13th October, 2018
By Joe Igbokwe
“Nothing was more difficult to bring about than a new order of things, because those who profit from the old order will do everything possible to prevent a new order from coming about and those who could profit from the new order do not do enough to make it happen”
Machiavelli, Niccole
Warren Buffet, the richest man on earth once said that “ In a chronically leaking boat energy devoted to changing vessels is more productive than energy devoted to patching leaks”
In December 31 1983, General Buhari came on board with the late General Tunde Idiagbon to refix a broken and stolen Nation. He said “This generation of Nigerians and indeed future generation have no other country than Nigeria. We shall remain here to salvage it together”
In less than two years from December 31 1983 to August 27 1985 , Buhari and Idiagbon tried to bring Nigeria back to sanity. Both worked to stop corruption by putting the corrupt Governors and leaders in detention. They introduced War Against Indiscipline (WAI) and successfully put tremendous structure in place to grow Nigeria. Everything was working fine and stealing of public money reduced drastically.
I was in NYSC Orientation Camp in Shagamu, Ogun State when in August 27 1985 corruption fought through IBB and his dangerous cronies forced General Buhari out and accused him of being “Too rigid and uncompromising in his attitude to issues of National significance” IBB also accused Tunde Idiagbon of having “Arrogated himself absolute knowledge of problems and solutions and acted in accordance with what was convenient to him using the machinery of government”
We went back to square one. Corruption won, good governance suffered from 1985 – 1998 (13years). Former President Obasanjo tried to fight corruption and corruption fought through so many angles. Throughout his 8years in office corruption fought back in the most ferocious manner and by the time he left office in 2007 corruption had returned successfully.
Retired General Buhari tried to win election in 2003, 2007 and 2011 and was unsuccessful because on these three occasions he was rigged out. Nigerian corrupt leaders could not stand him. In 2015 the finger of God worked and he was elected. Knowing PMB’s antecedents, many corrupt politicians feared they may all die if he gets into the saddle. The fears were genuine. Corruption took over Nigeria in the most unprecedented manner, and they know PMB will not take it lightly. He fought them with both hands, using all the energy at his disposal. The results paid off.
Since May29 2015 President Buhari has thundered against every corrupt institution, giving them a bloody nose. He has collected stolen money in various currencies, he has seized their houses and vehicles. He has used TSA to take their filthy hands off the National Till. He has jailed even corrupt former Governors. PMB has worked himself to bones to plug all the loop holes and release the recovered stolen funds for the nation’s development. He has recorded tremendous and humongous progress by fixing what needs to be fixed. PDP and its colony of looters stole Nigeria into recession and PMB pulled us out. He is rebuilding Nigeria big time, recovering lost glories of Nigeria. PMB has been named The Anti Corruption Champion of Africa by African leaders. Everywhere he touches comes alive. But the corrupt entities and docile Nigerians will not see that the man is dying for them. They cannot see the man is fighting for them and building for them. They are crying to be returned to the land of slavery.
This brought the story of the Israelites who were into slavery in Egypt for close to 450 years. When God decided to rescue them using Moses as the leader, it was not an easy task. At the slightest obstacle the people will yearn to return to the land of slavery. They blamed Moses for bringing them out of Egypt to die so that their wives and children will be taken by the Egyptians.
President Buhari is on a rescue mission. There is finger of God in his life and that of this administration and I do not think anybody can stop an idea whose time has come. You can see the gang-up against PMB in Abeokuta. What former President Obasanjo wrote in his book; My Watch about Atiku Abubakar no longer matters. What Obasanjo said about US Copious Report about Atiku’s corrupt escapades no longer matters. Obasanjo’s story that God will not forgive him if he supports Atiku no longer matters. The gang-up we saw in 2014/2015 is playing out today again. The fear is that the looters cannot survive another 4 years of PMB. TSA policy is the problem. Stolen money is no longer flowing and even their private universities are suffering. The so-called men of God cannot see easy money again. This is the burden on PMB’s shoulder but even this cup will pass away.
Igbokwe writes from Lagos