WITH the successful conclusion of the Presidential and National Assembly elections on Saturday 28th March 2015 and the emergence of Gen. Muhammadu Buhari as the elected President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), a lot of energy and ink have been expended by commentators, including hack writers and pseudo-analysts, who specialize in muddling the political water or worse still, fouling the fresh air Nigerians are currently savouring.

What makes Buhari’s victory pivotally important is the fact that this is the first time in the history of the nation, an opposition candidate has defeated an incumbent president in an election, a significant milestone that will help shape the history of Nigeria’s electoral contest for years to come.

Of equal epochal significance is the display of statesmanship by President Goodluck Jonathan, who, against the grain of expectations of enemies of Nigeria’s unity, put national interest above his personal pride and interest, when he accepted the verdict of the people by putting a call across to General Muhammadu Buhari to congratulate him on his victory.

This exemplary act of statesman-ship by President Jonathan, which is in sync with his overall attitude to governance, removed the arrow, in a manner of speaking, from the quiver of those fanning the embers of war ahead of the election, a situation that actually frustrated the murderous ambition of those who allegedly stockpiled arms and ammunitions preparatory to instigating crisis of unimaginable proportions.

Understandably, this has elicited spontaneous outpouring of congratulatory messages from Nigerians of all walks of life for the President and the President-elect as well as Nigerians for the democratic achievement.

Surprisingly, while many Nigerians are still reeling in celebration for achieving another significant milestone in the onerous quest to stabilize the nation’s fledgling democracy, some spoilsports, probably operating on a different wavelength, are engaged in the reckless and unholy enterprise of hurling invectives on some public officials whose only crime is to execute their assignments with the single-minded devotion of a religious devotee.

One of such public officials who have been at the receiving end of these harbingers of hate and malice is the Hon. Minister of FCT, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed. And what is his offence? It is his unabashed loyalty to the outgoing President and uncompromising fidelity the administration’s Transformation Agenda, Jonathan’s handmaiden for the accelerated development of the nation in all ramifications.

Being the most legitimatizing factor in the Jonathan administration and having contributed more than any of his ministerial contemporaries to the successful execution of the Transformation Agenda, Senator Bala Mohammed must be barbecued and the solid reputation he has built in the last four years must be torn to shreds as the lifespan of this administration throttles to its terminus on May 29.

To achieve their selfish aim, they have been peddling all manner of allegations against the minister and his children, overtly orchestrating their spurious involvement in several corrupt and shady deals. But the pertinent question is: how on earth would any sane mind, which is not idle, conjure up such fallacious story when none of the minister’s children has done any contract under the FCT Administration during the tenure of Senator Bala Mohammed as Minister?

It is equally sad to note that the unsubstantiated nay unfounded allegations have been extended to some Directors of the FCT Administration, including the Director of Treasury, Alhaji Ibrahim Bomoi, who has become the butt of their rabid attacks because he has stood his ground, refusing to pay huge sums of money as ransom over threat of negative media reports by his current blackmailers and their sponsors. Bala and Bomoi’s seeming offence ostensibly stems from their objection to the business as usual syndrome.

Judging from the antecedents of those behind this campaign of calumny, it is so easy to discern that their sole aim of picking on the FCT Minister and the Director of Treasury is simply to create disaffection between them and the incoming administration of General Muhammadu Buhari. But their evil intention will fail because the General as a man of integrity and conviction who is a highly experienced statesman will not easily swayed by such useless antics aimed at scoring cheap political points. It is on this note that it is necessary that well meaning Nigerians are advised to ‘shine their eyes well-well’ so as not be deceived by the cheap antics of professional blackmailers masquerading as media publishers, who have been waging a relentless war against the minister’s laudable achievements, especially the highly innovative land swap programme which is aimed at bridging the yawning housing gap in the nation’s capital.

In spite of the nebulous efforts of his traducers, the truth is that Senator Bala Mohammed unarguably remains one of the most successful FCT Ministers ever. His achievements speak for themselves.

On several occasions, Bala Mohammed has challenged his critics to take him up on issues, point out the gap in his style of administration and flaws in the execution of projects and proffer better alternative. The minister cannot have all the solutions to the problems besetting the FCT. He means well. Contrary to the harsh unmerited judgment of arm chair critics, he has performed creditably well to the satisfaction of his principal, President Jonathan and above all, unbiased Nigerians. His sincerity of purpose has certainly never been in doubt. So, he should be left alone.

Mr. Rogers Ochela, a social critic, wrote from Abuja.