THE time was a little
before midnight on Friday, May 22, 2015. The place was a small, quiet, almost
rural city in the British East Midlands.
Apart from a brief
stroll to the university library to pay some fines and renew some long over-due
school books, and the inevitable cross-over to the nearby Morrisons’
Supermarket to buy a few groceries, I had been sitting up in my apartment all
day, and all night, battling with a chapter in a long overdue PhD thesis.
Adult education is,
indeed, a very difficult thing to do. You can understand why people like me
envy people like Professor Pat Utomi – who obtained a PhD at 24. Those who send
their children to school bright and early did not make a mistake.
When I found that my
mind was beginning to wander off the topic of my chapter, “the challenges faced
by Nigerian journalists in covering general elections,” I went to the kitchen,
unpacked the few groceries I bought at the supermarket and took a couple of
bananas – my favourite fruit. I looked around the fully-fitted kitchen in the
self-catering apartment.
What a waste – I sighed
ruefully. Yes, the kitchen was a veritable waste. In nearly a week now, I had
not as much as boiled a kettle of water for tea, much less put a pot on the
burner.
This is very strange
indeed: I am normally a very enthusiastic, home-grown chef who is quick, even
in the UK, to cook up a storm of jollof rice, spaghetti bolognaise and
improvised “ofe Owerre” for semolina – with chicken drumsticks and spinach
purchased at Morrisons.
But this time around,
because of the Sword of Damocles dangling over my head because of an overdue
thesis, I was simply looking at the kitchen – and the kitchen was looking back
at me.
I sighed again ruefully,
went back to the room and continued battling with my thesis, eating some
chocolates, nursing a glass of cheap Spanish red wine – and thinking about the
family I left behind in Nigeria. Adult education is not something you would wish
on your worst enemy…
When I felt I had had
enough for the night, I closed the chapter and, before unplugging the laptop, I
went to the Internet to read Nigerian newspapers online – a veritable companion
when you are out of the country, and out of reach of hard newspaper copies.
Then, as I browsed leisurely through the papers, I saw an interesting piece of
news: “Buhari Jets Out on Private Visit to Britain”.
The story went on to say
that: “The President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, on Friday left for Britain on a
private visit, his first such trip outside the country since winning the March
28th presidential election.
“In a statement issued
in Abuja on Friday by its head, Mallam Garba Shehu, the Media Team of the
President-elect said General Muhammadu Buhari will use the opportunity of the
visit to take a much-deserved rest ahead of his inauguration on May 29th.
He is expected back in
the country a few days before the inauguration, refreshed and ready to hit the
ground running once he is sworn into office,’’ he said.
Suddenly, my lethargy
was gone. The journalist in me kicked in quickly. As they say, “once a
journalist, always a journalist”. As a soldier and a politician, General
Muhammadu Buhari was news, any day, any night.
And now, as the
President-Elect of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Mr. Buhari is news, any
day, any night – at home or abroad. Would he have any public engagements in the
UK? Would he make another appearance at the Chatham House – to make a post
election speech? I wanted to be there – to report it.
My desire to see the
newly-minted President-to-be in London was not for any frivolous purpose like
organized visits and courtesy calls. The Taciturn One does not suffer
frivolities gladly.
It was for the purpose
of journalism work: to see if I could do a couple of reports on the
President-Elect’s visit for a couple of Nigerian newspapers I sometimes
contribute to.
Journalism is a stern
and jealous god. I hit the Internet and started checking if I could find any
public engagement listed for the President-Elect in the UK. I drew blanks. I
started working the phones.
It was already Saturday
morning. I called Akintayo Adetokunbo, a popular news anchor with the VOX
television in London – and my erstwhile classmate in the PhD programme who has
had the courage to complete and submit his thesis. Tayo called back a few
moments later.
He was also very
interested in the news of the President-Elect’s visit to the UK and would love
to cover it – but he did not yet have any details of the programme.
