When the General Muhammadu Buhari’s (Rtd.) secondary school certificate issue came up, I wrote an earth-shattering article against the Nigerian military and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) stating that I suspected a foul play in the issue. But after due consultations with my media colleagues and two of my friends who are Barristers, they advised me not to send such an article for publication yet and should wait to see how the drama between PDP in collaboration with the Nigerian military against Buhari ends before I can do that. I thought of it and later decided to take a stand-by-the-side-and- watch approach.
My basic responsibility as a professional and practicing journalist is to stand for the truth at all times irrespective of who is involved and to be ready to pay whatever price it takes for justice to prevail. And by the grace of God I have always lived to that responsibility.
Even as I am an ardent supporter of Buhari and hold him in very high esteem because of his integrity and zero tolerance to corruption, I will be among the first to criticise him and his government if he fails to deliver and will launch vigorous media campaigns for his removal through the ballot which kicked Jonathan out and brought him in.
The Punch of January 4, 2015, in one of its headlines titled: “BUHARI’S CERTIFICATES WITH US, SAYS ARMY”, the Army spokeman, Brig-Gen. Olajide Layeye, in an exclusive interview with Punch correspondent in Abuja said that Buhari’s certificate was with the Army.To my greatest surprise, two days after Buhari was declared the winner of the Presidential election by INEC, the Army magically and mysteriously found Buhari’s certificate, an issue that nearly prevented Buhari from contesting the Presidential election.
With the Army suddenly releasing Buhari’s certificate after it became obvious that they would face the music made me to ask some basic questions:
Why did the Nigerian Army publish in THISDAYLIVE on 21 Jan. 2015 that they do not have Buhari’s certificate?
How come the Nigerian Army later released Buhari’s certificate?
Where did they find it? Or has the certificate become a magical and mysterious paper that can appear, disappear and reappear when it pleases it?
Why did the Nigerian Army later claim that they have Buhari’s certificate but he did not follow due process to apply for it?
Why has the Nigeria Military been inconsistent in its statements regarding Buhari’s certificate?
If Buhari was not elected as Nigeria’s president, would his certificate ever be found by the army?
When Buhari was sued by Sen. Alphonsus Igbeke; A legal practitioner, Mr. Chukwunweike Okafor, and their “subterranean group” of PDP members for beaching relevant provisions of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Electoral Act 2010, why did the Nigerian army refuse to come to his rescue by presenting his certificate to the court to vindicate him?
There are so many questions that space could not permit me to ask the Nigerian military with regard to Buhari’s certificate issue.
It is very unfortunate that the Nigerian army could allow itself to be politicised, which made the institution to lose its integrity and dignity locally and internationally.
Nigerians are just waiting to see what ACT ONE SCENE FOUR will be like when Buhari is sworn in on May 29, 2015.
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