National Conference
The APC does not support the National Conference [NC] though the recommendations made by the NC will help to move the country forward if implemented. Some of the recommendations of the NC are the creation of states mostly for minorities, partial resource control, state police, state constitution, freedom of every state to explore and exploit its natural resources and develop at its own pace. No Hausa Fulani [HF} politician will support the restructuring of the country as envisaged by the NC because they are the ones who benefit from the type of federalism we have in Nigeria today. Consequently, every non-HF Nigerian who wants changes that will move Nigeria in the right direction and free him/her and future generations from HF hegemony and exploitation must cast his/her vote for the party and individuals that will support full implementation of the NC report.
In his New Year Message, the self-styled national leader of the APC, Senator Tinubu said that ‘the ever widening inequality between the wealthy minority and the impoverished majority is fueled largely by a scale of corruption and outright theft of public funds that have reached unprecedented heights in today’s Nigeria’. In his capacity as the presidential candidate of the APC, GMB is the cardinal ‘Change Agent’ of the APC. His personality will determine whether or not the party fulfills its electoral promises if elected into power, hence the need to x-ray his antecedents.
Commitment to Fight Corruption
Missing $2.8 Billion US Dollars. When he was the Federal Commissioner for Petroleum and Natural Resources in 1977, the sum of $2.8 Billion US Dollars was reported missing from the NNPC’s accounts in Midland Bank in London. In an interview he granted to Mrs Vera Ifudu, a staff of the NTA, Senator O. Saraki claimed in 1984 that a Senate Sub Committee chaired by him during Shagari’s administration traced the missing money to GMB’s accounts in the same Bank in London. Instead of using this opportunity to demonstrate his commitment to fight corruption by constituting a Commission of Inquiry to investigate the allegation and make its findings public, he orchestrated her dismissal from the NTA. He then promulgated Decree No: 4 which he used to stop Nigerians from demanding answers from him as regards the missing $2.8 billion US Dollars. Meanwhile, he was busy jailing politicians, mostly from southern Nigeria on trumped-up charges of corruption.
N25,758,448.00 Stolen in PTF. According to the report of the Interim Management Committee chaired by Dr Haruna Adamu which probed the PTF, under GMB’s watch as the Executive Chairman of the PTF, the sum of twenty five billion, seven hundred and fifty eight million, four hundred and forty eight naira [N25,758,448.00] was stolen out of one hundred and eighty one billion, seven hundred and ninety five million naira [N181,795,000,000.00] only that accrued to PTF from 1996 – 1999. Though he did not steal the money, he was found to have created the conducive environment for his in-law, Alhaji Salihijo to steal it.
Amnesty for Treasury Looters. According to documentaries aired by the AIT, Senator Tinubu is amongst the most corrupt human beings on the planet earth. Instead of responding to these weighty allegations by telling the nation his own side of the story, Tinubu ran to court and secured a court injunction banning AIT from airing one of the documentaries until the determination of the suit he files against the AIT. It is a fact that GMB’s presidential campaigns are funded by Senator Tinubu and other alleged treasury looters in the APC. Since he will not be able to prosecute his corrupt party members, GMB has since granted unconditional amnesty to all treasury looters in Nigeria if he wins the presidential election. According to GMB’s policy on corruption, all cases of corruption that took place before 29 May 2015 will be swept under the carpet if the APC wins the presidential election.
Challenge from IBB. When GMB accused IBB of destroying the oil industry when he was in power, IBB threatened to expose his shady practices while in office as TPF Executive Chairman and Federal Commissioner of Petroleum and Natural Resources. He said ‘We are conversant with Buhari’s so called holier-than-thou attitude. He is a one time Minister of Petroleum we have good records of his tenure as a Minister. Secondly, he also presided over PTF which records we also have. ……… Those who live in glass houses do not throw stones. General Buhari should be properly guided’. If GMB is not corrupt, why has he not taken up this challenge from IBB or is he really living in a glass house?
