EditorialTHEWILL Editorial: That Buhari Flawed Eid-el-Fitr Message

THEWILL Editorial: That Buhari Flawed Eid-el-Fitr Message

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BEVERLY HILLS, July 01, (THEWILL) – The recent audio message by President Muhammadu Buhari to Nigerians in Hausa language to mark this year’s Eid-el-Fitr celebration was one that did not go down well with a good number of Nigerians.

As a president with a pan-Nigeria mandate, it was unstatesmanly and a crass display of ethnic bias for Buhari to have chosen to speak in Hausa language while addressing Nigerians for the first time in over 50 days. By that audio recording, Buhari did not do himself any good especially when some of his critics have described him as a religious and tribal leader.

The message, in which Buhari “thanked Nigerians for their consistent prayers for his well-being,” was narrow-minded because it alienated people of non-Hausa speaking tribes whose votes also contributed in making him President. Even if one concedes that it was meant for a Muslim festival, Hausas are not the only people practicing Islam in Nigeria.

Glo

The President and his handlers need to be told that there are mosques and a good number of indigenous Islamic adherents in far-flung southern, southeastern and southwestern towns and communities. Relaying a message in the Hausa language therefore robs these sets of persons of the President’s Eid-el-Fitr thoughts.

He had also charged citizens, irrespective of their affiliations, to eschew hate speeches and other divisive conducts that could cause disaffection among Nigerians. Some persons have tried to justify this by saying the President only wanted to complement the efforts of his deputy, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, who had been trying to douse tension in the country by holding talks with various groups in the English language.

They also said the President by communicating his Sallah message in Hausa, was trying to reach those who are likely to be used to cause mayhem. But those putting out this justification need to be reminded that Buhari is not a traditional ruler.

And then there was the defence put up by Senator Shehu Sani, who said that since the President is on holiday, his use of Hausa for the Eid-el-Fitr message should be excused. He insisted that the President is no longer bound to communicate with citizens in the country’s lingua franca, having transferred presidential power to his deputy.

THEWILL is then constrained to ask Senator Sani and others with this view if state funds are not being deployed to cater for the presidential vacation London.

When a vacationing President is relaying a message to his countrymen who had been eager to hear from him since his earlier vacation in the year and who he did not address during this year’s Democracy Day, the least such a leader could do is to speak in a generally accepted language in the country. Those claiming that the President is in a condition that has rendered him unable to make sound decisions now have something to bite by virtue of the irrationality in Buhari’s message.

Besides, coming at a time when some northern youths had heightened the threat to the country’s unity, the audio recording further emboldens such youths to further pitch one section of the country against the other. It is in this context that the wrong in the President’s communication can be better understood.

It is regrettable that Buhari relayed his Sallah message in Hausa language without being mindful of the yearnings of the people who have persistently demanded an address from him on his health and reassure Nigerians on his ability to continue to lead the nation.

In view of the angst generated by the Eid-el-Fitr message, it becomes expedient for President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently address the nation, but this time in the English language and as an audio-visual. This will go a long way in repairing the damage caused by the Sallah message and dispel the rumours flying around about the President.

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