Why I support Buhari despite his government jailing me– Tunde Thompson Despite being imprisoned by the administrationof then Headof State, Muhammadu Buhari, under the draconian Degree 4 of 1983, journalistTunde Thompson has declaredhissupportforthe former’s presidentialbid. Mr. Thompson saidhe has forgiven the presidentialcandidate of the AllProgressives Congress, APC, andwill firmlysupporthim in the forthcoming presidentialelection. The journalistwas the Guardiannewspaper diplomaticcorrespondent when he was arrested by the defunct secret police, the National SecurityOrganisation, NSO, alongside a former member of the House of Representatives andcurrent chairmanof the League Management Company, Nduka Irabor, who was then anassistanteditor atthe Guardian.Mr. Thompson was sentenced to a yearin prison, forwritingabout the closure andretirement of some diplomaticstaff. He told the Sun newspaper that Mr. Buhari did not order hisarrest. He saidtime has healed any grudge he had againstMr. Buhari adding that he believed that Mr. Buhari arrested them because he was misled. “But when you look atit now, this is 2015, about 31years later, I have also reflectedon the matterespecially when I wanted to do that rejoinder to the comment made by General Buhari that some journalists made some demands, that the demands werenot honoured andthey startedblackmailing them,” he said “I have seen that time is a healer of certain wounds because people are stillasking that the man who jailedyou wants to become the presidentthat whatdo I feel about it? They asked if I would vote forsuch a man. I want to say categorically that Buhari asthe head of state atthe time, didn’t order the detention of Mr. Tunde Thompson andNduka Irabor.” He saidthe head of the NSO unilaterallytook the decision to arresthim. He admonished those using hisordeal aselection capital againstthe presidentialbidof MrBuhari to learnto be “charitable” andallowbygone to be bygone since the event happened over 30 years ago. “He never did.Even Idiagbondidnot. Itwas the head of NSO that orderedour arrest.That was the filemycolleague saw when he was brought in to see Rafindadiafter I hadbriefed him. And that was anorder that they complied with. Buhari was not responsibleforour arrest, so I do not see why atthis time, people are trying to make politicalcapitalout of what happened in 1984.Apartfrom that, it was an issue in 2011election. “Between 2010and2011people kept saying this over andover again.I think it’s now over 30years, people should learnto be charitable; they should learnto forgive andlet bygones be bygones especially when we know the truth about who didwhat. I will like to say that Buhari didn’t order myarrest, so I bear no grudge againsthim.” Mr. Thompson saidhissupportforMr. Buhari is borne out of the belief that Nigerianeeds a person of hischaracter to truncate the wave of corruption, economic meltdown and impunity that has characterised President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration. “Yes, asfarI amconcerned now and consideringthe fact that there is anorder that the Ministerof Petroleum should not appear before the National Assembly to defendher conduct andconsideringthe fact that the Nairahadbeen further devalued. Nowlisten, in Ghanathe Cedi we used to mock, the Rupee we used to mock andthe Yen. The Nairais just not there again.We say revalue the Naira but they saidthey cannot because we only have one commodity,” he said. “The government has been saying a lot about agriculture.Cocoa providedthe mainstayof the defunct western region under Chief Obafemi Awolowo. Groundnuts providedthe mainstayof the defunct northern economy under SirAhmadu Bello. Have our farmlands suddenly become infertile?We have solid minerals; we have gold in Ilesa.What I am trying to say is that if we look critically, we have other commodities andif they are harnessed we will be ableto say we have more than oil,” he added. He saidhe believed that if Mr. Buhari became presidenthe would not tolerate sacredcows like is the case under PresidentJonathan. “Some even seem to be too powerful. They are sacredcows andthey cannot be tamed. Is that not dangerous? I believe that a person like Buhari atthis time can call anybodyto order andsome people are afraidof that.” PT Related Posts: Even if PresidentBuhari presents NEPA billascertificate,… Nobodycan IslamiseNigeria– Buhari PDP ChieftainEndorses, Campaigns For APC’s Buhari BREAKING:No link between Buhari, Boko Haram– Jonathan… Comments comments
Posted on: Mon, 12 Jan 2015 10:52:03 +0000
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