BUHARI’S SURVIVAL IN POWER, BETWEEN MORALITY AND MISCHIEF GOVERNANCE

Nigeria's President-Elect, Muhammadu Buhari

The second coming of General Muhammadu Buhari as Nigeria’s president holds a lot of significance for the Katsina-born general on one hand and the Nigerian nation on the other.

For Buhari, it is another golden opportunity to re-enact and possibly surpass the feat he achieved in office 30 years ago. He will also use this opportunity to deeply reflect on what actually caused his ouster despite his laudable vision for the country, with a view to avoid making similar mistakes.

For the nation, it is a time to decide whether to endure Buhari’s ‘bitters’ for its pile-ridden system to be effectively cleansed or take another sweetener to further strengthen the pile to continue to wreak havoc in the system.

Many observers have indeed come up with reasons why Buhari’s first stint at the helm of affairs of Nigeria did not last beyond two years. The reasons range from his style of leadership, to his political naivety. They also stemmed from his principled and uncompromising stance on issues.

But beyond the adduced reasons above, there is another school of thought that offers a possible factor that brought down Buhari, then. The factor is psychological and has proven to be highly effective in striking or pulling down good leaders. Consider this lines:

“The political has nothing in common with the moral. The ruler who is governed by the moral is not a skilled politician, and is therefore unstable on his throne. He who wishes to rule must have recourse both to cunning and to make-believe. Great national qualities, like frankness and honesty, are vices in politics, for they bring down rulers from their thrones more effectively and more certainly than the most powerful enemy.”

The above is a quotation from item eleven of Protocol One, of the Twenty Four Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion; often referred to as the Jewish Conspiracy in many quarters.

The Protocol provides the substance of addresses delivered to the innermost circle of the Rulers of Zion. It entails minutes of the proceedings of the meetings of the Learned Elders of Zion on how they planned to rule the world through cunning and crooked means. It also reveals the clandestine plan of action of the Jewish nation developed through the ages to dominate the world. Despite its conformity with the way they have conducted themselves over the ages, the Jews has denied the authorship of the document.

One thing that has continued to amaze observers and indeed keen watchers of events as they unfold in the world since the ‘leakage’ of the document is the fact that its content fits perfectly into what, when, where, why and how those events happen. Mr. Henry Ford, an American industrialist and founder of Ford Motoring Company, in an interview published in the New York WORLD of February 17th, 1921, puts it succinctly thus:

Late Henry Ford

"The only statement I care to make about the PROTOCOLS is that they fit in with what is going on. They are sixteen years old, and they have fitted the world situation up to this time. THEY FIT IT NOW."  Mr Ford was widely known for his pacificism during the first years of the World War I and also for being the publisher of the book ‘The International Jew.’

Back to the above quote. Truly or coincidentally, it seems morality and politics have no relationship, at least going by historical experiences in recent past. Great ‘moro-national’ qualities like frankness and honesty have indeed become vices in politics, and they have inadvertently brought ‘down rulers from their thrones more effectively and more certainly than the most powerful enemy.’

The current crisis in Egypt is a perfect example of how these great qualities practically brought down a democratically-elected president and installed the most cruel and despicable human being to power.

President Morsi of Egypt

President Mohammad Morsi is loved and trusted by most Egyptians. They believe having him as their leader would put the country back on the track of growth, development and indeed greatness. But barely a year in power, the hapless president got the butt from the ‘powers-that- be’ from within and outside Egypt for no offence other than committing the twin ‘vices’ of frankness and honesty in dealing with his people and the rest of the world. He’s just been handed a 20 year prison term on phony charges of inciting violence that led to the death of some protesters who are mainly his supporters in 2013!

Former Egypt dictator, Hosni Mubarak

Interestingly, his immediate predecessor, Hosni Mubarak, who resorted to ‘both cunning and make-believe,’ tactics, ruled the country for three decades. The dictator, who was charged with corruption and death of protesters during the revolution that ousted him from power has been freed of all the charges, and now walking as a free man.

