Buhari and Decree No.4,1984
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Life and Issues with Tunde Thompson
tunsthompson@yahoo.com
08056180022

In his interview by Eric Osagie and Paulinus Aidoghie published in the Saturday Sun as a cover story on December 22, the former Head of State now chairman of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, made some comments on Decree No. 4 of 1984 on which one can neither be indifferent nor silent. Although the earlier focus had been on the three drug pedlars executed by the government, the little that the general said about the decree conveyed a totally different impression about the law, which warrants a response in the interest of historical accuracy and the truth.

After seemingly rejecting the idea that the decree was used by his government to gag the Press, Buhari suggested that the Press brought the “Nigerian factor” into the decree. In his own words: “….when people try to get job or contract and they couldn’t get it, they make a quick research and created a problem for people who refuse to do them the favour. What we did was that you must not embarrass those civil servants. If you have got evidence that somebody was corrupt, the courts were there.

Take the evidence to court, the court will not spare whoever it was. But you don’t just go and write articles that were embarrassing. Those who did it, the editors, the reporters, we jailed them….” Considering the fact that the decree was tested only once and involved only The Guardian newspaper and two of its editorial staff (Nduka Irabor and Tunde Thompson), what the general said in that interview amounted to fresh allegations, presented at the bar of public opinion this time around, and not what was tabled before the Decree 4 Tribunal chaired by Justice J.O. Ayinde.

One needs more illumination from the general on who it was that tried to get a job or contract from civil servants and was turned down, and later resorted to engaging in “a quick research” so as to create problems for them. The decree was applied only once, as earlier indicated, so how could Gen.

Buhari develop the idea that the accused newspaper and its editorial representatives set out to create problems for some unknown and unspecified civil servants then? Obviously, the General is not the same young and swashbuckling officer he used to be and therefore may well have forgotten details of the trial under Decree No. 4 of 1984, which led to financial sanctions against The Guardian and incarceration after some months of detention for its two workers.

That his memory might have failed him during the interview, however, does not mean the readers and future researchers should be given the impression that The Guardian and its men who worked independently on some diplomatic affairs reports, ever sought any favour from any civil servant, or tried to embarrass any of them in the way discussed during that interview. That is pure fiction, simple. Furthermore, there are some procedural and professional matters to which the General (“once a general, always a general,” not so?) did not direct his thoughts during the interview.

If, in the course of his or her work, a journalist (reporter or correspondent), comes about some information suggesting that a civil servant or any public officer had been “corrupt”, was it being suggested that the evidence should be taken to a court of law by the medium of mass communication concerned? Does the general still think the duty of the Press is to gather evidence for delivery to the law courts rather than publishing in the media (print or electronic)?

And how are we so sure, even if the suggestion of taking “the evidence to court” were to be considered, that “the court will not spare whoever it was” (that had been allegedly corrupt)? We live in an environment in which some well-connected public officers have, within the last decade, obtained ridiculous injunctions against prosecution for corrupt practices, even with all the weight of evidence marshaled by law-enforcement agencies like the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

We have thus all been told that such persons were and perhaps remain till today “untouchable”, as far as prosecution in any of our “temples of justice” is concerned. Suddenly, we have been left in a situation where the law has become a “respecter of persons”, to such an extent that even probes conducted in legislative chambers have not been followed up with any appreciable results, either there or in the courts of law. There were even reports that a prominent politician had the rare distinction of having his matter bordering on corruption ruled as being beyond the competence of any court in the country.

It is just a pity that Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe’s warning: “No condition is permanent”, is too easily forgotten by such people. It does appear that it is not politically expedient to subject some people to legal scrutiny, even if they went out of their ways to compete with the Central Bank in terms of the monies stashed away in private vaults. All one has been saying is that, contrary to what the general said, journalists are constitutionally empowered to investigate matters of national or public interest, and can go to town with their stories once the issues of libel, truth and fairness had been taken into account in writing and publishing them.

A precedent is the Joseph Tarka/Godwin Daboh and Daily Times corruption allegation between 1973 and 1974;it is one example we should not forget here. When sure of its facts, the medium concerned should publish and the exposed officials or individuals can then go to court, not the other way round. In other words, those tried under Decree 4 in 1984 neither accused any public official of corruption nor attempted to embarrass government and any such thoughts are simply a latter-day rationalization of a regime’s peculiar political power management strategy. Put briefly, before assuming power after the December 31, 1983, coup d’etat, the media had reported that a N2.8billion oil money was missing and as Minister, Gen. Buhari could not have taken kindly to those reports. Secondly, the General may not have forgotten yet that Dele Giwa of Newswatch newsmagazine, once asked him what he thought about press freedom.

The answer he gave (not denied till today), was this: “Press Freedom? What’s that? I’ll step on it!”Decree No.4 was the first attempt to step on the Press and public opinion by the regime, but it back-fired. Thirdly, Decree No. 4 was not yet promulgated by the time this writer was detained under Decree No. 2, and it took almost two weeks before a world press conference on its promulgation was held. So, why lock up anybody when there was no law yet on the matter?Fourthly, the security organization had wanted to know who gave the information on the diplomatic stories published, as already detailed elsewhere.

They were not obliged with such information, which would have been done against the ethics of Journalism. These are some of the abiding and unforgettable evils of Decree No. 4 of 1984, which nobody can ignore or wish away. Repentance and attitudinal changes are now overdue, not justification of undemocratic actions at this time.

