I Am Disappointed In Buhari -- Helen Paul

Read her piece as published on The Trent below:

The comedian and mother of two Helen Paul, writes down her views and
disappointment in President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari recent statement
that he cannot guarantee the safe return of the kidnapped Chibok
girls..

Hmmm... it's one year and some days now since the Chibok girls have been
missing. Yet, the days are still counting because we have no clue
about their whereabouts.

This is a very sad development indeed. No doubt, it was a
disappointment that the outgoing government failed to locate and
rescue the girls from the hands of their Boko Haram abductors.

As a mother, who knows what the pains of child labour and child
upbringing are all about, I heaved a sigh of relief when Muhammadu
Buhari emerged winner of the presidential election. It was not because
I like him more than Jonathan, but because I listened to one of his
campaigns, where he promised to bring back the girls if elected into
office.

Perhaps, Nigerians elected him on that premise.

I feel that, at least, it will be a great achievement for whoever
locates and brings back the girls to their respective families. In
fact, whoever achieves that will be celebrated as a hero all over the
world. But then, I have seen another reason to believe that all
politicians are the same.

Their modus operandi may only be different. A few days ago, exactly
when it clocked one year that the girls had been missing, Buhari broke
my heart, just like that of other Nigerians when he said his
government could not promise to bring back the girls! I felt really
devastated because that comment was a sharp contrast to the promises
he made to all Nigerians and the world at large during his campaigns.

Honestly, I try not to be disappointed because you can always expect
anything from Nigerians, politicians in particular. They can promise
heaven on earth during campaigns, but the moment they get to power,
they promptly renege on their promises. Such is life in this part of
the world where we find ourselves.

I tried to put myself in the shoes of the parents, relatives and
neighbours of the missing girls, who, perhaps, solicited votes for the
retired General after hearing his campaign promise that he would bring
back the girls. How will they feel now hearing him say something to
the contrary?

There is an adage in Yoruba that says ' omo eni ku san ju omo eni sonu
lo,' meaning that it is better for someone's child to die than to be
missing. I can imagine the different thoughts and imaginations that
would have saddled the minds of those girls' parents. If the girls are
dead (which I don't pray for anyway), the parents will mourn for
sometime and recover, but that they are missing is another experience
entirely.
--naijaloaded.com