₦airaland Forum

@ gen buhari am not suprised by ur comment the question I asked did the aligations on. Report did it happen or not during ur so calle saint administration?

@gen buhari ur name sake and is brother patners in crime abacha,ibb birds of the same feather on dec 1 1983 go the and becos of sharing formular of wealth he was removed by his paddys abacha and ibb in 1984 then check our CBN wedsite for inflation rate during that period not bbc hardtalk or hausa services then tell me how he reduced inflation from 24% to 4% that is the issue am hammering on pls no name callings

Pro buhari over to u.and no name calling all I ask is did or did the issues raised by him didn't happen?

The Crimes Of Buhari–Wole Soyinka

5 January 2011 written by Republic Report New York ⁠ 822 views⁠ View Comments⁠⁠

New York [RR] ABUJA–this intervention has been provoked, not so much by the ambitions of General Buhari to return to power at the head of a democratic Nigeria, as by declarations of support from directions that leave one totally dumbfounded. It would appear that some, myself among them, had been overcomplacent about the magnitude of an ambition that seemed as preposterous as the late effort of General Ibrahim Babangida to aspire yet again to the honour of presiding over a society that truly seeks a democratic future.

What one had dismissed was a rash of illusions, brought about by other political improbabilities that surround us, however, is being given an air of plausibility by individuals and groupings to which one had earlier attributed a sense of relevance of historic actualities. Recently, I published an article in the media, invoking the possible recourse to psychiatric explanation for some of the incongruities in conduct within national leadership.

[PHOTO: Wole Sonyika, launches "Crimes of Buhuri", campaign.]

Now, to tell the truth, I have begun to seriously address the issue of which section of society requires the services of a psychiatrist. The contest for a seizure of rationality is now so polarized that I am quite reconciled to the fact it could be those of us on this side, not the opposing school of thought that ought to declare ourselves candidates for a lunatic asylum. So be it. While that decision hangs in the balance however, the forum is open. Let both sides continue to address our cases to the electorate, but also prepare to submit ourselves for psychiatric examination.

The time being so close to electoral decision, we can understand the haste of some to resort to shortcuts. In the process however, we should not commit the error of opening the political space to any alternative whose curative touch to national afflictions have proven  more deadly than the disease. In order to reduce the clutter in our options towards the forthcoming elections, we urge a beginning from what we do know, what we have undergone, what millions can verify, what can be sustained by evidence accessible even to the school pupil, the street hawker or a just-come visitor from outer space. Leaving Buhari aside for now, I propose a commencing exercise that should guide us along the path of elimination as we examine the existing register of would-be president. That initial exercise can be summed up in the following speculation: If it were possible for Olusegun Obasanjo, the actual incumbent, to stand again for election, would you vote for him?

If the answer is yes, then of course all discussion is at an end. If the answer is No however, then it follows that a choice of a successor made by Obasanjo should be assessed as hovering between extremely dangerous and an outright kiss of death. The degree of acceptability of such a candidate should also be inversely proportionate to the passion with which he or she is promoted by the would-be godfather. We do not lack for open evidence about Obasanjos passion in this respect. From Lagos to the USA, he has taken great pains to assure the nation and the world that the anointed NPN presidential flag bearer is guaranteed, in his judgment, to carry out his policies. Such an endorsement/anointment is more than sufficient, in my view, for public acceptance or rejection. YarAduas candidature amounts to a terminal kiss from a moribund regime. Nothing against the person of this  I am informed – personable governor, but let him understand that in addition to the direct source of his emergence, the PDP, on whose platform he stands, represents the most harrowing of this nations nightmares over and beyond even the horrors of the Abacha regime. If he wishes to be considered on his own merit, now is time for him, as well as others similarly enmeshed, to exercise the moral courage that goes with his repudiation of that party, a dissociation from its past, and a pledge to reverse its menacing future. We shall find him an alternative platform on which to stand, and then have him present his credentials along those of other candidates engaged in forging a credible opposition alliance. Until then, let us bury this particular proposition and move on to a far graver, looming danger, personified in the history of General Buhari.

The grounds on which General Buhari is being promoted as the alternative choice are not only shaky, but pitifully naive.  History matters. Records are not kept simply to assist the weakness of memory, but to operate as guides to the future. Of course, we know that human beings change. What the claims of personality change or transformation impose on us is a rigorous inspection of the evidence, not wishful speculation or behind-the-scenes assurances. Public offence, crimes against a polity, must be answered in the public space, not in caucuses of bargaining. In Buhari, we have been offered no evidence of the sheerest prospect of change. On the contrary, all evident suggests that this is one individual who remains convinced that this is one ex-ruler that the nation cannot call to order.

Buhari � need one remind anyone – was one of the generals who treated a Commission of Enquiry, the Oputa Panel, with unconcealed disdain. Like Babangida and Abdusalami, he refused to put in appearance even though complaints that were tabled against him involved a career of gross abuses of power and blatant assault on the fundamental human rights of the Nigerian citizenry.

Prominent against these charges was an act that amounted to nothing less than judicial murder, the execution of a citizen under a retroactive decree. Does Decree 20 ring a bell? If not, then, perhaps the names of three youths – Lawal  Ojuolape (30), Bernard Ogedengbe (29) and Bartholomew Owoh (26) do. To put it quite plainly, one of those three  Ogedengbe – was executed for a crime that did not carry a capital forfeit at the time it was committed. This was an unconscionable crime, carried out in defiance of the pleas and protests of nearly every sector of the Nigerian and international community religious, civil rights, political, trade unions etc. Buhari and his sidekick and his partner-in-crime, Tunde Idiagbon persisted in this inhuman act for one reason and one reason only: to place Nigerians on notice that they were now under an iron, inflexible rule, under governance by fear.

The execution of that youthful innocent for so he was, since the punishment did not exist at the time of commission – was nothing short of premeditated murder, for which the perpetrators should normally stand trial upon their loss of immunity. Are we truly expected to forget this violation of our entitlement to security as provided under existing laws? And even if our sensibilities have become blunted by succeeding seasons of cruelty and brutality, if power itself had so coarsened the sensibilities also of rulers and corrupted their judgment, what should one rightly expect after they have been rescued from the snare of power. At the very least, a revaluation, leading hopefully to remorse, and its expression to a wronged society. At the very least, such a revaluation should engender reticence, silence.  In the case of Buhari, it was the opposite. Since leaving office he has declared in the most categorical terms that he had no regrets over this murder and would do so again.

Human life is inviolate. The right to life is the uniquely fundamental right on which all other rights are based. The crime that General Buhari committed against the entire nation went further however, inconceivable as it might first appear. That crime is one of the most profound negations of civic being.  Not content with hammering down the freedom of expression in general terms, Buhari specifically forbade all public discussion of a return to civilian, democratic rule. Let us constantly applaud our media those battle scarred professionals did not completely knuckle down. They resorted to cartoons and oblique, elliptical references to sustain the people’s campaign for a time-table to democratic rule. Overt agitation for a democratic time table however remained rigorously suppressed  military dictatorship, and a specifically incorporated in Buhari and Idiagbon was here to stay. To deprive a people of volition in their own political direction is to turn a nation into a colony of slaves. Buhari enslaved the nation. He gloated and gloried in a master-slave relation to the millions of its inhabitants. It is astonishing to find that the same former slaves, now free of their chains, should clamour to be ruled by one who not only turned their nation into a slave plantation, but forbade them any discussion of their condition.

So Tai Solarin is already forgotten? Tai who stood at street corners, fearlessly distributing leaflets that took up the gauntlet where the media had dropped it. Tai who was incarcerated by that regime and denied even the medication for his asthmatic condition? Tai did not ask to be sent for treatment overseas; all he asked was his traditional medicine that had proved so effective after years of struggle with asthma!

Nor must we omit the manner of Buhari coming to power and the pattern of his corrective rule. Shagari’s NPN had already run out of steam and was near universally detested except of course by the handful that still benefited from that regime of profligacy and rabid fascism. Responsibility for the national condition lay squarely at the door of the ruling party, obviously, but against whom was Buharis coup staged? Judging by the conduct of that regime, it was not against Shagaris government but against the opposition. The head of government, on whom primary responsibility lay, was Shehu Shagari. Yet that individual was kept in cozy house detention in Ikoyi while his powerless deputy, Alex Ekwueme, was locked up in Kiri-kiri prisons. Such was the Buhari notion of equitable apportionment of guilt and/or responsibility.

And then the cascade of escapes of the wanted, and culpable politicians. Manhunts across the length and breadth of the nation, roadblocks everywhere and borders tight as steel zip locks. Lo and behold, the chairman of the party, Chief Akinloye, strolled out coolly across the border. Richard Akinjide, Legal Protector of the ruling party, slipped out with equal ease. The Rice Minister, Umaru Dikko, who declared that Nigerians were yet to eat from dustbins – escaped through the same airtight dragnet. The clumsy attempt to crate him home was punishment for his ingratitude, since he went berserk when, after waiting in vain, he concluded that the coup had not been staged, after all, for the immediate consolidation of the party of extreme right-wing vultures, but for the military hyenas.

