His Excellency,
Bola Ahmed Tinubu
President, Federal Republic of Nigeria
Aso Rock Villa
Abuja, Nigeria
Dear Mr. President,
AN OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT BOLA AHMED TINUBU: THE PROMISES WE RECITE
I trust this letter finds you well. I write to you today out of concern for the state of our nation and the growing realities faced by millions of Nigerians.
The International Press Centre compiled your campaign promises, and after going through them, they seem feasible and would have brought benefits to Nigerians during your tenure. However, as it is running to an end, Nigerians are still in agony.
Banditry and kidnapping have become our new normal, unemployment still flies in the air, starvation and malnutrition is rampant, the gap between the rich and poor widens every day, and Nigeria has now become a field of hunger games where we strive to survive in an unsecured state; no wonder we are termed “a state of serious concern.”
In May 2024, we returned to using our former national anthem, "Nigeria we hail thee". You didn't ask for the opinions of the citizens and the motive behind changing the national anthem is still not clear, it will be assumed that it was of good intentions because, the lyrics align with some of your 2022/2023 campaign promises.
The first stanza of the national anthem summarises who we are as a nation with so many ethnic groups but do we still stand in brotherhood when there are ethnic clashes almost all over the states? Youths are deferring the NYSC call because they are scared of being posted to states with security concerns and the anthem says "Nigerians all, are proud to serve, our sovereign motherland".
Stanza two says "our flag shall be a symbol that truth and justice reign" in a country where government officials forge certificates to get into position, laundering of public funds is the order of the day and the poor can't get real justice because, they can't afford it.
"In peace or battle honoured, and this we count as gain", Are we counting the deaths of innocent ones as a gain? We sing not to pass on to our children a banner without stain but which banner are we talking about? Is it the green, white, green already coloured with the blood of citizens, or a banner that has crime and insurgency written all over it? Some children can't boast of an interesting childhood while some memories are filled with trauma and you think they still want to hold on to this banner that has failed them?
A country that is supposed to be “God's beloved” still suffers from oppression that devastates the country, the direct opposite of "help us to build a nation where no man is oppressed". Citizens are oppressed by the dilapidated economy, banditry and some government rules that do not favour the poor in their pockets.
"And so with peace and plenty, Nigeria may be blessed". Is it safe to say we are cursed? Because, there's definitely no peace in this country and lack lurks in every corner of the country. Food prices surge, humans go missing amidst terrorist attacks almost every month, and citizens are left in tears and fear.
The children kidnapped in Oyo state are still being held captive and the deaths of insurgency victims are still fresh in the hearts of family members. Some persons have gone missing, farmers can't go to farm anymore and serious deliberations are made before embarking on any journey especially when travelling by road.
How about the promise you made at a campaign rally held at Osogbo in February 2023 of "strengthening the bedrock of our national security and upgrading our weapon systems, exploiting aerial technological superiority, and to further identify, monitor, and subdue the criminals, terrorists, and bandits who would do harm to ordinary citizens"
Beyond this, is your promise of giving priority to confronting security, making the economy one of widely shared prosperity, and paying special attention to agriculture made at a rally organised by the Arewa community at the Mobolaji Johnson stadium, Onikan, Lagos in January 2023.
As this tenure is ending with plans of you going for another term, are Nigerians still eligible to keep their trust in you if re-elected or will the next four years be a continuation of this torture?
Yes, uneasy lies the head that wears the crown but please, make it easy for the ones who wore you the crown.
Yours faithfully,
Ayomide Oguntade
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