#EndSARS: If I were President Buhari

 At a time like this when the Nigerian youths have shut down various parts of the country, it is near impossible to guess what is going on in the president, Major General Muhammadu Buhari's mind. Being a man once touted to speak via his body language, the temptation to read his mind by his body language at this time, given the youths' #Endsars protests may just be misleading because what his body cues give cannot be considered humane. However, if his mind is in sync with his body language, then, it is unfortunate because what it readily implies are arrogance, lack of both sympathy and empathy, inconsideration, insensitivity to the plight of the people and sheer wickedness.

This inference from Nigerians surely did not start in the wake of the #Endsars protests, it was long coming given the hardship that his enthronement as the head of government had ushered in and the state of utter hopelessnes that has followed and has remained increasing. 

I think Buhari is the luckiest president to rule Nigeria. He rode on the goodwill of the people in 2015 to the presidency, performed abysmally in his first term, yoked the nation with untold hardship and suffering yet the people seemed to still love him. They voted for him for a second term not minding how he squandered their goodwill in his first term.

The continued suffering of the people and burdening them with all manners of tax only meant that the president may have taken it that he is presiding over people who have no will to oppose him. The youths were being harrassed, extorted, beaten, locked up and killed by a unit of rogue policemen called SARS, the president did not seem interested in addressing the matter or maybe just did not care. 

The protests have come and the resolute youths are not about to back down. Despite attacks, bans and even harrassments, the youths have continued to remain undeterred. They have put forward their demands and the government has disbanded SARS and replaced it with a new outfit called SWAT. Though the government through the police authority has assured the youths that no member of the disbanded SARS will be in the new SWAT, the youths have remained on the streets. This is a clear message of distrust for government. No matter what the government puts forward now, it would be near impossible to convince the youths because the distrust is deep-rooted.

If I were President Buhari, the protest would not have lasted more than two days, it would not have spread across the nation the way it has. The president should have as a father responded very fast. On the second day, he should have come out to the aggrieved youths and shown solidarity with them, make them see that he feels and shares their pains and he then orders the disbandment of the rogue SARS unit. If he had done that and instructed the IGP to fish out all the crooked characters in SARS for punitive consequences, the youths would have out of respect, though not trust, backed down. 

But Buhari did not do that. He remained silent and aloof like someone who cared less about the pains of the youths of his country. 

If I were Buhari, I would have prevented the protest from going beyond two days. Buhari should have ordered the IGP to led unarmed policemen and women to confront the protesters, knell before them and apologise for their brutality and recklessness. The AIGs and State commissioners should have done same in the states. But Buhari remained aloof. He did not see a need to placate the youths. He was probably thinking and telling his close aides that the youths should thank their stars that we are in a democracy.

If I were Buhari, I would have begun sending bills to the national assembly, addressing the demands of the protesters. That would show seriousness to address their grievances. But no! Buhari was probably still picking his teeth and thinking of how Lauretta Onochie would become an INEC commissioner.

If I were Buhari, I would have ordered all security outfits including the military not to do anything to worsen the already bad situation. The only standing order would be for the military to protect the protesters. But Buhari is silent as his Defence Minister has dished out warnings to the protesters not to undermine national security and the Army has suddenly issued notice of Operation Crocodile Smile. Though the Army has said that the operation is not aimed at the protesters, it is left for time to tell. 

Buhari is not the only one saddled with the responsibility of placating the protesters. Bola Ahmed Tinubu who foistered Buhari on Nigeria once said while campaigning for Buhari that whenever a nation was in crisis, they always sent their generals to the rescue and that under Goodluck Jonathan, the nation was in crisis of bad governance and General Buhari was the one sent to rescue Nigeria. How that rescue has fared is a different story for another day. Tinubu as the acclaimed national leader of the ruling party, should have come out to talk to the protesters. Instead, he is nowhere to be found, only for his acolytes to allegedly be behind the attacks on protesters.

Those in the national assembly are calling for an end to the protests for their own selfish gains. They know that the protest is soon coming to their doorsteps over their outrageous bogus salaries that take a huge chunk of the nation's budget.

Buhari surely has something on his mind. If I were him, I would begin to make up for the wasted five years by starting to look into the welfare of Nigerians and making life better for Nigerians.

If I were Buhari, I would sack all my aides who have refused to tell me the truth. Femi Adesina and Shehu Garba come to mind here. They surely rely on their penchant and ability to attack dissenting voices and defend bad policies rather than advise the president.

If I were Buhari I would wake up to my responsibilities and move the nation forward so that posterity will be kind to me. Buhari can do this, I believe.