Godknows Igali
Presidential footprint outside uniform
The ride to become the 15th President of Nigeria was the zenith of Buhari’s untiring efforts to rule and transform Nigeria under a democratic order. At his inauguration on 29 May 2015 as president, he expressed his planned programmes to include his fight against corruption and terror in the country and the economic development of the country.
As will be expected, on each of these counts, the scorecard by public commentators has been mixed. For example, the fight against corruption started out on an edgy note as it was focused more on persons connected with the opposition PDP government. There was also a reign of ‘media trial’ even before pursuing investigations. That notwithstanding, some results were achieved as a fair amount of convictions and recovery of public assets had been achieved. The overall public assessment remained doubtful as a reasonable amount of lack of probity was perceived to exist in the public sector. On the issue of security, the military recorded good results under Buhari to retake the parts of the country’s northeast where Boko Haram insurgence had declared as their territories.
Sadly, however, this spate of insecurity snowballed into uncontrollable and high dreaded dimensions, including waves of kidnapping and killings in many parts of the country.
On Economic Development, the nation’s economy initially picked up, resulting in GDP growth of 3% as compared to 2.25% during much of the period in which the government was in power. The President’s erstwhile image maker, Femi Adesina, as would be expected, had often given the highest scores to his principal on virtually every front. Among other things, he had averred that under this administration “Nigeria has seen the most ambitious legislative programme in its history”. In these, he included the passage of the Electoral Act 2022, the Money Laundering Act 2022, Terrorism Prevention Act 2022, the Not Too Young to Run Bill 2018 and the “Bill to Grant Financial Autonomy to State Houses of Assembly 2018 as well as the Law Prohibiting Discrimination Against People Living with Disabilities of 2018. According to him, in addition to these are 15 other major pieces of legislation which is in addition to a number of Executive Orders on major national issues, all of which are quasi legislative in character and meant to fill the gap in areas where outright legislative actions could be delayed.
Perhaps the area Adesina and previous government officials had spoken loudest are President Buhari’s achievements pertaining to his effort in infrastructural development which had been facilitated by the establishment of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (Infracom) 2008 as a vehicle to accelerate investment in infrastructural development. Added to this is the establishment of the Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund, for which the sum of $1 billion was earmarked.
The outcome of these interventions and robust investment in railway, especially the Lagos-Ibadan corridor and the Abuja-Kaduna, as well as the extensive Itakpe-Warri line Further to this was the Kaduna-Kano, Port Harcourt-Maiduguri, and a rather controversial line, Kano-Maradi (Niger Republic) line. With respect to terrestrial transport, government officials of the Buhari era had equally doled out information on such measures as construction of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, 2nd Niger Bridge, Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Expressway, the Bodo-Bonny Road, Apapa-Oshodi-Oworonshoki-Ojota Road, among others.
President Buhari’s media team did not leave out the air transportation sector in which they listed such projects as completion of terminals and runways in the country’s international airports in Abuja, Lagos, Kano and Port Harcourt, as well as approvals for the upgrading of these airports as special economic zones. In the marine sector is the commissioning of the Dry Port in Kaduna and commencement of similar projects in Kano and Katsina. The list goes on and on, covering such areas as the power sector where the landmark projects such as Zungeru Hydro Plant, Kashimbilla Hydro Plant and the Kaduna Power Plant, all started by previous governments that were advanced to completion.
In the petroleum sector, the major highlight has been the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill in August 2021, bringing an end to over 21 years of legislative imbroglio and the progress made in ongoing construction of the Ajaokuta-Kaduna gas pipeline and remarkable achievement made in the local content development. Other achievements have also been listed in agriculture and water resources, among several other sectors.
In the world of diplomacy, they argue that the country’s strident position and interventions helped to douse post-coup situations in such places as Mali, Guinea, and Burkina Faso. These remain a big credit to the Buhari government.
However, the 2015 election did have its own share of controversies and moral recriminations. Nigerian public commentator and political philosopher, Prof. Femi Aribisala renounced the election as two of Africa’s largest ethnic groups conniving to oust a serving president from a minority group. Despite the victory, the post-election violence, strangely from the north where Buhari had obtained most of the votes raised concerns. One other factor that others agreed and was acknowledged by Buhari himself was that his opponent Dr. Johnathan’s character and fealty to his much popularized dictum that “my political ambition is not enough for the exchange of blood from any Nigerian.” Despite his upper hand, Dr. Johnathan made the historic phone call to candidate Buhari, congratulating him even before the final results were officially announced by INEC. In shock, Buhari, at the time, only responded to Dr. Johnathan with the words “my respect sir.”
