Nigerians are certainly not happy about many aspects of the Muhammadu Buhari administration.
Since Buhari became president on May 29, 2016, it has been from one mis-step to another while the Nigerian economy nosedives, the citizens are suffering the pain of a 9-month long fuel scarcity, a dwindling currency, being locked out of the world banking system, an unending insurgency in the North East, and a escalating attacks on rural communities in the North Central by terrorist Fulani herdsmen, and the pain of false hope sold by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2015 elections.
The lastest news item to draw the anger of Nigerians is the decision by the first lady of the country, Mrs. Aisha Buhari to launch a book on beauty therapy on the 2nd anniversary of the kidnapping of the Chibok schoolgirls.
The book launch which was a high society event was chaired by her husband, President Muhammadu Buhari who was represented by the husband of Mrs. Buhari’s ‘side-kick’, the Vice President of Nigeria, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, held at the Old Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The Essential of Beauty Therapy is a 300-page book and according to Osinbajo, it is manual.
Nigerians took to social media platforms to condemn the move and surprisingly, APC social media and #BringBackOurGirls activists joined in the rage, condemning the action of the first lady as “stupid”, “insensitive”, and “condemnable”.
Though Mrs. Buhari has claimed that she was donating the proceeds of the book to the Chibok schoolgirls and other victims of Boko Haram, Nigerians are still not giving her a break. Many of them felt that the topic of the book trivialised the importance of the day.
April 13, 2014, over 200 schoolgirls were kidnapped by Islamist terrorist group, Boko Haram from Girls Secondary School in Chibok, a village in Borno, the epicentre of the war against terrorism in North East Nigeria.
Here are some of the comments from Twitter on the topic:
Aisha Buhari simply tapped into her hubby's 'god-complex' and expected nothing but praise & worship for that VERY inappropriate Book launch
— Prof Stanley Nwabia (@MrStanleyNwabia) April 15, 2016
Fuel Scarcity
Crashing Naira
Loss of jobs
Inflation
Aisha Buhari: The Essentials of Beauty Therapy pic.twitter.com/zfZ1l0uYT5— Ndi Kato (@YarKafanchan) April 15, 2016
Hope the handlers of @ABuhari tell her the truth. Going ahead to launch her book on April 14 was both insensitive and stupid. Shame, really
— 'Gbénga Ṣẹ̀san (@gbengasesan) April 15, 2016
How many "True Mothers" would think of beauty wen their children av gone AWOL
Aisha Buhari is like a mother to a nation, a forsaken Nation— LABIA MAJORA (@LabiaMinoria) April 15, 2016
The most popular were shared by a co-founder of the Bring Back Our Girls movement, Bukky Shonibare.
By launching a book on 'BEAUTY THERAPY'? Not a book on girl-child education, surviving insurgency, etc. https://t.co/oKJgnyTnfR
— Bukky Shonibare (@BukkyShonibare) April 15, 2016
1. @ABuhari, it’s the height of insensitivity to launch a book on ‘Beauty Therapy’ on a day the nation is in pain. pic.twitter.com/XxH9g9TfLd
— Bukky Shonibare (@BukkyShonibare) April 15, 2016
2. @ABuhari: 219 girls have been missing for 2 years and you consider April 14 the best day to launch a beauty book? pic.twitter.com/c4IBJDEcje
— Bukky Shonibare (@BukkyShonibare) April 15, 2016
3. @ABuhari: We're at a painful juncture, grappling with long queues, epileptic power supply, food insecurity, etc.. pic.twitter.com/oJloPx296A
— Bukky Shonibare (@BukkyShonibare) April 15, 2016
4. @ABuhari: Citizens of this nation were bombed to death in Nyanyan exactly 2 years ago, you looked over that? pic.twitter.com/Ces3Dh4cHC
— Bukky Shonibare (@BukkyShonibare) April 15, 2016
5. @ABuhari: April 14 is, on different fronts, a painful day for us. It’s unwise to launch a beauty book on such day pic.twitter.com/n9GdB8qH59
— Bukky Shonibare (@BukkyShonibare) April 15, 2016
6. @ABuhari: Admittedly, we do not have an office of the first lady, but you are the wife of the President. You should have done better.
— Bukky Shonibare (@BukkyShonibare) April 15, 2016
7. @ABuhari: It makes no sense that the ‘proceeds’ would be used to support mothers of the Chibok girls. What they need are OUR daughters.
— Bukky Shonibare (@BukkyShonibare) April 15, 2016
8. @ABuhari: It is much more shameful to see ‘dignitaries,’ all smiling, at the event. April 14 is too much of a sober day for that, please.
— Bukky Shonibare (@BukkyShonibare) April 15, 2016
9. @ABuhari: A lot of those official dignitaries should have been wearing red yesterday and standing in solidarity for the #ChibokGirls…
— Bukky Shonibare (@BukkyShonibare) April 15, 2016
10. …not the insensitive charade of attending a book launch on ‘Beauty Therapy.’ I guess because you are the wife of the President.
— Bukky Shonibare (@BukkyShonibare) April 15, 2016
11. @ABuhari: Crux of my disappointment is you are, expectedly, the mother of the nation and 219 girls and thousand others are still missing
— Bukky Shonibare (@BukkyShonibare) April 15, 2016
12. @ABuhari: Those 219 girls are Y(OUR) DAUGHTERS and they must the accorded the honour they deserve from a nation that have failed them.
— Bukky Shonibare (@BukkyShonibare) April 15, 2016
13. That the Vice President @ProfOsinbajo and his wife attended the event is much more painful. On April 14th? Haba! pic.twitter.com/o446KKggUL
— Bukky Shonibare (@BukkyShonibare) April 15, 2016
14. @ABuhari: Even the SGF, Pastor @T_Bakare, and several other ‘dignitaries’ were there. It is sheer insentivity. Not on a day like this.
— Bukky Shonibare (@BukkyShonibare) April 15, 2016
15. @ABuhari: We want this govt to work and are ready to support the process. In doing so, EMPATHY IS CRITICAL in getting support and buy-in
— Bukky Shonibare (@BukkyShonibare) April 15, 2016
16. @ABuhari: What the nation need now isn’t ‘Beauty Therapy’ but ‘Socio-economic Therapy.’ Our institutions must work! Society must be safe
— Bukky Shonibare (@BukkyShonibare) April 15, 2016
18. @ABuhari: I also admit that you have your personal dreams and can pursue them, but, again, as President’s wife, be sensitive in doing so
— Bukky Shonibare (@BukkyShonibare) April 15, 2016
19. @ABuhari: Asides the significance of yesterday, it was a working day for the govt dignitaries at your event, which isn’t an official one
— Bukky Shonibare (@BukkyShonibare) April 15, 2016
20. @ABuhari: In all, EMPATHY is key in gaining public trust for national development. I pray God grant you wisdom. Thanks and best wishes.
— Bukky Shonibare (@BukkyShonibare) April 15, 2016
