₦airaland Forum

hey, we all know what's good or not we have all been born with dat. Due 2 certain circumstances or events in our lives we have suppressed dese inherent qualities positively or negatively. We cannot continue to say because I know I'm a sinner I will not rebuke, advice, contradict or strongly oppose anything dat I know & being led by d spirit to be wrong or a sin.
Permit me to proffer an argument here. Wouldn't it be right to say that a new man that is a man born of d spirit redeemed by God doesn't have d right to say you have done wrong here? Isnt he new? If ure new isn't fair to say ure no longer a sinner. Afterall St Paul says when u accept christ then U'll become a new creature. Is a new creature classified with d old one? If my actions tell u I'm a new creature & u do something wrong say a sin isn't right to say uve sinned while U respect my judgement/assessment of dat matter? Will u feel like Afterall u do it so who are u to tell me I'm a sinner. When u are a new creature as d Holy Spirit gives u utterance u speak.

U can pastor a church, be a  catholic priest, be a bishop, a TV evangelist whatever but if u haven't genuinely accepted christ all of those amount to nothing. Its just a post, a job. U become no different from any political office holder, counsellor etc. What ever name u call it, born-again, christian, catholic, Anglican, pentecostal whatever, if u haven't genuinely repented and accepted christ as ur personal saviour then ure irrelevant to the kingdom of God & u cannot be party to the things of d spirit.

@Poster let no one struggling with his or her own sin tell u dats whom ure. Ure a vessel created specially by God 4 a purpose. Homosexuality is a sin. There are no medicines to it neither are there any solutions to it. The only solution is ur acceptance of christ. Genuinely accept him and seek him & watch dis lie of d devil leave U. Experience they say is d best teacher. When u accept God, trust me u don't need anybody to tell u u have become new. Please note dat d miracle of freedom from dis perverse habit might be immediate or gradual but build ur faith in him dat  has power over all things including all sins.

I'm amazed @ d very sick responses here to d poster. St. Paul says when people turn from d Lord he allows dem to be given in to their perverse and sick desires. Scientifically hasn't it been proven dat children dat were abused turn out to be gays? Ops, I'll like to tell u dat God still loves U & dat if u turn away as u have done he accepts u back just as in d story of d shepherd dat leaves his 99 sheep in search of d one lost. I can however tell u dat U'll struggle & battle with dat sin if d Holy Spirit isnt with U. U can get strength to come against any devices of d devil if & only if u turn 2 d Lord Jesus. As someone dat battled something similar I feel I'm in d best position to advice u. U'll realise dat ur human effort 2 stop a bad habit comes to fruition but I can tell u 4rm experience dat if u genuinely accept d Lord Jesus Christ as ur Lord, master & saviour then U'll kiss dis perverse habit goodbye. St. John says those that have the Holy Spirit cannot sin. Trust me U'll be surprised @ d miracle of confession & submission 2 God. Ur apprehension towards ur sister is good but save urself so dat u can save others. D children of this generation can never understand the things of d spirit unless d Holy Spirit is in you. Ask God @ all times in every situation ure in & he will always send u help. Accept him 2day & watch out 4 ur own personal story.

y do people keep propagating this lie dat Buhari is Tribalistic? Are d PTF buildings in schools, hospitals not still obvious today? Are the hospital equipments not still available for anyone dat cares to go find out in hospitals all around d country? D roads in every region of d country rehabilitated under him aren't they still in d records? Please if uren't informed d not come here & peddle misinformation & mislead people. This a tactic used by d PDP loyalists.
May God open up all the secret deals that have caused millions of deaths and bring them on the children & children's children of these agents of d devil, economic sabotuers. If uren't aware please be informed we have come out to fight all u agents economic slavery, indirect blood tasty and blood sucking demons in human form.

