What about Buhari as a
religious bigot? This is the Buhari I know. This is the record I know.
This is Buhari. Buhari cannot deny this side of him. Neither can anyone.
No one will deny the fact that Buhari had his own positive side. But the
preponderance of his negative out-weighs his positive.
What a relief it was
when Abacha came on air to announce his ouster! And no one mourned his
political demise. At least no one that mattered protested his ouster.
Abacha provided a forum
for Buhari to redeem himself. And he did! But he did redeem himself for
the people of the north as head of the Petroleum
The Buhari that I know
by Tunde Adenodi.
In the early hours of January 1, 1984 when General
Muhammadu Buhari became Nigeria’s Head of State, this writer was not
particularly unhappy at the political development. Nor were millions
of Nigerians from all parts of the country.
The government of Alhaji Shehu Shagari had just
conducted a massively rigged federal election that was said to have
been won by a land-slide margin of victory. And if anyone believed
that he won, it was probably because he was a member of the
“victorious” NPN or he was living in far away out in space. A
well-known public figure had commented that Shagari’s re-election was
not a victory but a conquest of the Nigerian people. It had to be so
because the economy was in rapid decline as a result of Shagari’s
profligacy. “Essential commodities” had to be queued up for; Nigeria’s
letters of credit were not honored in the international banking system
and Obasanjo’s external reserve had just been depleted in only 4 years
of Shagari’s government. And every child born on the day Buhari took
over was said to owe the IMF and Paris Club of money lenders no less
than USD 1000.00. So Buhari’s putsch was a welcome development. And he
enjoyed the support of most Nigerians. Happy New Year and Happy New
Government was the popular refrain of that day and several days that
followed.
About three months or so before he became Head of
state, he had indicted his Commander-in-Chief. He had implied his lack
of confidence in Shagari. He made no secret his disdain for the
political development in the country and of course, his boys did not
fail to notice his inclination for a coup. But his response to charges
of political brigandage by Shagari was feeble and dishonest. He said
Shagari was not the only one that rigged. He said all parties had
rigged the election to the degree of resources available to them.
In any case, his action was in conformity with the
NPN script: there were only two political parties in Nigeria - the NPN
or the political tendency it represented and the military! Both of
them, two sides of the same coin and neither of them superior to the
other and both representative of the political interest of the
northern ruling class and both working together to achieve the common
goal. A goal that has now been badly disrupted by Obasanjo’s
interregnum.
On taking over, Buhari and his stone-faced deputy,
General Tunde Idiagbon, had thought that Nigeria’s problems had arisen
from one national malaise: indiscipline. And they were intent on
wiping out this disease. And I dare say, rightly so. But they were
intent on carrying out their policy prosecution in a patently
sectional manner regardless of the sensibilities of the not-so-favored
section of the Nigerian populace. Most importantly, they were to turn
the population into a giant military barrack where orders were
bellowed out in rapid fire and obedience taken for granted. This was
the mind-set of the average Nigerian as Buhari began his reign of
terror that lasted a mere 18 months.
He arrested and jailed the politicians of the
states while treating with kid-gloves the politicians he took over
from. He sent those not so favored to several life times in jail while
those favored were placed in house arrest. He sent Fela to 5 years in
jail for bringing a mere Sterling pounds 5000 of his hard earned money
while standing guard for an Emir’s 53 suit cases. He left Adekunle
Ajasin languishing in jail after series of investigations had
exculpated him from any wrong-doing. He enacted a retroactive law that
sent three drug couriers to their death even when their crimes did not
carry the death penalty at the time they were committed. He filled up
the detention centers with Nigerians for mere expression of opposition
to his policies. He slapped our faces and dared us to cry.
General Buhari commenced the brain-drain when he
fired university teachers massively and ordered them out of their
residences immediately. “I will tamper with press freedom”, he
declared and did so by enacting Decree 4 which made truth not a
defense as long as whatever was published embarrassed government. He
closed newspapers at will and harassed reporters and their publishers.
Unemployment rose as a result of government direct
action against the press. The economy plummeted further and he
instituted the import license regime which awarded import licenses to
favored people who hardly made judicious use of them.
Federal laws were not enforced beyond Ilorin
beginning from Lagos. Nigeria’s image in the international arena
suffered
What about Buhari as a religious bigot? This is the
Buhari I know. This is the record I know. This is Buhari. Buhari
cannot deny this side of him. Neither can anyone. No one will deny the
fact that Buhari had his own positive side. But the preponderance of
his negative out-weighs his positive.
What a relief it was when Abacha came on air to
announce his ouster! And no one mourned his political demise. At least
no one that mattered protested his ouster.
Abacha provided a forum for Buhari to redeem
himself. And he did! But he did redeem himself for the people of the
north as head of the Petroleum
Task Force. Out of the sixteen directorates of the task force,
fourteen were headed by northerners and I am informed that 84 per cent
of the projects were all in the north! As Head of State he believed he
could only answer to the north and as head of the PTF, he served only
the north. Most importantly, he does not give a damn if you are not
happy with his decision. Nigeria, to him is ‘uni-polar’.
General Buhari has a record. He has been assessed
by me on his record and has been found wanting. I cannot vote for him
and will urge others not to vote for him.
One more thing: Other than Obasanjo, Buhari is the
only person who can effectively put IBB in check. If any other person
will do this, then, who needs Buhari?
