[size=14pt]Buhari’s many faces[/size]
Apr 1, 2011

NO election is complete in the United States without a comprehensive background check on the candidates.

Almost everything they had said, every actions they had taken and choices made are scrutinized by the media, and the opposition. Even the clubs, and churches the candidates attend, all is up in the radar.

The essence is to dig out the true character of the contestants, their ideological preferences and worldviews, and how these may colour their decisions if they get elected.

Americans do not joke with the antecedent of their politicians, especially those vying for a top position. While a candidate running for an election often say the right things and make the right noises to get elected, an investigation of his background may reveal something entirely different.

He may be a closet racist or a religious bigot, or simply incompetent. It was a background check that almost torpedoed the presidential ambition of Barrack Obama in 2008.

He was a member of Trinity United Church of Christ pastored by the fiery Jeremiah Wright. Wright had condemned the United States government in several sermons at the Church, blaming it for most of the world’s ills, including manufacturing the AIDS virus.

The discovery endangered Obama’s presidential dream as the suspicion was that he might share his pastor’s vociferous anti-American views. Obama eventually had to denounce Wright.

I wonder what a comprehensive background check might reveal about our Presidential candidates. But if there is one presidential candidate I do not need any investigation into his background to know his opinion, worldview and biases, that man should be General Muhammed Buhari.

The Buhari narrative is very well known. He became head-of-state in the early 80s at the age of 41 after bulldozing his way into power through a coup which led to the sack of the NPN government led by Alhaji Shehu Shagari.

Buhari quickly made name for himself as a no-nonsense leader who would not tolerate any dissent and indiscipline. Or so he would have us believe. This public mien as a dispassionate anti-corruption crusader was however undermined by some of the not-so secret actions he took.

[b]Firstly after the coup, several political leaders were arrested and detained. But surprisingly, while the former President Shagari was kept in a cozy apartment in Ikoyi, his deputy Alex Ekwueme was jailed at the maximum prison in Kirikiri.

The question, I am sure, Buhari still finds difficult to answer almost 30 years after is: what peculiar offence did Ekwueme commit to warrant the rough treatment he got while his boss had a much better deal at Ikoyi?

If the public officers were jailed because of their collective responsibility for the actions of their government, Shagari as head of that government should take most of the blame.

The only exception would be that that there were peculiar and personal allegations levelled against Ekwueme, the former VP, which his boss was unaware of. Mr. Buhari may want to throw more light on this. If not one is likely to believe the allegations on the street that Ekwueme was treated more harshly because he is from the SouthEast unlike Shagari who is from the same Northwest zone as Buhari.

Then during the time when old currency was being changed to new ones, Buhari announced the closure of the borders to ensure that there was no smuggling in or out of money.

But even that action was dogged by allegations of bias coloured by ethnicity. Nasir El Rufai, the former FCT minister put it better in press statement he sent out earlier this year.

“In 1984, Buhari allowed 53 suitcases belonging to his ADC’s father, to enter Nigeria unchecked, at a time the country was exchanging old currency for new ones,” El Rufai said. Buhari reportedly turned a blind eye to that infraction because the person involved was a leading emir from the North.

This charge of ethnic bias has trailed Buhari throughout his public life. But as well noteworthy was his inflexibility and highhandedness. Two evidences will suffice. As head-of-state, Buhari promulgated the infamous decree four.

The gist of this decree is that a journalist who reported any issue that embarrassed the military government would be sent to jail, even if the report was true. True to his threat, two journalists – Tunde Thompson and Nduka Irabor were jailed for reports, which though accurate were deemed to be embarrassing to the government.

Another decree prescribed death sentence for drug traffickers, no matter the quantity of drugs trafficked; and to make it more draconian the law was retroactive. It ensnarled several drug peddlers months after they had committed the crime and before the law was passed.

They were summarily executed in spite of the public outcry that the decree was against natural justice.

If Nigeria were to be US or a more sane society, the media would have feasted on these breaches by Candidate Buhari. The fact that he sacked a legitimate government would be enough reason to rule him out of national or statewide contest for a political office[/b].

The Americans and, to some extent, the Europeans are very particular about the kind of people who offer themselves for an election. This scrutiny is not misplaced. It is to ensure that people with dubious background never hold serious political offices.

That was why the candidacy of George McGovern, the Democratic Party Candidate of the 1972 US Presidential election lost traction. It was revealed that his Vice Presidential nominee, Thomas Eagleton, once suffered clinical depression and had visited a psychiatrist.

