Editors’ note: The writer, Buchi Obichie, chides Femi Fani-Kayode for throwing jabs at President Muhammadu Buhari, following his son’s accident. Noting that there is a time and place for everything, she berates the former minister for his lack of empathy at such a sensitive period, and advises him to stay silent if he cannot offer words of comfort and kindness.
Do not kick a man when he’s down. In lay man’s terms, it translates to mean, “Do not attack a person at their weakest moment.”
On Wednesday night, as news filtered in about the power bike accident involving Yusuf Buhari, the son of President Muhammadu Buhari, Nigerians on various sides of the political divide put aside their differences and offered prayers for his quick recovery.
In spite of our political ideologies and whatever grouses we may hold against the Buhari administration, most of us chose to rally around the First Family in its trying moment.
We realized that our shared humanity surpasses whatever strands of discord that pull us apart, and chose to be not just sympathetic, but also empathetic to the plight of our nations’ leader and his family.
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As a human being, I was glad to see die-hard critics of the president, including members of the opposition party, reach out with kind words of prayer. And as a Nigerian, I was glad to see that despite the current travails, my nation had not lost its heart.
Yet, amidst the plethora of good wishes, there were also pockets of negativity from certain individuals; most notable among whom was the former minister of aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, who chose to use such a sensitive occasion to score cheap political points.
In what I can only describe as a tacky, distasteful, selfish and juvenile move, FFK chose the occasion of Yusuf’s ordeal to chastise the president with words that I would not dignify by repeating!
To add insult to injury, he sought to give credence to his words by using a biblical analogy; a move which I interpreted as a spite not just towards Mr President, but also, towards our creator who is the originator and embodiment of love itself!
At what point does a grown man realize that certain actions are belittling to a person of his stature? At what point does he realize that with each erratic move, he is only serving to entrench the image of himself as a 'first class clown' in the eyes of the public?
Please, don’t get me wrong, criticisms are healthy for democratic governance; but even battle-tested political opponents know that one does not use moments of tragedy to poke at the eyeballs of those on the opposite side of the divide.
FFK has shown time and time again, that there is no love lost between him and his president; but with this latest action, he has proven that his grouse goes beyond the realm of differences in political ideology, into the space of a deep dark resentment that is unhealthy for the soul.
Am I angry with the Buhari government? Yes, I am. Do I feel shortchanged and disillusioned? Yes, I do. Do I think that as a leader, the president’s performance has fallen short of expectations? Yes, I do.
I am a Nigerian afterall; a partaker of the common struggles of my fellow citizens. I live here…in this same country…and I feel the pain that we all go through. I too cannot find fuel to power my generator, in my country which exports crude oil. Like all Nigerians, I feel our leaders have failed us.
Do I want the president to do better? Yes, I do. But would I take shots at the president while his son- his only son- lays in a hospital bed, fighting for his life? No. I won’t. God forbid!
I don’t know what FFK was thinking when he sent out his distasteful tweets…heck, I don’t know what he thinks, half of the time he picks up his phone or opens his mouth to speak! But whatever it was that compelled him to send out such awful messages, it was toxic…highly toxic.
One would have expected that as a father with a son of his own, FFK would have been sensitive, at a time when sensitivity is needed.
But then, who am I kidding? Its FFK afterall…how can I ever expect better from such a man?
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In conclusion, I would say this- my thoughts and prayers are with Yusuf Buhari at this time; and I join millions of other Nigerians in wishing him a speedy recovery. The same God who heard the prayers of Nigerians and healed the father only a short while ago, would also extend His hands of healing onto the son.
I pray for Yusuf, not because he is better than anyone else- no, he is not- but because I am also human…and I am human enough to feel the pains of others, and not to dare kick them when they are at their weakest.
And to FFK, I say this- we have heard enough from you. We refuse to be intoxicated with your poisonous fumes. If you have nothing good to say to a family going through tough times; then please, do us all a favor and keep quiet!
This opinion piece was written by Buchi Obichie.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent the editorial policy of NAIJ.com.
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Source: Naija.ng
ROSY CREST
Saturday, 30 December 2017