The Buhari Tales By Dan Onwukwe

Anyone  who aspires to an important public office such as the presidency, historians are quick to advise, should project an image of competence and firm determination, definitely not an image of  belligerence.

Such a person  must have unassaible facts on issues he argues before the public.

Such an aspirant must also  define his goals, his visions and purpose of his presidency, should he get there, in a way that gives coherence to his administration.

This has become necessary because public service is the highest form of sacrifice that anybody can offer to his nation. It’s a huge responsibility that comes with enormous challenges. A great leader cannot escape the responsibilities that come with being a president. A responsibility abandoned today will return as more acute crises tomorrow. That’s the wisdom and attributes that those who aspire to lead should strive to attain.  Few key political strategy questions are

necessary for anyone who aspires to unseat the incumbent President: First, exactly what should such an aspirant say about the sitting president? Should that aspirant go on the offensive and attack the president personally and his accomplishments? Where and when should the line be drawn? No matter the desperation  to win an election, the enduring advice is for politicians to keep the contest and their campaigns on a high plane and stay presidential. And, should any aspirant decide to go on the offensive against the president’s accomplishments,such attack should be based  on facts,not half-truths or outright falsehood to gain popularity.

Last week,Gen.Muhammadu Buhari declared his bid for the presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at which occasion  he delivered a hard-hitting speech against the administration of President Goodluck  Jonathan.His rhetoric was great,but his allegations were substantially incorrect,a blend of half-truths and outright falsehood.  They were allegations Nigerians have heard over and over again since Buhari’s three unsuccessful presidential attempts.But the retired General keeps telling the same tales that have failed him every election period.                                  I listened to Buhari’s blistering accusations last Wednesday in Abuja almost to the breaking point.They are simply cheap shots at the President that stood truth on its head.They were simply distortion of facts.

A look in to some of the charges against  Jonathan government is necessary.According to Buhari,the level of corruption under Jonathan presidency was worse than any time in Nigeria’s history.Besides,he said,”the economy continues to deteriorate while government continues to announce fantastic growth figures.He said the manufacturing sector” is down,agriculture is down,commerce is down simply because you sell oil and steal part of the money.”.

He also  accused the government of cooking figures and announcing phantom economic growth “when all major indices namely,employment,manufacturing,farming,trading and power are demonstrably on the decline”.Buhari futher accused the ruling Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) of presiding over Nigeria’s decline,adding that “Nigeria has never been so divided and polarised”.  It must be said that Jonathan came to power under unique circumstances and was confronted with challenges of a more immediate sort than all his predecessors put together.It must also be said thatnone of Jonathan’s predecessors -Olusegun Obasanjo and late Umaru Yar’Adua – did show any genuine interest in tackling the problems that Buhari has heaped on the doorsteps of the present government.

.The facts attest that power generation has improved significant across the country. Currently,Nigeria generates over 4,500 MW of electricity,and not 3,000 MW according to Buhari.However,it must be said that much need to be done in this sector that holds the key to our economic development.With the unbundling of the power sector,the expectation is that things can only be better if the private owners play their part well.

If there’s one area the Jonathan government must be given accolade,but which the opposition deliberately fail to acknowledge,it’s in the area of agriculture,a sector that the Minister,Dr.Akinwunmi Adesina stands out as an ideas man.Only last year,Nigeria received a diploma award from the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation(FAO) for meeting the  Millennium Development Goal(MDG)1, by reducing the number of people living in absolute hunger by half.But,President Jonathan was humble and quick to admit that despite this effort,Nigeria is yet to reach the desired destination in its quest to eradicate hunger in the country through food sufficiency.

I think Buhari’s knowledge in the way government works is superficial at best,being a former Head of State and minister, notwithstanding.  On the economy,it is unkind to say,as Buhari alleged,that our economy “has deteriorated while government continues to announce fantastic growth rates”.

.The government rebasing of our Gross Domestic Product(GDP)that has put the GDP ahead of others in Africa is not “cooking figures”.                               Only two weeks ago,the World Bank’s New Africa’s Pulse, a twice yearly analysis of issues shaping Africa’s economic prospects,predicted that Nigeria’s economy will in 2015/16 expand at a moderately rapid pace with GDP expected to strengthen to 5.2 percent.It noted that sigificant investments in infrastructure,agricultural production and expanding services in telecoms and financial services sector will boost growth.

The International Monetary Fund(IMF)agrees with the World Bank report.    In a similar vein,a global rating agency, Fitch recently affirmed that Nigerian  economy is stable with an Issuer Default Rating(IDR) of‘BB’.This is as a result of a combination of improved external reserve accretion,stable exchange rate and the sustained retention of inflation figure at a single digit rate.

The truth is that,contrary to Buhari’s doomsday prophesy, Jonathan government has gradually moved the economy away from the depths of recession.If the present momentum is sustained,Nigeria could look forward to the future with renewed confidence.                                                                   If indeed tough times provide a masterful political moment, a time to weigh those with a claim to leadership credentials,on the scale, to know what they are worth,Buhari may have failed the test.

But we must watch Buhari closely.Two years ago, he had threatened that bloodbath if next year’s elections were rigged.       “God willing, in 2015, by the grace of God,the dog and baboon would all be soaked in blood”. Although the exact English interpretation of what Buhari said in Hausa language that  day showed he might have been misinterpreted somewhat,the man may not have changed that much two years after.

Again,if there’s a President who has allowed a level playing ground in electoral process,it’s Jonathan.Sadly,he has not been given that credit by the opposition.

But when we thought Buhari has finally restored his reputation from that of ultr-conservatism and belligerence,he may be returning to old habit that polarises rather than unite this country. A repeat of his accusation in Kaduna over the weekend, that Nigeria might be doomed if PDP is returned to power next year,is simply unbecoming and unstatesman-like.When a politician allows himself to be defined by his past,he risks being consigned to the footnote of his past,and therefore making  future progress hard to achieve.Nigeria has grown beyond the primordial considerations. Our politicians must know this.