Eagleton wasn’t mad, but needed help for emotional issues. That was enough to derail the presidential ambition of McGovern, even though he eventually replaced Eagleton after initially dithering. Americans don’t take a chance, even the slightest one, with those they entrust with leadership.

Whoever becomes the US President becomes leader of the free world and is ultimately responsible for its nuclear arsenal. So they cannot afford to take such a chance.

But why are many Nigerians willing to take a chance with Buhari? What in his antecedent give them hope that he will be a democrat, a fair and just leader to all? I have looked closely into the man’s history and optimism does not well up in me.

As for fear, I have it plenty. For example, the 1990s were a tough period for our country. It was the time a lot of human rights and pro democracy activists took on the Sanni Abacha dictatorship. Many were killed, including Kudirat Abiola and Pa Alfred Rewane; while thousand of journalists and pro democracy activists were either sent to jail or forced into exile.

Many statesmen, Ekwueme inclusive, took a stand and confronted Abacha at grave risk to their lives. Where was Buhari at this tumultuous period of our national life? Not a word was heard from him. Rather he was serving the dictator as chairman of PTF.

[size=14pt]Buhari’s actions show that his worldview is narrow and shaped by his ethnicity and religion. There is no reason to believe he has changed. So why should I commit the leadership of my country into the hands of a proven religious bigot and tribalist? Why?[/size]

Mr. BY JULIUS OGUNRO, a commentator on national affairs, writes from Abuja.


http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/04/buhari%E2%80%99s-many-faces/

All bbmaniacs are needed to answer this questions

Tell us a new story, we have heard all these before.

But OBJ was part of the coup plot that brought in Murtala and also carried out summary extrajudicial killings post Dimka's coup, however, the PDP had no problems with him as their flag-bearer in 1999, 2003 and the failed third-term bid of 2007.

I agree though that in more sane societies, Buhari would be ineligible to contest, however, in those same societies, OBJ, GEJ and 95% of the PDP stalwarts would still be serving prison sentences for massive fraud and embezzlement, and the PDP would have imploded.

Beaf:


Buhari’s actions show that his worldview is narrow and shaped by his ethnicity and religion. There is no reason to believe he has changed. So why should I commit the leadership of my country into the hands of a proven religious bigot and tribalist? Why?

Jonathan's action shows that his worldview is narrow and shaped by his ethnicity and religion. There is no reason to believe his next four years would change. So why should I commit the leadership of my country into the hands of a proven religious bigot who tells me to go and pray that the people responsible for the October 1 2010 bomb attacks would come out and repent of their sins and tribalist that encourages only non-yoruba people in Lagos to vote for him and calls leaders of other political parties within the SW region - ''rascals''?! Why?

Pataki:

Jonathan's action shows that his worldview is narrow and shaped by his ethnicity and religion. There is no reason to believe his next four years would change. So why should I commit the leadership of my country into the hands of a proven religious bigot who tells me to go and pray that the people responsible for the October 1 2010 bomb attacks would come out and repent of their sins and tribalist that encourages only non-yoruba people in Lagos to vote for him and calls leaders of other political parties within the SW region - ''rascals''?! Why?

Pataki,

what is being said of Buhari are serious issues. It will be nice if you do not twist it toward Goodluck. Also note that Buhari as head of PTF used 80% of National fund for only a section of the country because he is from there. That is sectionalism at its worst.

The Leaders Nigeria need are national leaders who will see the wholecountry has his constituency, not someone like buhari who sees himself as a northwesterner, then northerner before regarding himself as a Nigerian.

How can will be sure that if Buhari is voted in, he will not use 80% of the federal Budget in the North just as he did with PTF fund.

ogb5:

Pataki,

what is being said of Buhari are serious issues. It will be nice if you do not twist it toward Goodluck. Also note that Buhari as head of PTF used 80% of National fund for only a section of the country because he is from there. That is sectionalism at its worst.

The Leaders Nigeria need are national leaders who will see the wholecountry has his constituency, not someone like buhari who sees himself as a northwesterner, then northerner before regarding himself as a Nigerian.

How can will be sure that if Buhari is voted in, he will not use 80% of the federal Budget in the North just as he did with PTF fund.

Oga,

There is nothing serious with those issues that has not been addressed over and over again on this forum.

How people suddenly claim PTF fund was used for the development of the North is at best put to be ludicrous.

