NIGERIA DECIDES 2015

Moshood FayemiwoSaturday, January 24, 2015
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Chicago, Illinois, USA

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THE MUHAMMADU BUHARI REGIME (1984-1985):
IMPORTANT AND SALIENT ISSUES NIGERIANS MUST KNOW

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e continue our analyses this week on the administrative styles of President Goodluck Jonathan, who has been president for five years and Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, his presidential challenger, who ruled Nigeria between 1984 and 1985. The personalities of both men are diametrically opposed. President Jonathan is a dour fellow. He is not sure of himself and comes across as a coward. He lacks the intellectual capacity to process complex national issues and dissect complex matters with an agile mind. Before Gen Obasanjo recently revealed that Mr. Jonathan didn't actually earn a PhD degree, it was evident the way and manner Mr. Jonathan talks that he lacks the dialectical reflex needed to understand nuanced national policies and governance. Mr. Jonathan also lacks the common trait easily noticeable in any member of the academy, irrespective of your field of study or specialization. That philosophical imprint and your minute contribution to the body of knowledge are clearly discernible in any holder of a Doctorate degree anywhere in the world, unless the PhD is honorary. Many of his aides and classmates that know him intimately revealed that Mr. Jonathan is intellectually lazy and doesn't have the mental capacity to read long memos. When Sen. Andy Uba brought Mr. Goodluck Jonathan to Aso Rock Villa in 2007 to be assessed by then President Olusegun Obasanjo after Mr. Peter Odili was dropped as running mate to late Gov. Umaru Musa Yar'Adua, the latter was sourly disappointed. "Andy, you told me he's a PhD holder, why is he fidgeting and shaking?" Obasanjo blustered about Jonathan to Andy Uba who was Obasanjo's Personal Assistant on Special Duties and Domestic Affairs. "He's afraid of you Sir, because of the way and manner you shouted at him," Uba replied. "Yes, I did it deliberately to see the stuff he's made off." In Otuoke, Bayelsa State where he was born, many of those close to President Jonathan told me as a co-author of the biography of Jonathan titled: "Jonathan; the Squandering of Goodluck" that he is a pacifist. This dour personality definitely reflects in the way and manner Jonathan has become a carpet-bagger in running the affairs of Nigeria for the past half-decade. We have more to write on this next week. But meanwhile, let's look at the 18 months Gen Muhammadu Buhari ruled Nigeria as head of state.

Gen. Buhari may not have a PhD, but as a soldier, he's steel-hearted. He reads everything; I mean all memos sent to him by subordinates. He makes sure he clears his desk of all outstanding files and minutes on each file for further follow-up. He cherishes loyalty and can be brutally frank. With Buhari, you know where you stand, but with Jonathan, the pacifist in him overrides the thirst for discipline and performance. An aide once came to President Jonathan to complain how the First Lady broke protocol, but Jonathan shouted: "Please, do whatever she-referring to his wife, Patience-wants, because I don't want her trouble." In 2010 when he was acting president and came here on a state visit, Jonathan allowed his wife, Patience, to break protocol by walking in his front while Jonathan followed. It is not done anywhere in the world. When he talks, his aides argue with him and Jonathan laughs it off. Mr. Jonathan doesn't understand or know the power of the position of the presidency. No modern president in any functioning democracy anywhere in the world refers to any citizen as his father, no matter how old and influential the citizen is as Jonathan did the other day when he visited Ibrahim Babangida. It is lack of respect for the office of the presidency for Jonathan to refer to himself as a son to father Babagida as president of Nigeria. It is a denigration of the exalted office of the presidency to allow people like Pa Edwin Clark to continue to refer to President Jonathan as his son in public. No matter how old that private citizen is anywhere in a functioning democracy, you as president must and can never kneel down in public either in Katsina or Lagos. It's not humility, its weakness, period! The moment a person becomes the president of a nation, he/she no matter his/her age becomes the father or mother of the nation. The president of a nation doesn't refer to any private citizen as his father in public. You, as president, are the father of the nation, period. Perception is reality, thus, it's the way a person behaves in public as a leader that shows how powerful the position of the presidency in real life and in the matters of statecraft. When a president doesn't instill confidence in the citizens, and is perceived as weak and unsure, nothing can be accomplished by such a weakling. More on this next week, but let's return to Buahri this week.