"Muhammadu Buhari as a member of the Supreme Military Council & as the head of the petroleum dept was by nature taciturn & introvert. But he took any work given to him very seriously & if he failed at whatever he did, it would not be because he did not put his best, in fact, his very best. He was as reliable as he was hard working & HONEST" – Olusegun Obasanjo ("Not My Will", University Press Ltd., Ibadan, 1990, Pg 59)

This coming from OBJ means that he knows GMDs worth. Nigerias here is your true president, the peoples General. GENERAL MUHAMMADU BUHARI. Vote 4 Change.

what's all this talk of airport this & airport that? How much does it cost 2 build an airport anyway? The sizes of airports vary. You can have a small building that can accommodate 250-500 people at a go but construct a tarmac that can take-off & land a boeing 747 so what's the point. It could cost less than a billion 2 2billion to construct a small airport. Use smaller aircrafts like what arik uses e.g. d bombadier & falcons there by making it possible to decongest d roads. Besides it could enable d effective movement of perishable cargoes around d country. I personally think there should be 2 or 3 more smaller airports in Lagos to land helicopters, choppers, light aircrafts as well as smaller planes. At least d billionaires in Naira in our mist can own and regularly operate smaller/lighter aircrafts. They also can be of use in large scale mechanized farming as launch base for aerial fumigators. That in itself can create a whole new set of employment.
These are some of the reasons I'm supporting d BB campaign because I know & I'm convinced that he will run a cheaper government. For instance in d construction of a new small airport his administration will award such a contact for say N500m as compared to any other that might be in d region of N3-6B. We need funds for the rapid development of Nigeria so they must be used judiciously. Looking at this governments contracts awarded so far there is absolutely no reason why we should be looking at a budget deficit. Graft coupled with outrageous salaries for political office holders puts us in d red. Buhari in 1984-5 gave this country a surplus. A surplus which this country has last experienced.

I have been doing an on d ground and online assessment of voters minds. The internet as we all know is agog with BB, north west and east is BB as well but he just has problems in the north central, south south and south east. North central seems to be dominated by Ribadu & GEJ due to structures on ground of these parties.
Benue is going to witness heavy incidences of violence and rigging which will lead to elections cancellations. Due to heavy ACN presence, there wouldn't be much voting there because by my calculations the people there will be to scared to vote due to d heavy presence of ACN & PDP thugs. The populist view there though is dat it will be an ACN victory there.
Plateau will go GEJs way except d BB camp gets through to d 'Deeper lifers', and people of high morals in d state.
Kogi is also jointly shared by ACN & PDP.
Niger state will be jointly shared by PDP & BB. If you noticed I used BB & not CPC because half the people of Niger state know Buhari and are in support of BB but again due to solid party structures of the PDP, the PDP will certainly share in the spoils.
Buhari with the help of the mosques all around the country is getting through to muslims about the change wind. This strategy is the cheapest & most effective way of reaching people. It appeals to the Godly part of everyman & I presume it is the same strategy he intends to use down south which by the way is working wonders because he has campaigners he doesn't pay a kobo down south working tirelessly on his behalf. He is also effectively utilizing the BBC Hausa service to his advantage by reaching the common man. It's through the BBC we see the astronomical crowds we've seen these past few weeks because he knows his people well & thinking back I think this was a strategy that was used in WWII against the Nazis. Talk about this man being a smart tactician perhaps he displaying his years as a Genera in the army.
One factor though is playing out in the SW. It seems Buhari listened to the christian leaders & school of thought to get a good christian strong in moral principles like himself which is playing out to his advantage. He seems to be gathering support at the speed of light by appealing to the merit factor in all of men's conscience. People are beginning to realise that there is nothing to the GEJ person except for the fact that he represents supports & is supported by the same crooks that General Muhammadu Buhari GMB has promised to tackle, recent revelations showing that he was personally guilty of rigging, Speaker Dimeji Bankole's admitance to the US ambassador that the CJ and other judges were bribed amongst others. His recent statements and actions haven't helped GEJ much either. It started with his calling SW governors under the umbrella of other parties duly elected by the people of their respective states RASCALS. Recent proclaimations by him that IBB is his FATHER, tacit support for Bode George & James Ibori, first by sending his wife & members of his cabinet to throw a lavish carnival for Bode George and his clandestine moves to get Ibori back into the country have only played well into GMBs game plan of appealing to the conscience of men. Money they say is not everything but where there is a will there is a way. The BB ticket has shown Nigerians that there is more to money and riches. A good name and a man's word coupled with patience & strong doggeness for change in the polity has inspired hope in every true Nigerian. Maybe I'll look back 3 weeks from now and say to a tireless general, you have fought gallantly and may the real change begin in earnest.
Long live the FRN
Long live our gallant heroes
NIGERIA SAI BUHARI

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This one pass na wa my sister. This na case of Mouth dey say saint hand dey thief.

