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[OPINION] Buhari: A Tale Of Two Deaths

Published

2 months ago

July 21, 2025

Editor

By Lasisi Olagunju

June 2015, freshly minted President Muhammadu Buhari hosted General Olusegun Obasanjo at the Villa.

“Whatever anyone might have done to you in the past, please forgive and forget,” Obasanjo advised the new president. Buhari looked up, surprised. His countenance changed.

“Including Ibro?”

“Yes, especially Ibro,” Obasanjo answered very quickly and curtly. The two leaders exchanged glances.

Silence.

The ‘Ibro’ in that discussion is General Ibrahim Babangida. The question on whether Ibro should be forgiven was a surprise to Obasanjo because twice, Buhari was in IBB’s home seeking his endorsement ahead of the 2015 election. And his host supported him all through, publicly.

But there was no overt commitment to ‘peace’ from the new president. Old soldiers they were, host and guest quickly drifted to other issues. The meeting ended.

The event I reported above happened. It was one of the earliest signs in Nigeria’s power circle that the new man had come to power to do more than governance. I got the gist a few days after the Villa meeting. And, I asked the source what Babangida’s reaction would be if he heard that conversation. Or was he aware of it already? My source smiled and said “Of course. But, you know he is a veteran in such intrigues.”

MORE FROM THE AUTHOR: OPINION: For Ganduje And Kabiyesi

For the eight years of Buhari, the journalist in me patiently looked forward to how he would take his pound of flesh from IBB for toppling him in 1985. I was aware that IBB also was on the alert. I was told that Buhari really wanted to take on Ibro. “He was told that he would need more than two terms to fight that war. He got the hint and backed off.” My source told me.

Babangida is very lucky to have outlived Buhari and his regime. President Shehu Shagari, the man Buhari toppled in December 1983, was not that lucky. He was president for four years and three months. He died in December 2018, right into the mouth of Buhari’s awesome powers as president. A State House press statement mourned the dead but that was where it ended. President Buhari stayed away from Shagari’s burial and made sure the dead president enjoyed no state burial. It was Buhari’s second December coup against Shagari.

Last week, Shagari’s grandson, Nura Muhammad Mahe, reacted to Buhari’s death with a caustic press release. He said the very expressive state burial honour which President Bola Tinubu gave Buhari was “in sharp contrast to how my grandfather, President Shehu Shagari, was treated during the administration of Muhammadu Buhari.” Muhammed Mahe recalled that upon Shagari’s death on 28 December, 2018, “Buhari neither attended the funeral nor approved a state burial, despite being in the country at the time.” The man said “it was a painful experience for the Shagari family and many Nigerians who expected more honour for a man who served as Nigeria’s first Executive President…Even in death, Buhari failed to show due respect to his predecessor.”

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Probably under pressure, Buhari visited the Shagari family a day after the burial and signed the condolence register. When he left, journalists who wanted to feast on what he wrote in the register met nothing in there. It was a blank page. Was that an error or a fulfillment of a pledge to dishonour the dead?

Whether you overthrew the man as IBB did, or he overthrew you as he did Shagari, he believed he was your victim and considered you an enemy till he breathed his last breath in London on Sunday. I read IBB’s beautiful tribute in honour of Buhari. The Minna-uphill General is lucky that he lived through the Buhari years. If he had gone when Buhari was president, it is almost certain that there would not have been such positive review from Daura. The Shagari treatment would be certain. It would be worse. Friends would be afraid to ‘show face’ in Minna because Mr President would have kept a register of mourners for the appropriate punishment.

Niccollo Machiavelli warns that a leader can “make mistakes of ambition and not mistakes of sloth.” Buhari made both and got away with them. Muhammadu Buhari’s engagement with Nigeria is a study in entitlement. The textbook meaning of entitlement mentality is to believe that you deserve the best from your people while giving back far less than was required of you. Buhari represented that forever in our history. And it wasn’t his fault. Very literate, knowledgeable people openly said our country owed the old soldier power; they said we owed him reverence and accolades; they put unquestioning loyalty as the icing on his cake. For 30 years, Nigerians Earnestly Yearned for Buhari. He came, and he failed. When he was exiting power, he warned us never to attempt asking him questions: “Nobody should ask me to come and give any evidence in any court, otherwise, whoever it is would be in trouble because all important things are on record.” He threatened us in January 2022, and we complied and bought padlocks for the laws he broke. Who born Nigeria and Nigerians!

The gentleman officer was a beautiful snake who carefully positioned himself as the gift the nation had been waiting for. Physician Buhari donated himself to Nigeria and the nation bled from all the orifices: from the nose, from the ear, the mouth, etc. Under his watch, life got tragically devalued. For eight years he added nothing of value to the lives of ordinary Nigerians. He instead took from many their food; and from many more their lives through unremitting insecurity. As peace progressively turned ashen, the man who swore to protect us sat back, belched, picked his busy teeth and demanded appreciation from all of us for graciously failing us. We paid him that debt of gratitude last week with the fairy tale celebration in Daura and a national holiday declared by Abuja. He was the luckiest leader the nation has ever served.

