Why do we take up inanities as things suitable for pomp and celebrations? The whole world is watching and taking notes.
I have never taken this certificate saga as a serious thing because it was a common knowledge that in pre-independence and post-independence Nigeria – until the early 70s, those with some measure of academic flair never ever considered the military as a career option as it was beneath their status
Let me put it out that Buhari did not have the WASCE/Cambridge certificate as at then and it is not a big deal to me personally. Afterall most soldiers in his generation never had WAEC/Cambridge and the reasons are known -it is not unique to him.
There was no need for the exhibition and boisterous show of shame on social media because of the begging question.
If so, what was he presenting to INEC since 2003 when he joined politics?
Let us situate the facts with history. I have to make this elaborate so that people would learn some facts here.
We all need to know this, that following the gale of Independence of African states in the late 50s and early 60s which Nigeria was a beneficiary of, the Colonialist needed to whittle down their Officer corps in the various newly independent states to create room and prospects for a new generation of indigenous officers..
STANDARDS WERE LOWERED!!!!
It is a known fact that a lot of the African officer corps were given meteoric promotions just to fill up the vacancies created by the divesting colonial military officers
Bear in mind that in the colonial African countries, the Educated African considered Military service as infra dig.
So the military was the dumping ground for the never do wells who couldn’t measure up academically and the ruffians who were considered misfits…
There was a dearth of educated Africans in the military service.
Indigenous recruits were split between two groups.
1. The officer Cadet prospects- with pre-qualification hinged on a perceived level of Educational attainment/Capacity to learn and fit as a potential officer and strong military /leadership attributes.
2. The Rank and File prospects- Illiterate peasants with no discernable and; minimal capacity to learn and fit as a potential officer and strong military/leadership attributes.
Buhari fitted category 1 above -he did not have the WASC but based on his school principal’s recommendation, he was enrolled.
It is a known fact that he got in via a letter of recommendation and there is NOTHING TO BE ASHAMED OF -95% got in by almost the same method.
In this light, any one with some level of education had a good chance of been propped up to the officer cadre and if that person shows a measure of scholarly aptitude and strong military attributes, the sky was the limit for such a fellow.
There was a window of opportunity even for the stark illiterates that showed a measure of intelligence.
It was a good move but it gave rise to some tragic occurrence like the case of Emperor Jean Bidel Bokassa, Mobutu Seseko and Idi Amin Dada.
Whereas in Nigeria as in all other african countries, those who had proper certificates considered a career in the Military as infradig as I earlier said.
Most school cert holders and standard six holders either joined the civil service or benefited from the various scholarship programs not to talk of the correspondence schools to upgrade their academic qualifications. It was more fashionable to be a Civil servant, lawyer,Doctor Engineer than joining the military.
The military was reserved for the never do wells, yard bullies, stubborn children with ossified and calcified brains that were impervious to learning and academics.
Only very few in that generation actually had the right qualifications that Joined the Military. Buhari was not in that elite class.
We are quick to forget this known historical fact.
To buttress this point I am making, for example, Ojukwu was the first Bsc and Msc degree holder and one of the few educated ones to enrol into the Military then.
As a Major, he was the first African Military Officer(and the youngest in the history of JSSC College at Latimer UK. ) to skip the Staff (Army) College course and enrolled for the JSS course and passed.
JSSC – the course that was meant for Brigadier generals and it was one of the hardest courses to pass.
History had it that in 1962 when the vacancy arose for a slot in Joint Staff Services College(JSSC), Nigeria had no officer they were confident could do the nation proud due to known academic deficiencies of the Senior officers.
Major Ojukwu was chosen based on the faith/confidence the authorities had in him and he didn’t fail them — HE REPRESENTED NIGERIA proudly.
Upon his return in 1963, he was promoted Lt Col by rank( but a Major General) by designation and authority.
He was the first QMG of the Nigerian Army.
(…I believe this was were the seeds of the civil war was sown. His mates resented him for this moreso he was the son of the richest Nigerian man and he had a lot of swag -good looks and a badass womaniser/playboy )
As for Buhari, it is obvious that he did not have the certificates when he enrolled. Even his training pathway in the army evidenced such.
He did not make the cut for Sandhurst. His credentials are known.
He Joined the then Nigerian Military Training School, Kaduna in 1963, Attended Officer’s Cadet School in Aldershot (United Kingdom), October 1963.
While those with better credentials went to SANDHURST…THEN LATTER PROCEEDED TO Staff (Army) College – Camberly UK COURSES, OUR DEAR BUHARI WAS NOT ABLE TO PASS THROUGH THAT ROUTE DUE TO ACADEMIC DEFICIENCY.
He latter attended Platoon Commanders’ Course at the Nigerian Military College, Kaduna, 1964, attended the Mechanical Transport Officer’s Course at the Army Mechanical Transport School in Borden (United Kingdom) 1965, attended Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji 1975.
He studied at the Defense Services’ Staff College, Wellington (India), 1973, attended the United States Army War College, June 1979 to June 1980.
Whether he passed the courses or not is not the subject matter but it would be terrific if he can present his credentials for inspection too.
Sincerely, he had garnered enough on the job training quite alright but the truth is he does not have the WASC… and so far as I am concerned, it is not a big deal.
We have bigger problems at hand to tackle. Today’s noise is needless by all the hailers. It should have been something quietly done without pomp and pageantry if we had shame and value.
My question still stands:
1) what was he presenting all this while to INEC since 2003–
was it NEPA BILL?
2) why did he have to hire multiple numbers of SANs to defend him earlier on if this route was open to him all these while?
Integrity is not selective. I am not wailing. I am just embarrassed as a Nigerian because I have values and I still have shame.
