General Muhammadu Buhari’s Exit: Judge Not the Departed; Do We Help Our Leaders to Succeed?

By Prince Olalekan Olagunju – I happen to know late Pa General Muhammadu Buhari in the year 1984 when I was a student at Yaba College of Technology, Yaba. He came to the Institution Graduation Ceremony as the Guest of Honour in company of former Minister of Defence and Chief of the Defence Staff of the Nigerian Army, late General Domkat Yah Bali with other Military Personnels..

General Buhari Early Life: General Muhammadu Buhari, Nigeria’s seventh head of state, was born at Daura, Kaduna State, (now Katsina State) on December 17, 1942, to Malam Hardo Adamu and Hajia Zulhatu Musa. He was the thirteenth and the last child of his mother and also the last of his father’s twenty-three children. His father died when he was four years old and was brought up by his mother.

He was enrolled at the Central Primary School, Daura, where he spent three years. After this, he moved in with his eldest brother, Alhaji Dauda Daura, who was a teacher in charge at Mai’Adya for one year. In 1953, General Buhari proceeded to the Katsina Middle School which was later called Kankia Primary School. He passed out of the primary school in 1955. In 1956 he moved to the Katsina Provincial Secondary School (now Government College, Katsina), where his leadership qualities were noticeable. He was a school monitor in class ll, later a school prefect, a house captain and ultimately he was made the head boy of the school.

Military Career: General Buhari started his military career at the then Nigerian Military Training College, Kaduna in 1962. He went to the Young Officers Course No. 5 at the Migerian Military Training College, Kaduna from May 1963 to July 1963. After his Preliminary Cadet Training, General Buhari proceeded to the mons Officers Cadet School, Aldershot, in the United Kingdom from October 1962 to January 1963. In January 1963 he was commissioned in the rank of Second Lieutenant and posted to 2nd Infantry Battalion in Abeokuta as a Platoon Commander. From November 1963 to January 1964, he attended the Platoon Commander’s Course at the then Nigerian Military Training College, Kaduna; the Mechanical Transport Officer’s at the Army Mechanical Transport School in Bordon, United Kingdom from May 1965 to June 1965. General Buhari also attended the Defence Service Staff College, Wellington in India from January to November 1973 and Army War College U.S.A. from July 1979 to July 1980. He has held various Command and staff appointments since 1963.

From 1963 to 1964, he was Platoon Commander in the 2nd Infantry Battalion Nigerian Army in Congo, now Zaire, during the crisis in the country in the early 60’s.

From January 1964 to January 1965 General Buhari was the Mechanical Transport officer of the Lagos Garrison Transport Company. From January to July 1965 he served as Transport Company Commander in the 2nd Company. He was later posted to the 2nd Infantry Brigade Transport from August 1965 to Aprit 1967, where he served as Battalion Adjutant and later Battalion Commander. General Buhari was a Brigade Manor in the 2nd Sector the 1st Infantry Division from April to July 1967.

During the Civil War, he was the Brigade Major of the 3rd Infantry Brigade from July 1967 to October 1968. He was Brigade Major/Commander of the 4 Sector Akwa from November 1968 to January 1970 and was Commander, 31st Infantry Brigade from January 1970 to December 1971.

As a Staff Officer, Major-General Buhari served as Assistant Adjutant General in the 1st Infantry Division Headquarters from December 1971 to December 1972, and as Colonel General Staff (Col GS) in the 3rd Infantry Division Headquarters from January to September 1974.

In late September 1974, he was posted to the Headquarters of the Nigerian Army Corps of Supply and Transport as Acting Director of Supply and Transport where he served until June 1975.

On 1st August, 1975, he was appointed the Military Governor of the then North-Eastern State (later Borno State), and in March 1976, he was appointed the Federal Commissioner for Petroleum and Energy, a position he held till June 1978. It was during General Buhari’s tenure that the Nigerian National Oil Corporation and the Ministry of Petroleum Resources were re-organised to form the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and he became its first Chairman from July 1978 to June 1979. In addition, he was the Military Secretary (Army) at the Army Headquarters, and a member of the Supreme Military Council from July 1978 – June 1979.

Before the Army handed over to the elected Civilian Administration in 1979, General Buhari went to the United States Army War College. On his return to Nigeria, he was posted to the Headquarters of the 4th Infantry Division of the Nigerian Army from August 1980 to January 1981 as General Officer Commanding (GOC).

