They say actions speak louder than words, no matter how glib the speaker may be.
On this front, words alone are insufficient unless they are accompanied by convincing actions. So it is with Aisha Buhari, First Lady of Nigeria, whose supposed sympathy for the young people striving to improve their lives via education, is looking less and less genuine. Then again, maybe her actions came about at the wrong time and have nothing to do with the Nigerian situation.
The denizens of social media virtual space have taken to their mobile phones and computers to have a go at First Lady Buhari. This is in reaction to her recent post on social media wherein she celebrated the graduation of her daughter-in-law, Zahra Bayero-Buhari, from a University in the United Kingdom. Although she is not the first to do this, not even among the public officers in the country, her posts are now considered the most iniquitous, bearing in mind that she is supposed to be a mother to every young Nigerian.
However, as every young Nigerian is very aware, the public universities in the country have been closed for seven months. The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has been contending with the federal government over a number of issues, resulting in the termination of all academic activities. And while students are suffering and crying out for help for every person involved, it seems that the First Lady is unfeeling to the point of adding salt to injury.
Of course, analysts have stated that the First Lady’s post had no insidious intent. After all, it is only right that she hails the graduation of the wife of her son, Yusuf—the girl graduated with a First Class! But the contention is that her post is coming at a time when no average Nigerian tertiary student can graduate and be awarded any kind of Class, First, Second, or Third. And that is where all the angst in social media is coming from.
