President Buhari (1942-2025): Tears not enough, By Issa Aremu

On Tuesday, 15th July, the former President, Muhammadu Buhari, was buried at the age of 82, according to Islamic rites. Inna Lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un” (“Indeed, we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return.”). The clarion ritual humbles the living; stones or wood are placed at the bottom of the grave, with the remains of the dead laid on top, the right side facing the Qibla. “Grass and hay”, we are mortal, goes an old proverb. “If he had said I’d do my medicals in Nigeria just for show off or something, he could have long been dead”, according to Femi Adesina, the late president’s former spokesperson! That unquotable quote of Femi, notwithstanding, death defies doctors in Nigeria or abroad! The Arabs put it succinctly: “Death is the black camel that kneels before every door.” Blessed are the Dead. They are impervious to our wailing. Death is deaf to our agonies and even our musings. As a progressive activist who joined other democratic forces to confront military dictatorships (Buhari/ Idiagbon inclusive) in the 1980s, the “essential Buhari” to me is what Professor Ibrahim Gambari (his foreign minister and later chief of staff) called a “converted Democrat.” There is a consensus that the bagful of condolences by a multitude of mourners further underscored the globally impactful life of the late President Buhari. Which then raises the question: Why the posthumous tears for our leaders when they almost agonised alone, and were almost vilified while in office, while alive?

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I agree with the “Mourner-in-Chief,” President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, that former President Muhammadu Buhari “stood firm through the most turbulent times, leading with quiet strength, profound integrity, and an unshakable belief in Nigeria’s potential.” It was time for a changed narrative of Africa from the unhelpful and smeared exaggerated failings of the continent’s leaders to conscious, intentionally balanced recognition and promotion of their landmark, enduring legacies when the leaders are alive. Nelson Mandela was the first democratically elected president of South Africa to be elected in a fully representative multi-racial democratic election. He was the country’s first African head of state, having spent 27 years in prison fighting against apartheid (almost a century-long brutal crime against humanity). The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) commendably declared 18th July every year as Nelson Mandela International Day (NMID) in 2010, while Madiba was alive. He died two years later, on 5th December 2013. It was Mandela who, while alive, suggested how he wanted his birthday celebrated. No global citizen has been so deservedly honoured! And he was an African! 15 years running, NMID has become a global platform inspiring people annually to celebrate Nelson Mandela’s legacy by giving back to their communities for 67 minutes – one minute for each year he spent fighting for justice, his preferred “birthday party timeline ”. Nigeria and indeed Africa should follow in the footsteps of the United Nations. Set aside days to celebrate the impact of accomplished notable African leaders (state and non-state alike!) in the task of nation-building, dating back to the resistance against trans-Atlantic slavery, colonialism, apartheid, racism and the current neo- liberal policy dictatorships of multilateral agencies of varying hues. The African nationalists would make a union affiliated to the African Union (assuming the heavenly branch of AU exists); Nnamdi Azikiwe, Herbert Macaulay, Obafemi Awolowo, Kwame Nkrumah, Jomo Kenyatta, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti of Nigeria and Margaret Ekpo, Winnie Mandela, Ruth First, Nelson Mandela, Robert Mugabe, Patrice Lumumba, Julius Nyerere, Sam Nujoma, Hastings Banda, George Padmore, Amílcar Cabral, Samora Moisés Mache, António Agostinho Neto, Léopold Sédar Senghor, ad infinitum.

The Eurocentric received wisdom that assumes no good leaders come from Africa must give way to the documented accomplishments of leaders like Buhari. I appreciate the statesmanship of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for leading the unprecedented posthumous celebration of the accomplishments of the late President Muhammadu Buhari, hitherto underappreciated and even almost ignored while alive. The point cannot be overstated; the late President Buhari symbolised selflessness, sacrifices and incorruptibility in public service like Nelson Mandela. Or better put, Nelson Mandela was inspired by a score of Nigeria’s leaders who, in solidarity, with enormous sacrifices and integrity, damned the apartheid regime and their Western backers, audaciously backed the liberation struggle that eventually made Mandela walk out of prison in 1990. The generation of the great Nigerian leaders included late Nnamdi Azikwe, Michael Imoudu, Wahab Goodluck, Dapo Fatogun, Alhaji Maitama Sule, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, Hassan Sunmonu, Pascal Bafyau, SOZ Ijorfor, Tafawa Balewa, Ahmadu Bello, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Mallam Aminu Kano, Balarabe Musa, Alao Aka Bashorun, Dr Bala Usman, Abubakar Rimi, Chief MKO Abiola, President Shehu Shagari, General Ibrahim Babangida and of course President Muhammadu Buhari, among others.

I agreed with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that “ through the most turbulent times, President Buhari led “ with quiet strength, profound integrity, and an unshakable belief in Nigeria’s potential”. He navigated the storms of economic recessions and disruptions caused by Covid: 19 pandemic, improved 2019 Minimum Wage Act from N18,000 to N30,000, ensured public job retention, non-retrenchment of public service jobs and safeguarded private sector jobs despite the challenges of COVID, approved National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission 20 per cent pay increase for Police Officers, committed to lift 100 million out of poverty in ten years, respected social dialogue, as tool for resolution of work-related disputes.

I praise President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for consolidating on the progressive traditions of the APC led Buhari- progressive labour policies in the last two years with renewed Hope Agenda that has also further raised minimum wage to unprecedented all time high level of N70,000, N758bn bond to settle long standing pension liabilities in history, further retained public jobs despite public revenue challenge and created hundreds of thousands of direct and indirect decent jobs in record two years. On Tuesday, July 23rd 2019, the leadership of the union, with yours comradely, as the General Secretary, paid a courtesy call on President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa. There, the President formally unveiled the new comprehensive Cotton, Textile and Garment (CTG) policy, a product of extensive consultations with all stakeholders in the textile and garment value chain. He was committed to Nigeria’s reindustrialisation. Reflecting on Buhari amounts to a celebration of progressive politics in this democratic dispensation. After late President Musa Yar Adua, Buhari ideologically defined Nigerian politics to the left of the centre in the current democratic dispensation, the trajectory President Bola Tinubu is traversing via Renewed Hope Agenda – a trillion-dollar economy, audacity of reforms inclusive of progressive taxation, unconditional cash transfers to the poor, inclusion of youths and people living with disabilities, affirmative inclusion of women in governance (no fewer than 32 women served as ministers, Head of Service of the Federation, special advisers and assistants, as well as heads of departments and agencies under Buhari administration)! The recent novel Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) by President Tinubu, which caters for tuition fees and monthly upkeep allowances for successful applicants in public higher educational institutions in Nigeria, repayable after their National Youth Service Corp (NYSC), is a progressive policy game changer that opens the doors of higher education to the children of the poor. Nelson Mandela once observed that “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” The high point of the tenure of the late 6th democratically elected President (Muhammadu Buhari) was the historic official proclamation of June 12th as Nigeria’s real democracy Day in 2019. That singular historic, courageous and just decision by President Buhari’s leadership conclusively and commendably put a welcome closure to the tragedy of the annulment of the 1993 popular election won by the late Chief Moshood Abiola. Tinubu has rightly further recognised Abiola as a duly democratically elected President of the Republic.

Contrary to the cliche and dogma that the problem of Nigeria is leadership, the problem is indeed the non-appreciation of the visible achievements of the leaders while alive. Tears are understandable for Buhari. But Tears are not enough! We dare to appreciate and celebrate leaders we freely choose while they are alive! And we dare to even elevate and deepen their progressive politics and policy legacy.

Issa Aremu, director general Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies (MINILS) and member of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPPS), Kuru, Jos.