The
country called
Nigeria
is under serious
strain and if it is to survive it needs a leader that has the integrity,
trust, patriotism, and a positive experience to lead. That servant must
be selfless; firm but decent; talented not an intellectual; a person
that has seen us through a life of despair and yet hope; an achiever and
a team player; a person with the vision to take the country out of the
deep seas of trouble brought about by an uncaring leadership in Asorock.
It makes one wonder the very people that should have been locked away
for good not only for violating our constitution, considering
illegalities they committed to remain in power, have the audacity to
tell us they intend to retain that power, come what may, for another
thirty years, according to OBJ, their Commander- in- Chief. Mr. Aneni,
another anointed buffoon of the PDP recently told the World that Mr.
President has “the right” to choose who succeeds him in 2007. Those
that are mindful of numerous other Aneni’s tongue in cheek outbursts
have concluded that the poor man was only carrying out the message from
his master, and the fact that OBJ followed Aneni’s statement and
announced publicly that his own PDP had not zoned the presidency to the
North only confirmed people’s assertion. Never mind the fact that OBJ
had said he knew “those” that would not succeed him. Remember we are
still operating ‘a democracy’, but does one doubt the General is
talking tough and once again bashing the legitimate right of the
electorate to elect a leader to be the next president of this country?
Lest anyone rushes to conclusion, I am not supporting zoning as a
homemade democracy. I say categorically again I am against zoning of any
political office, especially the office of the president. And because I
firmly believe in the democratic process in a pluralistic society like
Nigeria
, I am not against
any credible contender from the North or the South whose ambition it is
to be elected president. The issue I am talking about is the scandalous
PDP project of 1999 that smuggled through, albeit democratic protests, a
rotten candidate that was elected president because he came from the
Southwest, and then we were told there was “needed” to correct the
June 12. Nigerians know better that two wrongs do not make a right and
it is time the PDP, ANPP, and other parties possessed by the zoning
maniac face the rule in a democracy that allows all candidates the right
to contest elective posts subject only to the rules of our constitution,
and not subject to parochialism, ethnicity, geographic or even religious
considerations. It is this view that I, like other well meaning
Nigerians strongly hold, that I wish to comment on the mature leadership
qualities of General Muhammadu Buhari, a leader per excellence that has
been described by numerous political, traditional, and religious
leaders, as well as writers and general masses of this country as the
most transparent, honest, hard working and performance oriented leader.
I might add at no time in the history of this country are such rare
qualities of a leader so needed than today, after living through hell
and knowing what alternative leadership has brought to Nigeria.
Let
me quickly state reasons why General Muhammadu Buhari is different from
other Generals, and some of the civilian leaders that one hears have
their eyes to the presidency. Unlike General Olusegun Obasanjo who had
the fortune to be drafted president from the prison, General Muhammadu
Buhari started to seek the office by undertaking personal political
transformation. On his own General Bubari first formed a
social-political movement, The Buhari Organzation [TBO] to gather public
support for a kinder and gentler
Nigeria
before he saw it fit
to join a political party that he believed he could use to bring the
leadership difference that could make
Nigeria
great again. Unlike
the General that is now occupying Asorock, and unlike the General from
Minna, General Buhari had gone into the rough and tumbles of politics,
visiting all the four corners of Nigeria in a campaign mode and seeing
first hand for himself the suffering and stresses the populace go
through on daily basis and with that knowledge in hand he vowed solemnly
and publicly to be a candidate for change. The rest is history when ANPP,
the party the General revived through his sheer dedication and public
appeal declared him to be its presidential candidate in 2003. While OBJ
became “the President” without any political transformation, hence
his habitual dictatorial style and temper tantrums, the idea that the
Minna General will be a candidate for the 2007 presidency has so far
remained speculative at best as he has made no such commitment to begin
with. Nigerians have also reason to wonder if the General will not
recycle the dreaded SAP or other failed projects of the first time he
was president. Another rumor has it that Brigadier Marwa is also
considering a run for the presidency; if he does he is going into
politics so far with neither political platform nor experience he would
surely need to be successful should he be elected president. A
successful ‘Military Governor’ does not necessarily translate
success in Asorock. While it may not be argued that Atiku Abubakar, the
Vice President, has had experience in politics, indeed lots of
experience, it can be stated that the duo’s current performance in
Asorock is one that Nigerians look forward to put behind them. Clearly,
if truth must be told none of those mentioned this far and more could be
the success story like General Muhammadu Buhari has been in different
leadership positions.
