President Muhammadu Buhari was absent at the burial ceremony of his Chief of Army Staff, Ibrahim Attahiru, and six other army generals that died two days ago in a plane crash, drawing condemnation from Nigerians who questioned his absence from critical national occasions and his perceived lack of empathy.
His absence at the burial was described as pure negligence which should not have happened as those that died are very important to the country, and the best that can be done to honour them is to respect them with his presence at their burial.
Some also lashed him by saying he was able to go to paris which is of course very far compared to the burial venue which is just few miles from the presidential villa.
Mr Attahiru, a lieutenant general, and 10 other officers were laid to rest at the National Military Cemetery, Abuja on Saturday, a day after they died in a military plane crash.
They died in the crash that occurred in Kaduna on Friday while on official assignment to Zaria in Kaduna State.
They were travelling to the Depot Nigerian Army, Zaria for the passing out parade of regular recruits slated for Saturday.
It was the third military air disaster this year and the army posted videos on social networks of the service attended by top political and military leaders at the national mosque.
Reno Omokri, a former aide to former President Goodluck, said the absence of the president from the funeral ceremonies showed that the country was ‘leaderless’.
“Sad that President Muhammadu Buhari did not attend the burial of the late Chief of Army Staff, (Lieutenant) General Attahiru. He was represented by his Defence Minister… Attahiru died serving Nigeria. Buhari, who went to Paris for four days, could not go to Attahiru’s funeral for 30 minutes,” the ex-aide to former President Goodluck Jonathan and staunch Buhari critic, tweeted.
“I ask again, where is the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria? When the occupant of the highest office in the land becomes so redundant to the point that he cannot attend the funeral of his Chief of Army Staff and other officers who died in a plane crash while on official assignment, it is an indication that the country is leaderless. Buhari has become a mere mannequin. He is neither useful to the country nor to humanity,” Lagos-based human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, wrote on Facebook.
In another tweet, Mr Omokri recalled that when the nation was thrown into mourning following the death of a former Chief of Defence Staff, Owoye Azazi, in 2012, Mr Jonathan attended the burial ceremony.
Another popular blogger, Japhet Omojuwa, tweeted, “If you can go to France, you can attend the burial of your COAS + others and use that platform as an opportunity to reassure your troops whilst celebrating the loss of our gallant men. But I shouldn’t tweet this. I shouldn’t attract unnecessary negative energy to my timeline.”
Abiola Sanni, a twitter user said, “I’m very disappointed and heartbroken This is the least the President could have done.”
Not the first time:
This is not the first time the president is being condemned for failing to attend significant national burials and not visiting victims of monumental tragedies.
Atiku Abubakar, a former vice president had in 2018 described the absence of President Buhari at the burial of soldiers killed by Boko Haram in Metele, Borno State, as ‘totally unacceptable’.
Mr Abubakar also criticised Buhari in 2019 for not attending the burial of the five Nigerian Air Force officers, who died while prosecuting the war on terror.
Other popular burials Mr Buhari did not attend was that of his late Chief of Army Staff, Abba Kyari, who died from COVID-19 last year.
In similar fashion, Mr Buhari had in December sparked outrage over his failure to visit Kankara after over 300 schoolboys were abducted while he was on vacation at his country home in Katsina, which was not far from the scene of abductions.
He, instead, detailed a delegation led by the National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno, to travel from far away Abuja to Katsina, where he was, to comfort the grieving families.
Many commentators say Mr Buhari has proven again and again that he is a man bereft of empathy for the the people he governs.
