MUHAMADU BUHARI, THE OLD DECEIVER: CHATHAM HOUSE SPEECH AND THE REALITY NOW.

Gen. Muhamadu Buhari's Chatham-House Speech And The Reality Now
Gen. Muhamadu Buhari, as the flag bearer of All Progressive Congress, APC, during the electioneering of 2015, was invited to Chatham House on 26th February 2015 where he met with the British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown and read a speech to the whole world.

In his speech, he made mention of few things that are of national concern which I would like us to chew over and analyze to determine how he has lived up to his speech.

Maj. Gen. Muhamadu Buhari said that he liked to protect the image of Nigeria abroad so as to attract investors.
He liked to showcase the virtues but never to tarnish nor debase the reputations of Nigerians.

"When speaking about Nigeria overseas, I normally prefer to be my country’s public relations and marketing officer, extolling her virtues and hoping to attract investments and tourists."

But on February 7, 2015, during an exclusive interview with a U.K newspaper ”The telegraph UK”, President Muhamadu Buhari called Nigerians abroad criminals. And if investors are to go by what the president said, they wouldn't invest in a country where the citizens are criminals abroad let alone in their home country.

In his words, the president said, "We have an image problem abroad..."
But reacting to it, Senator Ben Bruce from Bayelsa state threw a strong blow at the president over what he called a desperate attempt at tagging all Nigerians as ‘criminals’.

In a number of tweets Ben Murray- Bruce said:
"But why will a President go abroad to say with his own mouth that his own people have a reputation for crime?"
"President @MBuhari, Nigerians are not criminals. Nigerians are honest hardworking people."

"If you agree you are a criminal, who am I to disagree? But certainly, in the case of my followers and I, he is lying!"
"Mr. President, you once believed we weren't criminals. When did you change your mind?"

Also, Rockson Wilson added voice and said, "It's so shocking that for the first time, I blame Jonathan for handing Nigeria to this foolish man. Nigerians can be legitimately attacked in the streets here in the UK because our would be president say that we are criminals."

Maj. Gen. Muhamadu Buhari continued in his speech and said:"...mere elections do not make a democracy. It is globally agreed that democracy is not an event, but a journey. And that the destination of that journey is democratic consolidation – that state where democracy has become so rooted and so routine and widely accepted by all actors."

I want to ask President Muhamadu Buhari if his actions in office so far have proven his decision to consolidate democracy in Nigeria.
I want to ask him if he has really accepted democracy let alone consolidating it in Nigeria when he ordered Nigerian security forces to massacre, with impunity, Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) who at different times, were protesting peacefully against the illegal detention of their leader, Nnamdi Kanu; celebrating the order by a competent court of jurisdiction to release their leader unconditionally; and celebrating their Heros' Day Remembrance, Or was he consolidating democracy when the Nigerian Army slaughtered Shiites members who were having a peaceful procession?

Buhari continued:
"With this important destination in mind, it is clear that though many African countries now hold regular elections, very few of them have consolidated the practice of democracy. It is important to also state at this point that just as with elections, a consolidated democracy cannot end by itself. I will argue that it is not enough to hold a series of elections or even to peacefully alternate power among parties."
"It is much more important that the promise of democracy goes beyond just allowing people to freely choose their leaders.

It is much more important that democracy should deliver on the promise of choice, of freedom, of security of lives and property, of transparency and accountability, the rule of law, of good governance and of shared prosperity. It is very important that the promise embedded in the concept of democracy, the promise of a better life for the generality of the people, is not delivered in the breach."

I want to ask President Muhamadu Buhari whether his understanding of 'Consolidation of Democracy' is suppressing people from agitating for their freedom. Whereas in his Chatham speech he painted a deceptive picture of a leader whose government would grant people a choice for freedom, Or is the consolidation of his democracy, as regards freedom, only for Palestinians and Western Saharan People?

I want him to tell the whole world if the idea of his security of lives and property is in ordering the killing of innocent people in their own lands.
Is he consolidating the rule of law by flouting competent courts' orders?
Or, is he consolidating the rule of law by ordering, against due process, the harassment, intimidation, abductions, kidnaps and killing of innocent people who may be his perceived enemies probably because they criticize his government or are agitating for their freedom?

Is he consolidating the rule of law by appointing more of his fellow Jihadists against the constitution's recommendation?
Buhari, where is the promise of good governance, shared prosperity and a better life for the generality of the people as implied by your speech?