The first step of Gen Buhari to governance was his resolve to cut waste and run a lean and an efficient government. The deposed President Shehu Shagari filled his administration with nearly 50 ministers, including nondescript and nebulous political appointees known as Presidential Liaison Officers-PLOs-posted to the nineteen states doing nothing. These were mere jobbers and political hangers-on doing nothing except were the ruling party's- NPN- moles in the states. Then there were other positions created for the boys such as ministers of state which caused unnecessary duplication of responsibilities and increased the costs of governance. Gen Buhari reduced the number to nineteen namely; Gen. Domkat Bali as defense minister; Bukar Shuaib for agriculture; Mahmud Tukur for trade and industry; Ahmed Abdullahi for communication, Yerima Ibrahim for education; Dr Onaolapo Soleye as finance minister, Mamman Jiya Vasta for Federal Capital Territory, Emmanuel Nsan as health minister, Gen Mohammaed Magoro as internal affairs minister, Prof Ibrahim Gambari as foreign affairs minister, Sam Omeruah for information, Abdulahi Ibrahim for transportation, Prof Tam David-West as petroleum and energy minister, Chike Offodile as attorney -general and justice minister and Patrick Koshoni as works minister. Mr. Gray Longe was appointed as secretary to the federal military government.

The Nigerian military was run essentially as a unitary government and the following were posted to the nineteen states as military governors; Allison Madueke was posted to defunct Anambra State; Jeremiah Useni to defunct Bendel; Michael Bamidele Otiko to old Ondo State; Oladipo Diya to Ogun State; David Mark who is now senate president was posted to Niger State; John Atom Kpera to Benue, Dan Achibong to Cross Rivers, Ike Omar Sanda Nwachukwu to Imo, Oladipo Popoola to defunct Oyo State, Biturs Atukum to defunct Plateau State, Letimah to old Rivers State but was later removed and replaced with Police Commissioner Fidelis Oyakhilome, Salaudeen Latinwo for defunct Kwara State, Gbolahan Mudasiru for Lagos State, Sani Sami for Bauchi State, Abubakar Waziri for defunct Borno State, Muhammad Jega for old Gongola State, Usman Muazu for defunct Kaduna State, Hamza Abdullahi for old Kano State and Garba Duba for old Sokoto State. Of the nineteen state governors, eleven of them were Christians while nine were Muslims and so much for those who accused Gen. Buhari of being a religious fanatic. In furtherance of national unity, the Supreme Military Council-SMC-constituted by the Buhari regime as the highest ruling body was similarly constituted with consideration to the religious and ethnic sentiments in Nigeria. Buhari himself was the head and chairman of the SMC with Gen Babatunde Idiagbon as his deputy. Other members were: Major-General Domkat Bali, a Christian from defunct Plateau State, Major-General Ibrahim Babangida, the Chief of Army Staff and a Muslim from Niger State, Commodore Augustus Aikhomu, the Chief of Naval Staff a Christian from Old Bendel State; Air Vice-Marshal Ibrahim Mahmud Alfa, the Chief of Air Staff and a Muslim from the old Gongola State, Major-General Mamman Jiya Vasta, the Minister of Federal Capital Territory and a Muslim from Niger State; Brigadier Olayeni Oni a Christian from Ogun State and General Officer Commanding 1st Mechanized Infantry Division based in Kaduna, Brigadier Muhammad Sani Abacha a Muslim from defunct Kano State and General Officer Commanding GOC 2nd Mechanized Division based in Ibadan; Colonel Salihu Ibrahim, a Muslim from Old Kwara State and General Officer Commanding-GOC- 3rd Armored Division based in Jos, Brigadier Yohanna Yerima Kur,e a Christian from old Kaduna State and General Officer Commanding-GOC- 82nd Division based in Enugu, Brigadier Mohammad Magoro, a Muslim from old Sokoto State and minister of Internal Affairs, Brigadier Muhammadu Gado Nasko, a Muslim from Niger State and Commander of Nigerian Army Corps of Artillery, Brigadier Paul Omu, a Christian from old Bendel State and a representative of the Nigerian Army, Navy Captain Ebitu Ukiwe, a Christian from Imo State and Flag Officer Commanding Western Naval Command and finally, Air Commodore Larry Koinyan, a Christian from old Rivers State representing the Nigerian Air Force at the SMC.