While his reign lasted, Mubarak oppressed, suppressed and terrorised the people of Egypt. He institutionalised corruption in all facets of the Cradle of Civilisation and ensured the empowerment of a few cabal in all sectors. The world powers, led by the United States gave him all the needed support. He got billions of dollars in aid and weapons to remain in power for that long, until the mass revolution of January 25, 2011 swept him away.

Morsi on the other hand was not only starved of support from the world powers and strangely, the gulf monarchs, his ouster was strategically engineered, massively funded and dastardly executed by them. When Morsi assumed the leadership of Egypt, US President, Barrack Obama, without mincing words, told him that ‘Egypt is neither an enemy nor a friend of the US.’ This statement heralded the series of events that culminated in the final toppling of his government in June 2013.

History is replete with instances of upright leaders who were swept off power due to their ‘frankness and honesty.’ At the same time, history has also recorded presidents, prime ministers and other state leaders who held on to power for quite a very long time, subjugating and enslaving their people through ‘cunning and make-beliefs.’ They can still be seen around today.

The story of Nigeria’s newly-elected president, General Muhammadu Buhari, during his first coming as a military head of state, buttressed the proposition or simply put, the thinking of the Jews that morality brings down good government easily more than the enemy.

General Buhari ran a disciplined, transparent and honest government that is unparalleled in the history of Nigeria. He was highly-principled, incorruptible, patriotic and disciplined. Within one year of his leadership, the mess that the country had become under the Shehu Shagari administration was radically corrected. It was difficult for drug barons to make Nigeria a transit point for their trade. Nigerians were made to imbibe the culture of discipline, orderliness and courteousness in their public dealings. The culture of environmental sanitation that the nation still practices till now became entrenched during that administration and corruption was reduced to a barest minimum.

However, the ‘Jewish thinking’ came to pass and in 1985 when Buhari was kicked out of office by the gap-toothed General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida. Because of his smiles, Babangida was believed to be humane, and capable of taking Nigeria to the Promised Land. 

General Ibrahim Babangida

Buhari on the other hand was perceived as rigid, strict and too ‘inhuman’ for many.

Nigerians impatiently sacrificed Buhari’s ‘principledness’ on the altar of selfish aggrandisement and corruptive culture of Babangida. His glorious regime lasted only two years while that of the all-smiling maradonic IBB dragged on for eight painful years.

Late General Murtala Muhammed

Before Buhari’s ascension to power in 1983, another brilliant leader, General Murtala Ramat Muhammed had suffered the similar fate and paid with his life barely six months in office! He had a brilliant vision for Nigeria but that vision was never allowed to blossom by the world powers who connived with vicious elements within the country to truncate it.

Now that the Katsina-born General has been given another uncommon mandate to lead the country, the question is: should he bow to the notion of mischief governance just to retain power or maintain his uprightness and honesty in his quest to execute his noble plans for Nigeria?

From the moralist perspective, Buhari has no option than to maintain his principled stance, which in the first place endeared him to most Nigerians that voted for him. But from the realist view, the president-elect must find a balance between morality and smartness (cunningness) if he must succeed. He must, as a true army general that he is, go back to the cheese board and play the game with all tactics, deftness and needed strategy. To this school of thought, too much ‘moralness,’ without necessary caution may make him suffer the same fate as he did in 1985.

It may not be entirely correct to attribute the fall of the aforementioned leaders to their uprightness after all. After all, the Lee Kwan Yews of this world survived without employing the Machiavellian theories or resorting to maradonic tendencies. It’s just because those who design and control the world affairs from the shadows have devised it in such a way that only the corrupt and the cunning, which will be of great advantage to their grand ‘evil plan’ for the world, endure in leadership positions.

As a principled man with the fear of God, righteousness, uprightness and truthfulness must not be made to be submissive to wickedness, lies and crookedness. Hence, General Buhari should hold on to his principles and still hope to survive. After all, the outgoing government lost power as a result of loads of lies and excessive penchant for corruption. Our president subscribed to the counsel of the Jews and resorted to mischief, cunningness and make-beliefs in the affairs of governance. Many even linked his belief in these notions to his frequent visits to the Jewish nation while in power. But the more he resorted to these ‘skills’ the more he gets into trouble and earned the ire of Nigerians; leading to the technical liquidation of his government on March 28, 2015.

