By Femi
ADESINA
Let me begin by telling a story. On June
1, 2015, the day I resumed work as
adviser on media to President
Muhammadu Buhari, he had
admonished me: “Adesina, always tell
me the truth. That is what I want from
you. In this type of position I have found
myself, it is very easy not to be told the
truth. People will just tell you what they
think you want to hear. But from you, I
want the truth. As a General, I may
argue, but please argue with me. Tell
me the truth always.”
Based on that blank cheque I’d been
given, I went to the residence one
evening last year to see the President.
That was the time there was deafening
talk of hunger from different parts of the
country. I wanted to be sure that the talk
was not being filtered from the
President. Of course, I know him as
somebody who reads newspapers
religiously, and wherever we are in the
face of the world, he asks for media
highlights from Nigeria. So, he would not
be unaware of what Nigerians were
going through. But I still wanted to raise
it with him.
“Mr President, there is hunger in the
land, and people are complaining. I
know government is doing its best, but I
just want you to be aware,” I said.
Mr President responded: “I know, I
know. I am aware of what people are
going through. I have people in my own
constituency back home, and I know the
messages they send to me. But it is a
passing phase. Our country was
vandalized, and we found ourselves in
this problem. But now that we are here,
we will do our best. We will bring
change to this country, and we are
already seeing it in agriculture. This
period of hunger will pass.”
It was prophetic. The season of hunger
will pass, and is indeed passing. Anyone
that is honest will admit that things are
looking up in Nigeria. The ravening
clouds shall no longer be victorious.
They shall not long possess the sky.
I went away with one conviction from
that night’s meeting: the poor matter
very much to this President. He is not
the type that people would tell they had
no bread to eat, and he would tell them
to eat cake instead. This is a friend of
the talakawas, a man who loves
ordinary people, and who wants their
station in life to be improved. And those
people know it. That is why they
gravitate towards him, and repose so
much confidence in him. He is their
hero. Our hero.
President Buhari turns 75 years today.
But some six months back, how many
could confidently say this day would
come for the ramrod straight man from
Daura? How many believed the
President would come out of the severe
medical challenge that had confronted
him? It all began as a routine vacation
cum medical check up in January, and
few days after, the rumour mill was on
overdrive. The challenge lasted till
August, before the President returned
home finally, and since then, he has
been looking better by the day. Each
time you now see him, there is a fresher
glow, and you cannot but give glory to
God on his behalf.
But why was President Buhari kept alive,
so much so that he is turning 75 today?
Why did he pass through the sea of
infirmity, and he was not swept away?
Why did he pass through inferno, and
the fire did not kindle against him? Big
question. I don’t have the answer, but I
can hazard some guesses, based on
divine principles.
Rigobert Song. Remember him? Song
was the Cameroonian defender who
played many years for the Indomitable
Lions. He appeared at eight African
Nations Cup tournaments, five as
captain, and stood between Nigeria and
victory many times. He became an idol,
venerated by his countrymen and
women. He retired to become a coach.
Then late last year, Song was not on
song again on the soccer pitch. He had
a near death experience on October 20.
He went down with brain aneurysm, and
was in coma for two days. Doctors
battled to save his life, and he was
eventually evacuated to France.
While the travails lasted, the social
media was abuzz with news of Song’s
passage. As someone who had followed
his career over the years, I felt very sad.
But this is the season of fake news.
Song was not dead, he miraculously
rallied back. He narrated his experience,
which I found instructive, considering
what our President also passed through:
“I did not know what was happening to
me…I did not even know I was fighting
between life and death…All these
people, they put God in trouble. Because
everyone in this situation, they were
praying-this is what I keep in my mind-
God would have been in trouble.
Everyone was praying, asking, ‘God,
please don’t do that, don’t take Rigobert.’
I say thank you everybody for making
me come back.”
What song was Song singing? One of
thanksgiving. Cameroonians who loved
him bombarded God with prayers,
‘Please, don’t take Rigobert now.’ And
God heard. He showed mercy.
That is the same reason President
Buhari is alive today. Nigerians
bombarded Heaven with prayers. With
supplications, intercessions, pleas for
mercy. Muslims prayed in mosques.
Christians prayed in churches. President
Alpha Conde of Guinea declared 24
hours prayer for his Nigerian
counterpart. Prayers were going on
everywhere, both at home, and in the
Diaspora. I can imagine God telling
Himself: ‘I must answer these prayers.
These petitions are too many. I must
answer.’
And God had mercy, a fact attested to
by President Buhari himself. He said his
return was a miracle, which only God
could have done.
Why did God keep our President alive?
The Holy Books answer:
“Blessed is he that considers the poor;
God will deliver him in the day of evil.
God will preserve him, and keep him
alive,
And he will be blessed upon the earth;
And deliver him not unto the will of his
enemies,
And raise him up from
sickness.” (Psalm 41:1-3).
And this one in Surah At-Tawbah 9:128:
“There has certainly come to you a
Messenger from among yourselves.
Grievous to him is what you suffer, for
he is concerned over you and to the
believers he is kind and merciful.”
President Buhari is concerned about
Nigerians, particularly the helpless, the
ordinary people, and he has dedicated
his life to serving them. And when he
was near unto death, those ordinary
people besieged Heaven with prayers.
That Christian hymn says “dearer to God
are the prayers of the poor.” And God
truly answered.
There is power in goodwill, we have
seen it work. It worked for Rigobert
Song, and it has worked for our
President. Have a heart for men,
particularly for the poor, the lowly, and
the downtrodden. And see God rise on
your behalf.
Consider Tabitha (Dorcas in Greek),
who lived at Joppa. She was full of
good works, always doing good, and
helping the poor. One day, she took ill,
and died. Peter, one of the apostles of
Jesus, was invited. He came, prayed,
and said: “Tabitha, arise!” And the
woman came back to life. That is what
is possible, when you have a heart for
the poor.
In his New Year message last year,
President Buhari told the country: “Living
in the State House has not alienated me
from your daily sufferings. These
challenges are only temporary, we are
working to make things better.”
When news came a couple of months
ago that Nigeria had exited from
recession, what did the President say?
“Until coming out of recession translates
into meaningful improvement in peoples’
lives, our work cannot be said to be
done.”
In another broadcast, the President had
stated: “All my adult life, I have always
earned a salary and I know what it is
like when your salary is simply not
enough.”
That is the man we follow, and serve.
Millions would today follow him into
battle blindfolded. Millions upon millions
would vote him again and again, if he
throws his hat into the ring. Happy
birthday, Mr President. You have shown
us how to care for the lowly and the
poor, how to bear them in our hearts at
all times, and how such pleases God,
and brings mercy our way. Thank you
for coming this way, thank you for
offering yourself for service.
Adesina is Special Adviser on Media
and Publicity to President Muhammadu
Buhari
