Buhari’s second term will bring succour to Nigerians’

Mack Ogbamosa

Mack Ogbamosa is the Lagos State Co-ordinator of the Buhari Media Organisation (BMO), which was originally called Buhari Media Support Group. In this interview with Deputy Political Editor RAYMOND MORDI, Ogbamosa, who is a lawyer and a journalist, explains what the BMO is all about, why it is supporting President Muhammadu Buhari’s second term bid and some of the challenges it has encountered in doing so.

What is the BMO all about?

It is a made up of professionals who are committed to championing the ideals of President Muhammadu Buhari and canvassed for support for his election and now his re-election. We are volunteers committed to championing his cause because we believe he has the right character to lead the country.

Why are you supporting President Buhari’s re-election?

We believe in his virtues of integrity, honesty, trust-worthiness and discipline, which are ingredients for the development of this country. Nigerians are poor not because we do not have resources to make the country rich. We have more than enough, but most of our leaders (military and civilian) at different times mismanaged our resources and unleashed poverty on the people. Instead of promoting honesty and trust in leadership, they enthroned corruption and indiscipline. Monies voted for contracts were embezzled; projects were poorly executed or abandoned. Some of us supporting the President were already adults when he was a military Head of State between 1983 and 1985. We witnessed the display of some of his virtues at the time. The queuing culture he instituted as part of the War Against Indiscipline (WAI) is one of the few lasting legacies the military regimes that ruled the country left behind. All those that have interacted with him, including former President Olusegun Obasanjo who was his senior in the military and under whom he worked as Commissioner (now Minister) of Petroleum and Natural Resources, have attested to his good character. On my own part, I have been privileged to work with Prince Tony Momoh (a man with similar virtues) on Buhari Media Campaign Organisation where we have been canvassing support for the President since 2003 when he first ventured into the race.

How do you expect to be rewarded for your efforts?

Our reward will come primarily from the victory of President Muhammadu Buhari at the elections. We are convinced that his victory will bring succour to the entire citizens of this country, including us. With good leadership, poverty will be reduced, if not completely eradicated. With good leadership, our infrastructure will be put in place. There will be regular power supply, good road and rail networks, development of small, medium and large scale industries, rise in level of employment and boost of our per capita income. We are already seeing evidence of some of these in the less than four years of President Buhari. We have also seen the completion of abandoned projects which is rare in this country. Virtually every government wants to abandon or re-award contracts that were originally awarded by its predecessors to serve the cause of corruption. Buhari has said no to this trend. We are patriots who believe in the promotion of good governance in the country.

Why are you mobilising support for the President through the BMO rather than through the Buhari Campaign Organisation?

All the Buhari Support Groups, including the BMO, are under the Buhari Presidential Campaign Council. Most of these groups, including ours, have always been there mobilising for the President. Unlike the Presidential Campaign Council, which was recently inaugurated, these groups were not formed primarily for the purpose of 2019 elections. Some of them, including the BMO, will continue to exist even after the election.

What are the challenges you have encountered so far in trying to sell his candidature to Nigerians?

Our challenges have been that many Nigerians are not aware of the positive impact of government of President Buhari on the citizens. They are not aware that government contracts are no longer inflated to make provisions for the President and his aides. They are not aware that government money is no longer being used to campaign for the election of the President. They are not aware of the fact that unlike today, Boko Haram took its war even to Abuja before this dispensation. We are aware that President Buhari has not met all the expectations of Nigerians. In fact, no president or government in the world can. But we are also aware that he has substantially fulfilled his promises to the citizens, especially in the areas of security, the fight against corruption, infrastructural development and social welfare. What is paramount in our campaign to Nigerians is that the President has what it takes to improve on what he has done. Judging by his impeccable character as a man of integrity and honesty, Nigerians can rely on him to do what he says he would do. Making a choice between Buhari and other notable presidential candidates is like choosing between day and night. It is a clear choice. That is what we are saying. Our task is to convince Nigerians that giving the resources available to the government, the President has done very well.

Are you not discouraged by the fact that many Nigerians are expressing displeasure over his performance in close to four years?

No. I’m not. As I said earlier, the President has not been able to fulfill all his promises. Remember that the President is mortal. For sometimes during these four years, he was indisposed. But unlike other leaders who will tell lies, this President accepts his failures.  He does not claim what he did not do. Unlike other leaders who will steal the nation’s wealth, this President will use our resources for the good of the common man. In spite of the unexpected obstacles, the President has achieved much. He is ready to correct the mistakes of the past. This is why he should be re-elected for a second term to consolidate on the gains so far recorded in the areas of infrastructural development, the fight against corruption and insecurity.

How do you recruit members of your organisation and how are you funded?

As I said earlier, our organisation is a not-for-profit association with members recruited on volunteerism. We are on the mainstream media and social media like Facebook and Twitter. Our current Chairman is Chief Niyi Akinsiji. Members are patriots who believe in the virtues of integrity, honesty and discipline which are the hallmarks of President Buhari. They use their resources to promote the good works of the administration.

In This Story:#BMO #MuhammaduBuhari #MackOgbamosa #BokoHaram

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