Breaking: Finally, President Buhari Succumbs, To Broadcast To The Nation Today, Sunday

By Gideon Njoku

Nigerians have asked why. They have cried. They have criticized. They have put pressure.

They have wondered why their President, Muhammadu Buhari, would not address the nation, talk to his subjects, in the face of an emergency,and obvious national crisis – the pandemic Coronavirus.

Afterall, he should be their Chief Consoller, and Inspiration, in times like this.

But their cries made no impact. The President refused to address them, preferring to leave that in the hands of his aides.

The result: Confusion set-in. It was like the Biblical “To thy tents O Isreal!”

In the absence of a presidential address, state governors took over, and even, closed inter-state borders, definitely, what ought to have been a Federal decision.

But, the President was missing in action. His silence also fuelled serious speculations about his state of health, especially, after his very close ally, and Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari, contracted the COVID-19 disease.

Speculations were that the President had taken ill, and has been flown abroad; that he was on a ventilator.

That forced the Minister for Information, Lai Mohammed, to issue a denial.

But each time Nigerians watch other leaders, in other country, take charge of the war in Coronavirus, they shake their heads, and resign themselves to fate.

Presidential Spokesman, Femi Adesina, in his defence of his Principal, said it was the President’s style.

When he gives you a job, Adesina said, he does not interfere. “He leaves you to do it”.

But finally, Nigerians have prevailed. And so, better late than never, President Buhari will today, Sunday, address the nation on the disrespectful monster, called Coronavirus.

The cheering news, came from Adesina, in the following terse statement, entitled:

President Muhammadu Buhari will broadcast to the nation Sunday, March 29, 2020 at 7pm.

“Television, radio and other electronic media outlets are enjoined to hook up to the network services of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) and Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), respectively, for the broadcast”, Adesina signed off.