Nigeria sai Buhari

Joshua Buhari and Caleb Bakare. Hmmm very thoughtful. Change has come.

Nigeria Sai Buhari

Can someone tell me y I should believe what GEJ says when his actions say otherwise? This guy's d same kettle of fish. We need genuine progressive elements in government thats why I support the BUHARI-BAKARE candidature. Lets clean up the society.

New startling revelations from Wikileaks websites claims GEJ voted 4 times in 2007. Can anything good come from PDP? Can anything good come from d sons of PDP? Lastly can we expect a rigless election especially with these new revelations from Wikileaks? If u don't know these are leaked cable briefings by d US ambassador to Nigeria back to d Pentagon.
www.234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/News/5681378-146/story.csp[color=#000099][/color]

It is the view of this government that austerity without structural adjustment is not the solution to our economic predicament. The present situation whereby 44 per cent of our revenue earning is utilised to service debts is not realistic. To protect the danger this poses to the poor and the needy in our society, steps will be taken to ensure comprehensive strategy of economic reforms.

Not realistic but his government recorded a surplus in a recessive economy? At least we know IBB was about to be implicated in contract scams when Buhari insisted on probing d defense accounts.

Buhari to Jonathan: Hold your wife from disturbing peace of Ibadan
NewsMar 14, 2011
 
BY OLA AJAYI
IBADAN – THE Presidential Candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd.), has appealed to President Goodluck Jonathan, to hold back his wife, Mrs. Patience Jonathan from disrupting the peace of Ibadan today.
Reacting to the reported cancellation of his planned campaign rally in Mapo Hall, Ibadan, Oyo State today, Buhari said it was contradictory for the President to be preaching peace while his aides and supporters were at the same time fanning the embers of discord.
Buhari spoke in reaction to the cancellation of his booking to use the Mapo Hall for the flag-off of his presidential campaign in Oyo State.
Governor Akala had disallowed the use of the hall because he said the venue had been booked for the wife of the President, Mrs. Dame Patience Goodluck Jonathan who is coming to Ibadan tomorrow.
But, the retired military man through Mr. Yinka Odumakin, said the party would resist the alleged latest move by the ruling PDP to muzzle it.
“We ask President Jonathan to hold the leash on his attack dogs as it smacks of hypocrisy for him to be pretending to be calling peace parleys with other presidential candidates while his agents are working against peace,” Buhari said in a statement issued by his spokesman, Mr. Yinka Odumakin yesterday.
He noted that “Nigerians should help us ask if Mrs. Patience Jonathan will ask somebody not to hold a wedding ceremony at an event centre because she intends using the place the following day if she were a private citizen.”
He stressed that “Governor Alao-Akala added a ridiculous dimension to the whole saga when he lied that the hiccup was because we changed our rally date. The attached receipts from Ibadan Local Governments Properties Co. Limited, the official managers of Mapo Hall, showed the date CPC booked Mapo Hall and the subsequent official acceptance of CPC use of Mapo Hall on the new rally date, 14th March 2011.”

So people tell me who incites these violence? Besides we all know that violence is associated with the PDP but they'll get a douse of their own medicine if they rig this elections

