Opinion: The real Buhari people
don't know

President Muhammadu Buhari
was elected on the mantle of change and many
Nigerians expect a lot from him.

In this opinion by Folusho Daniel, he compares
Buhari’s current administration to when he was
a military head of state and shows the
similarities.


The Buhari everyone think they know


For so long, many Nigerians have been
attempting to study and decode President
Muhammadu Buhari, using different lenses.
Some only had a modicum of clue on who he
may be, counting on the code of information
they obtained from the media when he first
romped into global limelight as the Nigerian
head of state in a military garb.
During that military era, Buhari occurred to a
section of expectant Nigerians as a no-
nonsense dictator with brazen disposition to
power. Pairing in leadership with the late
Brigadier Tunde Idiagbon, adjudged as restless,
hardworking and unsmiling made the Buhari’s
regime almost a nightmare for Nigerians who
took business as usual all through the period
he reigned as Head of State.
Nonetheless, many perceived and saw Buhari
as a Messiah with the military government he
presided over. Nigeria was in rot when he took
over in 1983. Indiscipline and corruption were
in great synergy to incinerate the glory that
Nigeria carried from independence. The sacked
civilian government presided over by former
President Shehu Shagari operated recklessly.
Cabinet members acted like heists with moral
bankruptcy while being less patriotic in the
judgement of many.
When the Buhari’s military regime came on
board, frustrated Nigerians troop to the streets
in wild celebration. The reproach thrown up by
the rising tide of social vices in all parts of the
country after the collapse of Second Republic
made the War Against Indiscipline (WAI)
launched by his government very compelling.
Nigerians were remolded by WAI in conduct
and character while the government enforced
discipline all through. From then on, Buhari
struck gold in popularity that lingered with him
till he got elected as president in May 29, 2015.


For President Buhari, history appears to be on
re-hearse, as the throwback of mismanaged
opportunities, which Nigeria suffered under the
government of Shagari, seems to be on display
again. In simple terms, the government of
former President Goodluck Jonathan offered
Nigerians mirrors of infractions, excesses and
lack of focus akin to what political players
exhibited in the Second Republic.
Nigeria gravitated towards the precipice under
the government of former President Jonathan.
In that government, acts of corruption ballooned
uncontrollably, leading to growing terrorism,
insecurity and other heinous social vices. Then
battered Nigerians electorate craved for
emergence of a Messiah. Again, Buhari
emerged to play the role.
The desire for change
For President Buhari, however, saving Nigeria
from imminent collapse entails a fight against
corruption, terrorism and the need to re-grow
the economy. He also needs to engage the
swarming army of the unemployed in Nigeria in
the productive sector. These are daunting
challenges, which he needs to address in a
short time. Yet, Nigerians appear unprepared to
appreciate the enormity of the challenge and
dilemma that the Buhari’s government faces
day and night in efforts to correct the ills of the
past, while taking off with the Change mantra.
It is not in doubt that the President has fully
addressed his mind to bring about the changes
that Nigeria needs. Those who work closely
with him attest to his desire and determination
to take Nigeria out of the woods. The aggregate
view is that the reigning Nigerian President is a
man to be fully understood by Nigerians who
want to know where he aims to take their
country.
Buhari, is said to start his day, leaving no one
around him in doubt that the ‘change’ that he
preaches must start from his own office. The
President leads by example. He is said to be
desirous of building up institutions that will
outlive him. He is also said to depend on his
protocol department to operate hitch free
standards on crowd control in the seat of
government.
The president is a stickler for time with
perceived determination to change the poor
attitude of Nigerians on time matters. He
attends events on schedule, gradually
sweeping off all elements on time wasting that
had for years led to waste of public funds.
Under him, guests at events are never kept
waiting for hours in a manner they were used
to with past Presidents and leaders.

By his body language, President Buhari
appears not keen on living the opulence that
the presidential power offers. His close aides
attest to the fact that the President eats
moderately, don moderate attires, ride in posh-
less official cars, while he most eagerly avoids
any act likely to generate a scandal.
Although, there have been hues on the long list
of foreign travels he had made so far, only a
few knew that President Buhari, all along, has
not been collecting allowances, or rather
estacodes, contrary to insinuations. He is said
to be content with arrangements made for his
comforts by host countries. Buhari is also
noted to have pruned down the number of
officials in his entourage on every trip as a
means of saving cost.
Before Buhari came to power, successive
President’s saw nothing wrong in subjecting
Abuja residents to long grueling hours of
discomfort in traffic gridlocks with roadblocks
to ease their movements in and out of Abuja.
President Buhari has put a stop to that, offering
a relief by flying in helicopter to his
destinations, most especially to free the traffic
along the airport road.
President Buhari once went to an open eid-
ground in Abuja for prayers and surprisingly
found himself surrounded by more than a
mammoth crowd of admires, all surging to
catch a glimpse of him. The stampede which
ensued in the process reportedly touched the
President who immediately resolved to limit his
spiritual exercises to the Presidential Villa as a
way out.
For Nigerians who crave to understand the
President better, Ministers and heads of
governments have been having the free will to
display initiatives while not being emasculated.
According to reports, President Buhari only
acts as an enabler, a guide for ensuring that
the plans by his government to re-invent
Nigeria works in the long run. The desire by the
President to allow institutional growth and
development is the reason he hardly meddles
in the affairs of the other arms of government;
the legislature and judiciary, which he felt have
the internal mechanism to make adjustments
each time they erred.
The future ahead
By now critics should be aware that the
success President Buhari has been recording
in the fight against terrorism and corruption,
the process of regenerating the economy
through diversification as well as his cost
saving initiatives, are a testament that his
government is on the right track towards
bringing back hope for the citizens.
Today, under the government of President
Buhari, the railway system is staging a come
back in Nigeria. The government, having
launched the commercial operation of Abuja-
Kaduna train services is to commence the
second phase; the Lagos-Ibadan rail project
already captured in the 2016 budget. As
proposed, the rail line will eventually terminate
in Kano. All the same, attention is being
focused on the growth of Agriculture as efforts
are geared towards making Nigeria emerge as
the largest exporter of rice product, starting
first from Africa. In addition to the gradual
return of peace to the northeast ravaged by the
Boko Haram war, the government has started
the rebuilding process with outpouring of
foreign aides to fast track all plans.
President Muhammadu Buhari
As Niger Delta continues to pose a serious
question to the growth of the economy, signs
are emerging that the ongoing negotiation with
militants who blow up pipelines in the oil-
producing zone would offer a lasting solution.
The foregoing suggests that the President who
continues to make personal sacrifices is not
relenting in efforts to revive Nigeria. In all,
Buhari is a president who requires the
understanding, support and cooperation of all
Nigerians. Therefore, visible and covert efforts
towards making Nigeria ungovernable for him
by some set of individuals are needless given
their tendency to distend the woes of the
country with a predictable stifled future.

Daniel, a public commentator wrote from
Abuja.
This opinion first appeared in Daily Trust

who get time to read this long episode.

Mtcheew... Sense non

God please do something strong to buhari

Am still reading...
Wetin I wan gain from this long epistle.

Abeg make I go collect my own share of food from mumsy

He is simply a tyrant.