Instead of checking the dictionary meaning of inertia, just open the book of blank pages called Buhari. He was absent for eight years even for his 12 million children in the North. The North-West was healthy before he came; he left it gasping for life. Where the president’s voice was needed, Buhari planted silence and watered it with absence. He never cared; he was a leader for whom mere presence in office was enough achievement.

Everything Buhari denied others, he got from others, even when he didn’t deserve such. Tinubu gave him every support possible for him to be president and he became president. When it was Tinubu’s turn to contest for the presidency, the General he exhumed from political retirement in Daura denied him every support at his disposal. Buhari escaped every bad treatment he gave others, even when he deserved it. Apart from Sani Abacha, whom he served diligently, no other leader since 1979 got Buhari’s respect. Yet, the living among them – all of them – last week used words which you and I know were hyperbolic untruths to bury him. He was Nigeria’s most successful charmer.

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SUBEB Urges LG Chairmen To Sack Absentee Teachers In Bauchi

Published

3 hours ago

September 5, 2025

Editor

The Bauchi State Universal Basic Education (BASUBEB) has called on all the 20 Local Government Chairmen in the state to sack absentee teachers.

Alh. Adamu Mohammed, the Executive Chairman, BASUBEB, made the call on Friday during the official flag off ceremony of the 2025/2026 state wide enrolment campaign in Kirfi Local Government Area of the state.

Mohammed, who said that the move would serve as a deterrent and make others to be up and doing, added that the chairmen only need to inform SUBEB about the decision.

He also expressed the commitment of the Board to reward teachers who are diligent, committed, punctual and dedicated to service so as to encourage them.

The SUBEB boss who lamented the lack of enrolment of school aged children in schools across the state, said the development is detrimental to the future of the children.

According to him, the state government was doing everything possible to improve the quality of education at the Basic level, saying that members of the communities were not supportive of the efforts by not sending their children to school.

He also stressed that Girl child education is important to the development and growth of the society, calling on parents to send their girl children to School.

“I want to call on all the Local Government Chairmen in the state to take responsibility of supervising and monitoring schools in their respective areas because SUBEB can’t be everywhere at the same time.

“The Board will not rest in its oars until Basic education becomes the envy of others in line with what UNICEF and UBEC set as guidelines,” he said.

Also speaking, Dr Mohammed Lawal, the state’s Commissioner for Education, said the aim of the enrolment campaign is to mobilise traditional institutions to support enrolment drive in the state by sensitising parents and guardians on the need to send their children to school.

He added that the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) would also support whatever the traditional institutions are doing to achieve greater enrolment as well as continuity in education.

Earlier, Dr Nuzhat Rafique, the Chief of Field Office, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Bauchi, recalled how the number of out-of-school children was reduced from 1.5 million to 500,000 through the effort of the governor with support from traditional, religious leaders, communities and parents.

“This is a huge progress but still, having 500,000 children out of school is one of the main goals for us to bring them also into schools.

“Education is the right of every child. No child should be out of school and that is my humble request that as the government is putting in policies, steps and strategies to bring these children back to school, everybody should key into it.”

While assuring UNICEF’s commitment and support to the development of basic education in the state, she called on all stakeholders to work together and ensure that every child is back to school.

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UNILAG Honours Bayelsa Gov, Diri

Published

3 hours ago

September 5, 2025

Editor

The University of Lagos has completed a book project on the leadership qualities and governance style of Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri.

The Managing Director of the UNILAG Consult, Prof John Oyefara, who disclosed this on Thursday during a courtesy visit to Government House, Yenagoa, said the institution has also proposed a public lecture as well as endowing a Professorial Chair in the Department of Political Science in his honour.

UNILAG Consult was established in 1983 and incorporated under the Companies and Allied Matters Act in 2013. It serves as the consultancy arm of the institution, providing research-driven, cross-sectoral technical services via access to the university’s academic expertise and facilities.

Diri’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr Daniel Alabrah, in a statement on Friday, quoted Oyefara as saying that the university had a track record of assessing the performance of various leaders in Nigeria and that the book titled “Leadership Chronicles of Governor Douye Diri” focuses on his exemplary leadership and achievements.

He said, “At the University of Lagos, we have a tradition of assessing leaders in Nigeria. We use our own templates and standards that are global to measure the leadership in Nigeria.

“We identified Your Excellency to be a leading star in Nigeria, based on leadership and governance. We decided to put together all your achievements. The purpose of our visit was to inform you about our project in three thematic areas. One, is on the publication of the book we have been able to put together about His Excellency’s achievements in the state.

“We also propose a public lecture where renowned leaders in Africa will deliver a lecture on leadership and governance to exemplify the achievements of the governor. The third one is for the Department of Political Science in the University of Lagos to see the possibility of endowing a professorial chair in the name of His Excellency.”