Please make that 3

The only way we can get out these corrupt rotten idiots from power is to elect credible leaders who grow stronger in the face of criticism and attacks from th dark world. Buhari and Bakare are the only ones who fit that bill. Men who can lay down their lives to strengthen the foundations of this great country. We need men of courage, men of valour, men of conscience. Why wouldn't people such as OBJ believe that this election is a do or die affair when he and his clique of treasury looters know that if BB wins this race they are doomed, their thieving arses will be exposed. Fellow Nigerians The support up north is overwhelming, lets forget about ethnic sentiments and bring about change in this country. If you care for your future and that of your children, you'll vote out this P[/b]eople [b]D[/b]eceiving [b]P[/b]eople, [b]P[/b]robably [b]D[/b]ead [b]P[/b]eople, [b]P[/b]eoples [b]D[/b]estruction [b]P[/b]arty [b]PDP. We dont need this scourge anymore. Think of a Nigeria 10-20yrs from now. Think of what you're leaving mehind for your children. What have you done to effect a change in soceity? What have you done to stop the corruption around you? Your chance is now. Now! NOw!! NOW!!! NIGERIA SAY NO TO CORRUPTION, INEPTITUDE, TRIBALISM. Say NO to a corrupt and inept police force, NO to a dead Public Service(PHCN, Customs, Immigration, Civil Service). CHANGE IS HERE! CHANGE IS HERE!! CHANGE IS HERE!!!

http://www.addpoll.com/results?61141,votedAlready
Don't be blown away but instead blow GEJ and his croonies from Aso rock.

15 Reasons to vote Buhari

1. A man of principle
2. An honest man. A very rare trait in high demand.
3. A God-fearing man. A devout muslim compared to some others in cults & confraternities
4. A man of intergrity. Lives in a modest house, no foreign bank accounts
5. A Performer because of past actions.
6. He will run a cheaper government e.g GEJs N60b contract=Buhari's N10b for same contract thereby making available resources to pursue other worth while projects.
7. He is not a fanatic as claimed by those that want to embezzle our God given resources. Infact his driver of 10yrs is a christain, his wife is a christain and his running mate Bakare is not just a christain but a pastor of a big congregation.
8. He is a man of humility.
9. After the rot of Shagari's government he was able to payback 50% of our debt only for GEJs mentor and friend IBB to plug us into a messier hole. Restored our National pride, brought about security, law enforcement and order.
10. He isn't surrounded by thieves, psychophants, homosexuals,cultists etc.
11. He can harness our human resources to our benefit.
12. He is trustworthy. His word is his bond. He has promised a referendum, state police, regional development areas(each region controlling its own economy), well-run government institutions, improved security, a transparent government, fight against corruption.
13. He is courageous. Unwavering in the face of threats, blackmail etc. Ready to take on the corrupt establishment.
14. Fights for what is right even if its against popular belief.
Last & not the least he is probably our own Abraham Lincoln.

More campaign pics

More Pics

Fellow Nigerians the wind of change around the world is here in Nigeria.
Check out these pictures to see the mamoth crowd that Jonathan cannot boast of.
In Kaduna 2million+ turned out for the campaign

We are in support of your rescue mission. It's about time we get out the band of thieves in government. We need credible leaders that have a vision and we can trust in goverment. We need people who can build our institutions to function properly.
The mamoth crowd in Kaduna sends fear down the spine of the PDP. The change blowing around the world is coming to Nigeria.PHCN dead, Customs dead, Police dead. Revival of these institutions is paramount.
Fear not Buhari/Bakare for the Lord is with you and the people are solidly behind you.

Have u all been paid to preach this message for etisalat? From what I understood from their page it is only for calls from your homezone. This deceit is getting me angry. Y can't things be as straight forward as what Airtel is offering.

Hey guys I think we should vote with our heads and not by emotions or sentiments based on ethnicity, religion or looks.
1. Buhari will run a cheaper government & GEJ won't. E.g. GEJs contract N300b while Buharis N20-50b.
2. A leader unafraid to take on d corrupt establishments in Nigeria 2day GEJ doesn't have d balls.
3. With $10b Buhari can do much more infrastructure wise while GEJ can't. We'll b facing bankruptcy in a matter of months going by current statistics.
4. Our institutions will work under Buhari while GEJ will kill our institutions more through his thieving buddies.
5. Nigeria needs a strong president & not a puppet worse than a mamas boy.
6. We can b sure of a turn around under Buhari because he will create a middle class that will spur entrepreneurship, more money in d hands of more as against in a few.
7. He has shown he is principled & fights 4 d common man as against a party and her members without principles. A party of thugs, thieves, psycophants & without a conscience.
8. He has proven he is no religious fanatic or bigot as they claim but a patriot who is fearless & ready to serve.

