---

Buhari: Terror of looters...Read the full article.

---

I read this piece with a sense of nostalgia. He is indeed a very true Nigerian role model. IBB only cooked up reasons for the coup, and to me it was the greatest betrayal of professionalism. IBB mortgaged the future of Nigeria and institutionalised corruption. Buhari will continue to earn my respect for teaching Nigerians the basic tenets of patritism including singing the national anthem, queing, and respect of time.
My only concern is that Buhari, being a man set in his own minds may not be able to make a good civilian president. He is a through and thorough Nigerian but can easily get angry and frustrated. If that happens he easily exhibits the military side of him, hence my conclusions. Buhari will make an excellent defense chief but will not be good at negotiations. he does not just have that patience. But who knows.

---

Mallam Abba Mahmood,

I enjoyed your article.... and your long memory of Nigerian history.

General Buhari's patriotism is unquestionably unmistakable....

Mallam Buhari is a good product.... lacking in good presentation and market savvy.

Buhari and his brother, General Idiagbon left indelible marks and imprints in the anals of Nigeria's history .... for all Nigerians to see...... for generations to come.

As a former resident of both Markudi and Maiduguri.... cities, both of which were graced by Buhari and Idiagbon, I can report that their beyond reproach reputations were stellar.

The trouble however, for Mr. Buhari, are missed opportunities.

Buhari did not sufficiently clear the air, over the ruse of his allege interests in imposing Sharia Law over all of Nigeria.... even though we know he cannot do that, it is impossible to do just that.... but he nevertheless allowed some sort of strategic ambiguities..... as if he was seeking to take advantage of such dubious belief by some .... that he will impose Sharia on Nigerians nationwide... Buhari never sufficiently distanced himself from many such rumors/allegations

1. He ought to have attended the Honorable Justice Oputa's Panel on Human Rights/Reconcilliation

2. He ought to have shown regret/remorse or be contrite at the very least regarding draconian actions his administration took.... (drastic actions which were demanded by the circumstances ...... I must add!)

3. Timing has also been a factor..... he is from a region.... which needed to take a sabbatical from presenting presidential candidates, at least, for a few years...due to circumstances preceding the President Obasanjo's administration

4. POOR marketing, POOR marketing, POOP marketing, POOR marketing!
Because after all, Mr. Babangida has been able to present himself as redeemable and so has every other former military dictators of this world.... Therefore, for me, Buhari's verifiable integrity and absolute patriotism trumps his lack of democratic credentials..... plus, in a democractic setting, any dictatorial tendencies on his part will be curbed by the national assembly and other democratic institutions.

If the times were right..... a re-presentation and an aggressive marketing of Buhari for his integrity, character and above all, his PATRIOTISM would have made him irresistible.

---

I agree in toto, I LOVE NIGERIA.
BUHARI owes Nigerians an apology. After he toppled Alhaji Shehu Shagari in 1984, he was asked by the media: WHAT DID YOU FIND AGAINST THIS MAN? (Shehu Shagari). His response: Nothing! (Awo's comment: then hand power back to Shagari.) Now, he will have to apologise in writing to Shehu shagari (published on NVS)

Secondly, Buhari was blessed with a loyal deputy, more competent than him. Babangida, Abiola and their cohorts lured his deputy to hajj. Then on the night of 27th August 1985, Buhari slept on duty! He mortgaged the future of the youths of this country by that singular act. That is the beginning of the woes that has befallen Nigeria for which Obasanjo is scapegoat. Babangida, as an act of mercy commuted his "death sentence" to three years imprisonment. But he still owes Nigerians an apology for sleeping on duty.
Buhari is an adult but he cried like a baby when he lost to Obasanjo in 2003 Presidential Election. He visited Washington DC and disgraced himself and his Country. He called the people to arms. This guy is a bad loser! He needs to go to school of democratic studies for three academic sessions.

Who rigged him out? HIMSELF! After stealing the ANPP MANDATE from more eligible candidates he declared night before election that he would implement Sharia when elected. The man threw ANPP mandate out of the window. Buhari lacks the muscle or finese for civilian democratic contests. He will not last one week in office. Unless Ibrahim Babangida is a dead man. (And if he faces Babangida in any electoral contest, he is a dead loser. )THE COMPLETE ANSWER TO MUHAMMADU BUHARI'S PRESIDENTIAL AMBITION ANY DAY IS: Ibrahim Babangida. Obasanjo did not need to do any campaign or spend a kobo in 2003. Babangida did a damn good job and will do it again if the situation warrants. Shehu Shagari is still alive and the NPN leaders are still there. Ditto the UPN leaders he jailed. Umaru Dikko he abducted. Ogedegbe, Owoh's family he executed on a backdated Decree. Tunde Thompson and Irabor he jailed on Decree 4. This man ridiculed our Supreme Court just because he lost an election petition. (Didn't Papa Awo lose?) As a serving member of the Council of states, he is ineligible to contest (and must apologise to his co-members - M.L. Uwais and Olusegun Obasanjo for his reckless utterances)

We have not zoned our Presidency to the NORTH, but even if we do, we would not take a Buhari from North otherwise the wheel rotates past them. Buhari must accept the Divine verdict that HE IS DENIED A SECOND CHANCE and must hence forth run from any political issues but participate in the capacity of elder statesman so as not to die a fraustrated man. (A FAMOUS MISCIAN IN THE VILLAGESQUARE ONCE WROTE A NOVEL TITLED: NO SECOND CHANCE) If he still needs a job like he did for Abacha, then Presidency can find him something to do - create a WAI brigade for him to head.

