Per Olakunle Olafioye

president Muhammadu Buharis plea to Nigerians over the inconvenience his eight-year administration might have brought on the nation appears to have didn’t calm frayed nerves as anticipated.

As an alternative, the president’s palpable good intentions are at the moment drawing a backlash from critics who’re branding his apology with disagreeable epithets.

The President made his attraction penultimate Friday, marking his remaining exit from the presidency on Sallah Day, earlier than handing over, thanking Nigerians for the dignity of serving two phrases from 2015 to 2023.

President Buhari mentioned he took all of the complaints and criticism properly, understanding that it was a part of the management he prayed and requested God for.

His phrases: God has given me an unbelievable alternative to serve the nation. We’re all human, if I damage somebody within the service of the nation, please forgive me.

I ask all these whom I’ve damage to forgive me. I’m nonetheless grateful to Nigerians, who voted for me in 2015 and 2019, with none financial incentive, with some gathering in campaigns and receptions within the states simply to catch a glimpse.

I feel it is a coincidence that I mentioned goodbye to you and thanks for placing up with me for nearly eight years.

However reacting to the president’s pleas for forgiveness, a famend safety professional from Port Harcourt, Jackson-Lekan Ojo, described the president’s apology as reopening previous wounds, saying the transfer was pointless.

In accordance with him, the president’s managers didn’t advise him properly. There could be no motive for him to apologize given the monumental errors he made. Will his apology convey again the hundreds of Nigerians who died of poverty or the hundreds of Nigerians who have been kidnapped however by no means returned? An apology for the overall collapse of our infrastructure?

Emotional emotions is not going to work contemplating what Nigerians have needed to undergo within the final eight years.

Mr. President is about to pack his cargo and go away Aso Rock on Might 29. Nigerians cannot look ahead to him to depart as the brand new president. Buhari’s apology to Nigerians now could be tantamount to rekindling the bitterness of the accidents, losses and calamities Nigerians have suffered below his administration within the final eight years. What sins did he apologize for? Is it his incompetence in preventing insurgency or corruption or in managing the financial system? Is it due to his current redesign of the Naira that has thrown the nation into hassle? You claimed to have redesigned the Naira which we will not get and also you got here again to convey again the previous notes. His authorities wasted our assets on politics with nothing to point out for it.

Is Buhari apologizing for the power disaster his authorities imposed on Nigeria, the place so many factories have closed because of the excessive price of power? Mr. President made a giant mistake when he apologized. He ought to have stored quiet and left peacefully. Asking Nigerians to forgive you at this level is an insult to Nigerians.

A Professor of Political Science and former Head of the Division of Political Science, Babcock College, Ogun State, Abiodun Oni, in his response, mentioned the president’s apology was effective, arguing that it was a sign that the president was not oblivious to his sin towards the nation.

Nigerians are indignant with him as a result of he appeared to don’t have any initiative and was not in charge of his authorities. You must apologize. So his apology is spot on. When he entered, the hope that Nigerians positioned in him was excessive. Nonetheless, the way in which issues turned out below his authorities, Nigerians are actually bitter concerning the disappointments that characterised his administration, Oni mentioned.

He, nonetheless, famous that regardless of apologizing to Nigerians for his previous errors, the president continues to be committing extra sins.

Paradoxically, he retains making increasingly errors. You’re leaving the federal government in a month and you’ve got determined to extend staff’ wages by 40 %. Is not {that a} violation? It’s a very critical offence, particularly when the brand new president is out of your celebration.

Tinubu received the final election as a result of a few of us noticed that the majority of his (Buhari’s) insurance policies have been directed towards Tinubu’s ambitions. So, Buhari also needs to apologize to his celebration; not solely Nigerians and should apologize to Tinubu, he mentioned.

Additionally reacting, the Nationwide Chairman, Arewa United Consultative Discussion board, Alhaji Ado Dansudu, famous that the anger of Nigerians towards the President was justified and puzzled why the President needs to be pardoned.

Why ought to we forgive him? Does that imply he simply realized his errors? Realistically talking, Buhari has made many blunders. This can be a man who stored a few of his ineffectual appointments regardless of their apparent incompetence and ignorance throughout his administration, disregarding the plight and cry of the individuals they have been meant to serve. If not, how would you might have retained somebody just like the Governor of the Central Financial institution of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, regardless of the troubles he has brought on your complete nation up to now?

We’re speaking a few man who got here to energy on the mantra of preventing corruption and insurrection. However as an alternative of preventing this double evil, he allowed them to thrive below his administration just because he didn’t take away the weak hyperlinks in his authorities. Buhari ought to have made examples of a few of his appointees by exposing them. However now that he hasn’t finished it, does he anticipate the long run president to do it for him with the intention to blackmail him?

Nigerians have each proper to be indignant with Buhari due to the excessive hopes they positioned in him when he got here to energy. By now, Nigerians anticipate our refineries to be repaired and gasoline costs to drop. Nigerians anticipate a sophisticated financial system and ample safety within the nation. Nigerians anticipate that below Buhari there can be job alternatives for the unemployed and folks will have the ability to feed their households. However which of those parameters can we establish as improved by his authorities? no! The truth is, the costs of every thing have elevated by a minimum of 100%.

So Buhari’s apology to Nigerians is meaningless to me, Dansudu fumed.

The Government Director of the Civil Liberties Organisation, Comrade Ibuchukwu Ezike, in his response described the president’s apology as mischievous.

He known as on the incoming authorities to scrutinize the work of the outgoing authorities, saying I feel the person is naughty with an apology. What sin of his is he apologizing for? Is his administration a gross violation of human rights since 2015 that folks have been slaughtered like cows? Nigerians are being killed all around the nation and their killers are roaming the forests of the nation. Communities in some components of the nation are being evicted from their properties, and the president is there and sees all these violations, however finds it troublesome to search out lasting options to those killings.

Why apologize? I feel he’s simply fooling himself and his mates who misrule this nation. Or is it due to the newest havoc he wreaked on the Nigerian individuals along with his Naira redesign coverage? Ultimately, the entire course of failed and it may very well be mentioned that nothing was achieved with this depraved coverage.

It is extremely apparent that Buhari didn’t have the power to control, which is strictly the results of what we’ve got seen.

In what space or areas does he need Nigerians to forgive him? Is it an space of ​​the judicial system? Can we boldly say that we’ve got a reputable judiciary once more on this nation? Aren’t our judges purchased today? A lot of the rots we’ve got witnessed on this nation have festered and progressed additional below this administration.

Our training system has utterly collapsed. ASUU went on strike for eight months; ASUP labored for its personal and another unions. Can his apology reverse all of the losses Nigerians have suffered below him? The place did the Buhari authorities do properly? His is a hopeless and failed authorities. Besides within the space of ​​unleashing terror on the Nigerian individuals. He’s nonetheless borrowing cash for the long run authorities. The brand new authorities ought to be sure that those that are within the authorities at present are accountable for his or her each motion.