The presidency has claimed, president Buhari's statement about being too
old to perform was misinterpreted ..According to a statement by the
Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina,
On Monday evening, President Muhammadu Buhari spoke with the Nigerian
community at the Nigerian Consulate in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Speaking extempore, because according to him, he wanted to “speak
from the heart,” the President urged them to be good ambassadors of
Nigeria, a country he went to the warfront to keep together.
Still extolling the virtues of our country, Nigeria, the President,
who had served as a military governor of the then North-Eastern State at
33 years old, declared:”I wish I became Head of State when I was a
governor. Now at 72, there is a limit to what I can do.”
The above comments have been reported by some newspapers to mean that
the President was saying he was too old to cope with the demands of his
office. Far from it.
As the saying goes, “old wines are tasty” and the President Buhari we
have today is a man, like old wine, that has got tastier. At 72, yes,
he can’t be called a youth, but he has in quantum the wisdom, the
patience, temperance and forbearance that age brings. And all these
virtues he has brought to the Presidency, to make a difference in our
national life.
The President assured the Nigerian community in South Africa that his
Administration will make a positive impact on the country. And that he
would do.
Insecurity as symbolized by insurgency will be brought to an end,
corruption will be fought to a standstill, employment will be created
for the teeming army of unemployed, the economy will be revived, and the
quality of life of Nigerians will take an upward swing again. These
will not come by a sudden flight, but they will happen in the life of
this Administration.
At 72, the Buhari persona has not changed. He remains the simple,
honest, incorruptible patriot he has always been. And because Nigerians
earnestly desired change, that was why they voted for him overwhelmingly
at the general elections in March, this year. All the virtues and
values of the Buhari persona will be deployed into governance in the
weeks and months ahead.
The Nigerian community in South Africa was enthralled as President
Buhari spoke with them on Monday. In fact, leaving the venue was an
effort, as they swarmed round the President, who shook hands with as
many of them as he could.
They took his message well. That is the essence of good wine. It gets
better with age. And it is a message for all Nigerians, both at home
and in the Diaspora.
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