So, General Buhari should not sacrifice his principles. The name ‘Buhari’ alone in today’s Nigeria scares corruption and send fears down the spines of corrupt individuals. He must therefore build on this goodwill to deliver the dividends of democracy to Nigerians and take the nation to the greater height. Great national qualities of frankness and honesty are only vices to the evil-minded and the reactionaries. They are veritable tools in the hands of progressives.

Truth shall forever prevail over falsehood.

Ambode And Challenge of The Agberos

AKINWUNMI AMBODE, GOV-ELECT, LAGOS STATE

The governor-elect of Lagos State, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, surely has a whole lot of challenges to face and many ‘battle’to fight as he prepares to wear the ‘big shoes’ of the outgoing Gov. Babatunde Fashola, who is stepping out of office in a couple of weeks.

Having rode on the back of Fashola’s remarkable achievements and popularity, and with the strong support of former Governor Bola Tinubu, Ambode owes Lagosians the great duty not only to surpass Fashola’s feat, but to also right the perceived wrongs of his administration.

There is no need to chronicle these achievements as that has been done severally by many commentators. But one area that Fashola, and indeed his predecessor Tinubu, failed to address is the problem of miscreants popularly known as ‘agberos’ at virtually all motor parks and bus stops across the state.

 

TINUBU AND FASHOLA

While Tinubu condoned them, Fashola simply chickened out of containing them. The problem remains a big dent on the corporate image of the ‘New Lagos’ and is considered a major drawback on the entire campaign of ‘The Spirit of Lagos’ where citizens are being urged to acquire civilised attitude and adopt new ways of behaviours.

Many see this indulgence as a major undoing of the AC/ACN/APC government and Ambode will have to take a critical look at the problem and address it as a matter of urgency as soon as he takes the mantle of leadership on May 29.

It will not be a hyperbole to state that most residents in Lagos daily live with the frustration and the nonchalant disposition of the government to addressing the threat pose by these social miscreants to the well being of Lagosians and the state at large. From park to park and from one bus stop to another, the agberos collect all kinds of fees from hapless commercial bus drivers, okada riders and tricycle operators.

The ‘fees’ range from ‘booking fee,’ ‘loading fee,’ ‘dropping fee,’ ‘security fee,’ to‘sanitation fees’, and ‘chairman’s meal’. It also includes the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) levy’ and‘police toll’, the list is endless. The annoying aspect is that the drivers pay some of the illegal fees on the morning, noon, afternoon and night shifts.

Any reluctant driver or conductor who fails to part with the fees usually gets the beating of his life from the drug-driven bad boys. Bodily injuries are inflicted on the ‘stubborn’ drivers even after they are made to still pay the illegal fees! In some cases, they vandalise the vehicles of reluctant drivers by removing the wipers, fuel tank cover, engine covers and other vital parts they can lay their hands on.

The agberos operate like a second government or simply put, a parallel administration in Lagos state. They act with impunity and most times get away with their atrocities. Since they also provide the machinery with which the Police and the LASTMA officials collect their tolls, they are practically above the law.

Hence, the aggrieved drivers know too well that it is a sheer waste of time to report agberos to the police. Even when arrested, it is only a matter of hours before they are ‘bailed out’ by the almighty ‘chairman’, who settles the police regularly.

Consequently, they are aggressive, combatant in nature and ever ready to unleash mayhem at the slightest provocation. In most cases, they dictate the transport fare against the wish of the commercial driver, which is usually on the high side; thereby forcing potential passengers to seek alternatives and delaying the trip in return.

Once the hapless driver obeys their command, which logically translates to high charges or commission for the agberos, the cost is then transferred to the commuters!