The case of the overbearing Secretary-General of the party, Uba Ahmed, was even more noxious. Uba Ahmed was out of the country at the time. Despite the closure of the Nigerian airspace, he compelled the pilot of his plane to demand special landing permission, since his passenger load included the almighty Uba Ahmed. Of course, he had not known of the change in his status since he was airborne.  The delighted airport commandant, realizing that he had a much valued fish swimming willingly into a waiting net, approved the request. Uba Ahmed disembarked into the arms of a military guard and was promptly clamped in detention.  Incredibly, he vanished a few days after and reappeared in safety overseas. Those whose memories have become calcified should explore the media coverage of that saga. Buhari was asked to explain the vanished act of this much prized quarry and his response was one of the most arrogant levity. Coming from one who had shot his way into power on the slogan of displine, it was nothing short of impudent.

Shall we revisit the tragicomic series of trials that landed several politicians several lifetimes in prison? Recall, if you please, the judicial processes undergone by the septuagenarian Chief Adekunle Ajasin.  He was arraigned and tried before Buhari’s punitive tribunal but acquitted. Dissatisfied, Buhari ordered his re-trial. Again, the Tribunal could not find this man guilty of a single crime, so once again he was returned for trial, only to be acquitted of all charges of corruption or abuse of office. Was Chief Ajasin thereby released? No! He was ordered detained indefinitely, simply for the crime of winning an election and refusing to knuckle under Shagari’s reign of terror.

The conduct of the Buhari regime after his coup was not merely one of double, triple, multiple standards but a cynical travesty of justice. Audu Ogbeh, currently chairman of the Action Congress was one of the few figures of rectitude within the NPN. Just as he has done in recent times with the PDP, he played the role of an internal critic and reformer, warning, dissenting, and setting an example of probity within his ministry. For that crime he spent months in unjust incarceration. Guilty by association? Well, if that was the motivating yardstick of the administration of the Buhari justice, then it was most selectively applied.  The utmost severity of the Buhari-Idiagbon justice was especially reserved either for the opposition in general, or for those within the ruling party who had showed the sheerest sense of responsibility and patriotism.

Shall I remind this nation of Buhari’s deliberate humiliating treatment of the Emir of Kano and the Oni of Ife over their visit to the state of Israel? I hold no brief for traditional rulers and their relationship with governments, but insist on regarding them as entitled to all the rights, privileges and responsibilities of any Nigerian citizen. This royal duo went to Israel on their private steam and private business. Simply because the Buhari regime was pursuing some antagonistic foreign policy towards Israel, a policy of which these traditional rulers were not a part, they were subjected on their return to a treatment that could only be described as a head masterly chastisement of errant pupils. Since when, may one ask, did a free citizen of the Nigerian nation require the permission  of a head of state to visit a foreign nation that was willing to offer that tourist a visa.?

One is only too aware that some Nigerians love to point to Buhari’s agenda of discipline as the shining jewel in his scrap-iron crown. To inculcate discipline however, one must lead by example, obeying laws set down as guides to public probity. Example speaks louder than declarations, and rulers cannot exempt themselves from the disciplinary strictures imposed on the overall polity, especially on any issue that seeks to establish a policy for public well-being.  The story of the thirty something suitcases it would appear that they were even closer to fifty – found unavoidable mention in my recent memoirs, YOU MUST SET FORTH AT DOWN, written long before Buhari became spoken of as a credible candidate.  For the exercise of a changeover of the national currency, the Nigerian borders  air, sea and land  had been shut tight. Nothing was supposed to move in or out, not even cattle egrets.

Yet a prominent camel was allowed through that needles eye. Not only did Buhari dispatch his aide-de-camp, Jokolo later to become an emir -  to facilitate the entry of those cases, he ordered the redeployment as I later discovered – of the Customs Officer who stood firmly against the entry of the contravening baggage. That officer, the incumbent Vice-president is now a rival candidate to Buhari, but has somehow, in the meantime, earned a reputation that totally contradicts his conduct at the time.  Wherever the truth lies, it does not redound to the credibility of the dictator of that time, General Buhari whose word was law, but whose allegiances were clearly negotiable.

On the theme of double, triple, multiple standards in the enforcement of the law, and indeed of the decrees passed by the Buhari regime at the time, let us recall  the notorious case of Triple A Alhaji Alhaji Alhaji, then Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance. Who was caught, literally, with his pants down in distant Austria. That was not the crime however, and private conduct should always remain restricted to the domain of private censure. There was no decree against civil servants proving just as hormone driven as anyone else, especially outside the nation’s borders. However, there was a clear decree against the keeping of foreign accounts, and this was what emerged from the Austrian escapade.  Alhaji Alhaji kept, not one, but several undeclared foreign accounts, and he had no business being in possession of the large amount of foreign currency of which he was robbed by his overnight companion. The media screamed for an even application of the law, but Buhari had turned suddenly deaf.

By contrast, Fela Anikulapo languished in goal for years, sentenced under that very draconian decree.  His crime was being in possession of foreign exchange that he had legitimately received for the immediate upkeep of his band as they set off for an international engagement. A vicious sentence was slapped down on Fela by a judge who later became so remorse stricken at least after Buhari’s overthrow that he went to the King of Afro-beat and apologized.

Lesser known was the traumatic experience of the director of an international communication agency, an affiliate of UNESCO.  Akin Fatoyinbo arrived at the airport in complete ignorance of the new currency decree. He was thrown in gaol in especially brutal condition, an experience from which he never fully recovered. It took several months of high-level intervention before that innocent man was eventually freed. These were not exceptional but mere sample cases from among hundreds of others, victims of a decree that was selectively applied, a decree that routinely penalized innocents and ruined the careers and businesses of many.

What else? What does one choose to include or leave out?  What precisely was Ebenezer Babatope’s crime that he should have spent the entire tenure of General Buhari in detention?  Nothing beyond the fact that he once warned in the media that Buhari was an ambitious soldier who would bear watching through the lenses of a coup-detat. Babatope’s father died while he was in Buhari’s custody, the dictator remained deaf to every plea that he be at least released to attend his father’s funeral, even under guard. I wrote an article at the time, denouncing this pointless insensitivity.  So little to demand by a man who was never accused of, nor tried for any crime, much less found guilty.  Such a load of vindictiveness that smothered all traces of basic human compassion deserves no further comment in a nation that values its traditions.

But then, speaking the truth was not what Buhari, as a self-imposed leader, was especially enamoured of enquire of Tunde Thompson and Nduka Irabor both of whom,  faithful  to their journalistic calling, published nothing but the truth, yet ended up sentenced under Buhari’s decree. Mind you, no one can say that Buhari was not true to his word. shall tamper with the freedom of the press swore the dictator immediately on grabbing office, and this was exactly what he did.  And so on, and on, and on.

The argument of those who say that, by endorsing Buhari, they are settling on someone who can be guaranteed to give Obasanjo and the NPN a good fight, is one of the most depressing excuses I ever encountered for placing a political noose around a nation’s neck. Buhari owes a debt to this nation, not the other way round. If Buhari wishes to rehabilitate himself in the eyes of the citizenry whom he has so cruelly wronged, he should first scuttle his ambitions, then place whatever following he has garnered in the meantime at the disposal of a consensus candidate among the opposition. To insist on another taste of power, after such a history of gross abuse of power is an insult to any nation that values freedom and human dignity. Buhari should sit with the opposition and coordinate strategies to defeat the most unscrupulous act of political gerrymandering that, we all know, is about to be inflicted on the nation by a desperate incumbent seeking for a clone to secure his exit from power.  The nation has more than sufficient time and strategic intelligence to organize behind a common choice, publicize his or her qualities and defeat the arrogance of incumbency.

What is being eroded, through the power of suggestion, is a people’s confidence in itself, and this is the beginning of mass suicide. Without that confidence, no powers on high or on earth, external or internal, can rescue the community from both the palpable and symbolic chains of slavery. To invite back into power a man who did so much to destroy a people’s self-esteem, dignity, and faith in law and justice, is a sign of self-abasement, lack of self-esteem, a slave mentality that dooms, not only the present, but succeeding generations.

I wish to declare, unequivocally, that those of my party, the ARP/DFPF shall not participate in such a degrading surrender.

TRIBUNE

Soyinka is misinformed – Buhari, PDP

Idowu Samuel and Tope Abiola – 18.01.2007

THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former Head of State and All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) presidential candidate, Major-General Muhammed Buhari (rtd), yesterday carpeted the Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, over his comments on the health of Alhaji Umaru Yar Adua and the administration of Buhari.

While the PDP said Professor Soyinka was not a medical doctor to speak on its candidate, General Buhari said he (Soyinka) should not see him as an authoritarian leader.

Though, General Buhari, in an interview monitored on Channels Television, admitted that it was true that he took decisions on certain issues that could affect the lives of Nigerians when he was the head of state between January 1984 and August 1985, he said such decisions were made in consultation with the Supreme Military Council.