I called the London
office of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), listed on a second floor apartment
on the famous Grays Inn Road. The line failed to connect repeatedly. They had
probably changed lines.
But I hoped they had not
closed shop – with the funding problems NAN is reported to be having. I sent an
email to NAN head office in Abuja to Mr. Isaac Ighure, NAN’s Editor-in-Chief
and an erstwhile very good friend of mine who I have woefully failed to keep in
contact with.
My email promptly
bounced back as “undeliverable”. Then I sent an email also to Mr. T.G. Adeniyi,
the Minister / Special Assistant to the Nigerian High Commissioner, Dr. Dalhatu
Sarki Tafilda – seeking information on any scheduled public engagements of the
President-Elect in the UK. Then I checked my train cards and bus tickets and
settled down to wait – ready for a quick shuttle to London to see Mr. Buhari.
And, sooner than later,
the news broke on Saturday, May 23: President Elect Buhari had had a meeting in
London with Prime Minister Cameron.
In a press statement
issued from Downing Street, a government spokesman said Prime Minister Cameron
met with President-elect Buhari of Nigeria and the two leaders discussed the
challenges facing Nigeria.
The Statement said in
full: “The Prime Minister welcomed President-elect Buhari of Nigeria to Downing
Street this morning.
Both leaders
congratulated each other on their recent election victories and discussed the
challenges facing Nigeria.
The Prime Minister
stressed the UK’s wish to work for a stable, prosperous and secure Nigeria.
“The leaders discussed security in the region and the fight against terrorism,
particularly the threat posed by Boko Haram.
They discussed the need
for a regional approach and agreed to continue working together to build the
capacity of the Nigerian army, with the UK continuing to provide military
training and intelligence support. “On tackling corruption, they agreed this
was a priority to ensure Nigeria’s prosperity and success.
The Prime Minister
agreed to look at what technical assistance and support the UK could provide to
the Nigerian government as it looks to undertake its reforms. They also
discussed the need to tackle organised crime and the links between the UK and
Nigeria.
Finally, they talked
about the challenges posed by migration from Africa to Europe and the
President-elect said he would do all he could to secure Nigeria’s borders.”
If President-Elect
Buhari was to have such an important scheduled meeting in Britain with the
Right Honourable Prime Minister David Cameron – surely, that is work, not rest,
or isn’t it? I have not heard it said that Mr. Buhari was just walking past the
doors of No. 10 Downing Street – and then, on a whim, decided to stroll into
the Prime Minister’s residence to say hi to Mr. Cameron.
When the story broke
here in England about Mr. Buhari’s visit “to rest” and to “refresh” himself
before his inauguration, it became a major talking point for many Nigerians
here.
Two Nigerians I met who
were having lunch in a small, roadside Asian “chicken and chips” restaurant
near the city centre were deeply engrossed in a discussion of Mr. Buhari’s
visit.
“These our leaders have
no shame: From Governors, Senators, Ministers to Presidents. They jet into
Western Europe and North America to ‘rest’ or to treat every minor ailment –
from common colds to headaches. But they cannot bring themselves to provide the
same facilities in Nigeria.”
I finished my modest
“meal deal” quickly and left – after exchanging brief banters with the
Nigerians. I did not have the time, or the energy, to engage in a tedious
discussion of Nigeria’s many ills.
But as I walked away
from London Road, back towards the University Road, I kept worrying about the
import of Mallam Garba Shehu’s strange statement about President Elect Buhari’s
visit to the UK “to rest”. The Taciturn One is not also the Soft One.
On the contrary, Mr.
Buhari is known as a tough, lean, no-nonsense general, given to a very austere,
Spartan lifestyle. His media handlers do him a great disservice, so early in
the day, if they create the general impression that he flew into the UK, at
public expense, no doubt, just to rest and to refresh – in readiness for his
inauguration – while the President-Elect came obviously on a national
assignment.
· By Kelechi Onyemaobi
Onyemaobi, a journalist and development communications specialist,
wrote from the United Kingdom
From the Guardian
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