VOTE WISELY, VOTE WITH YOUR HEADS, VOTE BUHARI/BAKARE FOR THE BIRTH OF A NEW NIGERIA.

This is a simple case. Both parties were selfish.
Man- Wanted his papers
Woman-Wanted a Aristo/Mugu/Mumu/Vegetable.

Perhaps if u guys had stated it as a contract, it mightn't had been so. So choose one my friend. Do you want to sell your soul or have your dignity intact?
My advice to you Mr. is go back home and re-strategize. All you need is N3-10m depending on how u bring your head down. Besides you can get a better educated, better behaved lady back home. A lady that you can trace her roots and probably do a background check before plunging in for a life sentence or a life of bliss. Perhaps one that will support you blindly without asking.
Maybe I should ask you the most important question. Do you know God? Are you considered cursed or blessed by God. God says only his people are free from all the curses in Deuteronomy. Pray and ask God for directions and he'll show you what to do.

I want the presidential aspirants to campaign based on their manifestos. What are they bringing to the table. What exactly are we going to score them on.
1. Lets take a look at what they say they will do.
2. Lets analyze each of their intended projects.
3. What is their pedigree?
4. How reliable are they/Can they be trusted?
5. Can they command international respect from world leaders?
6. What exactly are their antecedents on various issues from
[list]
[li]Corruption[/li]
[li]Rule of law[/li]
[li]Reduction of Recurrent Expenditure[/li]
[li]Increment of Capital expenditure[/li]
[li]Improving the per capital income and not deceit of Nigerians with GDP[/li]
[li]Tackling Unemployment[/li]
[li]Security[/li]
[li]Law and Order[/li]
[li]Human Rights[/li]
[li]Improving Infrastructure[/li]
[/list]
to many more issues. Lets get them to tell us what they intend to offer. Lets decrease our emotions but rather increase our intellect with an equal measure of rationality.

Well written article.

Prof. Jerry Stove once said there are 3 types of men.

[list]
[li]Intellectual man[/li]
[li]Emotional man[/li]
[li]Common Sense or rational man[/li]
[/list]
So let the debates begin. Where do you belong. I for one will vote for Buhari because I rather tackle corruption than let that scourge take over every fabric of this society. No leader is campaigning on their manifestos yet. Is this the way elections are supposed to be? We should start hearing what each candidate is willing to do to get us out of this mess we find ourselves.

If Buhari gets a nomination he will have my vote. I will vote for him not, like some have averred, because he is a northerner and a Muslim or because I think his candidacy is good for the north and Islam; I will vote for him not because I think he will make a good democrat or that he was not a dictator. I will vote for Buhari as a Nigerian for a leader who restored my pride and dignity and my belief in the motherland. I will vote for the man who made it undesirable for the “Andrews” to “check out” instead of staying to change Nigeria. – Sanusi Lamido Sanusi (2002)

BUHARISM: Economic Theory and Political Economy By Sanusi Lamido Sanusi [LAGOS] July 22,2002

I have followed with more than a little interest the many contributions of commentators on the surprising decision of General Muhammadu Buhari to jump into the murky waters of Nigerian politics. Most of the regular writers in the Trust stable have had something to say on this. The political adviser to a late general has transferred his services to a living one. My dear friend and prolific veterinary doctor, who like me is allegedly an ideologue of Fulani supremacy, has taken a leading emir to the cleaners based on information of suspect authenticity. Another friend has contributed an articulate piece, which for those in the know gives a bird’s eye view into the thinking within the IBB camp. A young northern Turk has made several interventions and given novel expressions to what I call the PTF connection. Some readers and writers alike have done Buhari incalculable damage by viewing his politics through the narrow prism of ethnicity and religion, risking the alienation of whole sections of the Nigerian polity without whose votes their candidate cannot succeed.

With one or two notable exceptions, the various positions for or against Buhari have focused on his personality and continued to reveal a certain aversion or disdain for deeper and more thorough analysis of his regime. The reality, as noted by Tolstoy, is that too often history is erroneously reduced to single individuals. By losing sight of the multiplicity of individuals, events, actions and inactions (deliberate or otherwise) that combine to produce a set of historical circumstances, the historian is able to create a mythical figure and turn him into an everlasting hero (like Lincoln) or a villain (like Hitler). The same is true of Buhari. There seems to be a dangerous trend of competition between two opposing camps aimed at glorifying him beyond his wildest dreams or demonizing him beyond all justifiable limits, through a selective reading of history and opportunistic attribution and misattribution of responsibility.

