Head of State Major-General Buhari was selected as Head of State to lead the country by middle and high-ranking military officers after a successful military coup detat that overthrew civilian President Shehu Shagari on 31 December 1983. At the time, Buhari was head of the Third Armored Division of Jos.[12] Buhari was appointed Head of State and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, and Tunde Idiagbon was appointed Chief of General Staff (the de facto No. 2 in the administration). Buhari justified the militarys seizure of power by castigating the civilian government as hopelessly corrupt, and his administration subsequently initiated a public campaign against indiscipline known as War Against Indiscipline (WAI). This policy won him national and universal applause, as a result of its effectiveness.[13] Economic policy In order to reform the economy, as Head of State, Buhari started to rebuild the nations social-political and economic systems, along the realities of Nigerias austere economic conditions. The rebuilding included removing or cutting back the excesses in national expenditure, obliterate or remove completely corruption from the nations social ethics, shifting from mainly public sector employment to self-employment. Buhari also encouraged import substitution industrialisation based to a great extent on the use of local materials and he tightened importation.[14] On 7 May 1984, Buhari announced publicly for the first time his administrations 1984 National Budget. The budget had in it:: A temporary ban on recruiting federal public sector workers Raising of Interest rates Halting Capital Projects Prohibition of borrowing by State governments 15 percent cut from Shagaris 1983 Budget Realignment of import duties Reducing the balance of payment deficit by cutting imports It also gave priority to the importation of raw materials and spare parts that were needed for agriculture and industry. Other economic measures by Buhari took the form of counter trade, currency change, price reduction of goods and services. Foreign policy Buharis military government continued largely with the foreign policy it inherited from Shehu Shagari. In January 1984, in his new year broadcast speech, Buhari stated that he would maintain and enhance diplomatic relations with all countries and international organisations such as the OAU, UN, OPEC, ECOWAS and the Commonwealth of Nations. He also stated that he would honour all treaty obligations entered into by previous governments, which he did. Buharis foreign policy also focused on Africa, mostly Nigerias neighbours due to financial commitments.[15] Chairman of the Petroleum Trust Fund Buhari served as the Chairman of the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF), a body created by the government of General Sani Abacha, and funded from the revenue generated by the increase in price of petroleum products, to pursue developmental projects around the country. A 1998 report in New African praised the PTF under Buhari for its transparency, calling it a rare success story.[16] However, the same report also noted that critics had questioned the PTFs allocation of 20% of its resources to the military, which the critics feared would not be accountable for the revenue.[16] Northern Counter Coup of July 1966 In July 1966 Lieutenant Muhammadu Buhari was one of the participants in a coup led by Lt-Col Murtala Muhammed that overthrew the military government of General Aguiyi Ironsi. Other participants in the coup which became known as the Nigerian Counter-Coup of 1966 included 2nd Lieutenant Sani Abacha, Lieutenant Ibrahim Babangida , Lieutenant Theophilus Danjuma, Lieutenant Ibrahim Bako among others. The coup was a reaction to a failed coup d’etat on January 15, 1966, when a group of army officers, led by Major Chukwuma Nzeogwu overthrew the democratically elected government of Prime Minister Abubakar Tafawa Balewa. Northern soldiers were aggrieved by the murder of senior politicians, Prime Minister Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, northern regional premier, Ahmadu Bello, and four senior officers, Brigadier Zakariya Maimalari, Colonel Kur Mohammed, Lt-Cols Abogo Largema and James Pam. [17] The counter-coup was very bloody leading to the murder of mostly Igbo officers. Among the casualties were the first military head of state General Aguiyi Ironsi and Lt Colonel Adekunle Fajuyi, the military governor of the Western Region. 1985 coup and detention In August 1985, Major General Buhari was himself overthrown in a coup led by General Ibrahim Babangida and other members of the ruling Supreme Military Council (SMC).[18] Babangida brought many of Buharis most vocal critics into his administration, including Fela Kutis brother Olukoye Ransome-Kuti, a doctor who had led a strike against Buhari to protest declining health care services. Buhari was then detained in Benin City until 1988.[19] Buharis admirers believe that he was overthrown by corrupt elements in his government who were afraid of being brought to justice as his policies were beginning to yield tangible dividends in terms of public discipline, curbing corruption, lowering inflation, enhancing workforce and improving productivity.[20] In July 1966 Lieutenant Muhammadu Buhari was one of the participants in a coup led by Lt-Col Murtala Muhammed that overthrew the military government of General Aguiyi Ironsi. Other participants in the coup which became known as the Nigerian Counter-Coup of 1966 included 2nd Lieutenant Sani Abacha, Lieutenant Ibrahim Babangida , Lieutenant Theophilus Danjuma, Lieutenant Ibrahim Bako among others. The coup was a reaction to a failed coup d’etat on January 15, 1966, when a group of army officers, led by Major Chukwuma Nzeogwu overthrew the democratically elected government of Prime Minister Abubakar Tafawa Balewa. Northern soldiers were aggrieved by the murder of senior politicians, Prime Minister Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, northern regional premier, Ahmadu Bello, and four senior officers, Brigadier Zakariya Maimalari, Colonel Kur Mohammed, Lt-Cols Abogo Largema and James Pam. [17] The counter-coup was very bloody leading to the murder of mostly Igbo officers. Among the casualties were the first military head of state General Aguiyi Ironsi and Lt Colonel Adekunle Fajuyi, the military governor of the Western Region.
Posted on: Sat, 17 Jan 2015 07:23:21 +0000
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