Is GMB a Man of Integrity
Certificate Scandal. According to available documents, he was commissioned into the Nigerian Army without the required academic qualifications. He is now contesting in the presidential election without the required academic qualification. If he wins the presidential election, Nigeria will enter the Guinness Book of Records as the only country in 21st Century with a semi- illiterate as her president. Whether GMB is educated up to or above the required academic qualification is inconsequential until he produces his WASC or its equivalent. As long as he cannot present the academic qualification he used to secure commission into the military, his elevation in the military to the rank of Major General was fraudulent because he should not have been commissioned into the Nigerian Army in the first place. It is despicable and arrant nonsense for anyone with such a fraudulent academic record to be considered as a man of integrity.
Broken Promise. In 2011, he promised never to contest for the office of the president of Nigeria again and sealed it with his tears before the whole world, but he had since broken that promise. He said Mallam El Rufai persuaded him to change his mind. From every indication, more of such broken promises will become a norm if he is saddled with the affairs of this great nation.
Partnering with Treasury Looters. The only difference between the APC and the PDP is the names of the political parties because both parties are peopled by very corrupt politicians. These corrupt politicians in the APC are the ones who sponsor GMB’s presidential campaigns and if he wins, these same looters are the people he will use to implement his government policies. Imagine what will happen if a serial rapist is given the task of escorting a girl to the forest to gather firewood. Secondly, how effective do you think any police officer will be if most of his friends are men and women of questionable characters?
Ability to Defeat Insurgency
The on going military operations against the Boko Haram terrorists have dealt a serious blow on one of the pillars the APC had been using to win public support. If the present tempo is sustained, the menace of Boko Haram terrorists will be history in no distant future.
How Competent Had He Been
Dereliction of Duty as Head of State. He became the Head of State and C-in-C of Nigerian Armed Forces at a tender age of 41 but the real executive powers of that office were exercised by Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters, Brigadier General Idiagbon [rtd] and he could not exercise effective control over his subordinates. Brigadier General Idiagbon [rtd] went to Mecca on a Lesser Hajj with his under aged son in violation of GMB’s government policy but he was not sanctioned by the Head of State. His ADC, Major Jokolo [rtd] cleared 53 suit cases his father, Emir of Gwandu, brought into the country from Saudi Arabia in violation of existing government policy but the ADC was not sanctioned also.
Failure to Stop IBB’s Coup. Having been briefed by Security Agencies of IBB’s plan to topple him, he invited IBB to his office for interview on the allegation. Though IBB confirmed existence of the coup plan, GMB could not take appropriate measures expected of a military C-in-C, however faint-hearted, to counter the coup plan. All GMB could do was to tell IBB ‘well if anybody wants to sit on this seat, he can go ahead’ and today, the rest is history.
Dereliction of Duty as PTF Executive Chairman. When he was appointed the Executive Chairman of PTF at the age of 54, he relinquished his executive powers to his brother in-law, Alhaji Salihijo. Alhaji Salihijo was the Executive Director of Afri-Project Consortium which he contracted as the Management Consultants and Projects Consultants for the PTF. Under this arrangement, the Afri-Project Consortium assumed all powers to initiate, approve and execute all PTF projects. Consequently, his only duty as the Executive Chairman of PTF was to sign any cheque presented to him by his brother in-law, Alhaji Salihijo. As expected, the result of this dereliction of duty by GMB was massive looting of public funds by his brother in-law, Alhaji Salihijo.
Dereliction of Duty as National Leader of CPC. When he formed the CPC to contest the 2011 presidential election at the age of 69, he could not exercise effective control over the party. He was only interested in securing the presidential candidate slot for himself. Due to conflicting interests amongst the party members at the national headquarters and absence of policy direction from him, the CPC could not present a united front during the elections. This led to the abysmal performance of the party even in the core north in 2011.
Can He Tolerate Press Freedom
The Abuja Peace Accord. Under the current dispensation, things are so rosy that we take press freedom for granted. Today in Nigeria, anyone can abuse the president to high heavens and everyone is free to say or publish whatever he/she likes against the Federal Government. As at the time of producing this article, there is no political prisoner or exile in Nigeria. Can GMB tolerate even one percent of insults Nigerians shower on President Jonathan daily, especially in social media? While in London to present his manifestoes to the British people in Chatham House last month, GMB threatened to pull out of the Abuja Peace Accord because Nigerians asked him to present his academic qualifications as required by the Electoral Act 2010[As Amended].