I remember as far back in my secondary school days in Abeokuta, PTF donated desks, and laboratory equipments. One of the first project PTF undertook was in Lagos. The Federal Medical Center at Idi-aba in Abeokuta was well funded by PTF back in those years. I remember vividly commissioning upon commission of various projects and equipments handed to that hospital back then.

I would be doing great injustice and high dishonesty if I said, I never felt the impact of PTF.

And most shocking enough, I never knew it was a Buhari behind this development nor did I know, this same man never collected one dime as a salary for being the PTF director but rather preferred to remain solely on his pension.

Now tell me how does this man connote as being tribal and a religious bigot. Shock me with an amazing discovery.

I would not entrust the leadership of my nation into the hands of Goodluck. He is highly incompetent and utterly clueless about this country.

Pataki:

Oga,

There is nothing serious with those issues that has not been addressed over and over again on this forum.

How people suddenly claim PTF fund was used for the development of the North is at best put to be ludicrous.

I remember as far back in my secondary school days in Abeokuta, PTF donated desks, and laboratory equipments. One of the first project PTF undertook was in Lagos. The Federal Medical Center at Idi-aba in Abeokuta was well funded by PTF back in those years. I remember vividly commissioning upon commission of various projects and equipments handed to that hospital back then.

I would be doing great injustice and high dishonesty if I said, I never felt the impact of PTF.

And most shocking enough, I never knew it was a Buhari behind this development nor did I know, this same man never collected one dime as a salary for being the PTF director but rather preferred to remain solely on his pension.

Now tell me how does this man connote as being tribal and a religious bigot. Shock me with an amazing discovery.

I would not entrust the leadership of my nation into the hands of Goodluck. He is highly incompetent and utterly clueless about this country.

I have always followed the PTF story right from the inseption of the PTF so I don't need to hear it from others before knowing what PTF did. That PTF did some projects in the south is not in doubt.
As a matter of fact PTF donated 1 bus to Uniport while I wa a student then at uniport. Several other universities were given buses also. PTF set up a drug revolving fund, for Government hospitals, UPTH Port harcourt and Central hospital Warri were beneficiaries. I am a witness to these so do not need any one to tell me.

The problem is that how much does the buses given to schools in the South cost compared to the cost of projects in the North. Also how much does it cost to set up a drug revolving fund,  compared to the cost of multiple PTF projects used to dot the north by Buhari's PTF.

The cost comparism has been made, PTF budget and expenditure has been looked into and the verdit was that 80% of the fund was used in the North. For a Supposely national organisation, such wide disparity in budget spend between the North and the South is not good enough.

I was in the secondary school during Buhari's rule in 1984-1985. I will never wish those days for my enemies. Soldiers breaking into peoples shops and auctioning goods at give away prices. Got the currency changed thereby forcing everyone to deposit there money in the bank and refusing to alllow people to withdraw their money from the bank after depositng the money. Imagine starving when you have money in your bank account. Nigerians were queueing for Rice, Detergent,salt and vegetable oil essential commodities they were called then, and they have to queue for days to get these stuff to buy.

I will not tell people to vote for GEJ or Ribadu, but certaining I will not advice even my enemies to vote for Buhari, we need progress not retrogression.

The problem is that Buhari sees himself as a vehicle for the protection of the Northern Interest, I don't have anything against that, but he should stop trying to fool people into thinking that he is a nationalist, he is not and will never be.

PTF was set up due to due to agitation by Northerners after the creation of ompadec, but while ompadec had a yearly budget of 3 billion naira at inseption, PTF had 60 billion at inseption, so PTF creation was a master stroke against the south. the southerners asked for Ompadec and got extra 3 billion naira yearly, in response the northerners asked for PTF and got extra 60 billion naira yearly and to execute the masterstroke perfectly, they needed a perfect protector of Northern interests, there comes in Buhari, the rest is history. To fool a few southerners they do a few projects in the south and spend the bulk of the fund in the north and we now get people being fooled that PTF did projects in the south.

In truth, PTF put Project signposts in the south and did projects in the North. and the PTF budget spend per region shows the extent of the disparity in project execution between the North and South.
If I were to be a northerner and does not believe in fiscal federalism, I will push for a Buhari presidency. But as a southerner who believes that every region of the country should be treated fairly in the distribution of national wealth, I will not support Buhari and people like him.

Let me contribute.