I
am aware that innuendos, distortions, and even outright falsehood had
been propagated to trash and denigrate the General’s tenure as a
successful and disciplined Military Head of State between 1983-1985.
Partly we seem to forget that General Muhammadu Buhari’s time was a
defining moment to re-invent morality and deal with the cancer of
corruption, that seemed to be out of hand, hence, some draconian
emergency decrees were introduced by his Supreme Military Executive
Council to deal with those and other pertinent issues endemic to the
society. Compared to other military regimes before and after him,
General Buhari’s administration can be described as a benevolent
dictatorship though ruthless at times and the regime succeeded in saving
the moral fibers and souls of its citizens, or at least until General
Buhari’s government was untimely replaced by the “evil genius”.
More importantly, by leading people with qualitative and disciplined
leadership that was free of corruption, inertia, nepotism, racial and
religious disharmony; it also gave Nigerians hope and reason to work
diligently and selflessly together for the benefit of Nigeria. Remember
the numerous new culture on self-reliance, discipline, honesty,
integrity, reporting to work in time, queuing up to get things, while
traditional artist’s like Sani Dandawo and Musa Dankwairo have had
field day composing songs on morality, diligence and discipline? And
while all that was happening Buhari was telling the world that he would
not sell our oil in the cheap even if he had to go by trade barter to
import commodities we needed while saving our foreign reserves. The
“leaders” of a gang that stroke and terminated that revolution did
Nigeria
an irreparable
damage. Comparing the military administration of General Muhammadu
Buhari and the past regimes before and after him gives one the picture
of a leader that was different, and caring; one that spared the lives of
its citizens whereas other governments murdered them; it was a
government that gave Nigerians total security and peace, a period that
was certainly at variance with the current failed administration under
OBJ and ATK; an administration that has seen thousands of Nigerians
murdered in cold blood due to pervasive insecurity. Still thousands of
other innocent citizens lost their lives through government’s extra
judicial slaughter by a gang masquerading as “security agents”: the
police, the army, and hired thugs and they are committing such as of
murder under the very eyes of those who are supposed to be in power. In
a way some would argue that General Buhari’s military regime was
excessive in part in its effort to bring some of our corrupt politicians
and business tycoons to book and penalized others in numerous ways
because of high corruption. In such isolated cases of abuse the regime
must be held accountable, like all governments of sort, for some
violation of human rights. By the way the current administration that is
supposedly “democratic” stands tall more than others, civilian or
military, in the history of the
Nigerian
State
when it comes to
brutality and violation of human rights. One thing is certain; General
Muhammadu Buhari as a transformed democrat would never take the route of
a dictator to govern this country again even as we all know a leader
that is not committed to true democracy like OBJ-ATK leadership can
still use a symbolic National Assembly and the Judiciary to push through
draconian policies to suffocate civil rights and labor movements, to
impose deregulation, local government reforms, party de-registration and
numerous other anti-people hidden agendas that are in reality aimed at
giving the president powers the constitution has not provided him. And
watch my word, if OBJ can have his way before 2007
Nigeria
will end up with one
political party totally controlled by one cruel and vindictive dictator.
My point is that General Muhammadu Buhari understands the difference
between a military and a democratic government with its attendant checks
and balances and unlike those leaders that are supposedly thinking to
join the political arena, General Buhari can be trusted to keep his
words. Here is a man who for almost two years now is still fighting over
the rape of our democracy that was the “419 elections” when others
rumored to have declared their ambition for the presidency have either
financed or supported the same election frauds that brought the current
illegitimate regime back to power. For this alone General Buhari is a
qualified champion and defender of democracy on behalf of all of us that
care for democracy. Here is a man who is still speaking out his mind
over the same illegality when others have remained mute. In this General
Buhari, more than any leader today stands to represent our voice and
freedom of expression. Here is a man that believes the power to elect a
leader rests with the electorate when those touted to enter the
presidential race with him believe you can either use the power of
incumbency, money or brutal force to grab power and keep it. In this
General Buhari has become the embodiment per excellence of the idea and
ideals of a free and fair election, and while others shamelessly hold on
to illegality, General Buhari is holding on our behalf the expression
and practice of legitimate representation. Here is a man that majority
of Nigerians feared could not change the national political ethics that
suggest only moneybags can “win”, but he has proved the doubters
wrong. In this he is taking us back to the good old days when service
for the nation does not have to be bought and yes, the poor too deserves
the right to serve or lead. Here is a man who is deeply dedicated to
salvage his wounded country and people when others only want to become
president for the sake of power and keeping it for good. In this fight
he leads all of us to win and to accept patriotism as a high national
honor. Here is a man that continues to warn the masses and the
electorate who listen to protect their votes and their rights when other
“leaders” are only too eager to buy those votes and rights. In this
General Buhari practices what he preaches and he is making us aware
enfranchisement is the most potent tool of democracy. What a leader!
