NO BE ME SCULPTED THIS O! from Opeyemi Olugbodi page; TO SAY that Maj-Gen Muhammadu Buhari did not know about the Shagari overthrow of December 31st, 1983 is to display ignorance of military rules. Surely the army authorities would never have let him off had the coup failed. He would have been charged as an accesory after the fact of conspiracy. To also say that his intervention brought an end to the acutely profligate regime of the National Party of Nigeria (which is true) is to just tell half the truth. The other half we need to examine and ponder upon is that he also stifled the sure path of development that the UPN governments of the LOOBO states were pursuing then. (LOOBO: Lagos, Oyo, Ogun, Bendel and Ondo States). Much has been said about the stoppage of Jakandes Lagos Metroline project even though Nigeria had to pay huge fines thereafter but I recollect he also stopped the Free Education, Free Health programs of the Yoruba States. I remember the then Lt-Col Oladayo Popoola instructing schools in 1984 to collect back the Free Books issued by the Bola Ige administration. I remember too, that none of the UPN governors then was found guilty of any corrupt enrichment. Papa Ajasin went into govt with 4 pairs of agbada and weather-beaten Peugeot 504 L and that was exactly what he left with (please read the book: Ajasin: Memoirs and Memories). The then Lt-Col Abdukarim Adisa in his own book (I cant recollect the title) told of how, as Brigade Commander at Abeokuta, he took charge of governance in Ogun State before Col Oladipo Diya took office. He narrated how he saw some cheques due for payment to contractors under the drawer in the office of Gov Bisi Onabanjo. He said the governor said he seized them from contractors who were members of his own UPN, for doing shoddy jobs. Adisa said his respect for Onabanjo skyrocketed from that point. This same Onabanjo was left to rot in prison by the Buhidiagbon regime - yet someone wants our children to believe that the Buhari era was all saintly. I remember the recollections narrated to me by High Chief Adebayo Akande, the Ekefa Olubadan (hope Im correct) and the Chairman of Splash 105.5FM, Ibadan. He was a guber aspirant of the Oyo State NPN and its Treasurer. He was away to the UK when the coup happened. He was advised to stay back thereafter. But the regime felt he should be arrested and upon learning he wasnt in town, picked up his wife, Mama Chief Nike Akande instead. He was thereby forced to come home and he reported himself at the Army Division Office at Agodi Gate, Ibadan and was promptly detained. After several months, nothing incriminating was found about him. However, the regime did not apologize for the trauma caused his family, neither did they pay any compensation. Lastly, my former colleague, Gov Rotimi Amaechi said Buhari killed Maitatsine in 1980. This is a lie. Shagari was still in power in 1980. Buhari was then the GOC of 4th Div in Enugu. Maiduguri, where Maitatsine operated, was not under the operational area of 4th Div but 3rd Armoured Div. So, how could Buhari have operated in the NorthEast at that time. Im disappointed that Mai Gaskiya himself did not debunk this lie. Im sorry if this narrative does not dovetail into the Buhari-is-the-messiah stereotype of my Buhari supporter-friends but we owe our children the truth. By all means please campaign for your man but u should by no means tell lies while doing so. The best Buhari will last in government is 8 years but the lies we tell in putting him there will last for generations. ~ Kehinde Ayoola J P.
Posted on: Fri, 02 Jan 2015 17:47:28 +0000