They are the beneficiaries of our squandering and profligacy. And these were easily preventable. But we wouldn’t. The reason sane countries took advantage of our decadence.
Tinubu picked the baton Buhari reluctantly dropped. The very second Buhari hesitantly threw it at him. He excitedly grabbed it. And he has been vehemently running with it since then. He not only upped the game. He deepened the scope and expanded the space. All to our expenses and painful detriment. It’s really excruciating.
So far. Tinubu has spent approximately 180 days outside Nigeria. And visited over 26 countries. Multiple visits to France, the UK and the US adequately captured. He visits’ bent is to France. That’s where has his most precious treasures stored up for him. He has jetted to France the most. At least, with eight trips since assuming office.
His frequent visits to France are shrouded in top secret. They come in all forms of shoddy shades. Vaguely: “Attributed to diplomatic and economic ties, personal affinity, and strategic meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron.”
Consider for yourself. The outlandish greed in our ruining rulers. See how much we must cough out alone for the President and his Deputy. To jet around the world this year. The duo is entitled to squander a whopping N8.74 billion on travels.
Even more alarming: Presidential Air Fleet to swallow mouth-watering N12.7 billion! Our home-grown governance is money gulping. And in all currencies. Seen and unseen. Known and unknown. Watch their thick lips. They are still sermonising belt-tightening, endurance!
No wonder. They’re always anxious and timely. To jet out and finish up to time. The budget must be spent, exhausted. Wholeheartedly too. It has to be anchored. Even if on nothingness. The earliest they launch the spending spree. The best for them.
Tinubu has reversed the old order. Making abnormality our new normal. Invariably, walking the truth on its head. Tinubu concluded his five-day state visit to Nigeria last week. He ignored us before Christmas through to the New Year. He never talked to us. No message, no greetings.
Even on January 15. He was not available to address our pains. He even abandoned the armed forces. He left them to lick their wounds and anguish all alone. We have taken adequate notice of this uncanny neglect.
It is gross dereliction of duty. And this is loud. We assure him. We are not missing him a hoot. Nor hurt without his mandatory speeches. At the moment true leaders strive to calm nerves. And sooth the pains of the led. Tinubu couldn’t be found, located.
Instead. He called the bluff. He bragged. Without looking back. Or thinking twice. He hurried up. And returned to where he thinks he rightly belongs: Turkey is his first port of call.
His foot soldiers would want to tell us. He’s on aggressive investment drive. They will begin to sell unsellable dummies. Whoever is not discerning enough will easily fall prey. Ensnarled and entrapped. Be on your guard.
They will concoct fake, unmatched figures, data and statistics. And throw such violently at our faces. Claiming these are the wonders of Tinubu’s investment drive. And its showers of blessings. Generously, abundantly, seamlessly, ceaselessly, endlessly. What’s more, on gold platter.
Aren’t we lucky to have an unassailable Tinubu as our indomitable President? They will ask into the weird, wild, whirlwind. And insist with stubborn arrogance. We must believe we are!
LAST LINES…
Beware of huge can of worms
What is coming out of Tinubu’s Turkey voyage should be thoroughly interrogated. It resembles more like one huge can of worms. Watch that $5 billion Tinubu-Erdogan trade deal. It shouldn’t be swallowed hook, line and sinker.
Where’s it actually coming from? Lest, we inevitably set up terrorism cells in Nigeria. And by ourselves. Erdogan’s fight against terrorism is considered highly selective. In fact, volatile, soaked in deep controversy. And bordered heavily on terrorism and its ilk.
Let us watch our backs!
