Muhammadu Buhari Ok. We have done a lot within our power as the electorate in ensuring we secure the much needed following for our “ideal” candidates. We have argued, tweeted, posted and even yelled at one another. I am still of the opinion that General Buhari is the one who can bring the change we need in Nigeria. I am willing to share a few reasons, based on my observations over the past couple of months, to vote General Buhari. These reasons have further strengthened my conviction. Muhammadu Buhari once led the nation for a period of 18 months only, and proved to many that major milestones can be achieved within a short period and that governance is not rocket science. Below are a few simple, yet crucial instances he may be what Nigeria needs as her president. The Firm Stance He once said: “If anything goes wrong, I will take responsibility and I will fix it. That is what it means to lead”. In another instance, he boldly proclaimed: “I will send corrupt Nigerians to Kirikiri” and sent a shudder down the spine of most leaders at the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). This decisive remark was in actual fact made at the time some of his supporters were injured by unknown gun men in Port Harcourt. He did not budge. A few Nigerians were irked by this statement but, I wonder: why bother if you are not corrupt or planning to engage in corrupt practices? Also, if anyone says his stance is too military and outdated, let him also know that our democracy has become more mature over the years, no matter how slow the pace has been. Let us also keep in mind that our socio-political essence has become quite complicated, making it difficult for any one man to impose his whims and caprices upon the people singularly. In essence, our political scene is too complicated for that. Each ethnic group has grown stronger and have had their roots dug deeper into the ground of Nigeria’s socio-political earth. The Proactiveness When the Islamic sect Maitatsine made an incursion into Nigeria from Chad, General Buhari flew to Yola and quickly nipped the incursion in the bud by ordering Nigerian soldiers to march into Chad, doing the needful. The Maitatsine incursion ended almost as soon as it had begun. Buhari, as the president, did not sit back and just give orders from Dodan barracks, neither did he shy away from visiting the hot zone at the time, in giving the necessary support. Boko Haram has killed well over 6000 civilians since their reign of terror, yet President Jonathan has not visited the hot zone. Not even for once, despite all of his security detail and acclaimed dedication to the country. One of the attributes of a leader is the ability to lead from the front. The inclination to make hard choices in hard times, should be second-nature to a president. In another instance, in a bid to change the Naira, he took drastic steps ,some of which affected the interests of his colleagues Jerry Rawlings of Ghana and the then president of Benin Republic, in the interest of Nigeria. I will bring you details of that incidence later on. Another point: the president of a country should put the interest of his country first, also, there is no real diplomatic or foreign policy without a national agenda behind it. The Jonathan administration has quite a number of foreign relationships without a defined agenda seen as beneficial to Nigeria. That’s not foreign policy. Going back to my point, ask yourself: has there been any time at all President Jonathan tackled an identified problem forthwith before it became worse? For years, he kept thinking the Boko Haram palaver was merely an attempt by his political “enemies” to make a mess of his government. This notion continued even after General Obasanjo tried to talk him out of that notion pleading with him to see himself as “a father of all”, that he is the president of all Nigerians regardless of tribe, religion and political leaning. He did not take active steps in curbing the Boko Haram scourge until Shekau himself boasted that he started with a knife and now has over 40 armoured vehicles and countless rifles, as well as other military equipment. Let’s face it: after corruption, security is the second worst problem we have in Nigeria. The Maitatsine instance hints that General Buhari may be quite proactive. Also, we just have to admit, with the current security challenges, we need a leader with a military background. The Charm The Nigerian political scene has for long been regarded as one controlled entirely by money. The more money you can throw around the better your chances as a political aspirant. General Buhari put a dent in that notion when, at the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Convention , he wrote a heartfelt letter to all delegates urging them to vote with their conscience. My favourite line in the letter reads: “I have always tried to give more to the nation than it has given me. This is the principle of service that has guided my public life. Thus, I am not a rich person. I can’t give you a pocketful of dollars or naira to purchase your support. Even if I could, I would not do so. The fate of this nation is not up for sale.” This line sums up the person of Buhari as unwavering in his stance and principles. His victory at the convention was a landslide, despite rumours that one of the other aspirants doled out a cool 500,000 Naira for each delegate. It was not enough to buy their votes. The compelling message, as well as the innate desire for change made them vote for the candidate they felt had what it takes to move the country forward. This gives hope that maybe someday, money will no longer