Why Lookest Thou For Change, When Change Is Here? By Ogundana Michael Rotimi

Eight days after President Muhammadu Buhari was inaugurated; a friend called me and asked: Where is the Change President Buhari promised us during his campaign? I responded: Why Lookest Thou For Change, When Change Is Here? I went further and said, Change has begun, haven`t you seen it yet? It started right from the moment President Buhari gave his inaugural speech, when he said: “I belong to everybody and I belong to nobody”

The message in that statement is obvious. It means; we now have a President that belongs to everybody. Everybody that is ready to act according to the constitution of the country and put the nation first before personal interests. It does not matter their ethnicity, region, religion or political affiliations. A President that belongs to nobody, that cares only about how to plunder the nation at all cost. It also doesn`t matter of what their ethnicity, region, religion or political affiliations is.

I know my friend is one of those that thought President Muhammadu Buhari will hit the ground running with a magic wand or miracle oil right from the very first day he was inaugurated, and maintain the paste all through his tenure.

Some of the things they thought he would have done within the very first week of his inauguration are yet to be done. Key appointments like; the National Security Adviser, Chief of Staff, Secretary to the Government of the Federation that could have been done within the first official 48 hours were yet to be done after his first one week in office. They thought after him and his Vice, Professor Osibanjo were inaugurated, the next line of action was to sack all security chiefs, heads of government`s departments and agencies that worked with Former President, Goodluck Jonathan and replace them with new ones.

Unfortunately, change does not work that way. Hence, within the first one week of his inauguration, they started complaining bitterly that he didn`t hit the ground running as expected. But my question to them is simple: Do you want a President that will hit the ground running, get stuck at half way, then crash land while his tenure is still very fresh? Or a President that will study the demography, hit the ground running after all maintenance checks have been done, move at a sustainable speed and give us a safe landing? I know we all prefer the later.

There is something unique about change that often makes it take everyone by surprise. It doesn`t often follow the ancient route that majority usually think it will. However, one thing is sure, at the end, it achieves its said goals and visions.

President Muhammadu Buhari is unlike every other; he would rather take his time to do it and get a deserving result than hurriedly do it and then end up in a mess.

Yes we cannot shy away from the fact that people are expectant. But Nigerians must realize, that at this point in time, we do not need an “initial gra gra” President that will hurriedly impress the people at the detriment of other vital issues. President Buhari has a four year mandate, expecting wonders from him within his first one week in office is mischievous.

If you are so anxious and can`t wait to criticize his actions and inactions, be magnanimous enough to give him the first hundred days in office to prove himself fit or not fit for the job. We have four years to juxtapose his promises during the campaign with his achievements while in office. But doing that just after a week in office places one on the side of those with a preconceived mind to see him fail.

Truth is, change is already here with us, in no time, it will become visible.

God Bless Nigeria

Ogundana Michael Rotimi

I Tweet @MickeySunny