At 82, Buhari Wraps Up In Silence And Dignity In Daura, By Garba Shehu
Muhammadu Buhari was sworn in as president following a decisive victory in the 2015 general elections and was re-elected with an even bigger majority for a second consecutive term of office in 2019, underscoring the trust and confidence of the country in his administration.
As he marks his 82nd birthday today, December 17, it is time to remind ourselves of certain qualities that stand him apart from the crowd.
Buhari is a very different leader with a strong attachment to the weak and poor, dedicated to improving their wellbeing and alleviating their suffering.
Politics and corruption go hand in hand in many countries, and Nigeria is not an exception. The general perception is that if you are a politician, you must be corrupt.
He is known as “Mai Gaskiya,” the truthful one for his honesty and simple lifestyle.
His campaign focused on a blend of economic development, security and the fight against corruption. His two terms ushered in a paradigm shift in governance with a strong focus on building the country’s long delayed infrastructure and leadership through personal example.
Under Buhari, the country embarked upon remarkable initiatives to address multi dimensional poverty. The country became the first on the continent to have a social security system. Several measures aimed at reducing poverty, the bane of the poor were introduced through financial inclusion.
Buhari prioritized efforts towards universal health coverage. His administration successfully removed the country’s name from the list of nations with endemic polio.
In 2021, his administration launched a campaign for five million off-grid solar power connections to villages without electricity impacting 20 million Nigerians without power more than 60 years after independence; took reliable, clean energy to the country’s major markets, electrified several federal universities, teaching hospitals and set up a funding scheme for mini grids in 100 hospitals across the country.
Agriculture was very close to the heart of the former president. Not only that he is, himself, a farmer growing crops and tending to livestock,President Buhari launched several initiatives in rice growing and 15 other agricultural communities leading to domestic self-sufficiency in some and boosting the export and increased foreign earnings in others.
Buhari believed that transportation is a key path to the transformation of the country and embarked upon next generation infrastructure reconstructing the nation’s major roads and bridges,airports, inland waterways, the sea ports and significant advances in the development of standard gauge rail.
Under the administration, the country made improvements in the Ease of Doing Business and in the strong belief that the level of science and technology will, not far from now determine the strength, even the destiny of a country, Buhari ensured a lot of money went to the ministry as well as the research institutions under it throughout the eight years.
The president’s lifetime story, starting in Daura, a semi arid region and now within seizure of the Sahel desert taught him to be deeply passionate about the environment. The thrust of his policy was both reactive and proactive: it is easier to destroy the environment than to rebuild it.
Buhari’s foreign policy initiatives led in many respects to the realization of the country’s goal as a leading power in the West African subregion and Africa as a whole.
Nigerian leaders are praised while in office and discredited even after tremendous contributions by them after they leave office. Knowing this, President Buhari would rather be silent on the criticism of his administration-much of it unfair- in the belief that the truth, like oil buried under the soil has a way of coming to the top.
To use the words of Leo Tolstoy, two most powerful warriors are patience and time.
I make the admission that in all humans-leaders inclusive-there are limitations and shortcomings. As a leader, Buhari towers above many before him.
The former president said to the hearing everyone that once he handed over to his successor on that May 29, 2023 he would be as far away from the nation’s capital, Abuja so as not to cast a shadow over the new administration, to give the space to them to effectively take off and stabilize without distractions. Being willing to renounce power is his extraordinarily admirable trait.
Since leaving office, he visited Abuja just twice, first to officiate at the launching of Femi Adesina’s brilliant book “Working With Buhari,” and the second time as a guest of President Bola Tinubu when they convened a meeting of the Council State.
Unlike others, the Nigerian constitution has created a platform for interaction between the present and the past leaders of the country, the Council State which is set up to advise the sitting president on some important appointments and on sundry issues affecting the state.
Cooperation between serving and former Nigerian leaders is not new although it is difficult to know how much cooperation goes on between current and former presidents.
General Gowon, the oldest surviving former leader would appear to be the most helpful of all of the nation’s past rulers.
On the other hand since leaving office, first as military leader and subsequently as elected president after two terms, President Olusegun Obasanjo has called and written on every head of state after him to put him to shame or disgrace, and in some cases outrightly asking for his resignation or ouster in the next election. General Abacha alleged that Obasanjo had a hand in a coup plot against him and had him imprisoned.
