Mr President Sir, your visiting Benue state was reported to mean you told Benue people “You will never be alone”.
But we still feel alone Mr President. We feel so alone.
Mr President, when we were being killed by our “fellow countrymen”, your “body language” showed the heart of a man who “belongs to someone”.
You promised us that you “belong to no one” when you came to power. We believed and entrusted our security to you. But when we were being slaughtered, all we got from you Sir was “In the name of God, please accommodate your fellow countrymen”.
Mr President, as you made that statement, we were in pains. You bothered more about “our fellow countrymen invading us than our dead”. That was painful Mr President.
As the Commander in Chief, you sent your IG, who for reasons we still don’t understand, was biased. He branded a genocide as a “communal clash”.
Mr President, the IG flouted your orders to relocate to Benue. You just told us you didn’t know about it, but how do we believe you Mr President?. It was everywhere in the media. Your SSA and SA media are quick to pick news and defend you. Mr President, they must have picked this one too but said nothing. Are you saying they didn’t brief you sir?
But Mr President, while you were in London, we heard that you said you watch Nigerian TV channels always. We were hoping you would continue upon your return and not shut us out, not even feeling what we feel.
Mr President, soldiers that disobey their commanders are court marshaled. Even those that refused to fight because they were not well equipped.
We now wonder if you will ignore this disobedience from the IG of Police. You very well know it will create an impression that it’s either you’re not in charge or that truly, there is some bias somewhere.
Mr President, you’re well traveled. You get to know what other Presidents do in times of crisis – they rise to the occasions. They visit. They console. They help.
Mr President, we saw you at a wedding party in Kano just the other day. A wedding party when the house, your house was burning. How come Mr President you abandoned in our time of greatest need?
Immediately we heard the US Secretary of state was visiting, your protocol officers fixed those trips to your distressed regions including Benue state. Are you saying you didn’t ask them why it suddenly appeared in your diary? You just took off Mr President?
You’re welcome to Benue state Mr President but the whole thing looks somehow.
Our Governor and others poured out their hearts. It’s called “akwa alili”. It’s deeper than you think Mr President.
It’s worse than an offended woman praying for you stark naked. It’s like the cries of a widow to God Mr President.
It’s a dangerous cry. It can harm in so many ways you cannot imagine. Tears mixed with blood of the innocent citizens is more dangerous than anything you can imagine Mr President.
I will like to use this medium Mr President to let you know how the economy is felt and perceived out there. Inspite of what your men tell you, there is a feeling of hopelessness out there, a feeling that the economy is still disjointed and not running as a whole. A big loss of faith. The Unity of the country has since disappeared making our country’s motto of Unity & Faith appear like just lip service and outdated.
Mr President, a business man wrote me today to air his views which I want to publish for you below. Please permit his closing language which I left unedited and very reflective of how exasperated people are out there:
“Sam, I hear that the recent borrowings is to refinance the local borrowings. If so, the major risk we are running is foreign exchange risk which includes the risks of rate and availability. Therefore the claim by PDP about the level of borrowings compared to theirs is incorrect. PDP only recognises foreign borrowings in their analysis. Moving away from local borrowings by way of TBills and others should be good for the economy because it improves liquidity for banks to lend to the real sector which should grow the economy. However, banks are not willing to lend for fear of increasing their bad loan portfolio. This again goes to the inability of banks to scan the environ and grow SME instead of depending on oil and gas which are highly subsidized. They would prefer the riskless.
Also the foreign borrowings should help Our exchange rate if we are productive. We are basically speculative so that any volume of fx pumped in today will be snapped up by the Buccaneers and transferred out of the country. In summary. The banks are not willing to help grow the economy, the CBN is afraid to pump dollars into the economy. The federal govt by foreign borrowing exposes us to the vagaries of oil and international politics. The masses are all dug into their trenches along religious and tribal lines while the elites who should force the required changes are busy on social media. Whichever way, we are fucked! My tots”
You are our guest in Benue state. We are warm people. We are the food basket of the Nigerian nation. You’re most welcome Your Excellency.