---

You missed some points. Shagari's govt built the 2nd PH refinery. Also PTF was very biased. It was more of NPTF (Northern PTF). Buhari probably has good intentions but he is a very parochial man/bigot.

---

Incidentally, this man (Buhari) was (and still is) my military mentor. No matter what anyone says, he'll always deserve my respect and admiration. As a human being though, he was not immune to the vagaries of the monsters called tribalism and religious fanaticism.

Even in spite of its military setting, his government (along with his best friend/colleague) could easily have been the best that ever reigned in our nation. That was one time when many of us in the military were very proud of our profession...despite our savior mentality. At least, here was one military regime that was beloved and respected by the people!

Unfortunately, while the military/civilian romance was ascending its peak, Gen. Buhari made a mistake that the great Gen. Murtala Muhammed resisted in his own time. Shortly after coming to power in 1975, Muhammed almost had a top Arewa leader arrested for daring to come suggest some parochial ideas to him at the Dodan Barracks. But he (Buhari) fell for a similar temptation by allowing some ethnic jingoists around him to mis-guide him on some very sensitive govt policies.

In the first place, some of those officers who were personally co-opted (to play very vital role in the putsch) by Gen. Buhari were later sidelined due to their section of the country. Even the Middle-belters among them were deemed not Northern enough.

Secondly, Gen. Idiagbon was soon found to be too far ahead of his time. Only very few dictators could escape with his style....one that included his practical distance from top Generals to the point of being unapproachable...incidentally, a major victim of this peronal policy was someone as powerful as I.B.B. How could any C-in-C or C-o-S put his Chief of Army Staff at arms length.....or go to the extent of yelling at him in public?

Thirdly, the trial of the 2nd Republic politicians was absolutely one-sided. There were also several cases of actions based on personal vendetta immediately after the govt was installed.

And in 1984, the govt decided to change our currency. Just like it's always the case with every good intention, most Nigerians had to endure some temporary discomforts due to the restrictions placed on money movement. Initially, we were all told there would be no favoritism in the whole operation because it was aimed at strenghtening the nation's currency. And that precisely was what some of us told our various families and friends. But then, the govt allowed the Emir of Gwandu to bring in 53 boxes filled with cash through the nation's premier airport and in the full glare of the media.

As a politician, the Gen actually has what it takes to be a good civilian president. His personal integrity is impeccable. He is in fact honest to a fault. Here is one man I can vote for any time without even expressing a doubt about it. But for him to make a success out of his political career, Gen. Buhari needs to shun the ethnic/religious stigma that revolve around him.

To this end, I'm constrained to agree with the views of ILN, Izonwe and especially Unregister. Unregister even demonstrated some knowledge of the man that sounded like he was (or is) in the military too.

---

The author of the original article wrote " Buhari is an excellent product but without good marketers. General Muhammadu Buhari is a man with unquestionable integrity,......"


And Senabdalla adds " He is indeed a very true Nigerian role model".

Yes! It takes criminality to be a true Nigeria leader and role model in the eyes of some of the so-called educated Nigerians who happens to have not ruled Nigeria.

You wake up one morning and with a group of pepper soup lovers and shoot your way to power in a coup and the so called educated Nigerians will come to NVS to write what a great son of Nigeria you are. The act of coup is treasonable felony. Maybe some of you should read how Buhari's body guards with guns pointed forced IBB and others to select Buhari immediately after the overthrown of Shagari- an act IBB never forgot thereby overthrowing Buhari later. And Buhari is a criminal- by his coup and the other coups, Nigeria was set back more than 20 years.

Yes Buhari is a saint. We have so soon forgotten the talk of a 2.8 billion missing naira then? Or have we so soon forgotten the 53 missing suit cases immediately prior to devaluation/face change of the naira? You so called educated Nigerians never ceases to amaze me.

Nonesense!!!.

---

Good one.
The Northern PTF conclusion was rather uncharitable. Have you forgotten the drugs and consumables supplied by PTF to Eastern state hospitals. I know someone who was treated with PTF drugs at Park Lane Hospital Enugu in 2002. The last government-supplied books to schools in the south were courtesy of PTF. Extensive rehabilitation of infrastructure in UNN, for example was carried out by PTF. The list is by no means exhaustive.

There are bound to be disparities in the distribution of projects and services as anyone who has ever been involved in project management would know; but project dispersion is not a key performance indicator, even though it can be described as a key result area. The question is DID NIGERIA GET VALUE FOR THE MONEY SPENT. If a bag of garri is N2000.00 in the open market and PTF procures it for N2010.00 but ends up giving same to a Mr Adamu (a qualifying recipient) in Zungeru, the Fund has acted within its terms of reference. I remember some projects in the south were delayed by the rains, the North certainly had an advantage in this area because of the arid nature of some parts.

Recall that all these were achieved with an extra N3.00 per litre of various fuels sanctioned by Abacha. OBJ has managed to increase fuel prices from N22.00 to N65.00 (i.e. N43.00) per litre. WHAT HAS HE DONE WITH THAT?

Buhari's administration was not perfect... OBJ's administration is BAD.

Buhari may need re-packaging but he is definitely a good product. Let it be known that there are other Nigerians that are as good or even better qualified presidential candidates (not Atiku, Marwa or IBB), however, this should not take the shine off Buhari's contributions. A stolen mandate is painful, and crying does not make one less a man or leader. I actually expected OBJ to cry for the Ikeja, Sosoliso and Belview victims cos it makes him more human.

Buhari has done more for democracy than many people would admit. The fact that he saw the presidential court case through, even when he must have known that it had a predetermined outcome is one of them. At least there was a dissenting judicial opinion of the Supreme Court on which future legislation can be anchored.

Peace

---

My due respects for Muhammadu Buhari