In all fairness, there is absolutely nothing wrong in the cancellation of presidential visits, whether foreign or local. However, there is something wrong and absurd in canceling three visits in the space of days without cogent reason(s).

Especially at such a time when most citizens are groaning under the yoke of unprecedented levels of poverty, darkness, food shortages, unemployment and insecurity.

These visits would have afforded him, perhaps a little chance of feeling the pulse and pains of his people, a feeling that the comfort of Aso Rock and useless foreign trips would deny him.

If a doctor is afraid of his patient or fears contact with them, how can he treat them? If a lawyer would not go close to his client or hear him, how best can he plead his innocence?

If the President is afraid of his own people how can he lead them? Or is he thinking we are all corrupt and as such he must avoid us as lepers, lest we contaminate him. Even if we were actually all corrupt, I doubt if corruption is an airborne habit, trait or way of life you can easily pick in the air.

Now I don't know the reason for this or previous cancellations, in the absence of any good reason from the presidency, it is not out of place to speculate.

If my assumption of fear is actually the cause, I make bold to say the president's fears are misplaced. Rather than fear the hungry unemployed masses, the president should reserve his fear for the sycophants around him in whose adulation he is basking as they slowly cheer him to his seemingly inevitable doom.

Those who for whatever reason do not look him in the eyes, and tell him the cold hard truth. The truth, that more and more persons are losing their jobs by the day. The truth, that insecurity is on the rise.

The truth, that power supply has declined even with increased tariffs. The truth that more and more Nigerians are losing weight thanks to increased food prices that have compelled may into fasting without prayers.

All we want is a home-based president who is in tune with the realities on ground in his own country. A president who tours his country with the same vigour and enthusiasm with which he makes foreign trips, striking wonderful poses for the cameras that can only be rivaled by Kim Kardashian.

A president who has no phobia for his own people, but those who are cheering him, like they cheered the biblical Herod in Acts of Apostles to his death. Making him to believe he is a god and as such can do no wrong.

A president open to criticisms and feedbacks. A president that would stay in his country and face the serious business of governance. A president, whose utterances will unify and not further divide the country. I do not want to believe, we have asked for too much.