Decree No: 4. He promulgated Decree No: 4 of 1984 specifically to protect himself from accusations bordering on the $2.8 billion US Dollars which was reported missing from the NNPC accounts at Midland Bank, London when he was the Federal Commissioner for Petroleum and Natural Resources at the age of 34. Under the Decree, whoever published or said anything which his military government did not like was guilty of the provisions of the Decree. As expected, he bluntly turned down a passionate request to apologize to those Nigerians whom he caged and terrorized with this obnoxious Decree.
His Past Economic Policy
Trade by Barter. The primary focus of his economic policy was anchored on trade by barter and drastic reduction in importation of what he called ‘non essential commodities’. The ‘essential commodities’ that were brought into the country during his regime were exchanged with the Nigerian crude oil. This pre-historic form of economic policy led to unprecedented shortage of commodities and collapse of businesses with attendant negative consequences. As if these were not enough, he dismissed over 200,000 civil servants from work nationwide. Due to persistent shortage of essential commodities, Nigerians had to form long cues everyday to buy simple things like toilet soap, toilet paper, salt, groundnut oil amongst others.
Lagos Metro Line Project. He cancelled the metro line project which would have comprehensively solved the prevailing traffic problems in Lagos state. He said he canceled the project because he did not want to borrow money to complete it. However, his government later paid a fine for breach of contract in US Dollars to the French Firm which Lagos State contracted to execute the project.
Arrested Development. He is the only retired General in Nigeria that does not have even a pure water business to his name. If he could secure N27.5 million naira without a collateral to buy the APC nomination Forms, it is possible for him to procure loans from the Banks to invest in Businesses if had wanted. Why is it that GMB did not engage in any form of economic activity to create wealth and alleviate poverty like the rest retired senior military officers? Apart from granting endless interviews to Kaduna Radio, BBC and VOA Hausa Services, he has done nothing to improve himself economically and academically for the past 31 years. In view of this appalling reality, his capacity to successfully manage the largest economy in Africa in this digital age is doubtful?
Islamisation of Nigeria
Boko Haram Terrorists. He had been very critical of Federal Government on many occasions because of Boko Haram terrorists. He said that he considered any attack on Boko Haram terrorists as an attack on the north and called on Federal government to stop killing northerners [Boko Haram terrorists] and destroying their homes. He added that Boko Haram terrorists were also fighting for their rights, hence they should be granted amnesty unconditionally. He strongly opposed the imposition of emergency rule in the three north eastern states ravaged by the terrorists. Very few Nigerians were therefore surprised when he was nominated by the Boko Haram terrorists to lead their delegation to talks with the Federal Government.
Promotion of Sharia Laws. At a seminar organized by the Supreme Council for Sharia in Nigeria in Kaduna in 2001 he promised to do every thing within his power to spread Sharia Laws in Nigeria. He is the only prominent HF politician in Nigeria who openly supported Governor Yerima’s hypocritical act of amputating a Muslim’s hand for stealing. He went further to warn non-Muslims to mind their business because, according to him, there is nothing wrong when Muslims cut off Muslims’ limbs in strict compliance with Sharia Laws. He is on record to have warned Muslims to vote only for Muslims who will promote Islamic religion.
Divisive Campaigns. The Governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Lamido accused him of engaging in divisive campaigns in northern and southern parts of the country. He said that when GMB addresses supporters in the north he usually plays the religious card but when he addresses electorate in the south, he preaches national unity. He demanded to know why some people are vilified and maligned because they refuse to vote for him [GMB] as their president and have opted for a Christian? He then wondered why GMB should chose a Christian as his running mate and shunned the Muslim community, then turns round to tell the people in the north that his contest is anchored on promoting and guiding their ideological faith?
May Allah/God grant us the grace to see with our eyes but not with our minds so that we will not sentence ourselves and generations yet unborn to servitude with our votes.
Written by Dr Deborah Nelson.
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