Buhari continued his blabbing:

"On the economy, the fall in prices of oil has brought our economic and social stress into full relief. After the rebasing exercise in April 2014, Nigeria overtook South Africa as Africa’s largest economy. Our GDP is now valued at $510 billion and our economy rated 26th in the world. Also on the bright side, inflation has been kept at a single digit for a while and our economy has grown at an average of 7% for about a decade.

But it is more of paper growth, a growth that, on account of mismanagement, profligacy, and corruption, has not translated to human development or shared prosperity. A development economist once said three questions should be asked about a country’s development: one, what is happening to poverty? Two, what is happening to unemployment? And three, what is happening to inequality?"
"Even by official figures, 33.1% of Nigerians live in extreme poverty.

That’s at almost 60 million, almost the population of the United Kingdom. There is also the unemployment crisis simmering beneath the surface, ready to explode at the slightest stress, with officially 23.9% of our adult population and almost 60% of our youth unemployed."
Someone should help ask President Muhamadu Buhari if Nigeria is still the 26th largest economy in the world since he assumed power with his archaic policies!

Ask him if South Africa has not overtaken Nigeria economy wise since he took over the mantle of leadership of Nigeria.
On 1st September, 2016, Premium Times reports, "Nigerian economy is in recession, figures released by the National Bureau of Statistics officially confirmed Wednesday."

The statistics bureau said the second quarter 2016 Gross Domestic Product (GDP) declined by -2.06 per cent.
Annual inflation rose to 17.1 percent in July from 16.5 percent in June, and food inflation rose to 15.8 percent from 15.3."
Also, a total of 4,580,602 people have lost their jobs since May 29, 2015. The number of persons in full-time employment decreased by 351,350 in Q2 2016 compared to Q1 2016.

As Nigerians suffered in 1984-85, so are they suffering a brain drain today, the best and brightest talents are leaving the country in search of a better life elsewhere and more than 272 companies have shut down and left the country.

The first time Nigeria went into recession was when this same clueless man called Buhari was in power back in 1985

Buhari continued his shameless speech:
"In the face of dwindling revenues, a good place to start the repositioning of Nigeria’s economy is to swiftly tackle two ills that have ballooned under the present administration: waste and corruption. And in doing this, I will, if elected, lead the way with the force of personal example. On corruption, there will be no confusion as to where I stand. Corruption will have no place and the corrupt will not be appointed into my administration."

Someone should help me ask Buhari why Nigerians are suffering more now looted funds are recovered whereas when those funds were looted, Nigerians were better off.

Another sane person, help me ask Buhari if he is not corrupt, let alone the people he appointed in his administration.
Ask him if his fight against corruption has not been lopsided.
Ask him whether manipulating and controlling of judges, contempt to court's ruling and forging of his WAEC certificate are not corruption at the peak.

The unrepentant Tyrant continued his deception and said:
"Permit me to close this discussion on a personal note. I have heard and read references to me as a former dictator in many respected British newspapers including the well regarded Economist. Let me say without sounding defensive that dictatorship goes with military rule, though some might be less dictatorial than others. I take responsibility for whatever happened under my watch.

I cannot change the past. But I can change the present and the future. So before you is a former military ruler and a converted democrat who is ready to operate under democratic norms..."

Since Tyrant Muhamadu Buhari is a certified illiterate, help me ask him if his tutors taught him that 'conversion to a democrat' would enable him to disobey courts' orders; arrest and detain citizens illegally against courts' orders; abduct, kidnap and kill people with impunity; suppress Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, from agitating for their freedom but support Palestinians and Western Saharan people in same agitation; intimidate and threaten lawyers for asking him his certificate.

But no matter how you teach a tyrant who is also an illiterate, he would not understand, neither would he accept that what ex-Prime Minister, David Cameron did when he allowed Britons to decide their fate with the European Union, is the true definition of democracy and civilization.
I close this piece by saying that a leopard can never change its skin no matter how old it is. Hence Buhari is far from the person who can better Nigerians.

And Nigerians cannot enjoy prosperity and security except the needful is done which is the renegotiation of their coexistence in a referendum which will eventually lead to Nigeria's component parts being on their own leaving Biafra a sovereign state.

By Ogu Edozie Williams
Edited by Ekene Biafra
For IPOB writers