Buhari

Buhari


 "Former head of state [Buhari] described the 14 years of PDP rule in Nigeria as a period when corruption and insecurity loomed large on the horizon, breeding poverty and decay across the country." (Vanguard news 5/11/13)

The three biggest threats to Nigeria sovereignty are corruption, tribalism and anarchism (lack of rule of law); these three vices have veto authority in their ability to destroy a nation.

 My fear about Buhari’s presidential ambition is his religious extremism and deep rooted tribal sentiments. Case in point is when Buhari led a team of red eyed Fulani strong men to confront a western state governor of a rumors that sizable number of Fulanis was killed by Yorubas but as it turned out and as anyone would imagine more Yorubas died in that conflict with Fulanis where one or two Fulanis lost their lives. It was reported that it was the wisdom of this Yoruba governor that saved the day.

 In purely Islamic state, Islamic theocracy and ethnically homogenous state, Buhari would make a good leader. But Nigeria with over 300 ethnic nationalities cannot afford a severely tribal hawk and religious zealot like ‘theocratist’ Muhammad Buhari.

 Nonetheless I still prefer Buhari to the ‘gap toothed’ crook, the Moslem half secularist and half ‘theocratist’ Con Ibrahim B Baba. But what Nigeria need most is disciplinarian, a conformist; a democratic benevolent dictatorship; the kind of leaderships in South East Asia nations of Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Singapore. A democratic benevolent dictatorship is possible only if the leaders are above reproach.

 As for the current administration I sympathizes  it because even with Northern elite’s political witch hunt and Boko Haram’s resolve to make Nigeria ungovernable, Jonathan has within a short year span performed better than the last six administrations that led the nation for the last 34 years. Yes, Jonathan has neither led optimally nor is he anywhere close to optimally leadership. However, truth is that even within an overwhelming odd presented by Boko Haram and Northern elites’ political witch hunt Jonathan has done better than the last six administrations combined.

 Northern political elites should allow Mr. Goodluck whose territory’s natural resources is feeding the nation and the reason we still have Nigeria, to complete a second term. 38 out of 53 years since independence the northern political/military elites have ruled this country and have a lot of nothing to show for it. If for 38 years of leadership the northern political elites could not move Nigeria forward as it is self evident but instead pulled the country to socio- economic political abyss, how would the 8 years of leadership they now rabidly seek for be different from the 38 years of misrule, corruption, cronyism, despotism, tribalism, sexism, maradonism, hedonism, mediocrity and leadership incompetence? Not only did Northern elites failed Nigeria, they in the midst of their blissful hedonism supported by stolen public fund abandoned the northern masses hence the unexplainable abjectness within their wards.

No current politician, northern or southern can meaningfully move Nigeria or Nigerians forward because the current crop of  politicians are corrupt, tribal, cronies and primitive men pretending to live in the present. What Nigeria need is a new breed (youths) of Northern and Southern extractions working together to dismantle tribal politics and move Nigeria and its people quickly through 19^th century and then to present.

 Today Nigeria is more or less reduced to a multination state paraded as sovereignty by those who pretend to be Nigerians even when their loyalty is first to religion, second to ethnicity and third to political party by which means they arrest power for their selfish goal to the detriment of national cohesion and general progress of the nation. Today Nigeria is more fractious than it was in the 60s and this is evident that the country is drifting away. What has the national assemblies and successive administrations done to bridge the divide between the Nigerian people? Nothing, they have even encouraged division among Nigerians. Because harmony among the citizenry is not good politics where divide and conquer or tribal politics is the order of the day.

Our politicians have been boasting opening on our coping of America political philosophy and policies and these politicians have referenced this imitation all the time. But as long as Northern and Southern, Moslems or Christians refuse to truly see one another as brothers; do not in the heart of heart see each as brothers as fellow citizens whose fundamental civil and human rights must be respected, protected and safeguarded regardless of residency or place of birth, not only will the Americanization of Nigeria elude us but a strong, powerful progressive Nigeria will continue to be a pipe dream.

Think about it, the greatest obstacle to Nigeria development is the deep rooted tribal sentiment and divisions among the various ethnic groups. In fact tribalism, dislike, and mistrust between groups was the reason we nearly lost this nation in the 60s tribal conflicts.  For Nigeria to achieve any meaningfully progress there must be love, harmony among the constituent nationalities and the National assemble has the most role to play in this regard.