The discourse has been thus impoverished through personalization and we are no closer at the end of it than at the beginning to a divination of the exact locus or nexus of his administration in the flow of Nigerian history. This is what I seek to achieve in this intervention through an exposition of the theoretical underpinnings of the economic policy of Buharism and the necessary correlation between the economic decisions made and the concomitant legal and political superstructure.

Taxonomy

Let me begin by stating up front the principal thesis that I will propound. Within the schema of discourses on Nigerian history, the most accurate problematization of the Buhari government is one that views it strictly as a regime founded on the ideology of Bourgeois Nationalism. In this sense it was a true off-shoot of the regime of Murtala Mohammed. Buharism was a stage the logical outcome of whose machinations would have been a transcendence of what Marx called the stage of Primitive Accumulation in his Theories of Surplus Value. It was radical, not in the sense of being socialist or left wing, but in the sense of being a progressive move away from a political economy dominated by a parasitic and subservient elite to one in which a nationalist and productive class gains ascendancy. Buharism represented a two-way struggle: with Global capitalism (externally) and with its parasitic and unpatriotic agents and spokespersons (internally).

The struggle against global capital as represented by the unholy trinity of the IMF, the World Bank and multilateral “trade” organizations as well that against the entrenched domestic class of contractors, commission agents and corrupt public officers were vicious and thus required extreme measures. Draconian policies were a necessary component of this struggle for transformation and this has been the case with all such epochs in history. The Meiji restoration in Japan was not conducted in a liberal environment. The Industrial Revolution in Europe and the great economic progress of the empires were not attained in the same liberal atmosphere of the 21st Century. The “tiger economies” of Asia such as Taiwan, South Korea, Indonesia and Thailand are not exactly models of democratic freedom. To this extent Buharism was a despotic regime but its despotism was historically determined, necessitated by the historical task of dismantling the structures of dependency and launching the nation on to a path beyond primitive accumulation. At his best Buhari may have been a Bonaparte or a Bismarck. At his worst he may have been a Hitler or a Mussolini. In either case Buharism drawn to its logical conclusion would have provided the bedrock for a new society and its overthrow marked a relapse, a step backward into that era from which we sought escape and in which, sadly for all of us we remain embedded and enslaved. I will now proceed with an elaboration of Buharism as a manifestation of bourgeois economics and political economy.

The Economic Theory of Buharism

One of the greatest myths spun around Buharism was that it lacked a sound basis in economic theory. As evidence of this, the regime that succeeded Buhari employed the services of economic “gurus” of “international standard” as the architects of fiscal and monetary policy. These were IMF and World Bank economists like Dr. Chu Okongwu and Dr Kalu Idika Kalu, as well as Mr SAP himself, Chief Olu Falae (an economist trained at Yale). At the time Buhari’s Finance Minister, Dr Onaolapo Soleye (who was not a trained economist) was debating with the pro-IMF lobby and explaining why the naira would not be devalued I was teaching economics at the Ahmadu Bello University. I had no doubt in my mind that the position of Buharism was based on a sound understanding of neo-classical economics and that those who were pushing for devaluation either did not understand their subject or were acting deliberately as agents of international capital in its rampage against all barriers set up by sovereign states to protect the integrity of the domestic economy. I still believe some of the key economic policy experts of the IBB administration were economic saboteurs who should be tried for treason.

When the IMF recently owned up to “mistakes” in its policy prescriptions all patriotic economists saw it for what it was: A hypocritical statement of remorse after attaining set objectives. Let me explain, briefly, the economic theory underlying Buhari’s refusal to devalue the naira and then show how the policy merely served the interest of global capitalism and its domestic agents. This will be the principal building block of our taxonomy.

