Pray, be patient with Buhari—Yuguda

By Emmanuel Aziken, Political Editor

ABUJA—Erstwhile governor of Bauchi State, Malam Isa Yuguda has called for prayers for President Muhammadu Buhari and patience from Nigerians towards surmounting the economic and security challenges facing the nation.

Buhari

Yuguda in a statement issued from Abuja yesterday said that the pains in the country could be likened to the hurt accruable from a deep wound as he insisted that President Buhari had the best intentions for the country.

Yuguda who governed Bauchi State between 2007 and 2015 also called on the authorities to clamp down on the activities of religious leaders who fan the embers of division.

“What is happening today is like when you want a deep wound to heal quickly, you need to wash it thoroughly with the necessary disinfectants and chemicals. It pains as it bleeds. But the gain is actually in the pain especially where there is an assurance that what we are doing is right. It is only a temporary pain. This is the stage we are in the country now and it calls for deep patience and understanding of all citizens,” Yuguda said.

Yuguda said: “We can discern clearly that President Buhari is trying to make things work. His clarity of purpose is as unmistakable as his sincerity. Nigerians should try to be patient. Take for example the situation in the oil sector where it has not been possible to dismantle the cartel in that sector in the past.”

He added: “Everybody has a critical role to play in the ongoing nation-building process including those who served in whatever capacity in the past. Our present political office holders need to accommodate the opinions of former public office holders for the collective benefit of the country. It is not everybody who once served that is corrupt. This mindset should change,” he said.

Yuguda who was before his election as governor minister of aviation rebuffed insinuations that all the former 36 governors were corrupt saying that it was wrong to categorise all former governors with those who have been found wanting.

“On a very personal note, I did my best while in office but some misguided elements went on social media platforms to discredit me unjustly and ignorantly, accusing me of what I did not do. I leave them to Almighty Allah’s judgment. I served my people and my country to the best of my ability and conscience. I love my country. We have no other country we can call our own”, he said.