According to him, �all decisions including the controversial one were taken collectively with the majority decision.� He added that as the head of state, it was his responsibility to accept whatever was done in the government.

Also, the PDP described Soyinka�s comment on Yar�Adua as unfortunate, castigating him for not making enquiries on the state of health of the Katsina State governor before drawing conclusions.

According to the PDP national publicity secretary, Mr. John Odeh, Yar�Adua had always enjoyed sound health with high mental and intellectual condition, which he said surpassed those of other presidential candidates.

Odeh said the party was fully convinced about the ability of the Katsina State governor to carry its flag effectively in the next presidential election, a reason, according to him, members voted for him during the party�s presidential primaries.

The PDP, said Odeh, had an internal mechanism for raising its members for election. The mechanism, he said, had never been faulted, having over the years produced results.

�Soyinka certainly is not a medical doctor, and so we do not know how he had the idea that Yar�Adua has not been enjoying good health.

�Let me state that the PDP presidential candidate enjoys a good health. That is evidenced by high academic background and his fine experiences in business,� he said.

LEADERSHIP

ANPP, PDP Condemn Soyinka�s Attack on Buhari, Yar�Adua

By Chuks Ohuegbe and Andrew Oota, Abuja

Both the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) yesterday dismissed scathing remarks madeby Nobel laureate Professor Wole Soyinka on their presidential candidates, saying that Soyinka was unniformed.

Professor Soyinka, in his press conference on Monday in Lagos, condemned the ANPP presidential candidate General Muhammadu Buhari�s rising profile, questioning his past records as a military leader.

Though Soyinka did not question the credibility of the PDP presidential flag-bearer, Alhaji Umaru Yar�Adua, he picked holes in the process that produced him, saying that President Olusegun Obasanjo wants to �clone� his successor.

The national publicity secretary of the PDP, Mr. John Odey, told Leadership that the Nobel laureate should �acquit himself with the rule of this game�. Contrary to Prof. Soyinka�s position, the PDP spokesman said that the party conducted the best national convention that is yet to be rivalled by any of the other registered political parties.

�Our process has been transparent, all-inclusive and the best so far. The process we used cannot be faulted by anybody. We have been guided by the rules of the game. Professor Wole Soyinka should acquit himself with the rule of the game,� he said.

Also, the ANPP has described the attack on its presidential candidate for this year�s general elections, General Buhari, by Soyinka as uninformed, mischievous and baseless.

The party also called on Nigerians to disregard Professor Soyinka�s comments, adding that General Buhari is a moving training which �20 of Soyinka�s type cannot stop�.

In a press statement signed by the director of publicity of the ANPP, Alhaji Ibrahim Modibbo, yesterday, the party expressed shock and dismay that Professor Soyinka could �launch an unprovoked attack on the personality of General Buhari rather than channel his energy to writing plays and possibly criticisms of a government that has performed below average by all standards�.

ANPP also challenged Professor Soyinka to take his time and go though the records of the former head of state, �then he would realise and be better informed that General Buhari is among the few Nigerians that can be trusted, that are transparent, accountable and have deep sense of patriotism�.

�Soyinka cannot stop this moving train because his records as chairman of PTDF are there; as former head of state, the records are there; so, 20 of Soyinkas with such campaign of calumny cannot stop this moving train,� said the party.�When Buhari was in power, we had a sound economy, the educational sector was functional, health facilities and indeed the health sector was not just consulting clinics, Nigerians did not know anything poverty; so, we want to advise Professor Soyinka to face his academic research which has no place in modern realities; he should know that Nigerians know him for his uncoordinated and unconstructive criticism and they no longer take him seriously.�

The ANPP continued: �Professor Soyinka�s attack was not only baseless, it was lopsided and falls short of international standards.

�Soyinka�s attack on Buhari is dramatic in nature and should best be seen in the light of a dramatist whose penchant for baseless criticisms are what we want Nigerians to disregard. We are calling on Nigerians to team up with General Buhari.

�We as democrats concede Professor Soyinka�s right to air his opinion to him, but such opinion should be done without sentiments; therefore, we totally condemn Professor Soyinka�s unprovoked attack on Buhari which are not acceptable to us.�

THE SUN

Momoh, Balarabe Musa, David-West, others knock Soyinka �Over attack on Buhari

By HENRY CHUKWURAH, Port Harcourt, FRANCIS AWOWOLE-BROWNE, Abuja, KENNY ASHAKA, Kaduna and MUYIWA OYINLOLA, Lagos

Thursday, January 18, 2007

Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka may have unwittingly stepped on the tail of a rattlesnake for daring to condemn the presidential ambition of former military Head of State and All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) presidential standard-bearer, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari.

The literary icon had, on Monday, at a world press conference in Lagos, faulted the candidacy of the former military leader, describing him as unfit for the nation�s number one job. He said that Buhari was unfit for the post of president because of his past poor human rights record and double standard in governance.

The renowned writer�s position generated an avalanche of hot reactions from across the federation, with prominent Nigerians, among them, Buhari; chairman, Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Alhaji Abdulkadir Balarabe Musa; former minister of petroleum, Prof. Tam David-West and popular gospel singer, Mr. Sonny Okosuns hitting him hard for his comments.

Balarabe Musa, who is also a leader of the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP), said Soyinka was not qualified to cast aspersion on Buhari, alleging that the playwright had a worse record of human rights violations.

Buhari, on his part, said Soyinka�s outburst was uncalled for since he had shown enough evidence that he is democrat ready to operate according to the dictates of a civilian dispensation.

Musa said that as somebody who nurtured, supported and sustained the Oodua Peoples Congress, known for its alleged terrorist activities, Soyinka was not in a position to question Buhari’s human rights records. He said that though Soyinka was entitled to his own opinion, his statement on Buhari�s human rights record lacked merit, arguing that Soyinka probably wants to incite human rights organisations against Buhari.

Besides, debunking the criticism of Soyinka against General Buhari�s human rights record, Musa further stressed that Buhari�s “advantage is that taking everything into consideration, he constitutes the least risk as compared with those who are contesting with him� The same assessment that made us to support Obasanjo for the presidency in 1999, in addition to this, Buhari also has five relevant qualifications, viz: He is courageous, independent, credible, can make necessary sacrifice for the nation and also capable of leading the country.

Reacting also, to Soyinka�s outburst, Buhari, through a statement signed by the Chairman of his campaign organization, Chief Tony Momoh and entitled “Wole Soyinka and His State of The Nation Address, ” described the attacks on him as expression of sentiments. He noted: “If we have people who pioneered cultism in the institutions of higher learning, went into radio station to dislocate operations, but have changed by opting for due process to addressing of grievances, why then can we not accept that Buhari, who, at any time and place strongly and vehemently protests acts of injustice in whatever colour it presents itself, should be accommodated if he seeks office under the constitution which he has said he has a commitment to uphold, defend and implement?”

Buhari wondered if Soyinka had not been recruited as part of efforts to stop him from emerging victorious at the polls, while alleging that the outburst was part of a game plan to dissuade Nigerians from voting for him. He accused Prof. Soyinka of selectively presenting facts to justify his position.

Gen. Buhari alleged that Soyinka, in order to make a compelling case why Nigerians should reject him, failed to mention even one good thing that his regime did, which the people could use to judge and form their opinions about him.

“If this approach to enlighten the polity is the example our literary pride wants to set for those who need help, then we must widen our search for people who will man the scales that weigh the good, the bad, and the ugly so that those we lead may be properly advised on what path to take in their striving to secure a more tolerable future for themselves and their offspring,” he said.

Evangelist Okosuns advised Soyinka to leave the question of who succeeds President Olusegun Obasanjo to the electorate, urging him to rather use his wealth of experience and intellectual prowess on how to have a smooth transition. He said that rather than team up with government and give the nation a direction, Soyinka had always been in opposition.

Said he: “We have been following Wole Soyinka�s criticisms all along, with those of other activists. They have done a good job, but it is not necessarily in the interest of the masses. We are really tired of criticisms without solutions. It is good for someone to criticise an issue and offer solution. It is good to form an opposition on condition that the opposition has something to offer.”

David-West, on his part, accused Soyinka of abusing his social status by peddling sentiments and prejudices, affirming that Buhari remained the greatest leader Nigeria ever had and could have, particularly, in respect of probity, integrity, vision, focus and commitment.

GUARDIAN

Buhari team, David-West, Balarabe disagree with Soyinka

From Kelvin Ebiri (Port Harcourt), Saxone Akhaine (Kaduna), Adamu Abuh (Kano) and Oghogho Obayuwana (Abuja)

YOU might brand it a “clash” of two professors. Professor of virology and former Petroleum Minister in the regime of General Muhammadu Buhari, Tam David-West, has faulted Nobel laureate and Professor of Literature Wole Soyinka over the latter’s dismissal of Buhari as unfit to rule the country under a democratic system.

