An Open Letter To Zahra Buhari

Dear Zahra,


It is my great delight to share with you
anything I know (I hardly know anything)
which would help you to become what God
wants you to be. God has a wonderful plan
for your life and I hope that reading this
letter would reveal just that. Of course, you
might not get to receive this letter, and by a
stir of fate, you might also receive this
letter. Until recently (precisely, a week
ago), I’ve never been aware that the
amiable General even had a daughter,
talkmore of knowing he had one named
Zahra. I don’t know you, and perhaps, I
might never know you. Why not? Nigeria is
such a plundered country that big men’s
children like you hardly find Nigeria
comfortable for your oyinbo-ish skins (the
harsh harmattan; the oven-hot heat; the
irritating dust and the erratic rain). You
also don’t see suitable schools here to go
to.
When we were done with Okpoko
Community Development Primary School
back then, which was approximately 10km
from home (we trekked to and fro the
distance), we gained admission into
Okpoko Boys Community High School
(which was even farther; we still trekked
the distance), and after that, by God’s
grace, we are trying and managing at
Moshood Abiola University. Then after that,
we would troop out en masse into an over-
crowded labor market, carrying about our
files, waka-ing till our shoes no longer
have soles and receiving insults upon
injuries in offices we are searching for
jobs. Some of us would turn out okada
(bike) riders after our university education;
while some others would take to the solace
of prostitution or armed robbery due to the
frustrations of joblessness. Did I mention
that our parents lived from hand to mouth
just to see us through school, only for us to
turn out jobless? Even the ones who
manage to pull through get paid a paltry
#5,000 monthly. I believe that is not up to
1/4 of what you pay as school fee over
there?
Ask your father, he would testify to the
dungeons we have as schools here in
Nigeria. At least I believe that was why he
sent you to the U.K for studies. The
primary schools we went to didn’t had
simple latrines. The charade called labs
were there for decorative purposes. The
buildings were dilapidated; they had no
roofs. Our teachers hardly came to class
because the government was always owing
their salaries, sometimes as much as six,
seven or eight months, sometimes a whole
year. Not that the salaries were much, it
was just stipends. Our secondary schools
were no better. We were always having
shortage of teachers which greatly affected
us in a negative way. Our universities-
glorified secondary schools. Just two years
ago, our tertiary lecturers back here under
the aegis of ASUU embarked on an
inglorious six-month strike, which had
many undergraduates like me taking to
okada riding, bus conducting, and even
road-side mechanic-ing.
Now, I wasn’t stating all these facts just to
intimidate you, but to intimate you of what
we really went through and are going
through just to get simple education, and
afterwards, life here in Nigeria. Your father
is a living witness. I heard your education
and upbringing from the basics has been in
the U.K throughout, and it wouldn’t be
surprising to find out you are now claiming
British citizenship. Who wants to be a
Nigerian citizen, anyways? You certainly
don’t know about such experiences, do
you? You don’t know what it means to
hope against hope.
I must admit, I admire your sudden shot to
fame by not descending low to exposing
your body parts. Bearing in mind that, such
is the likely and major way ladies of
nowadays get attention and gain
recognition. I admire the decency. Kudos.
Perhaps, I should praise your strict and
stringent father, because back here, if a
child does(behaves) well, it is the parent
that receives the praise, and if he behaves
badly, the same parent takes the blame for
not bringing such child up properly.
However, I must say I find fault with the
way your pictures have gone on to become
the center of attraction in the build-up to
the general elections. I presume you won’t
even come home to vote, knowing how
insecure the country is. You are the
daughter of a public figure and nothing
should happen to you. We, the children of
the nobody’s are the ones to be used as
bullet-proofs and dumped afterwards like
corpses. We would be the ones to die in
your father’s stead. We would be fighting
his fight. With just a thousand naira (about
£10!) in our pockets, youths like me would
lose their lives to bullets in the name of
electioneering campaigns for your father.
Not to mention the tens of thousands
others who have lost their lives in the name
of Boko-haram evil attacks, which is also
not unconnected with your father’s
ambition to become Nigeria’s President.
Fine, you might be okay with the sudden
attention, which is why I shouldn’t get so
worked up. But being a youth who has
lived all his life here in Nigeria; who has
terribly felt the biting stings of failure in
leadership (your father’s inclusive); who
understands the meaning of the word
joblessness,and who, obviously has seen
hell on earth in the guise of governance, I
believe it is my duty to call you to order.
Being someone who has learnt a lot on the
journey of being a Nigerian youth, it would
be irresponsible of me not to intimate you
of the things on ground. Your experience of
any society when stacked up against mine
would only reveal the enormous
responsibility I have in bringing you in tune
with happenstances in the country.
Zahra, my point is simply that your picture
going viral like that of Kim Kardashian isn’t
what your father really wants at the
moment. Your name suddenly becoming a
trending topic doesn’t augur well for your
father’s political bid. It is trending for the
wrong reasons. One might be tempted to
ask, “Are you trying to divert attention
away from the major actors on stage?” If
so, for what reasons? Do you intend to
throw your hat into the ring and contest
against your father? Your father is someone
who has been hailed throughout the media
as a spotless saviour; a sinless messiah
and a guiltless saint. His “change” mantra
says so. For somebody who is vigorously
trying to so ‘change’ Nigeria as he claims,
his first port of call should be our attitudes,
lifestyle and mentality. At least I so
believe. And having his daughter’s picture
trending on twitter isn’t the best way to
begin such change. In my humble view, it
shows that he could not even begin the
change in his own sitting room.
Perhaps, it might do good, at this point to
tell you a little about politics back here in
Nigeria. Politics, as you know it in
oyinboland has totally a different meaning
back here in Nigeria. Nigerian politics is
really ‘politicks’ translating into ‘poli’ –
many, and ‘ticks’ – blood-sucking insects.
Zahra, do you want such blood-sucking
political insects to go for your loving
father’s blood? I guess not. Well, having
your picture trending on social media is
such great avenue.
I don’t intend this letter to be this long, but
thanks all the same for reading. I hope I
have done my duty to you by calling you to
order. Good day.
Yours sincerely,
Arikor Collins Ogonnaya,