BATTLE OF RETIRED GENERALS: We Need New Breath In Leadership, Say Nigerians…Accuse Past Rulers Of Ruining Economy

In the last few months, the country has been witnessing what some people term as the battle of the generals over who controls the reins of power in 2019. The battle, which has pitched former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida and Gen T. Y. Danjuma, among others against President Muhammadu Buhari on what they perceive as alleged ‘cleansing’, has however polarised Nigerians on political, ethnic and religious divide.

But to many Nigerians, the open confrontation does not serve the interest of the country as many blamed the present economic crisis on military intervention in governance and the consequences of mismanaging the economy by the same leaders, either in or out of government.

To most Nigerians, solutions lie in their immediate withdrawal from the nation’s political life to give the nation a new breadth of leadership committed to the prosperity of the nation.

Consequently, they are challenging President Buhari to give meaning to the recently passed ‘Not Too Young To Rule’ law by ensuring that the youths are given opportunity to contribute to the growth of the country.

Buhari had recently passed the bill in what observers regard as an epoch making event that would usher in a new lease of life in the polity if the law is effectively implemented.

Obasanjo had in his January letter to the President titled ‘The Way Out: A Clarion Call For Coalition For Nigeria Movement,’ said President Buhari “is weak in the knowledge and understanding of the economy,” adding that this was responsible for the present economic woes.

He accused the Buhari-led Federal Government of allowing the herdsmen/crop farmers’ crisis “to turn sour and messy,” pointing out that “it is no credit to the Federal Government that the herdsmen rampage continues with careless abandon and without finding an effective solution to it.”

While advising President Buhari not to “over-push his luck or over-tax the patience and tolerance of Nigerians,” he urged him to honourably “dismount from the horse.”

Similarly, Gen Babangida expressed dissatisfaction with the performance of the President, while backing the call for restructuring of the country.

In the statement by his spokesman, Kassim Afegbua, he said, “In the fullness of our present realities, we need to cooperate with President Muhammadu Buhari to complete his term of office on May 29th, 2019 and collectively prepare the way for new generation of leaders to assume the mantle of leadership of the country.”

Also, Gen Danjuma on March 24, while receiving the award of honorary Doctor of Science from Taraba State University, Jalingo, alleged that Fulani herdsmen killings unleashed on Taraba citizens and parts of Nigeria with the tacit support and cover by the Nigerian military is nothing but grim attempt at ethnic cleansing of the indigenous Nigerian people by foreign bandits.

He warned that “the ethnic cleansing must stop now otherwise Somalia will be a child’s play.”

Danjuma’s open condemnation of the Buhari administration was supported by other northern generals, including Generals Joshua Dogonyaro and Zamani Lekwot.

This is even as the Southern and Middle Belt leaders, comprising also of retired military officers have continued to call for restructuring of the country as a panacea to the lingering killings and kidnappings in the country.

However, Buhari’s government had on several occasions made several attempts at dispelling alleged culpability in the killings as well as defending administration’s efforts and constraints in solving the challenges.

In fact, the government is currently being accused of witch-hunting its political enemies and those expressing contrary views to what it believes.

Lai Mohammed, Minister of Information and Culture, whom the President said disobeyed him in replying the ex-President, described Obasanjo’s recent allegation of threats to his life as a “concoction of a mind worried by guilt.”

According to him, “That is neither in the character of President Muhammadu Buhari nor in that of his administration. Only the guilty should be worried. The administration is also strongly committed to the tenets of democracy, including freedom of speech and the right to dissent. But we understand that those who, in their time, were untethered to those principles would find it hard to believe.”

Though, the Nigerian Army similarly refuted Danjuma’s allegation. He was alleged to have recently taking his campaign against the government abroad when he allegedly met with a group in company of Darius Ishaku, governor of Taraba State, over the killings in his home state.

As the battle of the generals continues to take over the political space, many notable Nigerians have concluded that it is time for them to yield the political leadership to new generation of Nigerians.

According to Adeola Elliot, former chairman, Lagos Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Agric and Agro allied group); Adewale Adeoye, executive director, Journalists for Democratic Rights (JODER); Hon. Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, Chairman, Osun State House of Assembly Committee on Information and Strategy; Femi Bamisile, former Speaker of Ekiti State House of Assembly; Comrade Kehinde Taiga, Delta State Chairman, Committee for Defense of Human Rights (CDHR); Ikeogu Oke, Abuja based public commentator, poet and journalist; the Generals have not been patriotic in their handling of the affairs of the country either as military or political leaders.