The Muhammadu Buhari regime was a cohesive team at the beginning of the military junta. Gen Buhari had four cardinal programs on his plate namely; corruption, the economy, discipline and unity. The issue of security was not considered imperative compared with now when the menace of Boko Hara is sucking the very oxygen out of the Nigerian nation- state. The profligacy of the overthrown Shehu Shagari civilian administration needed to be curtailed and the excesses of the politicians reined in by the new regime. The Shehu Shagari government used the maddening development of the new Federal Capital Territory-FCT-in Abuja as a sort of political bazar and waste. It was a monumental arsenal for corruption and embezzlement, thus the first thing Buhari did was put a stop to the economic jamboree the FCT had been turned into by the NPN. The foreign reserve and budget surplus left behind by the military regime of Gen Olusegun Obasanjo in 1979 had been depleted by the Shagari administration in 4 years. As at the time the Buhari regime came in, Nigeria was already in debt. Does this sound familiar once again in 2015, because right now Nigeria is broke? All white elephant projects were halted and the Buhari regime decided to pay off the national debt incurred by the displaced Shehu Shagari civilian administration. The IMF/World Bank had been pressurizing the Shagari administration to cut the cost of government and liberalized the nation's economy but Shagari didn't have the stomach to do this because of the likely political backlash. Gen Buhari stood toe-to-toe with the IMF/World Bank and demanded for the rescheduling of the nation's debt. The nation's debts were mired in controversies, because the math didn't add up. No one actually knew the exact amount of the nation's debts. Eventually, the Buhari regime reached tentative agreements with Nigeria's creditors and the Paris Club on modalities to repay the nation's debts. The disciplinary measures the Buhari regime put in place would have pulled Nigeria out of the woods and perhaps changed the political and economic direction of Nigeria, if the regime had not been overthrown.

The camaraderie among the soldiers broke down very early during the Buhari regime, because of the way and manner Gen Buhari went about tackling the issue of public corruption. Few Nigerians were aware of the way and manner some of the politicians blackmailed the Buhari regime on the issue of corruption. It began with the likely contentious arraignment of the deposed President Shehu Shagari on corruption charges. Shagari told the Buhari regime pointedly that he could not be tried, because a magus of the Buhari regime; Gen. Ibrahim Bademosi Banagida who was the regime's army chief benefited tremendously from the overthrown Shagari administration. Similarly, Alhaji Mohammad Goni, the overthrown Governor of old Borno State also threatened he would expose Gen Babatunde Idiagbon who was Goni's predecessor as military administrator of Borno State during the Murtala-Obasanjo military regime in 1976-1979. The Buhari military regime was in quandary on what to do with deposed President Shehu Shagari and Gov. Mohammad Goni. It was during this period that classified papers surfaced that not only did the army chief, Gen Ibrahim Bademosi Babangida win contracts and benefited from the deposed Shehu Shagari administration, his late wife; Mrs. Maryam Babangida was a drug runner and her husband was aware of this. As a matter of fact, this was the reason Gen Ibrahim Babangida staged his coup against Gen Buhari on Saturday August 26, 1985. The executions of the three cocaine boys in 1984; Messrs. Bartholomew Owoh, Bernard Ogedegbe and Lawal Ojuolape by the Buhari regime was the climax of the inner war going on at the apex of military leadership at the SMC in 1984/1985. Those three cocaine boys were part of the cocaine boys working for Babangida and his late wife, Maryam. This was the story that the late Dele Giwa, the founding editor of the defunct Newswatch magazine had planned to publish that led to his death in October 1986 via parcel bomb on the order of Gen. Ibrahim Bademosi Babangida. I am the first and only Nigerian editor/publisher anywhere in the world up to date to publish the full story while I was in Nigeria in 1993.

