BUHARI LEFT A LEGACY OF INTEGRITY – JIDE OJO
As tributes pour in following the passing of former President Muhammadu Buhari, public affairs analyst and columnist, Jide Ojo, has described the late leader as a man who left behind a legacy of integrity.
Speaking during a live interview, Ojo weighed in on Buhari’s handling of security and corruption during his tenure, defending the former president’s personal stance against graft while acknowledging the challenges within his administration.
“There were no bombings throughout his tenure,” Ojo said. “People could freely walk anywhere without fear of being bombed. That is a major achievement that cannot be overlooked.”
He explained that while Buhari was successful in tackling Boko Haram to an extent, new forms of insecurity emerged, especially banditry in the North-West. According to Ojo, the nature of these threats made them difficult to counter using conventional approaches.
“In the case of Boko Haram or IPOB, there’s defined leadership. You can go after the leaders,” he noted. “But in the case of herdsmen or bandits, who is the leader? Who are you going to proscribe? It’s an asymmetric security challenge.”
On the issue of corruption, Ojo maintained that Buhari himself remained untainted by personal scandal, even though some of his appointees were enmeshed in high-profile corruption cases.
“Immediately Buhari joined politics, he became more restrained compared to his military days,” Ojo explained. “In a military regime, the head of state is both judge and prosecutor. But in a democracy, there is separation of powers, rule of law, and due process.”
He cited the accusations against former Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele, and other top officials as examples of the complexity Buhari faced.
“You cannot expect 100% perfection. If he had to fire every official accused of corruption, he would have sacked his entire cabinet,” he said. “But for him personally, he maintained his honesty and was not materialistic.”
When asked to describe the late president in a single word, Jide Ojo said: “Integrity.”
As Nigerians continue to debate the full impact of Buhari’s leadership, Ojo’s remarks echo the sentiments of many who believe that, despite his shortcomings, Buhari remained true to his values.
Ubong Usoro for Nigeria Magazine