What a General! What a true democrat!
It
is an open secret that many of our so-called “leaders” fear the
General because nowadays in our society one is feared when one stands up
for the truth. General Buhari as such is the last person our
“leaders” want to see back in limelight not because they love the
country but because they fear they will have no chance of winning in a
contest one to one with the General. But then should he win their days
are numbered and I make bold to say the cause the General is leading us
may end up creating yet another revolution of a kind. Who knows?
So the idea is they must all stand up in arms to stop someone who
is doggedly unstoppable because he only cares for the truth and by God
we want to see him win so that he can with the support of the Nigerian
people that he deeply cares about remove the rot that is about to
destroy all of us. If he wins people win and if he looses what a tragedy
again! I have no doubt corruption will be dealt a heavy and fatal blow
not by gimmicks, antics and hypocritical slogans but by action and in
practice while General Buhari leads. I am also confident he will
institute legality in the process of apprehending the thieves and making
them pay their dues in full for their economic racketeering and
political crimes they continue to commit even as I write. I am
optimistic the General as a democratic leader understands that he does
not need the Wabaras, Mantus, Jibrils, Ubas, and a host of them to
defend or cover up his political or economic interests to remain in
power. I am optimistic the General will, perhaps on his first one
hundred days in office send packing the INEC, ICPC, SSS, NNPC, FRAC,
EFCC, NEED, and a host of them because they have not performed and he is
not one that surrounds himself with inglorious, corrupt and
non-performing commissions or parastatals only to disguise himself and
fool the public. I am optimistic General Buhari is neither the
“Maradona” nor the “Baba” that aid and abet Assemblymen who did
not win elections to make our laws. I am optimistic General Buhari will
have no political or economic godfathers that take delight in trashing
the constitution and whom he rewards with patronage and sale of our
natural endowments and holdings. And those in power, including
Governors, may have distaste of the General because he overshadows their
deceitful image and personality, and because they know should he become
the president they will be sent to the cleaners to give account of their
loot.
That
General Muhammadu Buhari is a religious zealot who will turn Nigeria
into an Islamic State is yet one more diet in the menu of those
political, ethnic, and religious rumormongers and pundits. This nonsense
is tragically believed by even some of our innocent citizens because the
media of the Lagos-Ibadan axis in particular, see it fit to carry out
the tale for sensationalism, for profit, and because they have been
financial induced by Muhammadu Buhari’s rivals. One wonders how
General Buhari who introduced severe restrictions on the number of
pilgrims to perform Hajj [in order to conserve the foreign exchange]
could under any imagination be the one to establish an Islamic State?
General Buhari’s curtailing of the rights of Muslims to perform a
fundamental religious obligation was a feat no past leader, military or
civilian had dared to conceive, hence the action was certainly unwelcome
by all Muslims and it brought General Buhari’s government at logger
head with our clerics. It was reported that our erudite scholar, Sheikh
Abubakar Mahmood Gummi [May Allah have Mercy on him] was actually placed
under house arrest over the issue and other matters of concern for
“security” of the State. So to ignore all these unpopular actions
that General Buhari’s government took, and to lampoon the same person
as an “Islamic zealot”, “fundamentalist”, and so forth, is
beyond human intellect of reasoning. If Muhammadu Buhari could not
establish an Islamic State at the time his word was not often
challenged, how could he possibly create the same in a democracy?