 

STRANDED LAGOS COMMUTERS ON LAGOS ABEOKUTA EXPRESSWAY

Findings show that these miscreants have their leaders who fix them at various bus stops and expect returns later in the day. They are given high targets to meet and any failure in this respect (to deliver the pre-determined amount) means troubles that could even lead to loss of jobs. So the ‘field worker’ naturally employs every means possible to extract the fees from the drivers to keep his job.

There is virtually no bus stop or motor park in Lagos that these guys are not stationed. From Iyana-Ipaja to Oshodi, from Obalende to Ajah-lekki, CMS to Mile-2, from Ikotun to Isolo, Mushin to Idumota, Ikorodu to Oyingbo and Orile to Badagry, the fear of agbero is the beginning of wisdom for commercial vehicle operators and commuters alike.

The side effect of the activities of the ubiquitous agberos on the Lagos economy cannot be quantified. Revenues that are to accrue to the government end up in private pockets. The high cost of transportation in the state is largely due to their activities.

 

By extension, traders add the cost on their wares, just as companies, whose trucks are heavily ‘taxed’ by the miscreants, equally pass on the burden to citizens.

But how did these miscreants get so powerful and seem invincible in the face of the law and a government that had spent so much on the security? Is it that the government does not consider them a security threat, or could it be that authorities deliberately allow them free reign for selfish political motive as it is being insinuated in some quarters?

Observers are of the opinion that as long as law enforcement agencies, especially the police, collaborate with the agberos, their activities will continue unchecked. The allegation that some policemen employ the services of the miscreants at bus stops to extort money from drivers is a case in point.

Officials of the LASTMA are also complicit in this regard. For the avoidance of doubt, one can take an observatory mission to Oshodi at the Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) Park to confirm the ‘cordial and mutual’ relationship between LASTMA officials and the miscreants.

The free reign of the agberos to some extent can be traced to the power brokers in the state,especially the ruling party. It is has been alleged rightly or wrongly that the agberos and their leaders constitute a major support base for the government.

That is why many conclude that the problem of agbero may never get addressed.Little wonder that the politicians never cited the curbing of their activities as a campaign promise.

Hence, Ambode must summon the necessary political will to address the problem once and for all. Although this may be difficult and seem impossible, the interest of Lagosians, who gave Ambode the mandate, must propel him to do the needful.

If that is the only thing he will achieve in his first 100 days in office, Lagosians will not forget him. Honestly, if the governor-elect had witnessed any scene where the agberos descended on innocent commercial vehicle operators, or where commuters get stranded as a result of high fares dictated by miscreants; or at least endeavour to quantify the revenue loss to the government due to their activities, he definitely will not hesitate to take action.

Unlike the military government that choked them (Kudos to Colonel Buba Marwa’s Operation Sweep), Tinubu, unfortunately gave them a lease of life and Fashola allowed them free reign. Ambode must therefore put them where they belong. He made a lot of promises during the campaigns and one of them is youth empowerment.

Our incoming governor can design a plan of action to take these miscreants off the roads, get them trained in skilled works and provide them with start-ups to begin a new life. Gov. Fashola actually embarked on a similar venture at the beginning of his administration in 2007 but soon slowed down and backed off.

Ambode must, however be circumspect in going about it as there would be serious resistance and fightback. He must also be wary of saboteurs within the government.

 For instance, I once boarded a bus with a LASTMA officer in 2011 and I overheard him on phone, pre-informing the agberos of an on-going operation by the state task force that will get them arrested! With such an official in the system, Ambode must surely be careful and tactical.

Lagosians are looking forward to a Lagos that is ‘safe and secure for all’. In line with the slogan of Change Revolution across the country, Lagos cannot afford to have the change terminated by the continuous presence of the agberos on our roads. Ambode, when you sought the votes of Lagosians, you promised to treasure it. You also promised to make life more meaningful and comfortable for them.

In one of your campaign billboards you were pictured folding your sleeves saying ‘Ready to Serve.’ Lagosians trusted you and gave you their votes; you are now expected to hit the ground running.

Ambode, as your name implies, you have arrived, now it’s the time to act. Please do the needful!

Lagos is working, Lagosians are waiting.