BY OLAKUNLE OLAFIOYE

Just like in his previous outings, the ghost of Decree 4 of 1984 is haunting General Muhammadu Buhari(rtd), presidential candi­date of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as he once again takes another shot at the presidency. The infamous decree which made the duo of Tunde Thompson and Nduka Irabor of The Guardian newspaper the first victims of military law, has in recent weeks gained cur­rency with political rivals using it as a weapon against the former military head of state.

But Tunde Thompson believes Buhari’s op­ponents are deliberately confusing and mislead­ing Nigerians . In this interview, he lays bare the issues surrounding their detention as well as unmasked those behind their ordeal. Excerpts:

Are you saying if there was any hurt he’s been forgiven?

Left to me, the hurt was inadvertent; it was aimed at protecting the government. I know it was not for journalists alone, there were other professional groups other than journalists that the decree was targeted at. I am very happy that we faced the bullet and the bullet was deadened at our end. The press and the government are rivals in the search for in­formation. They are also rivals in secrecy matters. The government wants to keep its secrets secret and we want to make the secrets open because we want to inform our audience. That’s why we always quarrel and that’s why I believe the govern­ment and the media need more fora to understand themselves. There are hostilities because we don’t understand ourselves.

Are you saying you wish General Buhari well as he aspires to rule Nigeria?

Yes, as far I am concerned now and considering the fact that there is an order that the Minister of Petroleum should not appear before the National Assembly to defend her conduct and considering the fact that the Naira had been further devalued. Now listen, in Ghana the Cedi we used to mock, the Rupee we used mock and the Yen. The Naira is just not there again. We say revalue the Naira but they said they cannot because we only have one commodity. The government has been saying a lot about agriculture. Cocoa provided the mainstay of the defunct western region under Chief Obafemi Awolowo. Groundnuts provided the mainstay of the defunct northern economy under Sir Ahmadu Bello. Have our farmlands suddenly become infer­tile? We have solid minerals; we have gold in Ilesa. What I am trying to say is that if we look critically, we have other commodities and if they are har­nessed we will be able to say we have more than oil. I appreciate what the Minister of Agriculture, Akinwunmi Adesina is doing now. Rice is be­ing produced on massive scale but the problem is mechanization. They are trying to see if we can grow wheat here. I believe enough efforts have not been made to find alternative income-generating activities.

Some even seem to be too powerful. They are sacred cows and they cannot be tamed. Is that not dangerous? I believe that a person like Buhari at this time can call anybody to order and some people are afraid of that.

The fear of a few people who have plundered the treasuries of this country should not be allowed to hinder our economic progress and political trans­formation. I think Buhari is humble. How many times did Abraham Lincoln run for presidency of United States? Was it not about 11 times? But Bu­hari is running for about three, four times and peo­ple are saying he is too old. He is not too old. Let them go to India, let them go to other places there are examples. I will not like people to use Decree 4 as an excuse to deny somebody, who can help bring discipline through democratic means, to Nigeria, another opportunity of getting to the position of president of this country. I think God is getting tired of the injustice in this country.

That is why some of us are seeing the reason to rally round the man and support him. The Sun is not a newspaper for any candidate, it is a national newspaper. I am very happy that you raised the is­sue about what my position is on somebody who put me in jail. I think 30 years is long enough, we should forgive and forget and let there be progress. Those who are ready to continue confusing issues out of their ignorance should be pushed aside and let us do what our conscience dictates. Except we want to suffer for another four or eight years, it will be costly to make a wrong decision again.

But Tunde Thompson believes Buhari’s op­ponents are deliberately confusing and mislead­ing Nigerians . In this interview, he lays bare the issues surrounding their detention as well as unmasked those behind their ordeal.

sleekp1:


I read up to this point and realized he was paid and I became disinterested. He is now blaming people who confronted Buhari when he was jailed, wow he didn't even disguise the fact he was rewarded for this.

sleekp1:
I read up to this point and realized he was paid and I became disinterested. He is now blaming people who confronted Buhari when he was jailed, wow he didn't even disguise the fact he was rewarded for this.

sleekp1:


I read up to this point and realized he was paid and I became disinterested. He is now blaming people who confronted Buhari when he was jailed, wow he didn't even disguise the fact he was rewarded for this.

sleekp1:


I read up to this point and realized he was paid and I became disinterested. He is now blaming people who confronted Buhari when he was jailed, wow he didn't even disguise the fact he was rewarded for this.