Elliott said, “It is good omen that an end is gradually coming to the ‘fortune’ of generals who ruined our economy. In the first place, they are not trained in statecraft. They forced themselves into ruling the nation and thereby ruining our nation. In the process they have coveted public assets to their own. They are all living in affluence.

“However, Buhari, a repentant general, has now decided to look into the records of their national service and question them on their illegal acquisitions of national assets. This is the crux of the matter. There is no hiding place for them. Buhari is bent on recovering illicit national assets from them. He believes they have impoverished the populace and they must account for this. This is the reason for the joint efforts of the arrowheads of the national assets thieves to begin a campaign of calumny against President Buhari. However, it is too late to cry when the head is cut off. Buhari is bent at restructuring Nigeria. June 12 is part of restructuring by Buhari and dispossessing of national assets thieves and returning it to common pool, is still part of restructuring. Restructuring of Nigeria by Buhari continues. Well-done Buhari.”

Adeoye said the opposition to President Buhari coming from the Generals is for different reasons, saying “ex-President Obasanjo is opposed to Buhari on the basis of ego. He has always been opposed to those he helped to rise up to power.”

He added, “He (Obasanjo) could not have been opposed to Buhari for the sake of the people because his government was everything but for the people when he was in power for eight gory years. Chief Obasanjo likes to play the role of the father of the nation, a position he never earned and never deserved.

“General Danjuma on the other hand watched his own people being killed. He is a participant observer. It would have been too bad as a leader if he didn’t care about the killings. He spoke the mind of many Nigerians. He also spoke from informed position. I think General Danjuma is thought by many people to be a person that is not frivolous. He spoke at the right time in Nigerian history. So, the reasons for both generals are different.

“The decision of General Danjuma and Darius Ishaku if true to campaign against international support should be placed in context. They are opposed to international support for arms procurement when there has not been justification for the liberal and democratic deployment of such weapons except to use them to kill the people. So I think Gen Danjuma is correct to speak for his people.”

Taiga, said the ex Generals who are after President Muhammadu Buhari have no place in Nigerian politics as their callous acts have gotten Nigeria to where it is today and should not be given any audience or relevance.

The Human Rights Activist, said  “They way the country is now, it is becoming a lawless country if not for that why should someone leave this country to a foreign country canvassing against the economy and development of this country based on present situation. It is an aberration to the country.”

He said the retired Generals might have hidden agenda as President Buhari is making it difficult for them to carry out their unprecedented plans.

Comrade Taiga asserted that the actions of the Generals should not be taken lightly as they do not wish Nigeria any good, stressing that they are out to frustrate the activities of Buhari in fighting corruption. “These men fear that the President’s Crusade in fighting corruption would soon hit them. Nigerians should take their actions seriously.”

Hon. Oyintiloye said that the actions of the retired Generals are not patriotic because they are once in the saddle of the affairs of the country of which they have done their best.

The lawmaker noted that the retired generals should not be taken serious and have had their opportunities to turn this country around but have failed to move the country forward.

He urged them to allow the current government contributes its quota to the development of the country and not distracted.

Hon. Bamisile, urged President Muhammadu Buhari to focus on governance rather than reacting to verbal attacks from ex-military leaders.

He also admonished former military leaders to fully join politics if they are so interested.

He noted that the military leaders had ample opportunities to turn things around during their reign but squandered the chances.

“I think the major task of the military is to keep the nation together and protect the nation’s territorial integrity. Many of these military leaders would not allow alternative views during their time. But Mr. President should not be distracted, he should focus on governance. These military leaders should come back to ring if they are truly interested in politics. Buhari should not be taken aback.”

However, Ikeogu Oke said the implication is that the retired generals are no longer in support of the Buhari administration which in a sense was their brainchild.

“Whether they should be taken seriously or not should depend on who is relating with them,” he said.

But on what should be Nigerians response to the activities of the general, particularly Obasanjo and Danjuma activities against the President Buhari’s government?

Oke said: “I think it is a choice between showing that they have their own mind or following anyone or a group of individuals on a seemingly endless journey of disenchantment.”

Independent