From Thisday;s John Shiklam in Kaduna, 07.30.2010
Former Head of State and presidential aspirant of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) in the forthcoming 2011 elections, Maj-Gen.Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), has challenged Nigerians to search and evaluate politicians that can address the problems bedevilling the Nigerian nation rather than engage in unnecessary and selfish detractions.
Buhari said it was unfortunate for Nigerians to be wasting their energy on discussing presidential zoning instead of scouting for credible Nigerians that would provide leadership and good governance for the country.
Speaking in Kaduna yesterday at a book launch titled “The Sixteen Sins of Gen. Mohammadu Buhari” written by a former Minister of Petroleum, Prof. Tam David-West, Buhari said the right way to prosperity is the emergence of a credible leadership that would be transparent and accountable to the people.
Buhari, who lamented that the Nigerian nation had suffered so much from the art and science of deceit, corruption, sectional, ethnic and religious sentiments, stressed that only the conduct of free and fair elections could bring about credible leadership which would lead to prosperity for Nigeria.
“In my view, the right way to prosperity is for this country to get credible leadership; leadership that will provide good governance, transparency and accountability in the handling of the public affairs; leadership that will rule with the fear of God and be fair and just to all.
“This country has suffered so much from the art and science of deceit, corruption, evils of sectional, ethnic and religious sentiments. Let us for once address issues on how to repair our decayed infrastructure, provide energy, good education, healthcare, security and generate employment.
“I therefore challenge the people especially the media, organized labour, the academia and the civil society to evaluate us, the politicians, on these rather than engage the nation on unnecessary and selfish detractions.
“The Nigeria of this era should be made of a community that tasks its leaders on their past performance and how they will improve upon that. I think it is out of date to bore the people of where one comes from, the language he speaks or his mode of worship.
“We should ask: Can we trust him? Can he put our country right? This is what Nigeria requires today, leaders of character, achievement and accomplishment.
“In the end, getting credible leadership and the conduct of free and fair election is not the responsibility of anybody but that of Nigerians.”
“If Nigerians choose to remain where they are or even want to go backwards, it is their choice; if they choose to make the country better, it is also their choice,” Buhari said.
In his remarks, the author of the book, Prof.David-West, who served as petroleum minister under Buhari’s regime in 1984 urged Nigerians to give Buhari another chance in his quest to rule the country again.
According to him, Buhari performed well when he was in power, pointing out that one of the feats of the Buhari administration was the increase in Nigeria‘s oil quota.
He said; “Buhari performed a feat that no country has ever achieved. No one country has been selected to be given increase in oil quota. Nigeria made over $20 billion.
“So, I have to stand up for Buhari. I have to shout from the Niger Delta creeks to the Sahara, that here is a good man that Nigeria is suppressing, please God, let him lead us.
“Buhari used Shagari’s furniture till the end, he did not change anything. They are afraid of him and when people are afraid of truth, then they are evil.
“Nigeria must move forward. If you ask Nigerians what the greatest evils in this country are, they say corruption and indiscipline. Who is one leader that is not corrupt and disciplined, they say Buhari, then, why are they afraid of him. Buhari must win by the grace of God.”
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