But he agreed with Soyinka that the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) should be voted out of power.

Soyinka had on Monday at a press conference come down hard on the All Nigerian Peoples Party’s (ANPP) presidential candidate listing what he described as Buhari’s oppressive antecedents as a military ruler and asking Nigerians not to vote for such person.

However, David-West was not alone. National Chairman of the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties, Alhaji Balarabe Musa and the Buhari Campaign team also rallied to the defence of Buhari.

David-West who spoke to reporters on Monday evening in Port Harcourt dismissed Soyinka’s pronouncements as “verbal excesses.”

Addressing journalists, David-West said he was irked by what he described as the ‘verbal excesses’ of Soyinka who said Buhari was not fit to rule Nigeria under a democratic system.

Describing corruption as one of Nigeria’s greatest problems, the virologist accused Soyinka of “deliberate ignorance” by not taking into cognisance what he (David-West) termed Buhari’s integrity as the most incorruptible and disciplined leader the country has produced since 1960. He then challenged Buhari’s critics to provide a better alternative to him.

“Our greatest problem (in Nigeria) is corruption. The greatest thing you can look for in a leader is probity. Gen. Buhari is a man of proven probity. While I worked with him, Buhari never interfered with me as Petroleum Minister. He never sent anyone to me for contract because he was not interested in contracts.”

The former minister, who urged critics of Buhari to be circumspect and objective, said they should instead channel their energy to sensitise Nigerians to vote for only disciplined, upright and incorruptible leaders.

David-West recalled that during Buhari’s reign, all Nigeria’s refineries were functioning properly and were even exporting refined petroleum products.

He said Soyinka’s castigation of Buhari for failing to appear before the human rights violation commission headed by Justice Chukwudifu Oputa was misdirected. According to him, the blame should be heaped on President Olusegun Obasanjo who failed to give the commission legal backing.

The renowned virologist, who said he appreciated the concern of those vehemently opposed to Buhari’s candidature, noted that “to fear Buhari’s antecedents and fail to appreciate his antecedents is intellectually flawed. Such concerns are being wrongly articulated with bias and prejudice.”

According to him: “We have no democracy, no federation, we have monocracy. What Wole should be interested in is telling people not to vote for the Peoples Democratic Party. There is need to vote out the PDP government. It is a government that is lawless. A government that disobeys Supreme Court orders. Buhari never did so as a military leader.”

Balarabe Musa yesterday picked holes in Soyinka’s criticism of the ANPP presidential candidate, saying that it lacked merit.

Musa, who reacted to the statement of Soyinka at his residence in Kaduna said the Nobel laureate is not in a position to cast aspersion on the candidacy of Buhari because he lacks the locus standi for such public criticism.

He argued that though Prof. Soyinka “is entitled to his opinion on human rights issue,” because he represents something else, his opinion may call for public guidance.”

The CNPP leader wondered how Prof. Soyinka who allegedly supports and sustains the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) “known for its alleged terrorist acts” question Buhari’s human rights records, “certainly, he must probably want to influence human rights organisations, but these organisations still remember how he (Soyinka) abandoned late Tai Solarin in Lagos in 1989 on the occasion of an anti-Babangida demonstration.”

Musa said: “The abandonment forced late Solarin to accept Babangida’s offer of appointment as the chairman of the People’s Bank. His criticisms do not take concrete circumstances into account and lacks intellectual balance.”

Musa also stressed that “the criticism of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Umar Yar’Adua, is purely on his choice of the political party to contest on.”

Musa continued: “This means that if Yar’Adua had been contesting on the platform of another party other than the PDP, that would have been alright for Wole Soyinka. This shows some level of deficiency in reasoning, because in the case of Yar’Adua, the question is not the choice of the political party but his capacity and the fact that he seems to be a surrogate.”

Musa further stressed that “Buhari’s advantage is that, taking everything into consideration, he constitutes the least risk as compared with those who are contesting with him.”

Musa contended that Buhari “is courageous, independent, credible, can make necessary sacrifice for the nation and is also capable of leading the country.”

According to Musa, the Buhari human rights record which some people are criticising today is relative, “particularly when you take into account what happened during the regimes of Babangida’s, Abacha’s, and now Obasanjo’s.”

“You see, I am the right person to say it because when Buhari took over from Shagari’s government and all those who occupied political offices during a period were arrested and detained, I was one of them.”

Musa stressed further: “I was never interrogated and was never tried and I stayed in maximum Security Prison in Lagos for almost two years. So, I am one of those who know something about this human rights record. But, let me tell you, while I was in prison, I saw why Buhari had to do what he did to some of us politicians.”

In a statement yesterday, the chairman of the Buhari Campaign Organisation, TBO Prince” Tony Momoh urged Nigerians to disregard Soyinka’s invectives because they failed to reckon with the fact that the terms under which the retired general now wants to be president of Nigeria are quite different from the circumstances that brought him to power in 1984.

The TBO led by Momoh, a former Information Minister, decried the coincidence between Soyinka’s outbursts and President Olusegun Obasanjo’s alleged comments bordering on the fact that Gen. Buhari could never operate outside the military mindset. The group lamented that not a single word was mentioned about Gen. Buhari’s positive contributions to the polity under his watch.

In a language devoid of ribaldry, the TBO maintained that the respected Nobel laureate gave an unkind cut to a revolutionary who could not do more than what the tools on his hands and the garb he wore dictated at the time but who is ever the more conscious of all that has changed since his first incarnation in power.

The statement read in part: “…What Prof. Wole Soyinka did at his world press conference was to paint a picture of the past and download it with such emphasis that he would not accept that the object of his own venom was human enough, disciplined enough and civilised enough to have known that a military regime which by its very nature is dictatorial is different from an elected civilian government which derives its power and authority from the people in whom sovereignty resides.”

“If this approach to enlighten the polity is the example our country’s literary pride wants to set for those who need help, then we must widen our search for people who will man the scales that weigh the good, the bad and the ugly so that those we lead may be properly advised on what path to take in their striving to secure a more tolerable future for themselves and their off springs.”

But then, TBO went on, seeking to tackle point by point, all the issues raised by Soyinka.

Maintaining that clues to the Buhari factor had already been provided to the puzzles raised by Soyinka in his booklet: “Many Questions and Buhari’s Answers”, Momoh sermonised: “If Prof. Soyinka had read those questions and answers; if he had accessed the many interviews the general has granted the media since 2003; if he had closely watched the activities of the general since he entered the political arena; if he had been interested in monitoring the titanic battle in the courts to fight the massive abuse of the ballot in the 2003 elections; if he had been fair enough to accept that the discussions and meetings the general has had with different groups cutting across tribes and tongues and ideologies and beliefs, Professor Wole Soyinka would have been much kinder in writing off Gen. Buhari as a man who has no capacity to change his views and obey the rules of due process.”

THE PUNCH

Soyinka should join other progressives to endorse Buhari  Momoh

By Chiawo Nwankwo

Published: Thursday, 18 Jan 2007

A former Minister of Information and Chairman of Gen. Muhammadu Buhari’s campaign organisation, Chief Tony Momoh, has asked Prof. Wole Soyinka to follow his colleagues to discover what they saw in Buhari and endorse his candidature for the presidency, rather than oppose.

Buhari is the presidential candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party for the April general elections and has been adopted by the Chief Gani Fawehinmi-led National Conscience Party; the PRP led by Alhaji Balarabe Musa; and the NAP led by Dr. Tunji Braithwaite.

Momoh, in a three-page rejoinder to Soyinka’s attack on Buhari’s candidature over his alleged abuse of human rights, when he was a military leader, regretted that he had joined forces bent on stopping Buhari at all cost.

He explained that he decided to take issue with Soyinka fully, having read his uncharitable invectives against Buhari in national dailies, just as he reminded him that he was also guilty of the use of anti-democratic methods in addressing national problems.

According to Momoh, it was curious that Soyinka spoke against Buhari the same day that President Olusegun Obasanjo, at a different forum, accused him of still being a prisoner of military mentality.

Prof. Soyinka should see in Gen. Buhari what his colleagues in the progressive camp have discovered, that he is the most viable and credible vehicle for change this country has known and can depend on, he said.

Besides Soyinkas tirade, Momoh alleged that forces bent on stopping Buhari had recruited hirelings, mainly young men and women in the South-South and South-East to poison peoples minds that a vote for Buhari, was a vote to Islamise the country.

