TINUBU GOES MISSING IN TRANSIT AGAIN

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu’s overseas travels and exact whereabouts have again become a subject of speculation. On August 29, Tinubu embarked on a trip to China, and Nigerians were told he would make a brief stopover in Dubai. He suddenly reappeared in London on Wednesday.He had landed in Beijing in the early hours of September 1. He had a busy week meeting and signing agreements with Chinese political and business leaders on the sidelines of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. The President concluded his official engagements in China by meeting with Nigerians living in the country on September 5. He left China the same day.

Since then, Nigerians have not been told exactly where he was until he visited King Charles III on Wednesday. A State House statement on September 6 said that the President had directed that victims of the Maiduguri flood should be evacuated, and relief provided. The statement neglected to indicate where the President was issuing orders from.

It is disturbing that citizens do not know the whereabouts of their President. The office of the President is a public trust, and citizens have a right to know where the President is. Between his departure from Beijing and appearance in London, no explanations were offered. Such evasiveness is below the Presidency.

This is not the first time that Tinubu has given Nigerians the slip. On April 23, the President travelled to The Netherlands to visit the then Prime Minister, Mark Rutte, before journeying on to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to attend the Special Meeting of the World Economic Forum held between April 28 and 29.

Six days after the event, he had not returned, and Nigerians started asking questions which were met with silence by the Presidency until May 8 when it revealed that Tinubu would be returning from Europe the next day.On January 24, Tinubu left for a “private visit” to France details of which were shrouded in secrecy and set off health rumours until his return after two weeks. On August 19, Tinubu flew for the first time in the new presidential jet to Paris, France, for what the Presidency described as a brief work stay, details of which were not given. He returned after three days.

While the President has been away, the home front has been in disarray with the petrol crisis lingering for over a month and floods overtaking many states including Borno and Bauchi. Terrorists and bandits have been running riot as usual. Such situations require the leader of the country to be on the ground, rallying a response and finding solutions, not taking extended holidays.The President should appreciate the weight of his responsibilities. Pontificating in China about the necessity of petrol subsidy removal being the magic wand to bridge the country’s massive infrastructure deficit when citizens at home are spending 16 hours in petrol queues is insensitive.

It is inconceivable that the leaders of France, the United Kingdom and China will not account for their whereabouts to citizens.Tinubu has continued in the disdainful tradition of his predecessors, taking Nigerians for granted. The late President Umaru Yar’Adua spent months in foreign hospitals in a vegetative state while his aides lied to Nigerians about his ability to function in office until he died in May 2010. Former President Muhammadu Buhari spent 225 days abroad on medical trips without any accounting to the citizens.

In a presidential system, the office of the President is of utmost importance as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. The president of the United States travels around with the country’s nuclear codes. Americans know where he is always.Democracy means accountability and Tinubu should know. A penchant for the President to undertake surreptitious visits to foreign capitals diminishes the office.

Stream, share and Read

NANTSAK NEWS

CONNECT WITH NANTSAK NEWS

admin

Amos T GK is Gospel music minister from Keffi LGA, Nasarawa state,. Nigeria. Is married with one wife, and one baby boy.

Related Posts

NBA President Urges Nigerians To Build Confidence In Electoral Process
  • adminadmin
  • December 17, 2024

The president of the Nigeria Bar Association, Afam Osigwe (SAN), has emphasised the need for Nigeria to build confidence in its electoral processes and reduce the reliance on courts to…

Read more

Continue reading
DR CONGO SUES APPLE FOR ILLEGAL MINING
  • adminadmin
  • December 17, 2024

DR Congo on Tuesday filed a criminal case against European subsidiaries of tech giant Apple, accusing them of illegally using “blood minerals” in its supply chain. The Democratic Republic of…

Read more

Continue reading

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You Missed

NBA President Urges Nigerians To Build Confidence In Electoral Process

  • By admin
  • December 17, 2024
  • 19 views
NBA President Urges Nigerians To Build Confidence In Electoral Process

DR CONGO SUES APPLE FOR ILLEGAL MINING

  • By admin
  • December 17, 2024
  • 16 views
DR CONGO SUES APPLE FOR ILLEGAL MINING

INEC Restores Ezeokenwa as APGA Chairman after Supreme Court Judgment

  • By admin
  • December 17, 2024
  • 19 views
INEC Restores Ezeokenwa as APGA Chairman after Supreme Court Judgment

Macroeconomic uncertainties stalling Nigeria’s capital market – SEC boss

  • By admin
  • December 17, 2024
  • 16 views
Macroeconomic uncertainties stalling Nigeria’s capital market – SEC boss

SELF-ACCLAIMED AGITATORS ENGAGING IN LUCRATIVE CRIMAINALITY IN SOUTH-EAST – SOLUDO

  • By admin
  • December 17, 2024
  • 36 views
SELF-ACCLAIMED AGITATORS ENGAGING IN LUCRATIVE CRIMAINALITY IN SOUTH-EAST – SOLUDO

FCT COMMUNITIES GET W’BANK $250,000 AcReSAL LOAN

  • By admin
  • December 17, 2024
  • 15 views
FCT COMMUNITIES GET W’BANK $250,000 AcReSAL LOAN