Buhari, me and the rest of “Us”
As then Permanent Secretary in one of the most critical sectors of national economy, i.e. power, and quite senior at number 6 amongst about 40 esteemed then colleagues, I had to relate with the President-Elect at the time on at least several occasions at Defense House, Maitama. Despite the hawkish and unjustifiably anti-Jonathan sentiments and posturing of some of his top political handlers, he was particularly civil and nice to me.
Thereafter, from March until November 2015, when I exited service, I related closely with him in the absence of ministers and saw in him a very humane and paternalistic figure. It was particularly touching that despite the inveigled surly attitude of few of the political class around him towards me, being a Jonathan man, Buhari’s attitude was far from that. On each occasion that he had the opportunity to travel out of the country, he always insisted on my being taken along. I, therefore, traveled with him to France, India, even to the United States of America, and joined his most important meetings at the State Department and the White House.
His likeness for me also stemmed from the fact that I had proved to him my mettle and integrity following an incident of honour that need not be elaborated here. He personally told me on one occasion – “you are a very honest man”.
Generally, then President Buhari was so pro-civil service that he averred his interest to allow Permanent Secretaries to hold sway unceasing in different Ministries, Departments and Agencies, but for constitutional provision, which tied his hands. Then came the day of Armageddon with a phone call from the then newly appointed Head of Civil Service of the Federation who was virtually in tears to inform that I and some other 20 colleagues have been penciled for retirement. On getting to the presidential villa at 3.00p.m on the fateful day in November 2015, the then Head of Service tersely rushed a few words about reforms which were carried out under the chairmanship of the Vice President in which some people “are affected ”. In turn, then Vice President who was equally seated, remarked that the exercise was based on the fact that “some of them can not have clear roles in the new arrangement”.
At the end of the drama, the seemingly surprised President, amidst interrupting echoes of “Alhamdulillah” from my late delectable younger colleague, Taye Haruna who was also prematurely retired, simply enquired, “all of them?” To this, those who had summoned the meeting answered “yes.” He then said “I thank you for your national service” but summoned courage to insist that the four women in the group be excluded, again reconfirming the fact that he was somehow not fully cognisant. Indeed, there and then, he ordered one of the female colleagues, now Vice Chancellor of a high brow university, to immediately return to her desk. That was how 17 of the most senior, experienced, well-trained, largely unblemished Permanent Secretaries in their prime were sent out of service.
But the greatest shock of my interaction with the man Buhari and his bent on fairness was the fact that on my birthday, 4th of April, 2020, he conveyed felicitations broadcasted in major television networks, using the most superlative words to describe my person and national service. Shocked and confused, I called Mallam Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant, to the President on what happened. He simply said that “Mr. President saw it on social media and asked me to salute you”. On that occasion, President Buhari also endorsed me as his candidate for Bayelsa Central Senatorial election under his party, APC, to which I did not even belong. Not believing, I sought an audience at the Villa who confirmed the same and was received by late Alhaji Abba Kyari, then Chief of Staff, and was later re-confirmed by Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, latter-day Chief of Staff.
Shortly afterward, President Buhari, without my solicitation, approved my chairmanship of the Presidential Visitation Committee to the Federal University, Lokoja, for the period of 2011 – 20142015 – 2020. To crown it all, a few weeks later, I was invited by Prof. Abdullahi Rasheed, then National Universities Commission Executive Secretary , informed that President Buhari had directed that I be assigned as Pro-Chancellor of one of the very important universities in the country. At the occasion, Prof. Rasheed also told me that Oga PMB had directed him to assemble the best that the country could put together. So, I was among such mighy stately persons as Alhaji Adamu Fika, Chief John Odigie Oyegun, Dr. Sunny Kuku, Alhaji Bashir Tafida, Prof. Nimi Briggs, Dr. Udo Udoma, SAN, Sen. Chris Adighige, Prof. Olu Obafemi, Prof. Jibril Munzali, Prof. Attahiru Jega, Prof. Ahmed Modibbo, Prof. Funmi Bicky, Gen. Martin Luther Agwai, Senator Andrew Uchendu, Alhaji Bukar Goni Aji, Sen. Lanre Tejuosho, and Dr. Tony Awuka-Dozie, as new Pro-Chancellors.