______________________________

Buhari took over in 1983 dec check the inflation rate when he took over and 1984 when he left how did he reduce inflation from 23% TO 4% or it grew to 39% becos of massive corruptio in his regime u people go about writing trash without check facts

EAR                                   INFLATION RATE %




1970                                      13.8                       




1971                                      16                    




1972                                        3.2                  




1973                                        5.2                  




1974                                      13.4                




1975                                       33.9               




1976                                       21.2               




1977                                       15.4                   




1978                                       16.6                  




1979                                       11.8               




1980                                         9.9                 




1981                                       20.9              




1982                                         7.7               




1983                                       23.2               




1984                                       39.6                    




1985                                         5.5                        




1986                                       5.4 2                




1987                                      10.2                 




1988                                       38.2               




1989                                       40.9      




   (Above Data:Central Bank of Nigeria Statistical bulletin).     Naira was very strong in 1970s and early 1980s even with high inflation. Why this scenario? Because of financial and economic mismanagement, incoherent and uncoordinated monetary and fiscal policies. Together with overtly importation as Nigeria became the center of the dumping of foreign made commodities. It does look like that the party will last forever but then comes the oil bust and the crash of the oil price. Nigeria went on borrowing insanity to appease her spending appetite. Then it happened: IMF stepped

Pls pro buhari people that behave like him be issue based and defend the issues like Gej fans and ribadu fan and don't result to name calling like ur leader who doesn't take criticism.and don't come with that why has he not been probed I will tell u why the NNPC headquaters then at ikoyi was burnt down by his broda abacha when he was ptf boss with all the evidence.just like he burnt the defence house too before he moved to abuja to save his partner in crime buhari.was the burning of NNPC headquaters investigated?

Of Obasanjo, Babangida, Buhari and Misrepresentation:

A Rejoinder to Dr. Abdulrahman Muhammad, Umar Bello, and Sesan Koyejo's

 

By

 

Reno Omokri LLB, BL, LLM 

 renoomokri@yahoo.co.uk

House of Commons

 

When I read Dr. Muhammad's article on the invading forces in Aso rock, I was rather impressed at the obvious patriotism of this intellectual. He was not happy with the sorry state of the Nigerian nation, and sought to lay the blame for it's condition on certain individuals.

Rather than blame Obasanjo, CAN and the Yoruba as a race, what he should have done is to appraise the role of the other side of the power equation in Nigeria i.e. the Northwest/Hausa/Fulani hegemony played in bringing Nigeria to where it is today.

You forgot to mention that Northern, Muslim "generals" of Hausa Fulani descent, ruled this country called Nigeria for much of her existence. In that time, they did nothing to further the human development of the common people of northern Nigeria, but became stupendously wealthy and inhumanely repressive. In his Oct. 2000 Thisday interview, Mohammed Babangida, the first son of Babangida talked about the love he had for his horse, such that when it was ill he took it for treatment in Europe on a chartered flight. The sad thing is that not very far from his father's house, there are people who don't have Phensic or Paracetamol to swallow when they have a headache!

Mohammed Abacha, who I personally interviewed in January 2000 at the Kiri-kiri prisons, is worth by virtue of being his father's heir over 1.5 billion dollars (if he can only get access to some of the billions of dollars of his late father's seized asset). He shamefully narrated to a Swiss legal practitioner how his father gave him a gift of $750 million in cash on a visit he paid to his father at the presidential villa. This from his very own mouth. Yet Kano, where he hails from has the 3rd highest infant mortality rate in Nigeria, and one of the lowest adult literacy rates.

Is it not shameful to you, that in his 1999 Africa magazine interview, Mallam Adamu Ciroma had to confess that the only time education particularly primary education (his emphasis not mine) flourished in the north was under Gen. Obasanjo's 1976-79 regime, a southerner?

How can you ignore that in Kebbi state, which is the most educationally backward state in Nigeria, the governor Adamu Aliero, spent over 100 million naira in providing limousines for Emirs, yet the only tertiary institution in his state, Kebbi Poly had it's teachers on strike for salary matters?

In a country desperately in need of education, Abacha's Minister of Education, Alhaji Birma Idris, accused southerners publicly of being "in a mad rush for education".

The people you respect in the northwest are people who never cared for the masses of beautiful talakawas and almajiris in the north or their sufferings, but exploited their ignorance and love for God, as evidenced by their blind following of these leaders because they are Muslims. You see this and fail to note it and then turn around to put the blame for Nigeria's sorry state on  President Olusegun Obasanjo, the man who has provided more infrastructure for the provision of water (which is the north's major problem after illiteracy). An area which has been ignored by his last four predecessors, all but one of whom where northerners. Dr. Muhammad, where was your pen then?

The problem in Nigeria is not with Obasanjo, or the Yoruba's (but I thank God I am not Yoruba, because you will reduce my reasoning to tribalism). The problem is that Northern leaders, particularly in the Hausa/Fulani Northwest, do not love their people enough to emancipate them from their terrible state, and then make it difficult for others to do so, by bringing religion into the matter, such that these lovely people become so suspicious of any non Muslim/southern leader.

How else can you explain that Ikeja LGA, uses more electricity than the entire states in the Northwest? That Ondo state, has more Professors than all the Northwestern and North Central states combined? That life expectancy, infant mortality, and adult literacy rates are much better in the south, yet according to the BBC (Check their website) the two richest dynasties in Africa, come from this same north (Abacha and Babangida families) and yet instead of intelligent men like yourself attacking these problems from the roots, you seek to lay the blame on the Obasanjo administration along with CAN and the Yorubas as a people in the Nigerian project.

One thing I know, is that only an unfair critic could have found nothing in  an Abacha, or a Babangida government, and yet seek to castigate an Obasanjo, who has more than tripled the revenues the northern states received from the last northern ruler (each state now receives at least twice the amount they previously did from the federation account). Yes! Obasanjo is bad because after all, he is first of all Obasanjo, a Yoruba, and finally a Christian, ingredients for what Dr. Muhammad agrees make for bad governance!!

And coming to Umar Bello's comparison of Babangida and Buhari (See Between Babangida and Buhari, Where Lies Statesmanship? By Umar Bello), I make bold to say that this is a very difficult exercise, because one is as good or bad as the other.

This Buhari who you now paint in such glorious terms may have appeared to you as an angel, may indeed be anything else but one. Let us look at this Buhari in an objective manner and see if he indeed is as rosy as you paint him.

In 1984, fresh from his coup against what you so call "Shagari's inept and corrupt regime" (and pray tell me which man made regime is free from ineptitude or corruption?) he introduced the War Against Indiscipline or "WAI" which Nigerians accepted with open hands. This man then went on to change the colouration of the currency, ostensibly to check economic saboteurs, and capital flight and he also directed that foreign currency could not be taken out of the country, except a very little sum approved by the CBN. In that same year and at the height of his WAI, we all saw how the matter of an important emir and his 54 suitcases of money seized at Murtala Mohammed Airport was handled.

But what was even more curious was that around the time of this incidence, the maverick musician Fela who was traveling for a musical tour to Italy with his band boys was caught with less than a thousand pounds, and was subsequently arrested. Not only was he arrested and tried, but another mysterious telephone call was made to Justice Okoro Idogu the trial judge by Buhari's deputy Tunde Idiagbon, ordering that Fela must be found guilty and given a stiff sentence. This coming from Justice Idogu's very own mouth.

Buhari and Idiagbon in their zeal to enhance discipline and curb economic waste, ordered that no underaged person cold go on Hajj to Mecca (under aged being under 18).The same Idiagbon, under Buhari then proceeded to take his own underaged son in the presidential jet to perform hajj.

Buhari's government passed a law to the effect that if you publish anything that even if true was in the opinion of the chief of  staff supreme military council, capable of embarrassing any public official, then you had committed a crime. When the nation thought he was joking, he sent two journalist, and a cartoonist to jail for publishing materials which were TRUE, but which Buhari found uncomplimentary.

When asked by journalist when he was going to transit Nigeria into a democracy, this very man Buhari answered that he had no time for that.

You mention that Buhari paid half our national debt. That is a untrue! The fact is that Buhari repudiated all Nigeria's international financial commitments, and stopped all payments till debts could be verified. This ostensibly is a good policy, only that all international financial institution till today lost faith in Nigeria, and refused to give Nigeria credits for her imports. Nigeria from thence on had to always finance her imports before hand by guaranteeing them with her foreign reserves.

Further on the economy, Buhari began to barter Nigeria's oil for goods Nigeria needed. Why? Because nobody would do business with the country based on credit, in other words Nigeria was no longer credit worthy, as such we became desperate and started going against our OPEC commitments by bartering our oil for goods far less than their value!

In a religious and ethnically heterogeneous country as ours, Buhari saw no problem that both the head of state and his vice under his regime were of the same religion and ethnicity, Muslim Hausa Fulani (although many in the south erroneously believed that from his name, Idiagbon was Yoruba).

And while Buhari's tribunals which tried the civilian governors threw them in jail with terms ranging from 5 years to 250 years, it was on record that the cost of keeping the military governors he appointed was more than that of their civilian predecessors (A practice which continued into the Babangida years)

Everybody in Nigeria knew that Abacha was an usurper, and that he was uncontrollably corrupt and was also involved in state sponsored murder, but Buhari who you paint in such glowing colours, still agreed to serve under such a man as the chairman of PTF. As chairman of PTF, he made his own cousin the sole consultant for monitoring and assessing  the value of contracts. Afriproject consortium was so corrupt that at the inception of  Abdulsalami's regime, fearful of exposure, Buhari's cousin committed suicide in his office. When the books of PTF were opened, the can of worms was so much that Haruna Adamu said he felt sickened by it. One body determined the contracts to be awarded, the payments to be made and whether the contracts had been satisfied.

