Better late than never is what many Nigerians are saying today. The news of the Presidential honour for Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, the acclaimed winner of the Freest, Fairest and most Peaceful Presidential election in Nigeria in 1993, came to Nigerians as the most surprising and most welcomed news package of the year. The declaration of June 12 as the new Democracy Day, a day to be revered and celebrated in Nigeria has also come as the icing on the cake to Nigerians. The recognition of Chief Gani Fawehinmi, the Activist Extra-Ordinary, as deserving a national honour is most appreciated by those who love and fight for Nigeria day and night. It is clear from the ensuing reactions to these belated gestures that many more honour are coming to other deserving personalities, on account of the June 12 debacle. This is especially with respect to the June 12 election Umpire, Professor Humphrey Nwosu, who refused to be allowed to violate his conscience. You are today being vindicated. Your Honour is on the way. God bless and continue to protect you and your family.
While this gesture has generated a lot of reactions from different quarters, as expected, the matter as of now is settled to the joy of many, to the amazement of a few and to the sadness of yet another set of people who perhaps had orchestrated the unimaginable and unnecessary annulment. Meanwhile, the celebration continues while the soul of the Post Humous Honouree, Chief M.K.O Abiola, continues to rest in perfect peace, after the good news! The euphoria continues and Nigerians should here and now start straightening out whatever is wrong with the process and approaches which are said to need some adjustments so that another mischief-maker does not wake up in future to disrupt the goodness and glory of June 12 for us.
I join the millions of Nigerians in thanking President Muhammadu Buhari for this rare gesture, as I request more of similar gestures, for the angry, hungry and helpless starving Nigerians. This provides them with the hope that there is light at the end of the tunnel and more to come and that Nigeria will bounce back and be redeemed from the present precarious condition of the nation. There is poverty in the land. Nigerians are indeed suffering under the strain and stress of the biting economy, unemployment, unrest, violence, killings, inequality, feeling of maginalisation, etc. The President should address these as a matter of urgency so that Nigerians can be genuinely happy with him, as a true father of the nation. Remember, ‘you belong to nobody, and you belong to everybody’!
This belated gesture could have come from many past Presidents but they were not to share in such glories. Coming from PMB has given him some considerable political mileage today. According to the mood of the nation many are very pleased and appreciative of this exceptional gesture. It is clear that with more of similar gestures at this time, PMB will not need any campaign to be re-elected for his second term in office. By this I mean to humbly call his attention to the long- standing Confab 2014 Report which has been calling on him since he took over office as the ‘President of change’. While restructuring was part of his campaign promises, the adoption and implementation of Confab 2014 will do the same trick for him. A promise made, is a debt unpaid! We are therefore using this forum to call on President Buhari to please pay up ‘his debt’ by opening up and acting on the Confab 2014 Report. The voice of the people is the voice of God.
There is no need to carry coal to Newcastle with the confab report, we will not need to be reinventing the wheel, as that report represents another albatross on PMB administration. That Signature Confab 2014 Report will represent another masterstroke for the President at this time. While we understand and appreciate the fact that administration and governance is a continuum, the implementation of Confab 2014 will represent another continuity of governance. We are all aware that the Treasury Single Account (TSA is an Anti-looting policy) and the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS is an Anti-Ghost worker policy) with which PMB has performed wonders in governance in Nigeria since his tenure began. These two great policies, were initiated by Former President Ebele Jonathan and continued by PMB. Several millions have been saved and looters of the Nation’s commonwealth are no more smiling as they did before. Consequently, millions of Nigerians will no longer be suffering like they did before the looting was plugged. What a good reward for ensuring continuity in governance!
I sincerely urge President Muhammadu Buhari to use the on-going euphoria of June 12 to begin the process of opening up and implementing some of the Confab recommendations which represent the immediate solutions to the current problems which our nation currently faces. It is so expedient to act fast so that the impending elections do not meet the various yearnings and calls by the ethnic groups unaddressed. Promptness of the Presidential attention to the long waiting Confab report, will further sooth the wounds of those who have been hurt and suffering as well as those who are daily clamouring for secessions. While the ovation is still very loud, the President should take advantage of it and actualize the Confab recommendations.
We all know that the representation of membership of the Conference was very balanced and star-studded. As if the President had the premonition that he was going to sign the “Not too Young to Run” Bill into Law, youths were ably represented on the Confab. We also know that the Confab leadership was well selected to come from particular sections of Nigeria. From the reports which reached us as Nigerians, we understood that the entire conducts and procedures adopted were by the consensus of the entire Confab membership. We never heard or read that during the Plenary, Committee and Sub-Committee Sessions there were fights and chair throwing bouts, which is characteristic of the national and States’ legislative Chambers in Nigeria! The final report was duly agreed upon and signed by ALL CONFAB members with no exception. There was no kind of credibility concern whatsoever. The men and women who sat for weeks and months were people of honour and class. To me as a Nigerian, we do not need any type of referendum, if the report has been orchestrated by people of impeccable characters, like the ones who deliberated exhaustively on issues and wrote that report. Kudos to these ethnic and tribal ambassadors.
In view of the above paragraphs:
I, Adekunle Akinyemi, a citizen of our great country Nigeria, on behalf of my fellow compatriots, do hereby so move that the 2014 Confab Report be opened for immediate action, by President Muhammadu Buhari for the peace, progress, and development of our united Nigeria.
It is my fervent hope that this singular action by President Buhari will bring more joy and prosperity to Nigerians and will give him the hope of being sworn in for a second term for his magnanimity and love for our fatherland. All PMB mistakes will be forgiven and he will leave his indelible memories for all Nigerians to remember from generation to generation.
In conclusion, my humble advice to Mr. President is to allow himself to be put on the right side of history and let posterity to judge him right. Nothing lasts forever and everything must change. If he does not implement this humble request, someone else will implement it and put him to shame as he has put the actors and perpetrators in the June 12 debacle to shame today. Twenty-five years seem like a long time but the truth cannot be suppressed forever. A few words should be enough for the wise. Nigeria cannot afford to swear-in another set of looters with Jumbo benefits and allowances while the masses are left to suffer. It will be such a great calamity, if Nigeria has to enter the next 9th National Assembly with the ongoing mess – jumbo salaries, allowances, benefits and looting, injustice, inequalities in a nation of hungry, angry and displeased population. PMB, the ball is in your court now, you can claim the glory or lose it, the choice is yours. You should choose to be magnanimous again. Nigeria will certainly survive by His grace and mercy, Amen.
