Buhari At 70: A Life In The Service Of Allah And Humanity

| AHMED B. KAITA

Writing about Gen. Muhammadu Buhari is about the most difficult, and confusingly the easiest task to do. It is difficult because of the numerous angles one can explore about the man Buhari, each enough to be an independent subject with rich intellectual and moral benefits. On the other hand, it is easy because there is nothing one can say about Buhari that has not being said before with even better clarity. No word can add value to the person of Gen. Muhammadu Buhari. Equally, no word can reduce an ounce out of the tons of respect, belief and sincere goodwill he enjoys from majority Nigerians built overtime through hard work, selflessness and impeccable quality of character. Still, that would not stop me, like many of his well wishers to chip in a word about this epitome of honesty; especially at this time when he is celebrating his 70th birthday.
70 is no doubt a wonderful age, the attainment of which is akin to achieving the pinnacle of wisdom. To Buhari, 70 is just like any other age. His wisdom and quality of character have since reached their peak long before he reached the age of 30. There is no evidence that Buhari of today is any different from Buhari of 1972. It has always been the same humility, the same selflessness and the same seriousness that keeps the flame of a burning desire to see a good country built out of Nigeria. Unlike the different “visions” some of which are so confusing to even be understood both in meaning and context, Buhari’s vision for Nigeria was clear and simple --- a solid nation built on a foundation of sincerity, purposefulness and equality. 
Without a doubt, Gen. Buhari put to question majority belief that life is about taking advantages not making sacrifices. He had the opportunity to own the most lucrative oil blocks when he was Petroleum minister but chose to remain an “ordinary petrol station queueing Nigerian” oblivious of his record of building and operating at optimum capacity the only existing four  refineries in Nigeria; which subsequent maintenance have turned many into dollar billionaires without result.
He had the opportunity to own the choicest plots in Nigerian mega cities; including Abuja but chose to remain the only former Head of state without a sprawling mansion in Abuja or any city in Nigeria. His humble home in Daura deserves a place in the Guinness Book of Records for being the only building housing a Nigerian leader without security cameras, heavily fortified security fences etc. This house doesn’t even have the ordinary barbed wire that identify the haves from the haves not.
It was not by accident that security around Buhari is lighter than what obtained among people of his class. He needs not to be imprisoned from his people. People love him for always standing with them and for them. He remains the only Nigerian with the capacity to pull Nigeria in one direction with a flicker of a finger. His capacity to pull crowd and stand cities still is a reward from Allah (swt) for his exceptional fairness and sincerity of purpose. His magnetic personality is the type that can only be supported by impeccable honesty, brute sincerity and an uncompromising selflessness. It is not for nothing that millions believed and continue to believe in his ability to bring out the best out of Nigeria. He worked hard for that. It is this quality that turned the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF) into the nightmare of subsequent regimes. Dead and buried for over a decade, still PTF roads compete better than all roads built by subsequent regimes. The impact of PTF intervention in all sectors of the Nigerian economy remain the supportive pillar on which the economy is hanging on precariously for over a decade. To achieve this without a single fleck of dirt is a topic for another day.
As you attain this wonderful age, I pray Allah (swt) should shower more of His blessing and favours on you.
Congratulation and Happy birthday Sir.
 Leadership