Do you know PTF estate in Wuse? The sweetheart deal that Buhari's PTF made with the contractor was so sweet. Not only would the contractor collect rent from PTF, but after 8 years, the place would be his to own!

Also, it is on record that though most of the monies which accrued to PTF was sourced from the south, a disproportionately large amount of projects were concentrated in the north, and particularly in Buhari's home state of Katsina, with little done in the east and Niger Delta which needed help more than ever!

Is Buhari a statesman? Please ask yourself and answer objectively. Here is man who called on Muslims to vote only Muslim candidates at the recent elections. As if that was not enough, when given the chance to deny the statement, he blurted that he only said Muslims should vote for those who would promote their religion! Is that not one and the same thing?

Here is a man who went on to say that Nigerians don't need "ordinary rubber" to justify their citizenship (in reference to the national ID card scheme). A man who labelled as subversives his opponents who were schemed out of the Abuja ANPP Presidential primaries. A man who when the flame were burning in the north over Sharia publicly denounced the Council of States decision to down play Sharia temporarily.

My dear Umar, please read these little notes of mine as dispassionately and objectively as you can, and ask yourself if a man who has such a pedigree can be said to have in your words "patriotic fervour" who ran a government "with a sense of purpose" and who was discipline and incorruptible? One thing you must know is that if a tribunal of the same bend as the one constituted by Buhari to try civilians after his coup should look into what this Buhari and his relations did in PTF, Buhari himself will get more than the 250 years jail term that was handed down on Jim Nwobodo.

I also read and had course to join issues with Sesan Koyejo's article "funny ideas of Prof. Omoruyi, " also to be found on the gamji website.

Permit me to present some facts, notorious facts, which when read along with your article might throw more light on your knowledge of Obasanjo.

Loyalty:

Sesan, you said in your article that Obasanjo is extremely devoid of loyalty to causes or persons and would sacrifice even his own child for his ambition. Let us see if facts support your assertion.

Obasanjo a Yoruba man, was the best friend of Chukwuma Nzeogwu, an Igbo. After Nzeogwu's failed coup, he feared poisoning and would only eat food prepared by Obasanjo. Before he died, he pleaded with OBJ to care for his family. It is on record that OBJ did this, and continues to do so till date. Nzeogwu's younger sister, who had a learning disability was sent to the best schools, including Mayflower Ikenne. His mother receives a pension from OBJ till date, and when he was released from prison, OBJ, went to visit Mrs. Nzeogwu in her village Okpanam.

Obasanjo was in Copenhagen in Denmark, when he was phoned up by Walter Carrington, then U.S. ambassador in Nigeria and told not to come back to Nigeria, because he would be arrested by Abacha for a phantom cop. He also got the same message from the current Chief of Staff in the presidency. Yet he came back. Why, because he knew that if he did, Yar' Adua and the other "coup plotters" would not be killed. Sesan you tried to stand reason on the head when you me and rejected this argument claiming instead that OBJ returned because he felt that Yar' adua's influence would save him. But what you did not know or may be conveniently forgot, was that Yar' adua was already in jail before OBJ returned. So the question you must answer Sesan, is how a man whose influence can not protect him can be expected to protect another?

In the year 2002, particularly in March, Arewa Consultative Forum, called on OBJ to fire his minister for works and housing Chief Anenih if he wanted their support for his second term. This warning was followed by a meeting in June, which was reported in Thisday, where IBB called for Anenih's sack before he would even discuss OBJ'S second term ambition. OBJ remained adamant and stuck with Anenih till this very day. Now Sesan, if that is not loyalty, I want you to define your own understanding of the word.

CONTROL OF PDP AND NIGERIA:

Sesan claims that Atiku Obasanjo's deputy is in fact his boss, and OBJ is merely a figure head. Can this be true?

It is an open secret that Atiku the vice president wanted OBJ to sack Anenih, because he felt threatened by the man, but rather than sack him, Anenih has remained the single most powerful man in Nigeria outside the president. Also recently, Atiku tried to make Bugaje his former political adviser speaker of the house, but he failed because OBJ wanted Masari who is now speaker. Aso Atiku lost in his constituency Jimeta-Yola to the ANPP, while OBJ won overwhelmingly in his.

From the above, any reasonable person would realise that while Atiku was very powerful during and after the events leading to the Presidential primaries, his power waned after that. Atiku himself saw this, which was why he orchestrated the governors from his zone to pay a solidarity visit to OBJ where they repeatedly begged him to ensure Atiku becomes president in 2007.If Obasanjo is as powerless as Sesan alleges, does it make sense that he can ensure the power that he does not have is passed to Atiku. According to this reasoning, Atiku only has to take what is his. But no. He comes appealing to OBJ. That tells unbiased minds who wears the crown.

CONCLUSION:

Many people have always made the hasty generalisation that Yoruba's are great betrayers, and love among other things to bring down their own. Sesan, your actions in twisting facts to suit your obvious hatred for Obasanjo lends some credence to this lie against the Yoruba. The Yorubas are purportedly the most enlightened tribe in Nigeria, and that being the case, other Nigerians look up to them to set the pace, not the lie. Sesan inclusion, it is the actions of a few that has led to this bad image of the Yoruba, please don't be among those few

Reno Omokri LLB, BL, LLM (Wolverhampton)

House of Commons

Parliament,

London

SW1 OAA, UK

@gen buhari.haha like I said the before u don't know about nigerian politics and how thing work.let me ask u which regime constituted the okigbo panel? .answer.general abacha(buhari was ptf chairman during the regime).was abacha presidency transparent?answer.we all knw by now it was the most evil and most corrupt regime in the history of nigeria and he Buhari was in that regime so okigbo panel was an ojoro panel to vindicate the true crooks in power abacha and his like buhari. And u answer this why didn't he appear at the oputa panel to clear his name on the aligation and the role he played as PTF MD during the most corrupt regime in nigeria history? Please I would like u to educate me.

@gen buhari.by ur post u have shown that u don't know this counrtry's political history.fact! buhari was the head of NNPC in 1978 and 2.8 billion dollars of the peoples money got missing and was traced to his personal acct in london.money kept under his custody disapeared without trace under is leadership and he can't account for it does that tell u he is a good leader? .fact! Why was PTF scrapped because of the gross stealing of fund and triberlism.

@kobo no one is making it up, if u want source or more sources about our economy under gej just go to google and type nigerian economic reports for 2011 u will get ur source and more sources

Please lets be objective about the issues raised in this article and no name calling please.

All Nigerian Coup Generals Were Rogues…And General Muhammadu Buhari Was No Exception
Posted: May 1, 2010 - 01:00
Posted by siteadmin
This article, rearranged for special emphasis, was first published by me in my now rested Sun newspaper Nigeria weekly column of May 26, 2003 under the headline: ‘Has anyone ever seen Buhari laugh?’ All our military heads of state were largely insensitive, corrupt, almost illiterate, self-appointed tyrants who seized their stripes of honour (dishonour is probably more appropriate) through coups rather than the rigours of formal training, experience or war.
Each one of the military heads of state simply got up from bed one chosen morning, pistle on the hip, jackboots on the ready to besmear our constitution to loot our treasury to their hearts content. Of course, they soon made up on the job for their lack of proper war or soldiering experience by detaining, tear gassing, shooting and bombing citizens protesting against their high-handedness and misrule. Everyone of our coup Generals aspired to be the richest lazy fool in the world sitting like an over-fed baboon atop the tallest tree in our devastated and rotting vineyard, savouring their exploits amidst squalor, hunger and decaying corpses. General Muhammadu Buhari was one of such military heads of state.

Shagari’s regime (1979-1983), incurred Buhari’s wrath when it decided to investigate the US$2.8 billion that disappeared from the Midland Bank, London account of the Nigerian National Petroleum Cooperation, (NNPC), during General Obasanjo’s era as military head of state that preceded Shagari’s. Dr. Olusola Saraki, Turaki of Ilorin, was the majority party leader of the Senate at the time and he headed the Senate Committee set up to trace the stolen money after some three years of clamour for such an investigation by members of the civil society. The money was traced to the Midland Bank London branch fixed account of Obasanjo’s appointee as military head of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company. The Committee’s report was presented to the Senate during the tail end of Shagari’s regime in 1983, so the House decided to deal with the matter and expose the rogue military head of the NNPC soon after the 1983 general elections.
The attempt at civilian-to-civilian transition provided the fillip for mayhem at the time. The elections were marred by massive rigging because incumbent political office holders were refusing to slacken their stranglehold on Nigeria Plc., mortgaged as the leaders private property.

