Chief Audu Ogbeh, the Former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, recently discussed former President Buhari’s role in stabilizing Nigeria during his administration. He attributed Buhari’s success to his support from the far North and his disciplined, calm-headed nature, which brought a degree of stability to the country.
Ogbeh suggested, however, that Buhari’s presidency could have achieved more if not for the actions of certain powerful individuals who abused their influence and siphoned power away from him, possibly without his knowledge. This misuse of power by close associates led to missed opportunities for the administration to implement even greater positive changes for the nation.
Ogbeh acknowledged Buhari’s personal discipline and lack of greed for money and power, qualities that distinguished him as a leader. He described Buhari as a straightforward and highly disciplined person who maintained a hands-off approach to leadership. Despite these commendable traits, some individuals close to him took advantage of his leadership style.
According to Ogbeh, these powerful individuals exploited Buhari’s refusal to seize power for themselves, leading to abuses within the system. This exploitation hindered the administration’s potential and prevented it from fully realizing its goals. Ogbeh emphasized that some of these individuals are no longer alive, highlighting the transient nature of their influence.
While Buhari’s calm-headedness and discipline earned him the confidence of a significant part of the far North, Ogbeh believes that his administration’s impact was diminished by the actions of those who misused their proximity to the president. This revelation underscores the complexities and challenges of governance in Nigeria.
He said, “Buhari brought some degree of stability; he had the confidence of a good part of the far North and as a calm-headed person who could bring discipline into the system. It (the Buhari administration) may not have succeeded completely because there were few powerful individuals in the system who actually stole the power from him. I don’t think he was aware.”….Seē _ Morē