Yet even as I write we have a "president" that has
misused government’s resource to build a Church and pulpit, with a
paid and full time Chaplain, and uses these facilities every
Sunday to broadcast live on national networks his evangelical Christian
prayers to Muslims, Christians, Traditionalists and atheists Nigerian
population. Not one of our so called national electronic and or print
media from the South found it fit to cry foul because the president
should know that such hypocritical sermons do not represent the Faiths
of the majority in Nigeria and it was time he was told his insensitivity
has been “a joke carried too far”. It is all well and good when
national houses of worship are built from resources of followers of
those Faiths, but when the president builds a Church in Asorock, the
seat of government, and used the naira and kobo of the tax payer to do
that then the message is loud and clear. Religious partisanship in a
multi-religious, multi-cultural society like Nigeria is unacceptable,
and I believe in my heart General Muhammadu Buhari will not be that
president. So all the hyperbole about the man’s religious extremism
does not hold water and leaders like Reverend Hasan Kukah and General
Yakubu Gowon who know Muhammadu Buhari have spoken out in favor of his
non-partisanship.
I
have another concern. The debate that our ex-Generals or ex-members of
the Armed Forces should not participate in politics is bankrupt as it is
undemocratic. Nigerians should be ready to embrace any leader worth his
or her salt because our constitution has made no such segregation of
people by their work for them to participate in politics. Nor is it
reasonable to bar any Nigerian from partisan politics because they have
made too much money they can use against opponents. After all one can
make the same argument that over the years our civilian leaders have
equally been involved in acquiring illicit wealth for their own benefit
and so the idea that Generals are too corrupt is also true with majority
of our politicians who are not only selfish and greedy but they go into
politics more so to steal that to provide national service.
I consider it as an act in futility to ask General Babangida for
instance to apologize to the nation for the so called June 12 annulment
when it is clear even to Wole Soyinkas that what happened then could not
be conceived as the sin of one man even though he was the Head of State.
Besides why does he [Wole Soyinka] not demand for the same apology from
both the military and civilians [representing all groups in the country]
for forcefully removing our First and
Second
Republics
and especially for
the unwarranted, brutal and barbaric massacres of our leaders in the
first military incursion? Indeed to most Nigerians the January 15, 1966,
army rebellion and the uprising of December 31, 1983, that toppled two
democratically elected and fully operational governments of Abubakar
Tafawa Balewa and Alhaji Shehu Shagari were much more serious and
critical to our democracy and our survival as a nation than the so
called June 12 annulment of an election that frankly was at best
in-conclusive. But the likes of Professor Soyinka are only interested in
issues they can use for their own diabolical agenda of divide and
conquer. It must be stated though that ex-Generals had tarnished their
profession and perhaps the honor of the country when they got involved
in every dirty politics for power and that was how they became victims
of their own selfish motives. We cannot though ban them wholesale from
exercising their fundamental right to lead in a political process, and
having put their lives on the line at different occasions to defend the
territorial integrity of our country they certainly deserve equal voice
when it comes to seeking elective office, including the presidency.
True, many of those ex-army Generals and politicians that we know are
thoroughly corrupt, but it must be stated in fairness there are some
among them that are not and General Buhari and others of his caliber are
our beacons of hope. We surely need a leader of his stature to succeed;
a leader that has Faith and audacity to face challenges; and one that
has no fear but the fear of God, Almighty, should he fail. I know no one
at this time that can do better and take the country safely and
gloriously to success than the General from Daura.
Nigeria
needs and deserves a
leader it can trust. It needs and deserves a leader that is strong and
visionary; he is strong not because he is stubborn but he has tenacity
to get through the most difficult of circumstances the office and duties
of the president require. Nigeria needs a can do leader, a listener, a
team leader, and a high achiever because the numerous years since our
independence had been wasted through greed and graft by our leaders;
through war and unrest; and through countless changes of rules and
governments that were run by people most unqualified to move the country
forward. Instead new and great ideas were often abandoned midstream
while another bunch of new ones came into play; it was like a merry-go
round without achieving much. If we have courage to practice real
democracy one would hope we have finally landed on the promised land of
great opportunities. The
truth is we are still far from those democratic ideals and practices
that can give a country both promises and realities of success. And
Nigeria just like any other nations on this planet has the God given
talents to work and explore workable solutions and ideas we can harness
to reach our destination, not destruction. That is why a visionary,
strong, trustful and dynamic leader as president is needed the more this
time around. And should the “419” presidential election case in the
Appeal Court drag on unresolved through the year 2007; or should the
“victory” be confirmed in favor of the PDP [as I am afraid it may
turn out], the 2007 elections will perhaps be the most eventful this
country will face; it is also one that in my view may make or break the
country. Only time will tell!
Dr.
Abubakar A. Muhammad writes from the State of Pennsylvania, United
States of America.
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