President Muhammadu Buhari’s 61st independence day speech was succinct, it conveyed messages about happenings around Nigeria. It cut across all sectors in Nigerian and how the regime has transcended the difficulties that it has faced in the past years. Even Twitter that was banned has been lifted with conditions. And more people are going to be employed in the N-POWER programs, a win-win for Nigerian youths because they are going to be employed.
However, as much as the speech was brief and to the point, it was also succiferous, it left out some questions that require answers. Questions that bordered on national unity, insecurity and peaceful co-existence of Nigerians. Although some of those questions were answered, the answer only touched some aspect or part of the country and leaving other parts of the country.
Many Nigerians have observed that the President’s speech is writing about sponsorship of Igboho, Kano and omitting that of Banditry, Bokoharam, which gives room for all sorts of speculations. In his speech, the president had said,
“The recent arrests of Nnamdi Kanu and Sunday Adeyemo, and the ongoing investigations being conducted have revealed certain high-profile financiers behind these individuals. We are vigorously pursuing these financiers including one identified as a serving member of the national assembly.”
The statement would have been complete by adding (e.g):
“We are also vigorously pursuing those financing banditry likewise those aiding and abetting their atrocities via logistics and otherwise”
The sponsors of banditry and Bokoharam were omitted in this speech which reads a lot about the causes of insecurity in Northern Nigeria. Although, the government had told Nigerians that they had arrested about 400 sponsors of Bokoharam and Terrorism in Nigeria and we were told that many of them are into the business of Bureau De Change, BDC in Nigeria. But it would have been proper for the President to include in his speech the level of investigation about the insurgent’s financiers and sponsors.