by Uwem Herman Inyang
Integrity as we all know is one very vital condiment of trust, confidence and potential. One of the greatest tales by moonlight the Buhari supporters will be swift to tell anyone is how their principal has abundance of integrity. If you give them the chance, they will ridiculously equate Muhammadu Buhari with Nelson Mandela. If you even give them more of a chance, they will equate him with Prophet Elijah. After all, they have long been equating him with Abraham Lincoln even though the late American finally succeeded as far back as 1861 to be President. Just compare the lives and times of 1861 and 2015 to see the difference.
That is as delusional as it gets such that you begin to wonder whether they actually believe, that you believe their propaganda. Had the “73 year old” man retired to Daura, he would not be suffering this deserving indignity of his false integrity. From his purported academics to his medical history, they have ALL been shrouded in secrecy.
You can read the previous editorial in this series, Why General Buhari Is Grossly Unqualified To Be President Of Nigeria (READ), Dear Nigerians, General Buhari’s Sketchy Economic Policies Will Tank Nigeria (READ), For A Former Army General, Buhari Comes Very Short On His Views On Security (READ), and Opinion: Dear Nigerians, The Moment Of Decision Is Here (READ).
Not that it’s a mystery; you cannot but wonder how well dodgy everything is going with the Buhari candidacy. Never have we ever had so much fuss about a man’s credentials to an election like this before. Never! And it has absolutely nothing to do with his name or date of birth or height or moustache or tribe. It has EVERYTHING to do with his arrogance and sheer lack of what it takes. Sorry, it has everything to do with his believe that as ex Head of State, he can damn consequences and soldier on. Even when constituted laws are broken, his dismissive traits come first. Common sense only comes later. That is, if it ever comes…
It was a wonder that a “72 year old” pensioner could obtain a loan in the bank for N27 million (notice the reverse of the figures), and ALL for a nomination form. The logic in it all is bewildering and staggering because the name of the Bank remains unknown and for all we know, Buhari has 2 houses and 150 cows as collateral. This we are told is the “new” Buhari and the much heralded apostle of change. The Nigerian Methuselah of tireless and endless political contests.
If that amazement is not enough, weeks later, his wife, Aisha (who just won the open akara frying contest last week) goes and donates N135 million worth of medical materials somewhere. Conundrum anyone…? Does this all add up?
If one rejigs history a bit more, is this not the same man who was Minister for Petroleum when $2.8 billion went missing? Have we forgotten his tenure as PTF Chairman where certain probity then revealed that N25 billion was misappropriated? Does this same man mean to tell anyone that he had no iota or idea that Abacha stole a penny?
In any case, this now brings me to the almighty WASC O/Level certificate scandal that is not going to go away. The Electoral Act of 2011 has stated that anyone submitting their candidate form NEEDS to attach the certificate as some reality back up. The “immaculate” Buhari curiously chose to submit a sworn affidavit as a replacement claiming his original documents are with the military board (please note that Buhari has never declared that his certificates were ever missing unlike what Lai Mohammed has been waffling on about).
As the furore went on, Buhari carried on with absolutely no care. He acted as if what he did was right. For a man whose regime whipped people silly for the slightest disorderliness and imaginary flouting of laws, where was his own order? I mean, he treated the entire matter with utmost contempt and it was ONLY when the military board declared that they only have a letter of recommendation from his former Principal in their custody, that a phantom statement of result was manufactured (sorry, forged).
In some magical and hurriedly assembled press conference, a nervous (or do I say pissed off?) Buhari suddenly remembered his exam number. If that is not stunning, then nothing else will be! Just by wondering, does anyone of us remember their WASC number offhand? Were we not told that he did not have the certificate or statement of result in his possession? So how did Buhari know or remember his exam number? Or did APC give him one to memorise that coincides with a certain Mohammed (not Muhammadu as we all know him)? For a very forgetful mind that he has, how is his remembrance of an exam number he “took” over 50 years ago possible? I mean, these things are so spurious. Just out of this world!
Till date, we have seen nothing authentic to state that General Buhari has the minimum requirement for the office. Still, he has systematically dodged all efforts to get him to answer this very important query. By right, his position as the major opposition candidate should be in jeopardy. I personally and FIRMLY believe that Buhari does not have that certificate. He does not.
We have seen candidates disqualified for lesser offences than perjury.
His namesake, Salisu Buhari, resigned as Speaker of the House of Reps when it became clear that he made a false claim of acquiring a degree he never had. How come Muhammadu Buhari’s case is so different? To be more direct, Buhari is NOT eligible to run for the office he is now running for based on this issue alone. He committed a criminal offence, but he has no care in this world or honour to accept what he did and the consequences that should logically follow. Rather, he is brushing his way through with reckless impunity. His supporters (and some are educated to a fault) prefer to sell a dummy and throw conscience out of the window. This just cannot be right!
Are these calibre of people still ready to vote in a man who is academically inadequate, intellectually inept and educationally fraudulent as President of Nigeria? Where in the high Heavens is Buhari’s integrity in all this? It’s fair to say that anyone who dismisses Buhari’s academic incomplete status is an utter hypocrite. Nothing else describes the double standards.
The so-called attachment to Buhari’s status as someone with integrity is well flawed, unfounded and meshed in deliberate ignorance of the facts before us. Any man or woman who knows the worth of integrity would not align to the deliberate misgivings of Buhari. Integrity is not modesty. Integrity is not retiring as an Army General when you actually joined the force with incomplete or non-existent credentials. Integrity is nobility, morality and honesty. Integrity breeds confidence, excellence and is always a product of truth.
If Buhari previously had any “integrity”, it is well soiled now. He is now dinning with people of questionable wealth and living the lie too.
Comparatively, we don’t have this issue with Dr. Goodluck Jonathan as it stands in terms of his academic qualifications. How all the interviewers I have seen interviewing Buhari have avoided this crucial aspect actually raises some dust.
As far as I am concerned, Buhari’s integrity is in tatters when you especially consider the certificate he claims he has, that we know he does not have. Or do you think the original WASC O/Level certificate will ever turn up for us to see? Your guess is as good as mine. I doubt it because it does not exist in the real world.
Vote Goodluck Jonathan! At least, we know he has more than the minimum qualifications for the office. Doesn’t he?
Uwem Inyang is an engineer and a political analyst. He is on Facebook.
The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author.
