It will stick in reminiscence for all times. It was March, 2020. The entire world was on the edge. A pandemic was on the prowl, and the auguries weren’t good. The Spanish flu of 1918 to 1920 killed between 25 and 50 million folks worldwide. COVID-19 was going to mow down lots of of thousands and thousands, with Africa and Nigeria notably weak. Corpses would litter the streets of Africa’s most populous nation.
Like leaders world over, President Muhammadu Buhari was rallying Nigerians for security. There can be a lockdown of the nation for weeks, as different nations of the world have been doing.
There was a gathering of the Presidential Financial Advisory Council (PEAC), led by Prof. Doyin Salami. It was extra of a COVID-19 Conflict Council. How would the pandemic have an effect on the economic system, oil costs within the worldwide market, healthcare, agriculture, certainly all gamut of the lives of Nigerians? The projections weren’t good.
When the assembly ended after hours, President Buhari charged everybody to remain protected, take all the required precautions, and stay alive.
And to Zaynab Shamsuna Ahmed, his Minister of Finance, the President mentioned immediately:
“It doesn’t matter what occurs, be sure salaries don’t fail. Employees could also be house for months, however please pay them. And in addition be certain that pensions don’t fail. Let our retirees have their dues. Life is troublesome sufficient for these folks when they’re paid, than to contemplate when they don’t seem to be paid in any respect.”
The Minister pledged that she would do her greatest. And true, the worldwide lockdown lasted for about seven months, but salaries and pensions didn’t fail.
That was the classic Buhari, all the time pondering of the poor and underprivileged. They arrive first in his pecking order.
At a time everybody was looking for refuge, and it was each man for himself and God for us all, the poor and the underprivileged nonetheless had a spot in his coronary heart.
The fears on this planet have been so palpable, after which there was this hilarious growth. The President was to report a nationwide broadcast, wherein he would lock down the nation. It was already normal data that cough was one thing to be careful for as symptom of COVID. As the printed was being recorded, he set free one huge cough.
He checked out these of us within the room with him, and jocularly exclaimed: “Ah, is the factor right here already?” We laughed.
A person in a privileged place, however who has a coronary heart for strange folks, is known as Ore Mekunu (Buddy of the poor) in Yoruba language. There was a governor in one of many Southwest states, who glided by that cognomen. He beloved strange folks, they usually beloved and flocked spherical him in return. He drank agbo jedi (natural drugs for pile) with them, stopped to eat at roadside eating places, and customarily demystified energy.
On the day he was inaugurated for second time period in workplace, he threw open the newly constructed N3.3 billion State Home to the hoipolloi, the strange folks. They have been to make merry, and spend the evening there. Which they did.
Buhari wouldn’t show such histrionics, however strange folks all the time got here first with him. The situations wherein he inherited the nation have been nicely documented. No less than 27 of our 36 states couldn’t pay salaries, he bailed the governors out due to the folks.
When at a Federal Government Council assembly, a minister remarked that the Federal Civil Service was bloated, with many idle fingers in every single place. The suggestion was to chop the energy by half, and that the workforce would nonetheless be too giant.
Not a nasty proposal, as determined occasions name for determined measures. However what did President Buhari say? “I perceive what you might be saying, Honorable Minister. We’d save loads by decreasing the workforce. But when it lies inside my energy, I received’t need a single individual to lose his or her job. Issues are arduous sufficient within the nation, and to throw folks into the unemployment market can be somewhat thoughtless.”
That was the top of that proposal, for the eight years that the Buhari administration lasted. He even elevated minimal wage from N18,000 to N30,000.
The Large Elephant within the room. Elimination of gas subsidy. Did you assume the federal government didn’t know that the cash guzzling monster needed to be slain? It knew. However who ensured that subsidies remained so long as it did? Buhari. And why? The folks, the strange folks. His argument was all the time easy:
“When oil bought for at the very least 100 {dollars} per barrel within the worldwide market, rising even to as excessive as 140 {dollars} per barrel, what did the strange folks acquire? Nothing! So why ought to they be those to bear the brunt when oil costs fall?”
By the point the administration ended, all, together with the three predominant presidential candidates, have been resolved that oil subsidies needed to be eliminated. It was not unlikely that President Buhari shared the identical conviction. However one thing that might throw society right into a tailspin? He didn’t wish to do it—for the sake of the strange folks.
Bizarre folks gravitate in direction of Buhari, like bees to the honeycomb. That was why he all the time had a basket of thousands and thousands of ready votes, even earlier than the primary poll was solid. He clobbered the ruling Folks’s Democratic Get together in 2015, and received with even bigger votes in 2019, regardless of all makes an attempt to denigrate and demarket him. If you love the strange folks, they love you in return, and stand with you thru thick and skinny.
Now virtually two years into retirement, get to Buhari’s home at this time, and also you see the folks milling round, simply eager to get a glimpse of the person.
Shortly earlier than the 2011 election, Buhari wept. He mentioned he wouldn’t supply himself to be President once more after that 12 months. It was due to the strange folks that he wept. What would occur to them? However fortunately, he had a change of coronary heart, ran in 2015, and received. Introduced into energy by the folks.
As he turned 82 on December 17, 2024, I salute the Ore Mekunu, a buddy of the poor, who nonetheless attracts the folks like magnet, even in retirement.
Adesina was Particular Adviser, Media and Publicity to President Buhari, 2015 to 2023.