In brief, neo-classical theory holds that a country can, under certain conditions, expect to improve its Balance of Payments through devaluation of its currency. The IMF believed that given the pressure on the country’s foreign reserves and its adverse balance of payments situation Nigeria must devalue its currency. Buharism held otherwise and insisted that the conditions for improving Balance of Payments through devaluation did not exist and that there were alternate and superior approaches to the problem. Let me explain.

The first condition that must exist is that the price of every country’s export is denominated in its currency. If Nigeria’s exports are priced in naira and its imports from the US in dollars then, ceteris paribus, a devaluation of the naira makes imports dearer to Nigerians and makes Nigerian goods cheaper to Americans. This would then lead to an increase in the quantum of exports to the US and a reduction in the quantum of imports from there per unit of time. But while this is a necessary condition, it is not a sufficient one. For a positive change in the balance of payments the increase in the quantum of exports must be substantial enough to outweigh the revenue lost through a reduction in price. In other words the quantity exported must increase at a rate faster than the rate of decrease in its price. Similarly imports must fall faster than their price is increasing. Otherwise the nation may be devoting more of its wealth to importing less and receiving less of the wealth of foreigners for exporting more! In consequence, devaluation by a country whose exports and imports are not price elastic leads to the continued impoverishment of the nation vis a vis its trading partners. The second, and sufficient, condition is therefore that the combined price elasticity of demand for exports and imports must exceed unity.

The argument of Buharism, for which it was castigated by global capital and its domestic agents, was that these conditions did not exist clearly enough for Nigeria to take the gamble. First our major export, oil, was priced in dollars and the volume exported was determined ab initio by the quota set by OPEC, a cartel to which we belonged. Neither the price nor the volume of our exports would be affected by a devaluation of the naira. As for imports, indeed they would become dearer. However the manufacturing base depended on imported raw materials. Also many essential food items were imported. The demand for imports was therefore inelastic. We would end up spending more of our national income to import less, in the process fuelling inflation, creating excess capacity and unemployment, wiping out the production base of the real sector and causing hardship to the consumer through the erosion of real disposable incomes. Given the structural dislocations in income distribution in Nigeria the only groups who would benefit from devaluation were the rich parasites who had enough liquidity to continue with their conspicuous consumption, the large multi-national corporations with an unlimited access to loanable funds and the foreign “investor” who can now purchase our grossly cheapened and undervalued domestic assets.

In one stroke we would wipe out the middle class, destroy indigenous manufacturing, undervalue the national wealth and create inflation and unemployment. This is standard economic theory and it is exactly what happened to Nigeria after it went through the hands of our IMF economists under IBB. The decision not to devalue set Buharism on a collision course with those who wanted devaluation and would profit from it-namely global capitalism, the so-called “captains of industry” (an acronym for the errand boys of multinational corporations), the nouveaux-riches parasites who had naira and dollars waiting to be spent, the rump elements of feudalism and so on. Buharism therefore was a crisis in the dominant class, a fracturing of its members into a patriotic, nationalist group and a dependent, parasitic and corrupt one. It was not a struggle between classes but within the same class. A victory for Buharism would be a victory for the more progressive elements of the national bourgeoisie. Unfortunately the fifth columnists within the military establishment were allied to the backward and retrogressive elements and succeeded in defeating Buharism before it took firm root. But I digress.

Having decided not to devalue or to rush into privatization and liberalization Buharism still faced an economic crisis it must address. There was pressure on foreign reserves, mounting foreign debt and a Balance of Payments crisis. Clearly the demand for foreign exchange outstripped its supply. The government therefore adopted demand management measures. The basic principle was that we did not really need all that we imported and if we could ensure that our scarce foreign exchange was only allocated to what we really needed we would be able to pay our debts and lay the foundations for economic stability. But this line of action also has its drawbacks.

First, there are political costs to be borne in terms of opposition from those who feel unfairly excluded from the allocation process and who do not share the government’s sense of priorities. Muslims for example cursed Buhari’s government for restricting the number of pilgrims in order to conserve foreign exchange.

