Two stone for two birds: Senate’s prompt approval of $5.5b external loan and Igbo reception of President Buhari, tales that gladden the heart: AN EDITORIAL

Two great things, by our judgment, happened to Nigeria on Tuesday.  That was the day the never-anticipated eventually came on board the reality of Nigerian public life as the Eighth Senate approved gave its passage to the request of President Muhammadu Buhari to go ahead and take a $5.5 billion foreign loan he requires to drive the capital projects of his government to successful landing.  It was also the day the President, who had been threatened with attacks and even killing by a particular prince of Igbo Land resting on the “strength” of his now proscribed terrorist group, made a free and safe drive across a major state of the South East noted for being the “Salt of the Nation”.

The Senate, recall, is an arm of government that many had thought was out to ensure Buhari’s government would never succeed because of its composition of elements appearing in the toga of governing All Progressives Congress (APC) whereas they are working for the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

The Igbo people including their elites except few had held the views that the Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government had marginalized their region in Federal appointments and infrastructural development. They however piped low when they were confronted by people within and outside government why Igbo people should not hold Buhari responsible for problems their predicament that had been in place long before his government.  They were also told how their domination of the past government, in no way, benefited them in matter of infrastructural development as those Igbo in high positions at the time only left the region behind with many cases of dilapidation and infrastructural deficits.  Backlog of debts owed contractors running into tens of billions of dollar were also left behind in a way that almost made governance impossible for the President when he came.

All of those negative stories of recent times, both in Senate and Igbo Land, are now beginning to be things of the past as both sides appear to have turned a new leaf as they not only pledge their support for President Buhari to succeed but also that are seen to actually be supporting him.  The new development, particularly in Igbo Land, is reason the Federal energy that would have been dissipated over the issue of troubles perpetrated by Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) did not really happy because of the cooperation of the leaders who had later realized that the problem facing their region was no where the making of the man they called “the Fulani man in power”.  Today, everybody is happy for the mutual understanding that followed.  If there is anybody who is not happy, he should have his personal reason for that.

The singular beauty of what the Senate and Igbo have done in the life of the Nigerian State is that the peace that is largely required to develop and fix the country from the political and economic damages of recent time will now be easily done.  This is because, yes, Operation Python Dance II, III, IV and so on can be deployed at no risk to government.  But the funds being incurred on such deployment could have been channeled to more useful developmental areas.  Now that the Senate have approved the $5.5 billion foreign loan after being convinced that this government is not government that takes loan and distributes it into the pocked of respective leaders of ruling party, there will be money to drive home the infrastructural needs of regions of the country including the Igbo Land.  Now that there is no longer hate speeches coming from Igbo Land, the government can concentrate on development and the nation and the Nigerian people will be good for it.

To us at The DEFENDER, there is the need for the entire peoples of Nigeria to rise in loud ovation in appreciation of both Nigerian Senate and the Igbo people of the country for their new, positive attitude for the love of country.  If we could be bold enough to criticize and attack them in our various ways when they were doing things which were considered to be anti-nation, we should be proud enough at this time that they have changed for better to say “O ye Nigerian Senate and Igbo people, Nigeria loves you and we are proud of you!”