If President Buhari is not seen going about publicly for a while, it has to do with his expressed wish to be as far away as possible, not to be a distraction to the new administration. He earnestly is sympathetic to Tinubu in his challenging job of reforming the economy, and all the other leaders in expectations management of citizens, much of which is difficult- if not impossible- to meet.
In the remoteness of Daura, he has found the atmosphere for a well-deserved rest, in silence and dignity and away from predatory pressures of Abuja.
Buhari maintains a very simple daily routine of catching up with the news on radio and television each morning, enjoying the company of his grandchildren, meeting with scheduled guests and a one to two hour walk around his expansive farm inspecting crops and livestock. An avid reader who must get all available newspapers, President Buhari now has plenty of time to read and watch his favorite TV shows.
As he marks his 82nd birthday, may he always be remembered and honored.
Garba Shehu is former Presidential Spokesperson
The visit came about 24 hours after a Federal High Court in Abuja granted the former Governor bail in the sum of N500 million.
He said that the Ohinoyi of Egbiraland, Alhaji Ahmed Anaje will be the father of the day, while the Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo will be Special Guest of Honour, adding that the governor will also be honoured with an award of good governance.
How Nigerian Politicians Use Stolen Public Funds In Senseless Escapades
What astonishes me is that in all the stealing, of public funds by the Nigerian Politicians, especially those in public service, they have not the faintest idea of how to use money. I am getting scared we are caught up in an age of fools.
What does Nigerian thieve do with money? He buys things. Then he buys power and more power. He traumatizes his community with his wealth. He makes the poor feel their poverty and the average person bemoan his averageness. Then he builds things: some big towers here and there which become the talking points of lesser idiots whose place in life is to praise those structures even as they hope to build same someday. He then goes after women; all shapes, sizes, tribes and tongues, for the sole reason of being able to boast about his conquest. He then gets honoured by religious homes devoted to Mammon where he gets praised by the worshippers of the idol who promise the money-man life hereafter for a slice of his goodies. Then he dies in hope that people will be talking about him. Soon he is forgotten like other fools.
Why do we Nigerians find it hard to understand the use and meaning of big money and are stuck on this selfish; this perverted notion of wealth? All you get is, the man came to that party in a big jeep; he has an aircraft, or two. He has an estate in Maitama or Ikoyi. He built up a street in London. Then he unleashed that money to buy up consciences and to stamp down truth. His shopping list would include pressmen, clergies, judges and policemen. He funds his policial party and he is rewarded with even more money which he recycles the same old way. Why is our idea of wealth so narrow and underdeveloped!
The challenge is not money, it is a lack of the knowledge of what actually to do with it. Where people have wisdom, they understand that once possessions go beyond a home and two cars with ample retirement fund, the use of money is to build your community and to build your nation. You invest wealth in people, beginning with your own children and those in your extended family who can be raised.
Isn’t it wonderful that not a single man or woman among these people who have spirited away billions of naira has thought of establishing a factory manufacturing cellphones in Nigeria? None has thought he should put together something to address such a huge market and potential for homegrown development? They can’t come together and say, ‘Lets solve the electricity problem’. None has said, ‘I want to make a dent on the housing challenge. I will go into affordable housing and build new cities’. None has said, ‘Most of our universities have a shortage of hostel accommodation. I’d like to address that and put in two billion per school. It is a proof of lack of sense, a proof of scandalous stupidity that with all those billions, there is no impact on society and people are mostly unemployed and there are no spectacular undertakings to fire the imagination of the younger ones. Why haven’t these guys come together and built the second and third Niger bridge and the 4th Mainland bridge in Lagos? Why can’t they make their money work for the society and push people forward? What’s the use of money that doesn’t serve society but only buys little things like cars and airplanes, just toys to flatter the little ego of the owner? It is foolish to think this limited way and even more foolish to admire and applaud such people. It is like drinking from a gutter.
I hope we can start to discuss money in terms of impact, not consumption. And when I say impact, I don’t mean those demeaning things politicians do when they give out okadas and wheel barrows to mock the poverty of their people. I mean real impact. Let’s solve the electricity problem. Let some rich persons decide to fix the 100km road linking Enugu to Port Harcourt. Let someone say, I want to train 500 youth corpers through an Oracle certification course and drop a cheque. Someone should fund the development of the Nigerian automobile in a university or two with N4 billion. Another should rise and rebuild all the houses in his village and connect them all to a potable water source. Let’s have some devotion to our country, to our people and put an end to this barbarism. Let’s make ourselves great on earth!