Second, in all attempts to manage demand through quotas and quantitative restrictions there is room for abuse because there is always the incentive of a premium to be earned through circumvention of due process. Import licenses become “hot cake” and the black market for foreign exchange highly lucrative. This policy can only succeed if backed by strong deterrent laws and strict and enforcible exchange rules. Again it is trite micro-economic theory that where price is fixed below equilibrium the market is only cleared through quotas and the potential exists for round tripping as there will be a minority willing and able to offer a very high price for the “artificially scarce” product. So again we see that the harsh exchange control and economic sabotage laws of Buharism were a necessary and logical fallout of its economic theory.

Conclusion

I have tried to show in this intervention what I consider to be the principal building blocks of the military government of Muhammadu Buhari and the logical connection between its ideology, its economic theory and the legal and political superstructure that characterized it. My objective is to raise the intellectual profile of discourse beyond its present focus on personalities by letting readers see the intricate links between disparate and seemingly unrelated aspects of that government, thus contextualizing the actions of Buharism in its specific historical and ideological milieu. I have tried to review its treatment of politicians as part of a general struggle against primitive accumulation and its harsh laws on exchange and economic crimes as a necessary fallout of economic policy options. Similarly its treatment of drug pushers reflected the patriotic zeal of a bourgeois nationalist establishment.

As happens in all such cases a number of innocent people become victims of draconian laws, such as a few honest leaders like Shehu Shagari and Balarabe Musa who were improperly detained. The reality however is that many of those claiming to be victims today were looters who deserved to go to jail but who would like to hide under the cover of a few glaring errors. The failure of key members of the Buhari administration to tender public and unreserved apology to those who may have been improperly detained has not helped matters in this regard.

This raises a question I have often been asked. Do I support Buhari’s decision to contest for the presidency of Nigeria? My answer is no. And I will explain.

First, I believe Buhari played a creditable role in a particular historical epoch but like Tolstoy and Marx I do not believe he can re-enact that role at will. Men do not make history exactly as they please but, as Marx wrote in the 18th Brumaire, “in circumstances directly encountered, given and transmitted from the past.” Muhammadu Buhari as a military general had more room for manoevre than he can ever hope for in Nigerian Politics.

Second, I am convinced that the situation of Nigeria and its elite today is worse than it was in 1983.Compared to the politicians who populate the PDP, ANPP and AD today, second republic politicians were angels. Buhari waged a battle against second republic politicians, but he is joining this generation. Anyone who rides a tiger ends up in its belly and one man cannot change the system from within. A number of those Buhari jailed for theft later became ministers and many of those who hold key offices in all tiers of government and the legislature were made by the very system he sought to destroy. My view is that Nigeria needs people like Buhari in politics but not to contest elections. Buhari should be in politics to develop Civil Society and strengthen the conscience of the nation. He should try to develop many Buharis who will continue to challenge the elements that have hijacked the nation.

Third, I do not think Nigerians today are ready for Buhari. Everywhere you turn you see thieves who have amassed wealth in the last four years, be they legislators, Local Government chairmen and councilors, or governors and ministers. But these are the heroes in their societies. They are the religious leaders and ethnic champions and Nigerians, especially northerners, will castigate and discredit anyone who challenges them. Unless we start by educating our people and changing their value system, people like Buhari will remain the victims of their own love for Nigeria.

Fourth, and on a lighter note, I am opposed to recycled material. In a nation of 120million people we can do better than restrict our leadership to a small group. I think Buhari, Babangida and yes Obasanjo should simply allow others try their hand instead of believing they have the monopoly of wisdom.

Having said all this let me conclude by saying that if Buhari gets a nomination he will have my vote (for what it is worth). I will vote for him not, like some have averred, because he is a northerner and a Muslim or because I think his candidacy is good for the north and Islam; I will vote for him not because I think he will make a good democrat or that he was not a dictator. I will vote for Buhari as a Nigerian for a leader who restored my pride and dignity and my belief in the motherland. I will vote for the man who made it undesirable for the “Andrews” to “check out” instead of staying to change Nigeria. I will vote for Buhari to say thank you for the world view of Buharism, a truly nationalist ideology for all Nigerians. I do not know if Buhari is still a nationalist or a closet bigot and fanatic, or if he was the spirit and not just the face of Buharism. My vote for him is not based on a divination of what he is or may be, but a celebration of what his government was and what it gave to the nation.

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