The Lead Editor of the project, Prof Hope Eghagha, also stated that the idea was an independent assessment of the governor’s performance in office, either in infrastructure or human capacity development, through interviews that were conducted.

Responding, Diri said he was pleasantly surprised by the gesture of the institution. He welcomed the idea of documenting his achievements, saying he had been nursing the idea of establishing a leadership institute to groom those with an interest in politics and political offices.

The governor said, “It is really interesting when people, without your prompting, decide to do a thing for the purpose of posterity. A lot of the time, we do not document these events and activities, as we look at them as not too important. But they are.

“I have toyed with the idea that if I had the resources, could I establish a leadership institution in Bayelsa State so that before anyone thinks of becoming a councillor, council chairman, commissioner, special adviser or even governor, he knows what he is coming to do in office?

“If you are not prepared for it, then we are bound to fail as a country and as a state. So, I have been pleasantly surprised by the University of Lagos, and I think it is a good thing. Let me also state that the success in Bayelsa is not all about me. It is actually about our team. We have a dedicated team of commissioners, special advisers, technical advisers, and everybody contributing their quota to the whole.

“That is why if anyone says we have done well in infrastructure, it is because down the ladder, those who have been vested with that authority have implemented our policies, projects and programmes to the best of what we expected to be.”

Diri approved the proposals from the delegation and thanked them for recognising him in the midst of others.

Serving as Bayelsa State’s helmsman since his Supreme Court-affirmed inauguration in February 2020, Diri has become noted for his inclusive leadership and development-oriented governance.

Against this backdrop, UNILAG’s decision to document Diri’s leadership style and legacy through a dedicated book, alongside a public lecture series and a named professorial chair, marks a rare scholarly honour reflecting both institutional respect for governance excellence and encouragement of lasting academic inquiry.

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Lagos Begins Comprehensive Assessment Of Public Primary Schools

Published

4 hours ago

September 5, 2025

Editor

The Lagos State Government has commenced its maiden NEEDS Assessment Project for all public primary schools across the state.

According to a statement on Friday by the Deputy Director, Information, LASUBEB, Abe Adunola, the initiative, spearheaded by the Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board, was unveiled on Thursday during a stakeholders’ engagement session.

The NEEDS Assessment Project is an evidence-gathering exercise designed to identify gaps in infrastructure, teaching capacity, and learning resources in public schools. It provides government with data to plan targeted interventions and allocate resources more effectively.

According to the board, the project will cover 1,238 public primary schools, vocational centres, inclusive units, and Local Government Education Authorities.

Board member of LASUBEB, Owolabi Falana, said the exercise was a major step in strengthening the foundation of basic education in Lagos.

Delivering the keynote address on behalf of the Deputy Chief of Staff, the Executive Assistant to the Governor on Project Implementation and Monitoring, Mr. Olusegun Sanwo-Olu, noted that the initiative reflected the state government’s resolve to drive education reform with data-driven interventions.

“This project is about clarity and intentionality. By understanding the realities in our schools, we are laying a solid foundation for smart planning, equitable resource allocation, and sustainable reforms. It is a bold step that will ultimately improve the quality of teaching, enhance learning outcomes, and prepare Lagos children to thrive in this fast-changing world,” he said.

LASUBEB Chairman, Dr. Hakeem Shittu, described the initiative as the first in a series of continuous exercises aimed at transforming Lagos public schools.

“This maiden edition of the Needs Assessment Project is only the beginning. It will be sustained as a continuous initiative to ensure our schools, teachers, and learners are never left behind,” he affirmed.

Highlighting the project’s benefits, Shittu explained that the assessment would lead to safer classrooms, improved facilities, empowered teachers, and better learning outcomes for pupils.

“The future of Lagos depends on how much we invest in our children today. This initiative gives us the clarity and direction to act decisively,” he said.

He further stressed that the project was not only about identifying gaps but also about developing practical solutions that would create conducive learning environments, improve teachers’ working conditions, and strengthen administrative capacity across schools.

Shittu also commended the contributions of teachers, administrators, and Local Government Education Authorities, while emphasising collaboration with the Project Implementation and Monitoring Unit for credible data collection.

He urged teachers, parents, and community leaders to support the exercise.

“The success of this project depends on our collective effort. Together, we can build a school system that empowers our children with the skills, knowledge, and confidence they need to compete globally,” he said.

The initiative comes against the backdrop of several education reforms introduced in Lagos in recent years. Through the EKOEXCEL programme launched in 2019, the state government deployed digital learning devices and retrained teachers to improve literacy and numeracy outcomes in public schools.

The state has also embarked on school rehabilitation projects, the construction of new classrooms, and the expansion of inclusive education centres to accommodate children with special needs.

Despite these efforts, public primary schools in Lagos have faced challenges of overcrowded classrooms, poor infrastructure, and uneven access to quality teaching.

Education experts have long called for systematic assessments to guide interventions, making the NEEDS project the first coordinated attempt to collect comprehensive data for policy decisions in the state’s basic education sector.