control our politics but merit, vision and dedication. General Buhari is not a man of many words and frankly, is not the best orator but, he possesses a kind of charm that gives off his leadership qualities. How many aspirants in the history of Nigeria can boast of such level of unsolicited support from the electorate? Only one man can rival it, and that man is MKO Abiola. The Background General Buhari was born into royalty and had a very good military education both home and abroad. Detractors have continued to downplay these facts, in the bid to give him off as uncouth, outdated and illiterate. These are lame lies, some of which are downright laughable. Does anyone actually think, you could rise to Major-General without a good education, back then? You can find his academic background here He was only Nigeria’s president for 18 months but has a military background a lot more extensive than that. Do we need this military experience at this time when our army is in shambles, with Boko Haram making a mess of whatever we have left as national security? I would answer “yes” to that. Admit it or not, we are a country at war, and I think we need a leader who understands the mind and language of the military and has a firm grasp of their mode of operation, etcetera. My Take Fellow Nigerians. As we decide on who will be our president for the next four years, let us keep in mind that we are looking at a situation that extends that number of years, regardless of our choice as the electorate. We are at a very crucial phase in our national history and we need to decide if we want to continue hoping and praying or seize the opportunity for change. The Jonathan administration has done the country more harm than good in terms of its attitude towards corruption and insecurity. We have had trillions of our money vanished without a trace and without an explanation. We have an army that has been infiltrated and plagued by corruption. We have a president who believes corruption and stealing are two different things altogether. We have a president who insults our intelligence at every given opportunity. A president who once said he didn’t give a damn about the need to declare his assets. We have a president who said he was “revolutionizing” agriculture by distributing cotton seeds. A president who would not choose to debate simply because he cannot have his facts put together and would not want to be confronted with any situation warranting he gives us those facts we need. We have a president who has pardoned and has even honoured corrupt officers. A president who ordered protesters be dispersed in the cases of the Bring Back our Girls Group (BBOG) and the fuel subsidy protest of January 2012, giving us the drastic increase of pump price as a New Year’s gift. President Jonathan has not, for once, visited any part of the North East since Boko Haram began besieging those communities. Even ordinary, well meaning, Nigerians have since shown more support for the North East than our president. North East Nigeria has essentially been cut off from the rest of the country. When President Jonathan flagged of his campaign on the 8th of January 2014, in the multitude of all the fiery remarks he made, he never for once, mentioned anything about the over 200 Chibok girls captured and whose whereabouts remain unknown. He rather chose to go on the defensive by castigating the opposition, calling on teenagers and adolescents to vote him, knowing many in that age group are young, naive and inexperienced. We have a government that has pumped billions into propaganda on social media, in a bid to hoodwink the unsuspecting. Up until now, we have no explanation for the missing $20 billion NNPC funds, with that being just one instance of theft. Let us put ethnic and religious sentiment aside and vote our conscience. Deep down we know these allegations of fundamentalism and bigotry are baseless. There is no way two notable Christian leaders will choose to run with an Islamic bigot. Its not possible. They have seen what a lot of unsuspecting Nigerians do not see about him. Fellow Nigerians, It is time for us to decide. Like you, I also grew up hearing all sort of things and I had my doubts about General Buhari but through findings and reasoning based on observation and evidences, I have come to realize that the reason some do not want him there is simply because he has a very strong character; something we desperately need as an innate attribute in every political office holder. Corruption is dragging Nigeria to the bottomless pit of anarchy and chaos. I beg you all to vote with your conscience for the good of our country. Personally, I could leave this country and abandon ship if I wanted to but, I tell you there is no place like home. You can never be a first class citizen in another man’s land. Nigeria is our home. Let’s do this. I am not a registered member of the All Progressives Congress party, neither do I belong in Buhari Support Organization or any volunteer group. This is me, a regular middle-class, white collar Nigerian doing all I can within my power to promote sanity. It just has to be General Buhari. I beg you. You don’t want to know how far our country has been plunged into the demon-infested abyss of corruption, greed and sheer callousness. I can’t give details. I will need years to type it all. This is our opportunity for change. Let’s do this- the right thing. 7 LIKES SHARE tokunbo.akintola Tokunbo is a writer, guitarist and an advocate of socio-political sanity and youth reorientation.
Posted on: Fri, 16 Jan 2015 21:44:54 +0000
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