Every person in the intelligence community here in the United States knows that former Nigerian military head of state; retired Gen. Ibrahim Bademosi Babangida was a cocaine pusher, alongside his late wife, Maryam Babangida in the 1970s/1980s. Gen Buhari was briefed by late Ambassador Lawan Rafindadi, head of the Nigerian Security Organization-(NSO, later renamed State Security Services-SSS by Babangida)- in early 1984 about the hard drug ring headed by Gen Babangid and his late wife. The SMC met and the army command had recommended the retirements of Gen Ibrahim Bademosi Babangida and his cocaine boys in the Nigerian Army in 1985. Gen. Buhari delayed the announcement of the retirements till October 1, 1985 when he would address the nation during his independence anniversary celebration but Gen Babangida turned the table against Buhari and staged a coup in August 1985 at a time Gen Babatunde Idiagbon was out of the country on Umrah or Lesser Pilgrimage to Mecca.

When I reveal that former Nigerian head of state, Gen Ibrahim Bademosi Babangida was a former cocaine courier, alongside his wife, the late Maryam Babangida (nee King) including some of his inner military circle-colleagues, I am not saying it lightly or as a rumor. There is a book already written here in North America where the name of Gen Babangida was specifically mentioned to this effect so this is an open secret here in the United States. In their book titled: The World Geopolitics of Drugs, 1998/1999, the authors/editors; Alain Labrousse, and Laurent Laniel, disclosed thus: "The international community has long considered Nigeria a narco-state: the United States put it on the list of 'decertified' countries between 1994 and 1999, and the Dublin Group, consisting mainly of the European countries, un-fearingly called it a 'narco-regime'. Its President, General Babangida, and his wife have been suspected of engaging in cocaine trafficking, along with numerous other military officers." In my discussions with top security analysts and go-to-guys here in the intelligence community in the United States few years ago, I asked why the United States was reluctant to take out Gen Ibrahim Babangida as the CIA did to Manuel Noriega of Panama, since the two of them were contemporaries in the cocaine business during this period. The answers I got certainly fall outside the scope of this article. But needless to disclose that this sordid aspect of Nigerian life is still much alive today, because Gen. Ibrahim Bademosi Babangida and his modernizing cocaine godfathers are still much alive and active in the political life of Nigeria. If Gen Babangida cannot sue the two authors of the book referenced above for libel or slander and his late, Maryam didn't do the same either throughout her life-time, it should not surprise any Nigerian that many prominent Nigerians have died over this issue: from Dele Giwa, Babatunde Idiagbon, Bole Ige, Haruna Elewi to others not as known and prominent as these Nigerians. That is why the Babangida Boys are recycling themselves since 1985 as National Security Adviser, Minister of Defense and other security positions in the Nigerian political life.

LETTERS TO NIGERIA DECIDES, 2015

Dear Dr. Fayemiwo. Thank God for people like you who stand for God, the common good and for the truth. I follow with keen interest and delight your letters, revelations, and comments on the social media, and I am impressed. There is no doubt that you are one of the agents of change that we so much need in our dear country, Nigeria. Your efforts geared towards informing, and educating Nigerians and the world are making tremendous impact. More people, unprecedented in our checkered history now know who really cares for them and who have their interest at heart. The era of dirty and divisive ethnic and religious politics is over. Many Nigerians now do not care where their leader comes from or what religion or creed he practices, as long as that leader is the right one that will deliver on promise. In spite of the overwhelming campaign of calumny launched by enemies of Nigeria's progress to destroy the legacy and reputation of General M. Buhari, a man of honesty, honor and integrity, more Nigerians now know who Buhari truly is and what he stands for. Nigerians cannot be fooled again. There is now light at the end of the tunnel. There is hope that one day in Nigeria the true dividends of democracy will be shared fairly.

