President-elect Muhammadu Buhari has been likened by some to Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States of America probably for one reason. Lincoln frequently and repeatedly pursued several elective positions over a long stretch of years in his political career before winning the presidency in 1860. Buhari got it done on March 28, 2015 after four attempts over a 12-year period.
If Buhari’s frequent attempts at the presidency are perceived by some of us as a courageous display of fortitude and tenacity, his adversaries think that it was nothing but a sign of desperation by the Hausa/Fulani oligarchy to control the presidency at all costs and satisfy a “born-to-rule” arrogant thirst for power. But the General said he kept on running because since 1985 when he was forcefully removed in a coup from the saddle as a military Head of State, nothing much in the country has changed for the better; Nigeria has instead become a shadow of its old self. Buhari now seems to believe his “second coming” is a DUTY, not just an assignment.
What is the difference between an “assignment” and a “DUTY”? An “assignment” is a task or piece of work assigned to someone as part of a job or course of study, a “DUTY” is a “must-do” moral or legal responsibility. An “assignment” runs only from the head, but “DUTY” flows from the heart. The revamping of the prevalent decadence and rot in our nation across all spectra and the rebuilding of Nigeria from the ground up (which is what is literally required now) can only be achieved through a “DUTY” mentality and mindset.
For some of us who agreed with those who compare Buhari with Lincoln, the American president also had as an accomplishment a zest to foster unity and oneness between the North and the seceding Confederate South. Against the backdrop of this historical achievement, Buhari, a General with a track record of detribalised leadership as military Head of State, must be the Lincoln here in Nigeria who will bring all tribes and tongues together under the flag of one nation indivisible. He doesn’t have to struggle within himself to get this done. It’s in him.
A former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Prof. Tam David-West, an Ijaw man who once served under the General, said this recently: “Buhari is more detribalised; more religiously tolerant than anyone I have met…Three of Buhari’s domestic staff are Christians. His confidential secretary is a Christian; his second security officer is a Christian; his second head driver is a Christian. They have been with him for years.” Those who want us to believe that Buhari hates everybody else but only his Hausa/Fulani stock do not know what many Nigerians know about the man. We also heard that he singlehandedly nominated Prof Dora Akunyili (of the blessed memory) an Igbo Christian woman of esteemed character and virtue as a minister. Nigerians from other regions of the country who know this man well have shared similar testaments.
Ethnic hatred and tribal intolerance have taken over our polity and crept into our daily lives. Doors of opportunities are swung open for many not because of the value they bring or the knowledge they have, but what tribe they come from. Tribal disaffection and discrimination only limit a nation, not enlarge its coast. Tribalism will not fight and win a war on corruption, it will magnify it. It cannot build roads, equip hospitals, educate our children or provide opportunities for millions of our hungry and angry youths; it will stifle the vision to get all these done. No country can achieve its best when other parts of the union are thrown under the bus of discrimination and ethnic hate. Tribal jingoism and ethnic polarisation, if not discouraged, will tear any union apart.
A firm leadership by example can help stem the tide of this quagmire to a sensible extent. Buhari will lead this effort and the start will be seen by all of us when ministerial, board and parastatals, and other essential appointments are made. Outgoing administration did a shoddy job in this area; Buhari must be different. All geopolitical zones will play significant roles in the next dispensation. I am also confident that those who did not vote for Buhari will gain much more than they did in their 16 years in the wilderness of failure. Whether you voted for Buhari or not, it will not make any difference to the kind of president Nigeria will have come May 29. With Buhari, we are all Nigerians once again. This is a “DUTY” mindset and mentality I am writing about.
I will conclude my thought with this submission: I used to have a problem with Buhari’s age when he announced he was running. I had always thought that his agility and mental sharpness would have been physiologically compromised until I saw and heard what I saw and heard during the electioneering. Though he is not gifted in oration, I heard words from the depository of a quick-witted sage and sharp mind. He didn’t tell us he had no shoes, but reminded us how he had put his Army boots on the ground fighting for the unity of Nigeria in a bitter civil war as a young soldier. He did not say stealing is not corruption, but he explained how stealing and corruption are conceived in the same depraved mind and how he will end them. He has spoken about where Nigeria has been, where Nigeria is, and where he will take Nigeria as president.
Sir Richard Gozney, the British High Commissioner to Nigeria between 2004 and 2007, moderating the Chatham House talk in February in London said that he was shocked at the General’s modest lifestyle which is not typical with many Nigerian politicians when he visited him in his home many years ago. Buhari’s modest lifestyle moves my mind, soul and spirit. It speaks volumes of this man who will be Nigeria’s president in less than two months.
Buhari, as far as many of us are concerned, is not your typical Nigerian politician. He had many opportunities to grab lands in Abuja and Lagos, to grab money, acquire oil rigs, and stash bank accounts all over the world with the people’s money, but he never did. This man is a good example of how life should be lived, and it is ironical that the teaching of modesty in the Bible is showcased through this particular Muslim man, and not through some who are blindly grabbing lands and gold, and yet claim to love the God of Israel. Buhari is a walking, living truth, a rock-solid sincerity, a mature mind, an experienced hand, and a true Nigerian. He is a tower of integrity and decency, the tonic and analeptic a sick nation like Nigeria needs at this time, and I believe every word David-West has put on record about this General who will be reporting for DUTY on May 29.
Concluded.
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