General Buhari was appointed GOC of the 2nd Mechanised Infantry Division of the Nigerian Army with Headquarters at Ibadan from January to October 1981. He was later the GOC of the 3rd Armoured Division (Jos) from November 1981 to December 31st 1983 when he became the Head of State and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces following the Military take-over.

Tribute: General Buhari has been decorated several times. He had the Defence Service Medal, the National Service Medal, the General Service Medal, the Republic Medal, the Loyal Service and Good Conduct Medal, the Forces Service Star and the Congo Medal. As a tribute to a distinguished military career, Nigeria invested him in 1979 with the second highest honour in the land, the national award of Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR).

As a Civilian President from 2015 to date, General Buhari had the highest honour of Grand Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic. (GCFR).

Private Life: General Buhari got married in 1971 after the Civil War to the former Miss, Safinatu Yusuf and they have four girls. A home loving father, his family has had to endure the sacrifice of office. The time he took over power, he did not see his family for some days. He felt some of the children were at an impressionable age when they needed their father, but they have all had to adjust. He later got married to Aisha Halilu Buhari. General Buhari had travelled externsively. He had been to Britain, Germany, France, Sweden, Denmark, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, The United States and Japan Etc.

A keen sportsman, he was a fast runner and centre forward for his primary school football team. At the secondary school, he was a long distance runner (800 metres), a debater for his House and he also represented his school in hockey. His hobbies were tennis and squash racquets.

Few Highlights on President Buhari Infrastucture Development

He completed Lagos to Ibadan Expressway that had spanned the administrations of former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Ebele Jonathan; Abuja to Kaduna Expressway; commissioned Second Niger Bridge; 156 Kilometre Lagos to Ibadan Standard Gauge Rail; 186 Abuja to Kaduna Standard Gauge Rail and 327 Itakpe-Warri Standard Gauge Rail.

According to report on Air  and Sea Ports, he completed New Terminals for International Airports in Lagos, Abuja, Kano and Port Harcourt; completed New Runways at Abuja and Enugu International Airports. He initiated Economic Zones in  Lagos, Kano, Abuja and Port Harcourt among othersachievements.

His emergence as a Civilian President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2015, orchestrated massive supports of most Nigerians who believe his philosophy of self-discipline, prudence, truthfulness, integrity and transparency in government. These attributes culminated to people’s sympathy and votes that made him a President after several failed attempts.

Naturally when he assumed office as a democratic President, and luckily the first opposition leader to win elections under the coalitions of All Progressive Congress Party (APC), hopefully, Nigerians thought his government would lead the nation to “El Dorado” and economic breakthroughs.

With due respect, economic trajectory in Nigeria  at low ebbs could not be attributed to his administration alone; but other factors, past and present, such as failed policies, political synchophants and opportunists, ethnicities/tribal sentiments, corruptions in high magnitude, inefficiency, ineptitude, double standards in fiscal policies etc., matter according to economy analysts. 

About six months or a year into his first term in the office,  I was a bit agitated because things were not falling in places as expected by most Nigerians. I could remember telling my wife that “President Buhari needs six or just few faithful or dependable men who are ready to help or throw their weights behind him to succeed.”  These people or Members of the Cabinet may not be in public purview, possibly behind the curtains dictating the shots for virile economic strides or exploits.

Just like the late Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore (2015) who was very fortunate to be surrounded by “Committed Ministers and Technocrats” which put the nation first above self interests. Sincerely, I declined to write on his administration based on the facts that he can still be given the benefit of the doubt; as we are waiting to see how things pan out.

For a better understanding of helping our leaders to succeed at various levels in the families, communities, organisations and as a nation etc., we can take a cue  from the late Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yee of Singapore and his trustworthy and reliable Ministers. ‘Singapore was transformed from Third World to First World.” 

Conversely, leaders too should be receptive to sincere or candid advices or suggestions for good success. Yoruba usually say, “Ki Olorun fun wa ni Olori rere”, meaning, God should give us good leaders; but we need to add “Ki Olorun jeki won ri eni rere ba se ise” meaning, May God help them to have people of good and noble intentions to work with.” 

No doubts, most leaders always have good intentions and aspirations for their people. Pa President Muhammadu Buhari had done the best he could for the nation. We say Adieu to “Mai Gaskiya.”

Olagunju write from Crawford University, Igbesa, Ogun State, Nigeria. Email: princesadeolas@gmail.com