Tuesday, June 5th 2012
By Ibrahim Sanyi-Sanyi
Salam and good morning compatriots.
June 3rd, 2012 was memorable to those of us who had the opportunity for tete-a-tete with General Muhammadu Buhari at his quite residence which is located off Sultan Road in Kaduna Metro.
The initial plan was for six associates to pay courtesy call on GMB. However, only five made it, the sixth - Musa Balabe Musa a.k.a General Nahalima - was held up in Abuja by "official" duty during official weekend. The five-member visiting party consisted of Alhaji Umar Dan Dembo (former Minister of State Petroleum, FRN) - who gave me lift in his car from Zaria to Kaduna and back -, Muhammed Babangida and Yakubu Muhammad Rigasa - the Kaduna-based gentlemen who played our second host -, Barrister Kasim - who drove from Gusau enroute Abuja -, and yoursfaithfully who came from Kano.
The visitors made it to Buhari's home in time to join other Muslim faithfuls for the late afternoon prayers. Mal Umar Dan Dembo led the prayers. Thereafter, we were taken to a living room where we got seated, while General Buhari joined us later and attended to us with milk of kindness despite his being having some cold.
We were introduced by Mal Dan Dembo as the very active young men on the Nigerian cyber space who are members of 'Yan Arewa, Ra'ayi Riga & Dandalin Siyasa yahoogroups as well as the leaders of the NGO called Arewa Renaissance Initiatives.
Myself, Barrister Kasim and Yakubu Rigasa took turns to narrate how our generation of youths are making use of the social media to connect, share ideas, and how majority of us are united in the need to change Nigeria's political, economic and social segments. We told him the passion in some 'conscientious' among the educated youths in these forums who are desirous for a better Nigeria. Our presentation centered around the 'renaissance' of Northern Nigeria and the need to revive regional agricultural policies and industrialization, modernization and formalization of Almajirci system as well as charting career line and prospects for Qur'anic schools graduates and teachers, and the need for religious tolerance and harmony amongst the various adherents of faiths and ethnicity in the North.
We also touched on the need to curb corruption in our national life and save our country from sinking down the abyss. The politics of Fuel Subsidy Removal was discussed as well as the Report of Faruk Lawan led House of Representatives Committee on Subsidy.
We concluded by telling him about the swarm of his admirers and well wishers in our midst, and how an army is always battle ready to defend him, his principles and integrity, wherever darts and garbage is thrown at his person in any of the three online forums we belong to.
General Buhari responded accordingly. And true to his character, he minced no words as he spoke on the burning national issues and was at his usual straight forward and truthfully blunt through out his speech. He was the same Buhari of yester-years, just like the classic music which never gets old.
First, he emphasized on the word 'renaissance' and charged us to push on with our quest for the rebirth of the North. The General took interest in the 'conscientious' educated youths among us who wish to reinvent Nigeria. He said that conscience is a very important attribute that is needed among Nigerians, and with it, things would change in our country. He expressed his readiness to continue to lead the conscientious in the struggle for a better Nigeria.
Also, GMB advice us to liaise with the library & archives of the Arewa House where documents and literature about the economy of glorious old North are stored for reference purposes. He told us about the academic work on agricultural revival in the North by Audu Ogbeh; the studies on agriculture commissioned by Admiral Murtala Nyako; and how Ibrahim Saminu Turaki, then Chairman Northern Governors' Forum, paid him a visit at his residence in Kaduna, where he informed him about initiatives they intended to carry out on agricultural development.
On the use of social media, he acknowledged it as tool for modern communication. He informed us about Nasir el-Rufa'i's all-day posts on Twitter.
The General took to the memory lane and narrated how as the Minister of Petroleum then, he signed the contracts for the expansion of Old Port Harcourt Refinery and the construction of new one, the construction of WRPC and combined heavy and sweet crude processing KRPC, building of about 20 depots, and laying of thousands of pipelines for transportation of crude.
He told us how himself and Tam David-West fought bunkering/theft of Nigeria's crude oil; and how Nigeria was exporting 100,000 barrels of refined products to African countries.
He concluded by telling us how he believe that social injustice would not last in Nigeria; and that one day justice will catch up with the unjust and Nigerians would be free. He was frank as he holds that all those who think he is going to give up his principles, either don't understand him well enough or they think he doesn't know what he is doing.
After he concluded, we thank the General for the audience with us. Pictures were taken, and he escorted us to the front balcony of his main house where we snapped more pictures with him. He waited for us to board our cars, waved at us and then retired back to his apartment.
Our sincere thanks go to Mal Umar Dan Dembo for creating time and providing the logistics for this visit despite his age and commitments. May Allah reward him.
It all ends here.
Ibrahim Sanyi-Sanyi
As I see it.
Ibrahim Sanyi-Sanyi sent from his BlackBerry wireless device from MTN
http://projectgmb2015.blogspot.co.uk/?m=1
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