Buhari and Anisometropia : History Has Forgotten

By Aanu Oluyide

Using beautiful words to describe the evil that has befallen the “Giant Of Africa” since 2015 is to describe it as history on an overdose of Valium. That is the only way to pamper this evil that’s been going on for close to 8 years. For better understanding, one can even use a more gracious term in Ophthalmology to qualify the Chief Charlatan who together with his Co Charlatans gave history Valium so as to sleep off and never remember how much of a terrible person (people) they have always been right from time.

Who is this Charlatan and what exactly may be wrong with him?

In 2015 Buhari was repackaged to Nigerians as the Saviour of the world, the Messiah that we have been waiting for. Our very own Nelson Mandela with all the skills needed to take Nigeria to the greatest height; To make Naira 1 to 1 Dollar (Between then and Now we have had 500 naira+ to one dollar ” never been this worse prior”) To erode all insecurities limited to Borno then (now spread to all part of Nigeria), to erode Poverty (Nigeria moved from Becoming the poverty centre of Africa, to the poverty Capital of the world). To kill and bury Corruption (A reversal happended Instead).
How we didn’t know that Buhari has a condition called Anisometropia, remains funny to me.

The Dictionary of Ophthalmic Optics (Keeney, Hagman, and Fratello) sees it as “an unequal refractive errors in the two eyes”. Okay, that looks like big English right? Let me break it down. This condition is a case where you are long-sighted in one eye, and short sighted in another. It means someone suffering from that can neither see far nor near objects.

By implication it means Buhari can neither see far nor near hence he can’t make neither short-term or long-term good decisions. He can’t make no useful decisions.  Amazing how such a person is the head that was packaged for 200 million Nigerians, in the name of politics, and a large percentage fell for it, putting the minority who didn’t in trouble.

History Is High On Valium
Valium is a drug that’s supposed to make people sleep, in this case it is history that is sleeping and snoring on same drug. There is a common term that is used, infact two. The first is that History Never Forgets, the second is that Posterity will judge. Buhari seem to have escaped both because History has forgotten and Posterity isn’t Judging him.

I will address some of his decisions and juxtapose it with his time as a Nigerian miliary head of state between 1983 to 1985. Are there Differences or Similarities? Is the method of governance different or the same regardless of Democracy?.

1. Closure of Borders.
His time as  a Military Head of State was one of the most toughest, if not toughest on Nigeria regarding Food. Historyhas it that food was so expensive that the people nearly ate sand. In his Self Production Short Mentality, he closed the borders for rice. As at 1985, a measure (mudu) of rice of one kilogramme was N3 or N3.50 Naira, Gaari sold for N2.50, and beans was such a luxury that most people generally fed on Guinea corn and it’s flour. Prices of Commodities increased by 70%.

On the 27th of March 1984, Buhari when he met with Leaders of the Nigerian Labour Congress declared the Country bankrupt and The Economy In shambles. Never heard of a leader who would say that about a country he’s leading.

In 2020, as a Democractic President Running his second term, Buhari ordered for Borders to be closed on rice. Why? He wants to encourage self production, self production for 200 million people. Of cause because of scarcity, prices skyrocketed and the common man could not afford the most common food (Rice)anymore. Prices of other foods were also affected, sellers blamed it on rice. Prices of every commodity rose up. Sachet production became the order of the day, companies switched to producing in sachets when they noticed that people could no longer afford to buy the normal. Oil, Close Up, Salt, Milk and all other products that wasn’t produced in sachets are now in sachets. Nigeria is now a sachet Economy. What is the difference between his decision in 1984 – 85 and his Decision in the 21st Century?

There is still his Poverty Alleviation schemes (Even though it is Poverty Promotion to me) through 5000 Naira feeding scheme, he of cause didn’t do that as a Military Head Of state, but of what use is it even now?. You want to feed people out of poverty, how?. How is 5000 naira that won’t get to the needed people anyways, supposed to bring people out of poverty?. The plan is to make sure people remain poor.

2. Autocracy and Dictatorship
As a Military Head of State, Buhari was not only erratic but very dictatorial, even though we can say that is the style of the Military, what is the difference now even in Democracy?. Although the Anisometropic man claimed to have changed to a reformed man, why is freedom of speech not truly free under his government? Why is his government censoring information?. As far as Democracy is concerned his government is not running a true one. What is a democractic government that you cannot criticise without being scared of your life? A democractic government where the right of the people to protest is met with brutal force and deaths. A democratic government where the independent media is not independent, a democractic Government where Journalism is killed day by day. A democratic government with a dead Senate and National Assembly. A government with all arms that should serve as watchdogs, checks and balances silenced and killed. What is democratic about that?. This is a Government of Pseudo Democracy.

The same way he threatened to shut down any private newspaper in 1985, is the same way he uses his co – charlatans to torture, fine and in the worst cases shut down media channels who dare to criticize him or his government. Another was shut down some days ago, Gazette. The end SARS Protests witnessed the death of JOURNALISM as most Media Platforms in Nigeria refused to carry and investigate the Protests properly. The ones who did portrayed innocent Youths as destroyers and Hoodlums. The fear of the Government is REAL, only Arise TV dared to be different. Yet, this is supposed to be democracy.

3. Bigotry and Nepotism, Favouritism.
The president parades himself as a nationalist but all his actions have proven otherwise. You can’t change people from who the are and the bias they share. For someone leading a country of many tribes and ethic groups, Buhari is best as a leader of one ethnic group. His favouritism for a particular sector of the country is so glaring, that it has successfully divided the already divided nation further. Everybody now knows he is Pro Fulani and would do anything to protect them against Nigeria. How we made someone who used to give most of his interviews in Hausa Language a national leader, is funny. Even as a democractic governor, he still gave some interviews in HAUSA in the early days of his supposed government. Today, it is giving 100 Billion to Fulani Herdsmen, tomorrow it is promoting Fulani radio, another day it is advocating and stamping Land Grabbing for the same ethnic group.
A federal system of government but 95% leaders of all sectors are majorly from one part of the country. So much for Quota System and Federal Character. One would wonder what exactly and why, is it like that. Well, I have one, Mr president is not a nationalist.

The earlier we accepted that Mr President has always had Anisometropia, the better. He can neither make long term nor short term decisons because he has no vision and if the head is spoilt, what can the body do?. That’s the case of Buhari and everybody that’s ever associated with his government. With so much powers Concentrated in the hand of someone that can neither see far or near, Nigeria will always be on the brink of destruction. Someone who couldn’t make effective  economic politices  as a young man in the 80’s  will definitely be worse as an old man with numerous health issues. There’s no rocket science to it.

History is not doing anything to his name by the way, he will go down as someone who the country has served all his life, someone who has lived on Nigerians taxes all his life. Posterity has left the judgement seat, there is no such thing as it anymore. There is no need to mention that illusionary term that talks about retribution, KARMA. It never works, only on the poor maybe. 1983 to 2020 is a 38 years difference but history has forgotten. This is why we are where we are and this is where we will be till 2023 or beyond, change isn’t coming.

No Miracle is coming.
(c) Aanu Oluyide 2021