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| General Muhammadu Buhari: A Political Realist or Nepotistic DULLARD? |
Ever since Idi Amin Dada of Uganda exited the stage, Africa has never produced such a political clown as General Muhammadu Buhari. Idi Amin was renowned as a political jester who lacks diplomatic courtesy and says whatever comes to his mind, without pulling the punches.
According to the BBC "the former Ugandan leader Idi Amin was generally caricatured abroad as a figure of fun, because of his boorish antics and violent mood swings.
Similarly,Buhari who has been bumbling from one blunder to the other is slowly gaining the reputation as modern day Idi Amin of Nigeria.
At a global stage where he was kindly given a golden opportunity to excel by an obviously sympathetic American who wanted him to succeed, Buhari openly declared his intention to punish those who did not vote for him.
"Constituencies that gave 97% of vote in all honesty cannot be treated in some issues the same way with constituencies that gave me 5%. I think that is a political reality." Buhari without mincing words told the world.
Put in another way Buhari declared war on Biafrans because they did not vote for him!
According to Buhari it would be political unfair for him to treat every Nigerian equally.
To Buhari that was political reality, however to every other reasonable person in the world that was political sacrilege.
No government can overtly express such desires to alienate and discriminate against a section of a country he is claiming to be ruling.
That was a classic exposition of the mind of a nepotistic dullard, grappling with governance. Buhari's nepotistic tendencies have been widely reported by The Biafran.
Buhari with that comment gave Biafra restoration an unprecedented boost more than his actions against the Radio Biafra. Only fools could continue to stay in such a country where the leader has at world stage declared his intention to punish them.
This is the height of political blunder ever committed on the world stage. Buhari apparently doesn't know that after elections, party affiliations diminishes and governance carries every one along.
Buhari is unequivocally telling Biafrans not expect anything tangible from his administration because they gave him less than 5% of votes at the elections. DEespite his denials his actions for the past months he has been in office has been reeking of anti-Igbo!
Inadvertently Buhari has divided Nigeria! Biafrans should go look for another country and president because there is no hope for them in Nigeria under General Buhari.
Buhari's alienation of Biafrans, is akin to Idi Amin's alienation of the Acholi and Lango, perceived as supporters of Milton Obote who he overthrew.
Amin retaliated against attempted invasion by Ugandan exiles in 1972, by purging the army of Acholi and Lango ethnic groups.In July 1971, Lango and Acholi soldiers were massacred in the Jinja and Mbarara Barracks, and by early 1972, some 5,000 Acholi and Lango soldiers, and at least twice as many civilians 'disappeared'. Members of other ethnic groups, religious leaders, journalists, artists, senior bureaucrats, judges, lawyers, students and intellectuals, criminal suspects, and foreign nationals opposed to Amin's dictatorial tendencies also disappeared.
Like Buhari Amin held the rank of major general in the post-colonial Ugandan Army and became its commander before seizing power in a military coup of January 1971. Amin's rule was characterized by human rights abuses, political repression, ethnic persecution, extrajudicial killings, nepotism, corruption, and gross economic mismanagement.
Similar to Buhari's recruitment of kinsmen into key government positions, Amin recruited his followers from his own tribe, the Kakwas, along with South Sudanese. By 1977, these 3 groups formed 60% of the 22 top generals and 75% of the cabinet. Similarly, Muslims formed 80% and 87.5% of these groups even though they were only 5% of the population. Over 90% of appointments made by Buhari has been given to Muslims from Buhari's Northern Nigeria.
Having seen the implications of Buhari's dangerous leaning towards dictatorship, the national leadership of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday took a swipe at Buhari's 97% vote statement.
The PDP after a critical content analysis of Buhari’s statement noted that such a stance may trigger a return of quest for ethnic and sectional self-determination.
"Our fear however is that the President’s stance has further divided the people along sectional and religious lines and may trigger a return of quest for ethnic and sectional self-determination."
According to the PDP that declaration was not only vindictive, divisive, but an attempt by the president to govern the country in a discriminatory manner.
The PDP spokesman said Buhari must be told in clear terms that his declaration to run a discriminatory government is in clear violation of his oath of office as President wherein he publicly swore 'that in all circumstances, I will do right to all manner of people, according to law, without fear or favour, affection or ill-will.
PDP accused Buhari of setting a record as no president in the history of the country had ever made such a biased and partisan statement. It added that it has become imperative for the president to come and explain if this would form the basis of government appointments, thereby jettisoning total adherence to merit and the principle of Federal character as enshrined in Nigeria's constitution.
Addressing Journalists yesterday, PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh who described the recent visit of Buhari to the United States of America as a guest of President Barrack Obama as embarrassing, stressed that the absence of an economic team for healthy and informed discussion at the meeting with officials of the US government was a serious blunder and gaffes.
The PDP also lampooned Buhari's government over comments by the Director of Protocol, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Hussien warning former first lady, Dame Patience Jonathan that if he sees her again at the Protocol Lounge of the Port Harcourt Airport, she would be dealt with, just as the party urged the presidency to call the officer to order, adding, "the recent organised public humiliation of the immediate past First lady and wife of the former President, Dame Patience Jonathan at the Port Harcourt airport where she was refused access to the protocol lounge based on 'order from Abuja' is a particular case in point.
"We stress this case because when the immediate past President was in power, all former Presidents and their slouches had unhindered access to the protocol lounge.”
Metuh also urged Buhari to explain to Nigerians what purposes his planned World Bank Loan of $2.1 billion is for if the government was actually transparent, as well as account to Nigerians the cost of governance since May against the backdrop that he has taken some very serious decisions without recourse to relevant statutory arms and organs of government.
During his years in power, Amin shifted his allegiance from being a pro-Western ruler enjoying considerable British, American and Israeli support to being backed by Libya's Muammar Gaddafi, Zaire's Mobutu Sese Seko, the Soviet Union, and East Germany.
Predictably Buhari's current pro-western facade will soon shift towards Islamic countries by the time he starts to fully implement his islamisation agenda. This is especially with his open denouncement of the United States government of aiding and abetting Boko Haram terrorists.
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- Buhari's visit to Washington: a diplomatic somersault
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- Appoint Northern Muslims.Amnesty for Boko Haram. Kano Refinery. Katsina Petroleum University. Arrest Asari Dokubo and Ankio Briggs. Payoff Tinubu and Amaechi. - What Northern Leaders told Buhari a day after swearing in.
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