Let me start by saying I am not saying whether or not Buhari should run in 2015 (that is up to him), but right now, I believe he is a better alternative than GEJ.
Why is it that those who hate Buhari froth at the mouth and describe him as a military dictator without necessarily describing all our other Military leaders in the same way?
Ironsi, Gowon, Muritala, Obasanjo, Buhari, Babaginda, Abacha, Abubakar, are the Military leaders who have all ruled Nigeria at one time or the other. Why aren't all the others also called Military dictators when we speak about them? Taking out Ironsi and Muritala (tenure too short), most honest impartial Nigerians will agree that the only one for whom the terms 'honest' and 'non-corrupt' spring to mind is Buhari.
His detractors say scornfully that he overthrew a democratic government! If the Government of Shehu Shagari's 2nd republic NPN in 1983 was democratic, I will renounce my citizenship and relocate to the Moon! Under the NPN, the election of 1983 was so flawed and rigged, that it said to be one of the worst we have ever had. The West went up in flames after the results. In Ondo state, citizens were being arrested and tortured, opposition politicians were shot in their homes and a whole host of illegal extra-judicial activities were being carried out by the Police and Security forces.
Nigerians DANCED in the streets when they heard the news of the coup. For ordinary Nigerians, Buhari's 1983 coup was not a coup but deliverance and rescue from a power-drunk, CORRUPT ruling political elite class who had looted the treasury dry, turned Nigerians into paupers and were determined to see us eat from dustbins (as said by a prominent NPN minister).
To those who say that anyone who overthrows a civilian govt is evil, I'll ask them if they consider OBJ who handed over to a civilian govt in 1979 before then later becoming a civilian president in 1999, as a better ruler and influence on Nigeria, than Buhari who kicked out a civilian govt and ruled Nigeria for 18months? Buhari also has the calm humble temperament that has enabled him to serve under every Govt but this current one. (Working for others is not really one of the attributes of a dictator ... LOL).
OBJ is a multi-Billionaire in Dollars as is every other Nigerian leader other than Buhari. Even the greatest of Buhari's detractors has not been able to find evidence of any theft under his watch and in the places he has served.
Buhari did more in his 18 months as leader of Nigeria than others have done in 8years. Nigeria was changing. Corruption was becoming a byword no-one wanted to be associated with, contracts were being awarded on merit and not nepotism (and were being carried out), government and civil servants began working for the Nigerian people again, WAI (War Against Indiscipline) became a noun and a verb as Nigerians queued up and began to learn the values of good citizenship again.
Then we are told that Buhari is an Islamic fundamentalist. Hmmmm, going back to 1983, there is no evidence that his govt had any zeal to impose Islam on the rest of Nigeria. Then we are informed of the speech a few years ago where he talked of the beauty of Sharia law and how muslims should encourage its spread all through Nigeria? No offence but Christians say things like that all the time - many christians openly talk about spreading the gospel all through Nigeria. Does it make them fundamentalists or desirous or forcing Christianity on Nigeria? Of course not. If we compare the supposedly 'Born Again' Christian presidents OBJ and GEJ against Muslim Buhari, whose life and reputation is more upright? Who has tried to stamp out corruption in Nigeria? Who does not have the evil stench of 'Corrupt thief' clinging to their garments?
Baboons and dogs, blood flowing in the streets, cats and dogs raining from the sky - incitement to violence. He personally ordered his followers to kill the Youth Corpers after the elections. Numerous allegations are thrown around. Now unto the facts! The elections of 2011 were not the first where violence took place after results were released. Previous elections had seen violence in the East, in the South West, in the North etc etc. No other leader before 2011 was demonised when their supporters went on rampage after believing elections were rigged (which they usually are). To all those who refuse to acknowledge the truth, Buhari went on BBC Hausa within 24hours of the rampage beginning and asked his supported to stop rioting and appealed for calm and an end to the bloodshed. As for baboons and dogs, now I do not claim to have a working understanding of Hausa, but those who do have explained that it is a metaphor. It is used to signify a battle would be fierce, it is particularly used for sporting events! Now unless we believe that when the English say it is raining Cats and Dogs, we actually expect to see cats and dogs dropping out of the sky, so also can we not believe that when a man uses a well-known proverb/ metaphor, it is an incitement to violence which also calls Nigerians dogs and baboons!
I did NOT support Buhari's candidacy in the last election (and I absolutely did NOT support GEJ's either), but let us acknowledge the truth is the truth. If a Nigerian leader's anti-corrupt zeal, service to the nation, and unflinching honesty is to be emulated, we have only one example before us. His name is Buhari.
Decree 2 and 4 are blots on Buhari's legacy and I do not think he is perfect in anyway, but by golly gosh, compared to the evil of the others, he should be nominated for best ex-Nigerian leader ever...
No comments:
Post a Comment