On the 31st December, 1983, Buhari struck under the cover of the political commotion that trailed the presidential election results. Buhari generally had no agenda for leadership but vendetta against those he called critics and rabble-rousers. Buhari did not see any moral wrong in his conversion of our oil money into his personal use. Rather he railed at the press and what he described as the self-righteous sections of the country for making a big deal out of the issue. He locked up without trial, politicians and critics including Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, notorious for clamouring for the exposure of the oil money rogue. Satire saved my neck at the time. Vera Ifudu, who was an NTA reporter then, was sacked through his prodding as military ruler, for reporting what Dr. Olusola Saraki had told her in an interview about how the missing money was traced to Buhari’s account at a Midland Bank London branch. Vera eventually won her case of wrongful dismissal in court against the NTA and was financially compensated.

Buhari’s ‘War Against Indiscipline’ was obviously a swathe to camouflage his moral decadence. He did not see anything wrong with the over 50 suitcases an Emir smuggled through the Muritala International Airport without routine checks. And as a master of selective justice, he refused to convict Shagari, claiming not to find direct evidence against him but making a mountain out of a mole-hill on the indulgencies of Shagari’s lieutenants. His regime’s master stroke to divert attention from his moral ineptitude was exemplified by his crating of Umaru Dikko to airfreight back to Nigeria from London.

Despite his moral degeneracy and his high handedness and intolerance of dissent, his regime was not a total disaster. He maintained a vibrant foreign policy with Africa as its principal focus. Nigeria was already a failed state economically when he seized government from Shagari. We had a staggering foreign debt load of US$18 billion, so Buhari stopped all further borrowing, and in defiance of the IMF and World Bank, provided a home-grown alternative to the IMF’s SAP and pegged the exchange rate of the naira at one to the US$1.50. He stopped all further borrowing from abroad; instituted counter trade for essential or desperately needed commodities and put a ceiling (or an upper limit) on the amount of foreign exchange earnings to be used in servicing foreign debts. After sorting out and rejecting all the dubious and unverifiable foreign debts in our portfolio, he paid off nearly 50% of the genuine debts by the end of his regime in 1985. Even Britain was already scheming to enter into counter trade agreement with Nigeria when Babangida was sponsored in 1986 by the West to sack Buhari in a military coup that reversed our limited economic gains.

Not much is known about Buhari’s family background. Not a great deal has been heard about his educational qualifications either. As head of state, he was a recluse to the core. At least, that was the image he portrayed. His deputy, the late Gen. Idiagbon, was considered by most Nigerians to be the star of Buhari’s regime. It is to Idiagbon that any credit due to that regime is generally attributed. Idiagbon was the defacto head of state. He was honest, upright, disciplined, and like Murtala Muhammed before him, he succeeded briefly in introducing order and sanity to our lives.

After consigning the vexatious matters that brought him to power, to administrative oblivion with the help of Shinkafi, his Secret Service guru, Buhari announced his readiness to quit office. Idiagbon, as Buhari’s lieutenant, naturally insisted on taking over as head of state from his apparently prematurely retiring boss. Babangida, who was Chief of Army Staff at the time and a member of the Supreme Military Council, insisted it was his turn to rule because he had been involved in virtually every military coup up to that time. The quarrel split the Supreme Military Council members almost equally behind the two principal combatants and eventually led to the overthrow of Buhari’s regime by Babangida. America, Britain and the other leading western nations hailed Babangida’s coup and immediately sent emissaries to strategize with him. President Reagan went out of his way to send him gifts including books such as Niccolo Machiavelli’s: the Prince, advocating the destruction of civil freedom to strengthen despotism.

The June 12 annulment provided Buhari with the opportunity to publicly wear a messianic toga while quietly pursuing private vendetta against someone he considered his enemy. He attended meetings at Ota to join with others to condemn Babangida’s decision and as soon as the decision was reached to ask Babangida to step down, he stopped attending further meetings. He had achieved his revenge.

Abacha rehabilitated Buhari with the chairmanship of the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF) before he (Abacha) died in 1998. When Obasanjo returned to power in May 1999 as civilian president, he found that over 2.5 billion naira had not been properly accounted for in the PTF and that there was not much on the ground to show for the colossal expenditure the agency was claiming. On the day Obasanjo announced the scrapping of the PTF, a non-staff brother-in-law of the boss, allegedly serving as his conduit on some PTF projects, died suddenly from what appeared to be heart failure. Most of what he was able to achieve in the PTF, was focused in his backyard. Haruna Adamu, who was appointed by Obasanjo to investigate the PTF before finally consigning it to the dung heap, quickly pocketed one hundred million naira of PTF’s money before operating table could be set up for him, thus forcing Obasanjo to hurriedly close the place down without further investigations. Buhari has been trying desperately since to return to power, perhaps to get a chance to shred the PTF documents?

Buhari is a tribal and religious bigot. When he lost the presidential election in April 2003, he threatened the nation with mass action and refused to go to court. He organized a rally in Abuja, as one in a series of such civil acts of disobedience to protest what he described as the massive rigging of the election that brought Obasanjo to power the second time.

He almost succeeded in launching his Jihad. The alleged taped sermon of an unnamed pastor at an unidentified church in Adamawa claiming that: “Whether Muslims like it or not, Obasanjo must continue” and that “any Muslim who does not want that, can die or move to Niger” was obviously a blatant forgery. It was very likely to be the handiwork of the ‘Crater of Dikko brigade. For a start, the language of the sermon was too brash to be true, especially coming as it was claimed, from a Christian minority likely to bear the brunt of the consequences of the offensive sermon in a predominantly Muslim state. The Christian minority would have had to be mad to the last man, to call for their own annihilation in such a careless and irresponsible manner.


It is not logical that the Christian cleric would send hundreds of his suicide sermon tapes, not to Christians, but to Muslim clerics and the media around the country. Someone who desperately wanted to kill Nigeria must think we are all morons and I suggest we look for him at the backyard of our current number one Jihadist. Where else to look when Buhari was threatening he must occupy the Presidency whether he won the election or not. We begged him to go to the Electoral Tribunal to settle the matter but he insisted that he would rather clubber us to death, with religion than subject himself to the in indignity of being judged by another man. That is how badly he cares about our welfare and survival.

One is not always sure if he is truly a Nigerian because let’s face it; no true Nigerian would hate Nigeria so much as to threaten her with a Jihad. May be the problem is of a mental nature considering the gutter snipes often credited to the supposed statesman on the Hausa service of the BBC and other foreign media about his fatherland. He seems to love to speak before he thinks. There is something definitely troubling about the mind of this crater genius because it is probably not just Nigerians that he hates but life itself in its totality. In other words, we are probably all trapped in the vicious grip of a cool and calculating sadist. In fact, I am told that no one has ever seen him smile or laugh.

Sam Omatseye, writing about Buhari in the Sun newspaper at the time said: “He (Buhari) uses sharia to justify his worldview; to justify a certain selfish view of the world that serves his interest at a particular time. He played that card in the presidential election in order to secure a base for himself. But he needed more than his northern base to become president. You must be flexible to pull non-sharia base with you and the man has no flexibility in his bones so when he tries to play the chameleon, he fails. He tries to carry a veneer of a man of principles but falls short when selfish interest is involved.”

Buhari has no respect for democracy. Under his behest, the ANPP humiliated five highly respected South-Eastern Presidential aspirants at their primary for the 2003 presidential election despite having Dr. Okadigbo as Buhari’s running mate. After rigging his party’s primary to become its presidential candidate, Buhari then felt he stood on moral grounds to preach election morals to the world. Buhari ignored the South-West completely, as if it did not exist and offered the South-South, the unattractive, legally diminished constitutional option on derivation. To rob salt into injury, he threatened to swap NDDC with PTF. If he wasn’t playing with words, he betrayed his selfish ethnic agenda because we all know what happened in his PTF. It concentrated its activities in the North.

Buhari definitely was not a sellable presidential candidate across Nigeria. What happened was that the incumbent ANPP governors needed a Buhari to help them hold on to their states on religious grounds. Even in the area of public debate, Buhari was not articulate or detribalized and he lacked charisma. He ignored all entreaties to explain his programmes to the ‘bloody civilians.’ Arrogant and condescending, he was unable to climb down from his high horse as a former military dictator. Infused with the moribund myth that Nigerian leadership was the sole property of his ethnic group, he assumed he could cow the rest of us with a jihad. If that failed, some said, military coup was a possibility because a kaferi must not continue to rule. He concentrated his campaign (if it could be called that, because he said very little at every stop), in the North-East and North-West of the country. The little he said, was only in the Hausa language to titillate the warrior nerves of his jihadist gang.

With 19 states in the North, he was convinced he could, at least, force a re-run in the elections, forgetting that the North Central states are already a little weary of jihad. Even the core North itself has some 30% Christian population. Awolowo and Zik exposed the fallacy of the monolithic north by winning elections all over the place during their time. Abiola proved that religion is not the cocoon the Buharis think it is in modern Nigerian politics.

