At 81, former President Muhammadu Buhari is in all ramifications a fulfilled man for the simple reason that he successfully steered the affairs of his country twice as a military head of state and a civilian democratically elected President of Nigeria full of integrity and patriotism in the service of the country and humanity.
Globally acknowledged as the best President Nigeria has ever had so far, PMB as all Buharists and well meaning Nigerians call him even after leaving office, is no doubt an elder statesman of repute and a leader who has made indelible mark in the history of the country.
Even President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in his 81st birthday salutations titled
“President Tinubu celebrates Nigeria’s icon of integrity and patriotism, former President Muhammadu Buhari”, described PMB as an “icon of truth, justice, and patriotism” on his 81st birthday.
President Tinubu did not mince words in extolling the fearless leadership credentials and feats of the former president, recalling his meritorious service to the nation at various times as head of state and as president.
Indeed in reeling out Buhari’s unparalleled record of infrastructural provision, comprising several new international airports, multiple standard-gauge railway lines, new seaport development, dozens of new dams, power stations, oil and gas infrastructure, expressways and mega-bridges, establishing Nigeria’s first ever national social investment and protection programme, amongst many other feats. President Tinubu fondly recalls PMB’s ‘aggressive push to modernise Nigeria’s defence architecture while working towards import substitution with the empowerment of millions of Nigerian farmers in his progressive initiative to enhance food security in the country’.
Undisputably and like President Tinubu acknowledged, ‘former President Buhari is the finest paradigm of sacrifice, devotion, patriotism, and fidelity to the national cause’.
In the most soothing complimentary words of President Tinubu, he admitted that President Buhari is from the “rarest phylum of virtuous servant-leaders. He has devoted his life to the service of the nation, even earning himself detention for his patriotism and service to our Fatherland. The emergence of leaders like my good friend, Buhari, happens only by divine orchestration. He is a man of absolute and undiluted integrity. His yeah is yeah, and his nay is nay,”.
While appreciating former President Buhari for his friendship and vote of confidence shown through his stalwart support for the administration, President Tinubu assures the former President that ‘the hope of a prosperous, peaceful, and progressive Nigeria, which he has always worked for, will not be dashed’.
Even though PMB’s 81 years birthday celebrations will be low key except for goodwill messages and prayers, PMB’s former SSA, media and publicity, Garba Shehu did a marvellous job by putting together a summary of his Principal’s achievements as the country’s President for two terms of 8 years. Its titled, ‘Top 13 facts about Buhari at 81’.
In the words of PMB’s spokesperson, as he marks his 81st birthday on Sunday December 17, 2023, roughly six months after the completion of his two terms as President of Nigeria, ‘Muhammadu Buhari’s story continues to resonate with a nation that values honesty, accountability and compassion’.
In bringing to the fore some of the virtues of PMB as a leader, Garba Shehu said: “in the exercise of the powers of his office, President Buhari’s approach to governance often mirrored that of a board Chairman, emphasizing accountability, efficiency and performance. This was a good model. He hired the best hands he could lay his hands on, gave them the needed resources and latitude of authority to give the best they could to the nation, although he never missed a chance to speak directly to the concerned ministers, permanent secretaries, heads of agencies and business leaders to remove bottlenecks”.
It’s on record that in line with his three-pronged campaign promises, he never took the security of the country, improving the economy and ridding the country of corruption for granted.
It is on record that the Buhari administration gave the nation a ‘more gender sensitive Armed Forces and ensured the acquisition of military equipment and platforms on a scale never seen since the Civil War’.
Credit must be given to his activation and relentless support for the Multinational Joint Task Force-bringing forces from Nigeria, Benin, Niger, Chad and Cameroon- in the Lake Chad Area, Buhari dealt a strong blow to cross-border terrorism.
PMB’s Social Investment Programme, SIP introduced in 2016 which even President Tinubu admitted had impacted the lives of Nigerians, as the continent’s most ambitious social protection programme with the use of technology to reach the poor directly.
Convincingly, Garba Shehu’s words on President Buhari’s assent to the Petroleum Industry Act, PIA in August
2021 that broke a two decades-old jinx, setting the stage for the unprecedented transformation of Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, is a further confirmation that PMB did his best to put the country on a sound footing economically and financially.
I am of the total support that like Garba Shehu said while wishing PMB Happy Birthday and Many Happy Returns, the former President having given his best to the nation, deserves the quiet life he is currently enjoying in Daura, his home town.
In its birthday greetings, The Buhari Media Organisation, BMO while describing PMB as a futuristic leader noted that the former President’s desire to lay a solid foundation for the country’s development, was already yielding expected results.
The BMO said that the results included the completion of several abandoned projects across the country, some of them abandoned as far back as 30 years ago.
Ilallah writes from Abuja
