Gen Buhari And His Unguided Statements..(A Day With CKN Opinion Page)

Maj Gen Muhammadu Buhari Rtd was Nigeria’s 7th President from  December 31, 1983 to August 27, 1985. He also ran unsuccessfully for the office of the President of Nigeria in the 2003, 2007 and 2011 elections .A  native of Daura in Katsina State of Nigeria.

 He joined the army in 1962, Buhari first came to widespread public attention in 1976 when he became the Minister (or "Federal Commissioner") for Petroleum and Natural Resources under then-Head of State General Olusegun Obasanjo.

 Before then he served as Governor of the newly created North-Eastern State during the regime of Murtala Mohammed. He later became head of the newly created Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation in 1977

Major-General Buhari was selected to lead the country by middle and high-ranking military officers after a successful military coup d'etat that overthrew civilian President Shehu Shagari on December 31, 1983.

 At the time, Buhari was head of the Third Armored Division of Jos.  

 He was appointed Head of State and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, and Tunde Idiagbon was appointed Chief of General Staff (the de facto No. 2 in the administration). Buhari justified the military's seizure of power by castigating the civilian government as hopelessly corrupt, and his administration subsequently initiated a public campaign against indiscipline known as "War Against Indiscipline" (WAI). Aspects of this campaign included public humiliation of civil servants who arrived late for work whilst guards were armed with whips to ensure orderly queues at bus stops.

He also moved to silence critics of his administration, passing decrees curbing press freedoms and allowing for opponents to be detained up to three months without formal charges.He also banned strikes and lockouts by workers and founded Nigeria's first secret police force, the National Security Organization.His government sentenced popular musician and political critic Fela Kuti to ten years in prison on charges that Amnesty International denounced as fabricated and politically motivated; Kuti was later pardoned and released by Buhari's successor. In another high-profile incident that sparked a diplomatic incident with Britain, British officials found shagari former transportation minister drugged in a crate marked for shipment to Lagos.

According to the BBC, "Buhari's attempts to re-balance public finances by curbing imports led to many job losses and the closure of businesses."These losses were accompanied by a rise in prices and a decline in living standards.Some may hold contrary view to this assertion and call it mischievous though,because Buhari is admired by many for his uprightness and stand against corruption. His government is revered for its ability to keep the country afloat by making progress through sheer economic ingenuity even when it rejected IMF loan and refused to adopt IMF conditionalities to devalue the Naira His government is praised for its gain in reducing inflation by refusing to devalue the nation's currency, the Nigerian Naira, curbing imports of needless goods, curtailing oil theft and using counter trade policy to barter seized illegally bunkered crude oil for needful goods like machineries, enabling it to export above its OPEC quota.

In the face of the austerity measures, worsening economic conditions, and continued widespread corruption, Buhari was himself overthrown in a coup led by General Ibrahim Babangida and other members of the ruling Supreme Military Council (SMC) on August 27, 1985

Buhari's admirers believe that he was overthrown by corrupt elements in his government who were afraid of being brought to justice as his policies were beginning to yield tangible dividends in terms of public discipline, curbing corruption, lowering inflation, enhancing workforce and improving productivity.

Buhari served as the Chairman of the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF), a body created by the government of General Abacha, and funded from the revenue generated by the increase in price of petroleum products, to pursue developmental projects around the country. A 1998 report in New African praised the PTF under Buhari for its transparency, calling it a rare "success story".^[However, the same report also noted that critics had questioned the PTF's allocation of 20% of its resources to the military, which the critics feared would not be accountable for the revenue.

In 2003, Buhari contested the presidential election as the candidate of the All Nigeria People's Party (ANPP). He was defeated by the People's Democratic Party nominee, President Olusẹgun Ọbasanjọ, by a margin of more than eleven million votes. It was claimed by Buhari's supporters and other members of the opposition that in some states, like Ebonyi, there were more votes than there were registered voters.Although some allegations of fraud were proven in the courts and the conduct of the election was criticized by the Commonwealth Observer Group, the consensus among Nigerians was that he should not waste his time in court as he did not have the necessary resources to "buy" himself justice Eventually, the same court also decided that the level of proven electoral fraud was not sufficient to affect the outcome of the election and to warrant the cancellation of the whole Presidential election.

On 18 December 2006, Gen. Buhari was nominated as the consensus candidate of the All Nigeria People's Party. His main challenger in the April 2007 polls was the ruling PDP candidate, Umaru Yar'Adua, who hailed from the same home state of Katsina. In the election, Buhari officially took 18% of the vote against 70% for Yar'Adua, but Buhari rejected these results.After Yar'Adua took office, the ANPP agreed to join his government, but Buhari denounced this agreement.

In March 2010, Buhari left the ANPP for the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), a party that he had helped to found. He said that he had supported foundation of the CPC "as a solution to the debilitating, ethical and ideological conflicts in my former party the ANPP".

Buhari was the CPC Presidential candidate in the 16 April 2011 general election, running against incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan of the People's Democratic Party (PDP), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), and Ibrahim Shekarau of ANPP. They were the major contenders among 20 contestants.He was running on an anti-corruption platform and pledged to remove immunity protections from government officials.He also gave support to enforcement of Sharia law in Nigeria's northern states, which had previously caused him political difficulties among Christian voters in the country's south.However, he remains a "folk hero" to some for his vocal opposition to corruption.Buhari won 12,214,853 votes, coming second to the incumbent president Goodluck Jonathan of the PDP, who polled 22,495,187 votes and was declared the winner

With such an intimidating curriculum Vitae,Gen Buhari is expected to rise above all religious and ethnic consideration is his utterances. As a Patriot and Elder Statesmen, much is expected from him.With a cult followership ,Gen Buhari was expected to be tact in his response to National issues, but this has not been the case. Several times, General Muhammadu Buhari has made inflammatory statement which has put under public watch.

Prior to the 1999 election, Gen Buhari was quoted to have said at a certain Forum that Nigeria should be designated as an Islamic Country.

This statement was seen as an indication of intolerance for other religions in Nigeria.

The statement eventually came to hunt him during the election. Several Christians especially in the Christian dominated Southern Nigeria and some Northern parts of the country vehemently refused to vote for him even when he eventually apologized for his utterances. It was too late in the day.

Just before the 2011 election, Gen Buhari at one of his campaign trip in the North was quoted as saying that Nigeria will be made ungovernable if he lose the election.

Well, subsequent violence across the country after the election was seen as a tact manifestation of that threat.

Recently,Gen Buhari in an interview said the Federal Government offensive against the dreaded Islamist sect Boko Haram was a direct fight against Northern Nigeria.

This has also been taken to mean that he indirectly support the activities of the terrorist group.

These and several un reported statements by this elder statesman has brought a lot of distrust amongst Nigerians who ordinarily would have seen him as an alternative to the rampaging corrupt leaders of Nigeria.

That Gen Buhari is corruption free has never been in doubt even among his greatest critics.

But a man who at every simple forum decides to make careless and misguided statements is not to be trusted.

These are obviously some of the reasons why most Nigerians are not ready to stick out their necks for him.

Gen Muhammadu Buhari should be told in clear terms, that Nigeria is a multi ethnic, multi cultural and multi religious country.

The survival of Nigeria should override his personal interest no matter how he feels.

Unguided statements are not the hallmark of great leaders. It could only cost him goodwill and trust.

He should weigh his thoughts thoroughly before voicing it out.

Note:Chris Kehinde Nwandu Is The Editor In Chief Of CKN Nigeria..He Writes every Tuesday