He prostitutes his political ambition by moving from party to party, with the sole aim of becoming the presidential candidate of any party he joins. He is not prepared to serve under anyone else, definitely not under a southern candidate. On seeing that he would not be able to realize his selfish ambition in the mega party he initially joined with others to form, he hurriedly formed a break away party where no one would challenge him as presidential candidate. Since there is no hope of his legitimately ever becoming the Nigerian president or head of state again, Nigerians need to be preparing now for a possible jihad led by this man in the not too distant future.


NAIWU OSAHON, Hon. Khu Mkuu (Leader) World Pan-African Movement); Ameer Spiritual (Spiritual Prince) of the African race; MSc. (Salford); Dip.M.S; G.I.P.M; Dip.I.A (Liv.); D. Inst. M; G. Inst. M; G.I.W.M; A.M.N.I.M. Poet, Author of the magnum opus: ‘The end of knowledge’. One of the world’s leading authors of children’s books; Awarded; key to the city of Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Honourary Councilmanship, Memphis City Council; Honourary Citizenship, County of Shelby; Honourary Commissionership, County of Shelby, Tennessee; and a silver shield trophy by Morehouse College, USA, for activities to unite and uplift the African race.

Naiwu Osahon, renowned author, philosopher of science, mystique, leader of the world Pan-African Movement.


SOURCEhttp://www.saharareporters.com/article/all-nigerian-coup-generals-were-rogues%E2%80%A6and-general-muhammadu-buhari-was-no-exception

Experts in the financial service sector have stated that though the Nigerian economy is one of the fastest growing in the world, the growth is sub-optimal; given the hindrances to sustainable growth inherent in the economy.

In a report made available to THISDAY, experts at FSDH Securities Limited, however stated that there would be no risk to the country's external position in the medium term.

According to FSDH, "In addition we are of the opinion that the current fiscal position of the Federal Government should not exert excessive demand pressure on the foreign exchange. Thus we expect the foreign exchange rate to remain stable in the short to medium term."

The World Bank had, in a report recently, forecast a GDP growth rate of 7.1 per cent and 6.2 per cent for 2011 and 2012 respectively for Nigeria .

The 2011 forecast is slightly lower than the International Monetary Fund (IMF) growth rate forecast of 7.4 per cent in its report of October 2010. IMF has earlier linked the revised growth on the pickup in global demand and the strengthening of oil prices.

IMF added that Nigeria 's continued strong growth in the non-oil sector is being supported by increasing oil production, a result of reduced instability in the Niger Delta region. It also estimated that the World output grew by five per cent in 2010, higher than the 4.8 per cent released in October, 2010.

The fund added that the global economic activity expanded by an annualised rate of 3.5 per cent in the third quarter of 2010, a slow down from 5 per cent growth rate in the second quarter of the year.

According to IMF, the third-quarter rate was better than forecast in the October 2010 WEO, owing to stronger-than expected consumption in the United States and Japan . Stimulus measures were partly responsible for the strengthened outturn, especially in Japan .

IMF added that in advanced economies, activity has moderated less than expected, but said growth remains subdued, unemployment is still high, and renewed stresses in the euro area periphery are contributing to downside risks.

"In many emerging economies, activity remains buoyant, inflation pressures are emerging, and there are now some signs of overheating, driven in part by strong capital inflows. Most developing countries, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, are also growing strongly. Global output is projected to expand by 4.5 per cent in 2011, an upward revision of about 0.25 per cent relative to the October 2010 World Economic Outlook (WEO), reflecting stronger-than-expected activity in the second half of 2010 as well as new policy initiatives in the United States that will boost activity this year," IMF said.

It, however, noted that downside risks to the recovery remain elevated, adding that the most urgent requirements for robust recovery are comprehensive and rapid actions to overcome sovereign and financial troubles in the euro area and policies to redress fiscal imbalances and to repair and reform financial systems in advanced economies more generally.

On the flip side, the report said there is the possibility of tensions in the euro area periphery spreading to the core of Europe, "the lack of progress in formulating medium-term fiscal consolidation plans in major advanced economies; the continued weakness of the US real estate market; high commodity prices; and overheating and the potential for boom-bust cycles in emerging markets."

It added that, "On the upside, there are risks from stronger-than-expected business investment rebounds in major advanced economies. In emerging economies, key risks relate to overheating, a rapid rise of inflation pressures, and the possibility of a hard landing. In the near term, upside risks to growth have risen, driven by accommodative policies, strong terms-of-trade gains for commodity exporters, and resurgent capital inflows."

Very lame story,what do u make of this for a true non tribalistic leader.Of all the roads rehabilitated by he PTF, only 1984.5 kilometres of roads representing 10.84 per cent were carried out in the South West; from where the bulk of the PTF revenue came since the zone consumes over 60 per cent of refined petroleum products. All the Southern States had 4,440.43 kms or 24 per cent of road rehabilitation as against 13,870.47 kms or 76 per cent in the Northern States zone three comprising the North-West States of Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara had a lion share of 5020 kms or 27.42 per cent because the Fund’s Chairman, Buhari and the military dictator Sani Abacha were from there; zone four comprising the North-East States of Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe picked 23.48 per cent. This is the zone where Salihijo Ahmed, the late Chief Executive of Afri-Project Consortium APC, the sole consultants that supervised all PTF projects came from".--- Afenifere

Breakdown from above

Total Road projects through PTF funds under Buhari =13,870.47 kms

South West Road Projects=1984.5 kilometers (10.84)

Southern States 4,440 Kl (24%)

Northern States =13,870.47 kms (76%)

South East?

South South ?

Both South South and South East share a marginalized  14% or 7% for each zone

Read the full story at: http://www.nigerianmuse.com/20061228122222zg/nigeria-watch/all-about-the-oputa-panel-hrvic/nigeria-has-persecuted-the-yoruba-submission-of-afenifere-to-the-human-rights-violations/

 

N.more of the the scam of the so called true non triberlistic upright and a honest leader to even take a psition in the most corrupt government in 9ja speaks clearly about his credibity.to all u name calling naira land hater of fresh air hope u will hang when gej wins come april

Of all the roads rehabilitated by he PTF, only 1984.5 kilometres of roads representing 10.84 per cent were carried out in the South West; from where the bulk of the PTF revenue came since the zone consumes over 60 per cent of refined petroleum products. All the Southern States had 4,440.43 kms or 24 per cent of road rehabilitation as against 13,870.47 kms or 76 per cent in the Northern States zone three comprising the North-West States of Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara had a lion share of 5020 kms or 27.42 per cent because the Fund’s Chairman, Buhari and the military dictator Sani Abacha were from there; zone four comprising the North-East States of Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe picked 23.48 per cent. This is the zone where Salihijo Ahmed, the late Chief Executive of Afri-Project Consortium APC, the sole consultants that supervised all PTF projects came from".--- Afenifere

Breakdown from above

Total Road projects through PTF funds under Buhari =13,870.47 kms

South West Road Projects=1984.5 kilometers (10.84)

Southern States 4,440 Kl (24%)

Northern States =13,870.47 kms (76%)

South East?

South South ?

Both South South and South East share a marginalized  14% or 7% for each zone

Read the full story at: http://www.nigerianmuse.com/20061228122222zg/nigeria-watch/all-about-the-oputa-panel-hrvic/nigeria-has-persecuted-the-yoruba-submission-of-afenifere-to-the-human-rights-violations/

this article is since december 10 2010. before he was choosen as v.p.

By Omafume Amurun,

The Alliance for Advancement of Human Rights (AAHR) has berated Senior Pastor of the Latter Rain Assembly and convener of the Save Nigeria Group (SNG), Pastor Tunde Bakare’s passionate plea urging Nigerians to back Major-General Muhammadu Buhari’s candidacy for the presidential seat, based on a survey he carried out which allegedly singled out Buhari as the best candidate.

The group also described as ‘discordant statements” over a supposed $50,0000 bribe Pastor Bakare alleged that the presidency attempted to bribe him and other members of the SNG with and that since Bakare himself had withdrawn the statement, he should apologise to Nigerians over the false alarm of a bribery scandal that never was”

In a statement the AAHR’s Publicity Secretary, Mr. Ebikebri Brown also said, “While we note the remarkable role played by Pastor Bakare in pulling Nigeria from the brink of chaos during the tumultuous days of the absence of former President Musa Yar’Adua and the lacuna it created in government, we are at a loss as to why he would now want to rubbish that laudable feat by turning around to play divisive politics

“Not only are we utterly embarrassed by the remarks credited to him discountenancing a generational shift which majority of Nigerians stood for, his decision to become the mouthpiece of Buhari and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) is a back-slide that is not in tandem with democratic principles that allow individuals to make personal choices” Mr/ Brown said.

While asking Nigerians to always seek the face of God for the emergence of God-fearing leaders, the group insisted that Nigerians can no longer be fooled by religious leaders that have strayed from their original calling and entered into an unholy wedlock with politicians.

Mr. Brown further stated that : “Bakare should retrace his steps by remaining non-partisan so as not to tarnish the image that he has cultivated over the years as a fearless man of God. He should not backslide into the murky waters of politics”.