You started this fight against evil in your college days in Nigeria before you were born again, and you have relentlessly remained in the struggle after God has given you a higher call. We wouldn't be where we are now in our rough journey to a just society without people like you in the struggle. Please keep fighting for the poor, the downtrodden, and for the masses. God will continue to shower you with abundant blessings, that there will be no room to receive it. God will protect you and enlarge you camp. He will surely do for you what no man can do for you. Amen. ----From Richard E. Obi Nwankwo Claymont, Delaware, USA.

Thank you very much my brother. I was so touched by your letter when I received it. Remain blessed in Jesus Mighty Name, Amen.

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Dear Dr. Fayemiwo, Thanks for your write-up on General Buhari. I believe that out of many evils (the politicians), General Buhari is a lesser evil. Whatever he did in the past, his actions were borne out of love for the country. He meant well for the country. Though I cannot vote and even if I can vote, I don't know if my vote would ever be counted going by the level of election rigging in the country. I keep on telling people that even if we cannot send people to the moon, we should be able to govern ourselves properly. I don't even subscribe to the notion that it took hundreds of years for the developed world to get to where they are today. Must we also spend the same number of years to get to where they are today? Why can't we learn from their mistakes and borrow from their ideas so that we can get there faster or take a shorter path/journey in getting there? These are the excuses of our leaders in order to cover up their lack of wisdom, knowledge, and understanding.

I am happy that people say BUHARI is synonymous to "BRING US HAPPINESS AND REMOVE INJUSTICE" What a perfect slogan! I have never met this man before. I only knew him when he became Head of Federal Military Government and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces in 1984. But what he did during the short period he was No.1 was amazing. He proved to the whole world that Nigerians could be structured to do things in a proper way. Nigerians learnt how to queue or line up for things and clean up their surroundings. The Environmental Day is still being observed up till today. He rejected the IMF loan which his predecessor quickly accepted despite the fact that Nigerians said no, the result of which was a massive devaluation of the currency. He dealt with some of the corrupt leaders in Shagari Administration and would have succeeded in bringing that rice merchant and Minister of Transport to justice. I was told that when he was Federal Commissioner for Petroleum Resources under Obasanjo regime, he would go and pay his hotel bills from his estacode after the meeting of OPEC Ministers in Vienna while other ministers would walk away hoping that the Nigerian embassies would settle the bills for them. He had explained himself three times during his last three presidential campaigns in 2003, 2007 and 2011 why he refused to back up the loan for Lagos metro project that the Federal Government could not afford the luxury. We were all aware of the financial recklessness of Shagari Administration at that time. What followed thereafter, the IMF loan? He had good intention for the country.

I hope Nigerians will give him a chance by voting for him this time around after three attempts. In advanced democracies, the voters do give those leaders that have tried two or three times before, a chance to prove themselves that they can govern the country better. A case in point is the Late President Francois Mitterrand of France who won after three attempts. Though I don't want to blame President Jonathan for all the problems besetting the country particularly in the area of insurgency but unfortunately he has presided over corruption, nepotism and misuse of public funds. I think we should believe in General Buhari and allow him to prove himself that he is a capable and alternative leader. When he was the Head of the Federal Military Government, I learnt that he brought into the performance of his state duties: discipline, dedication and efficiency. The unfortunate thing is that Nigerians never try people who are capable and desirous in contributing their own quotas to the progress of the country as the cabals always imposed on us, people who are unwilling to seek power, are weak and don't even know their right from their left. They would go and grab them by force and rig the election for them. General Buhari has proved himself to be an honest and able public servant with inexhaustible vigor and considerable courage. I equally understood that he always executed promptly and vigorously all matters and would never leave things off till tomorrow which could be done and required to be done immediately. He attended to all memos and cleared all the files on his table before leaving his office. Those are the qualities we want in a leader and not the one that goes to bed every day at 7 00 pm, got himself drunk or smoke three packs of cigarettes every day. May God Bless Nigeria with good leaders this year, Amen----Mr. George Soyeju, New York, NY, USA.

Dear Mr. Soyeju, you have said it all. Thanks for your letter.

NEXT WEEK: We shall continue our series by looking at the administrative style of outgoing President Goodluck Jonathan beginning from his days as deputy governor in Bayelsa State in 1999. Later, we shall examine the genesis of President Jonathan's political evolution and his policies too.

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