So saint Buhari committed all these atrocities? Smh

Sincere 9gerian: So saint Buhari committed all these atrocities? Smh

Buhari is not a saint and never was. He is a despot. A coup plotter who wanted to be a life president. He still can't get his ambition out of his head. Now he is playing on the intelligence of some gullible kids. Buhari represents that group of military bigots that polluted the Nigerian Army in the 70s. Causing coups and counter coups between 1975 and 1985. Those group of officers all grew up together and had only one mindset: how to outdo each other. That is why IBB is not happy with OBJ and OBJ told him he will never be a civilian president.

[size=150]hmmmmmmmm.[/size]

thelastPope:

Buhari is not a saint and never was. He is a despot. A coup plotter who wanted to be a life president. He still can't get his ambition out of his head. Now he is playing on the intelligence of some gullible kids. Buhari represents that group of military bigots that polluted the Nigerian Army in the 70s. Causing coups and counter coups between 1975 and 1985. Those group of officers all grew up together and had only one mindset: how to outdo each other. That is why IBB is not happy with OBJ and OBJ told him he will never be a civilian president.

Very correct!

thelastPope:

Buhari is not a saint and never was. He is a despot. A coup plotter who wanted to be a life president. He still can't get his ambition out of his head. Now he is playing on the intelligence of some gullible kids. Buhari represents that group of military bigots that polluted the Nigerian Army in the 70s. Causing coups and counter coups between 1975 and 1985. Those group of officers all grew up together and had only one mindset: how to outdo each other. That is why IBB is not happy with OBJ and OBJ told him he will never be a civilian president.

I'd rada b led by d General wit all d attributes u mentioned above dan by dis clueless fisherman GEJ.
While Buhari locked up rich men nd powerful men GEJ is busy giving dem state pardons nd hees busy wining n dining wit criminal, wat Buhari did in 15months is far beta dan wat PDP has don in 14yrs

Will this sort of threads EVER make front page? I'm asking the shamelessly biased moderators. Smh

A.S Slimm:


I'd rada b led by d General wit all d attributes u mentioned above dan by dis clueless fisherman GEJ.
While Buhari locked up rich men nd powerful men GEJ is busy giving dem state pardons nd hees busy wining n dining wit criminal, wat Buhari did in 15months is far beta dan wat PDP has don in 14yrs

And you can't connect with the FACT that Buhari's mis-adventure, weakness and cluelessness ( at the only period Idiagbon travelled out of the country) led this country into 19 SOLID years of DARKNESS under IBB and Abacha? 19yrs is not 19days.

Some of you guys are heartless and wicked.

Duh!

A.S Slimm:


I'd rada b led by d General wit all d attributes u mentioned above dan by dis clueless fisherman GEJ.
While Buhari locked up rich men nd powerful men GEJ is busy giving dem state pardons nd hees busy wining n dining wit criminal, wat Buhari did in 15months is far beta dan wat PDP has don in 14yrs

Buhari did nothing in 20 months apart from harras journalists like Dele Giwa and critics like Tai Solarin. Buhari was petroleum minister under OBJ's military rule and presided over major theft in our petroleum industry. He still cannot account for about 5 years of PTF chairmanship with over 200 billion naira squandered! Except you want to count soldiers flogging people on the streets like we are in the barracks as an achievement.

A supposedly smart general was caught napping in a palace coup. The only palace coup ever in this country. Had not even the balls to fight back rather valued his dear life to the detriment of his teaming supporters and Nigerians who he condemned to 19yrs of darkness all because he was so clueless and liver less didnt even put up knife talk-less a gun. General indeed.

Sincere 9gerian:
‎​

Some of you guys are heartless and wicked.

Yes, like Mr I-had-no-shoes.


Frawzey

Sincere 9gerian: So saint Buhari committed all these atrocities? Smh

So Mr I-had-no-shoes got boots afterall!

Boots to march on the people during the subsidy saga to the point where people where stranded at various villages.

Boots to bootleg soldiers to the protest ground with armoured tanks just cos the electorate wants to be heard.

Boots to kick away the subsidy report by Ribadu like an empty tin of milk.

Boots to kick away poor citizens while favouring foreigners in the land of milk and honey.

Boots to step-on and rubbish Alams fraud documents. The boots also stamped Alams has his benefactor and make him eligible to "re-steal" more money when he becomes senator in 2015.

Boots to jog the country to the highest peak of "Mount corruption" in a democratic regime.

Boots to jab APC's registration process with the connivance of INEC.

Anyway, nothing lasts forever. Those boots would be taken off by 2015.


Frawzey

Decree No.4, 1984 was an archaic attempt to curb fake news, albeit the use of a nuclear bomb to kill a suspect ant.

With the explosion of fake news today however, and the unfortunatecy of its virility and propensity to be believed, I wonder if there should not be some draconian law against anyone who believes fake news instead. It might make people check what they claim, at least.

thelastPope:


Buhari did nothing in 20 months apart from harras journalists like Dele Giwa and critics like Tai Solarin. Buhari was petroleum minister under OBJ's military rule and presided over major theft in our petroleum industry. He still cannot account for about 5 years of PTF chairmanship with over 200 billion naira squandered! Except you want to count soldiers flogging people on the streets like we are in the barracks as an achievement.

Fake news like the above. Those alive in those days know how bad Nigeria was under Shagari and how different it became under Head of State Buhari.

Buhari tyranny have been ongoing since antiquity.A leopard never changes its skin.