True, in a sane society,Buhari should be banned from contesting, but so is Obasanjo,Ojukwu, and many ex military officers. Therefore if Obasanjo can rule, Buhari can rule

Apart,the reign of Buhari in this country,was the most disciplined.Corruption was drastically reduced,orderliness was in vogue,people were afraid to collect bribes and so on.
IF EVERYONE WILL BE SINCERE,CORRUPTION IS THE ROOT CAUSE OF OUR PROBLEM AS A NATION.And I think if anyone can deal with that we should give him a chance

I was in the University in 1983 when Buhari/Idiagbon took over Nigeria and if I must say it , they meant well for Nigeria with no regard to anyone whose ox is gored

Those politicians deserve such harsh treatment that was meted out to them by Buhari then, look they virtually turned Nigeria to a Banana republic, and everyone became helpless!

As at 1983 when buhari took over, the most pressing national problem was not corruption, there was a global recession affecting all oil exporters. Shagari was attempting to address it before he was thrown out by buhari. And buhari did not constitute a body against corruption, what he fought against was indiscipline by forming WAI and buhari failed to see that the recession was the greater problem then. His policies led to the closure of more companies and alienated other countries

What an analysis : Some people re children of necessity rather than children of history. WHAT A PITY.

I wish you can chip in your analysis. How does WAI relate to war against corruption. IBB actually attempted to expand WAI to include war against corruption by forming what he termed war against indiscipline and corruption WAIC, off course it did not work. Satan can not cast out demons. Just like a sectional leader like buhari can not be a nationalist

ogb5:

As at 1983 when buhari took over, the most pressing national problem was not corruption, there was a global recession affecting all oil exporters. Shagari was attempting to address it before he was thrown out by buhari. And buhari did not constitute a body against corruption, what he fought against was indiscipline by forming WAI and buhari failed to see that the recession was the greater problem then. His policies led to the closure of more companies and alienated other countries

I agree and disagree . . . . .  The economy AND corruption were the pressing issues of the time. Forgive me but I don't believe the Shagari government did much to tackle either . . . if anything the culture of corruption, and spending under the Shagari government  made it so many times more harder for the country to pull out of the recession quicker.

Also, I disagree with your claim that the Buhari goverment did not fight against Corruption --- Indiscipline INCLUDED corruption . . .  that is like WAI 101. What Buhari tried to do was liberalize the fight and we all know how that went right from the start -- in short-- he RUINED IT by pretending he can lazily have the people monitor their own selves. True that many of Buhari's policies were seen as extreme by some, and some companies quit as a result, but there are many more companies that gained from that same period . . . many of them remained, well, until recently.

Buhari is and shall remain a product of political nepotism masterminded by Emirs and politicians of northern region of yesteryears. I am not surprised he turned a blind eyes to the criminality perpetrated by an Emir from the northern region of Nigeria whose son was Buhari’s ADC.

The airhead named Buhari has an unfinished business with Nigeria and would be a regrettable travesty to allow this fraud a second chance at the helm.

If the reason Buhari removed Shagari was corruption, what crime(s) of corruption did he charge Shagari with?
If anything, Buhari created his own problems and fought vigorously with winds and and shadows, while Nigeria melted.

Buhari ended up killing off a set of politicians that meant well for the country. The accounts of the likes of Ambrose Alli (gov, bendel State), Ajasin etc were empty before and after they left jail. Almost all the politicians died from the inhuman prison conditions, several even went blind.
Today, what sort of politicians do we have? The responsible civilian class has been replaced by thieving ex-generals (including Buhari). They should all be shot.

Buhari!!!
What a character. Proving how unfit he is to govern is the easiest of tasks. Suffice it to say that among the current crop of competitors, no one is more unfit to rule Nigeria than Gen. Buhari rtd.

But there is a bigger worry. It's amazing how some Pentecostals and SW-ers have come to the dubious conclusion that the presence of Bakare on the ticket has suddenly changed the leopard's skin. They typically push fake statistics during their BB preachments in order to justify their un-informed choice of the worst set of people that can possibly rule any nation.

A VP is as powerless as the sitting president wants him to be. If Atiku, with all his powers and PDM followership behind him could be neutralised and rendered in-effective, then who is Bakare?
Consider this: Should BB win, what stops the former maximum ruler from giving him the boot (removing him from office) one day after the election?

Our safety lies in ensuring that we will NEVER AGAIN reward despots with access to our common patrimony.

