Gosh! We saw it coming; never had it so bad, but must Nigeria sink with Buhari?

It's normal for people to migrate from one civil division to another, and even in pre-historic times, we heard of and saw people migrating for one reason or the other either to flee persecution, natural disaster, famine, war especially when one is in the danger of losing one's life. There are also many other factors that require such forced relocation otherwise known as migration.

Nigerians saw the need to migrate to other parts of the world, not from the above-mentioned reasons but to flee from the effect of bad governance at home. Nigerians did also have to leave the country in times past during the dark days of military rule especially during late Abacha's reign of terror which saw killings by state agents and many well-meaning Nigerians were reportedly killed at the period under sad review.

This eventually gave rise to a pro-democracy struggle and organizations like the National Democratic Coalition, Movement for National Reformation and others sprang up sprang up to resist Abacha's tyrannical rule and as luck would have it he died with his boots on and this heralded or fast-tracked a return to civil democratic rule one year after.

The Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP) took over and Nigeria which was labeled a pariah nation among the comity of nations was again re-admitted into the civilized world. Even when Abacha held sway Nigerians were still able to feed in spite of the billions of dollars that disappeared from the nation's coffers and Nigerians were still held in high esteem in their various countries of residence and before passport controls in foreign lands.

But today all that has changed. Under the Peoples' Democratic Party, Nigerians in the Diaspora had started returning home to invest when the country became the largest economy on the continent and the need arose to tap from the vast economic opportunities the country's new status had to offer. That period, you would all agree with me saw a massive return home until the federal elections of 2015 which unavoidably cut short this dream.

In the build up to the 2015 general elections, we saw it all coming and mounted resistance with an intensive campaign against Buhari a retired army general whose previous incursion on the Nigerian political scene brought nothing but tears, sorrow, and blood. It was one calamity or the other at the time and we knowing full well that the leopard could never change its spots campaigned vigorously against his emergence but as luck would have it, the best government ever when the economic fortunes of Nigeria soared was dislodged from power by the instrumentality of hate speeches, deceit, campaign of calumny, monstrous, heinous and hydra-headed lies all in the name of change.

Two years into this administration, what the former party gathered with a spade the governing All Progressives Congress eventually scattered with a rake by gross and crying ineptitude. When this administration came on board realizing the enormous task of governance, it started with blame game as if the previous administration he headed between 1983 and 1985 that was swept out of power was anything better.

Buhari while campaigning told some gullible Nigerians that he would make the naira, Nigeria's domestic currency equal in value to the US dollar when the exchange rate stood at N150 two years ago. Nigerians were taken in and 'opted' for a change because N150 exchanging for one American dollar, for many, was nothing short of daylight robbery.

Two years on Nigerians have now discovered to their greatest dismay that they had jumped out of the frying pan into the fire as the US dollar now exchanges for nearly N500 and chances are that it would exchange for more than N500 under the existing circumstances.

One of the reasons given by the Buhari administration is the crash in global oil price but his tribe of neophyte actors has soon forgotten that oil sold for much less during President Olusegun Obasanjo. The then Central Bank Governor, Prof. Charles Soludo in a chat with the Nigerian Tribune said Oil sold for less than $15 per barrel and that administration were able to save up to the tune of $60 billion and life then was superabundant with so many economic gains recorded.

Under the Jonathan administration, Nigeria rose from behind, displaced South Africa and Egypt to become the largest economy on the continent - a rare feat and this, of course, prompted many Nigerians to start returning home to invest in the country until Satan struck that paved the way for Buhari's emergence.

Today things have changed marvelously! Nigerians are leaving in droves to flee the harsh and intolerable conditions at home thus exposing them to attacks in foreign lands. Buhari prepared the ground for this attack on Nigerians. Soon after his ascension, he told the world that Nigerians have a penchant for criminality and the international community took that label very seriously which they all now use against Nigerians all over the world. Nigerians have now become endangered species wherever they go with their green international passports as an identification mark before foreign passport control.

Many Nigerians here in Europe are locked up in various border detention centres awaiting onward deportation to Nigeria. In South Africa, xenophobic attack on Nigerians is no more news as attacks on Nigerians has continued with all savagery and this time with undiminished intensity. Only yesterday I watched to my utter amazement the attack on the Nigerian High Commission in the country. Nigeria's national flag was brought down and torn to pieces while the embassy staff absconded to avoid being lynched by the invading angry mob.

Never has that happened in the history of Nigeria and very soon other countries across the world would take a cue from South Africa as hostility against Nigerians is already brewing here in Europe, thanks to the statement made by Buhari that his subjects have a penchant for criminality.

It is very obvious under the existing circumstances that the APC-led Federal Government has destroyed the country and more so, it is alarming that more lies are still being perpetrated by them to maintain their firm hold on power coupled with the use of force against every dissenting voice typical of totalitarian regimes. Nigeria's courts and electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission are subjected to the whims and caprices of the governing party because no Nigerian in his right frame of mind would vote for any candidate under the platform of the All Progressives Congress as it is today but we still hear them winning elections and often times when we call to ask how it did happen, the response we get back home is always in the negative - that the results were, in fact, predetermined and eventually announced by INEC while the country continue to sink beyond all remedies.

Lies upon lies - their trademark -  are still being told on a daily basis when it has become obvious that Nigerians are dying in rapid succession resulting from failed economic policies and high-handedness. It is you either identify with the ruling party or feel the devouring wrath of state agents with Nigerians watching helplessly. Wait a minute! As complex as Nigeria is, frankly, I did not and have never thought a dictatorial government would be able to emerge on that part of the globe, not by any stretch of the imagination.

The situation has become so worse which has given birth to separatist movements, feelings, and aspirations with Biafra separatists in the southeast and Oduduwa in the southwest and the Niger Delta Republic in the south-south states. Nigeria has never been so divided as it is today with ethnic hatred, distrust and mutual suspicion which has put the country dangerously on the line.

There is no denying the fact under the existing circumstances that the Buhari administration has caused many Nigerians tears, sorrow and blood considering the killings that have happened since he took over the reins of power about two years ago. The rate of extra-judicial killings has assumed an alarming crescendo which prompted global Human Right bodies to raise the alarm.

Over here in Europe, Nigerians are treated with utter disregard and disdain which makes it almost a crime to be identified as one. Into what danger would this lead the country? A country that is made up of over 180 million people can not continue to fold its hands while a few disgruntled elements toy with their future and dignity. It is very obvious that the APC government was never prepared for governance and lacks the skill to manage the country which has eventually given birth to the myriad of problems marvelously bringing the country to its knees.

Buhari, I dare say, yet again under the existing circumstances, has failed the country. We knew it, we saw it coming. In fact, Nigerians and Nigeria have never had it so bad!

Watch the video below to see the attack on Nigeria High Commission in South Africa. Is this not heart-rending? Is it not high time Buhari relinquished his hold on power? Must Nigeria and over 180 million Nigerians sink with him?  Some northerners do not see anything wrong with this devil-may-care regime under Buhari since their kinsman is in charge with the collaboration of some saboteurs from our region in the south-south states. Must we die because of the Satanic ambition of one man or a region? Is it not time we parted ways with a simple handshake? Is it not time a referendum or plebiscite was conducted for the various ethnic nationalities to seek self-determination?


Iyoha John Darlington, a Niger Deltan social activist, political analyst and public commentator on national and global issues wrote from Turin, Italy.

Credit: This post appeared first on the DailyGlobeWatch.