Other Pro-Chancellors of the time were Senator Ibrahim Ida, Prof Peter Okebukola, Prof Arc. Lawrence Ngubani, Amb. Usman Sarki, Dr. Chidinma Uwajumogu, Sen. Barigha Amange, Senator Jack Tilley-Gyado, Prof. Tunde Adeniran, Chief Oscar Udoji, Prof. Sulyman Kuranga, Iyom Omema, Dr. Ahmed Umar, Yakubu Ruba, SAN, and so many other prominent Nigerians of that ilk. Three days later, my name was announced as the 13th Pro-Chancellor of Federal University of Technology Akure, and few months later, I got picked by my very distinguished colleagues as the Alternate Chairman, Committee of Pro-Chancellors (CPC) of Nigerian Universities, a position which I held until 2023.
What else can I talk about, President Buhari and I, at my personal level? So, despite all the spurious instigations by overzealous public officers of the day against a close Jonathan friend, a few months later, I gained back my full honour, unscathed.
Controversies and undercurrents
Despite my personal pleasant reminiscences, President Buhari was sufficiently buffeted by criticisms. Critics of the administration under a democratic setting, even not forgetting his military excesses have continued to insist that despite the supposed achievements, the fact that Nigeria under his presidency got listed for the first time as one of the poorest countries in the world remains a big black spot. This casts a very negative shadow on whatever achievements Buhari had made. In particular, there were concerns over increased insecurity. Although Boko Haram was chased away from the territories which it claimed to have brought under its control in the north east, the fact that extreme violence and terror moved to every part of the country, resulting in high levels of kidnappings, brigandage and rise in the number of extremist groups.
On the economic level, the snowballing of the country’s debt profile from $12 billion when he came to power and then approaching $30billion according to the Debt Management Office when he left office are not easily forgotten.
Another major criticism of the Buhari government, from critics, remains the manner in which appointments into the public service, as made at the political level, especially. The laws of the country require the president to appoint one person as Minister from each state of the federation and to ensure that the government of the federation has far-spread; touching all parts. But then, the Buhari’s government had been strongly criticised for lopsidedness and nepotism in terms of persons appointed to fill strategic positions, favouring only one section of the country above others. However, others argue that the Buhari’s record on this now seems like a child’s play.
For seasoned public administrators, Buhari was censored for the whopping compulsory retirement of the country’s most intelligent Permanent Secretaries, even though he showed surprise and self exculpated by exempting some. In their place, his government brought people who didn’t go through the normal compulsory qualifying examination.
A final critique of President Buhari’s legacy is the fact that his government had been adjudged to have seen a higher level of corruption despite the fact that he maintained a high level of personal integrity and probity. On the contrary, still at various levels of legal hurdles, some of those who served closely under him stand accused of of sleaze and corruption, which is a major blight on his overall scorecard of fight against corruption. In fact, it was pointed out that during his time, a lot of the proceeds of corruption recovered were again looted.
Final point
The only Nigerian whose life’s odyssey resembles that of Buhari is his erstwhile boss, former President Obasanjo, who left office in 1979 and went into full-scale tilling of the land at his Otta Farms. However, nearly 30 years later, when he left office again as a civilian in 2007, his cropping activities seemed left to employees, while he now focuses on state building and world scene activism. On his leaving office on 29th May 2023, the question was, what will Buhari do going forward? Expectedly, he returned to his hometown of Daura, considered by historians as the oldest Hausa settlement, as a full-blown elderly man, an Octogenarian. Similar to the indefatigable Baba OBJ, he returned to look after his cattle and farm animals.
Beyond that, he returned home as one of the most outstanding citizens of his part of the country, thereby turning hitherto sleepy Daura into a beehive of political favour seekers. In another sense, he joined the ranks of the likes of Obasanjo, Babangida, Abdulsalami Abubakar and not the least, Jonathan, the small cliqué of privileged Nigerians and strategic influencers, perhaps to carry out global statesmanly activities. Unfortunately, ill health, which had buffeted him, protractedly, spared him little time to live.
One of the greatest men in human history and America’s 16th President once stated, “Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it. The tree is the real thing.” As a whole, despite his human shortcomings, history would be kind to you. I celebrate and thank God with you for this great gift of life, safety, and well-being. Congratulations and happy birthday. May many, many greater and memorable days be ahead of you in Jesus’ name. Amen shine more sunny on Muhammadu Buhari.
Rest in peace, Mr. President.