NEVER VOTE FOR BUHARI

Truely, this Dictator Buhari must be rejected at the polls this saturday before he change the name of our country Nigeria to HAUSA -FULANI

Beaf:

If the reason Buhari removed Shagari was corruption, what crime(s) of corruption did he charge Shagari with?
If anything, Buhari created his own problems and fought vigorously with winds and and shadows, while Nigeria melted.

Buhari ended up killing off a set of politicians that meant well for the country. The accounts of the likes of Ambrose Alli (gov, bendel State), Ajasin etc were empty before and after they left jail. Almost all the politicians died from the inhuman prison conditions, several even went blind.
Today, what sort of politicians do we have? The responsible civilian class has been replaced by thieving ex-generals (including Buhari). They should all be shot.

You are clearly wrong. The guys you mentioned were in the UPN that was being wickedly squeezed out of power. The people actually in charge (NPN) would have killed this country
Umaru Dikko of NPN said Nigerians were not yet eating from rubbish bins.
The chairman (Akinloye) of a party that introduced austerity measures used branded champagne for his birthday
Anyway these were well-meaning politicians by the standards of GEJ's PDP
Buhari took over because of economic hardship overlaid with a massively rigged election

BetaThings:

Buhari took over because of economic hardship overlaid with a massively rigged election

^^

PRESIDENT SHAGARI IS OVERTHROWN: SPEECH OF BRIGADIER SANI ABACHA, DECEMBER 1, 1984 – RETURN OF MILITARY RULE

Fellow countrymen and women, I, Brigadier Sani Abacha, of the Nigerian army address you this morning on behalf of the Nigerian armed forces.

You are all living witnesses to the great economic predicament and uncertainty, which an inept and corrupt leadership has imposed on our beloved nation for the past four years. I am referring to the harsh, intolerable conditions under which we are now living. Our economy has been hopelessly mismanaged. We have become a debtor and beggar nation. There is inadequacy of food at reasonable prices for our people who are now fed up with endless announcements of importation of foodstuffs. Health services are in shambles as our hospitals are reduced to mere consulting clinics without drugs, water and equipment. Our educational system is deteriorating at an alarming rate. Unemployment figures including the undergraduates have reached embarrassing and unacceptable proportions. In some states, workers are being owed salary arrears of eight to twelve months and in others there are threats of salary cuts.

Yet our leaders revel in squandermania, corruption and indiscipline, and continue to proliferate public appointments in complete disregard of our stark economic realities. After due consultations over these deplorable conditions, I and my colleagues in the armed forces have in the discharge of our national role as promoters and protectors of our national interest decided to effect a change in the leadership of the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and form a Federal Military Government. This task has just been completed.

The Federal Military Government hereby decrees the suspension of the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1979 relating to all elective and appointive offices and representative institutions including the office of the President, state governors, federal and state executive councils, special advisers, special assistants, the establishment of the National Assembly and the Houses of Assembly including the formation of political parties. Accordingly, Alhaji Shehu Usman Shagari ceases forthwith to be the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria . All the incumbents of the above named offices shall, if they have not already done so, vacate their formal official residences, surrender all government property in their possession and report to the nearest police station in their constituencies within seven days. The clerk of the National Assembly, the President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives shall, within two weeks, render account of all the properties of the National Assembly. All the political parties are banned; the bank account of FEDECO and all the political parties are frozen with immediate effect.

All foreigners living in any part of the country are assured of their safety and will be adequately protected. Henceforth, workers not on essential duties are advised to keep off the streets. All categories of workers on essential duties will, however, report at their places of work immediately. With effect from today, a dusk to dawn curfew will be imposed between 7pm and 6am each day until further notice. All airways flights have been suspended forthwith and all airports, seaports, and border posts closed. External communications have been cut. The Customs and Excise, Immigration and the Police will maintain vigilance and ensure watertight security at the borders. The area administrators or commanders will have themselves to blame if any of the wanted people escape.

Fellow countrymen and women, the change in government has been a bloodless and painstaking operation and we do not want anyone to lose his or her life. People are warned in their own interest to be law abiding and to give the Federal Military Government maximum cooperation. Anyone caught disturbing public order will be summarily dealt with. For avoidance of doubt, you are forewarned that we shall not hesitate to declare martial law in any area or state of the federation in which disturbances occur. Fellow countrymen and women and comrades at arms, I will like to assure you that the Armed Forces of Nigeria is ready to lay its life for our dear nation but not for the present irresponsible leadership of the past civilian administration. You are to await further announcements. Good morning.

Was Shagari's administration overthrown because of the economic depression or because of corruption?