By Goodluck Ikiebe
Immediate past President, Muhammadu Buhari at the public presentation of two books on his administration on Tuesday in Abuja, says the books will set the records straight on the development strides of his administration and keep critics at bay.
During his address at the occasion attended by President Bola Tinubu with ex- Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon as Chairman, Gen IBM Haruna as co- Chairman and Alhaji Mohammad Indimi as chief launcher, Buhari said, ” Let revisionists not rejoice that they have the ultimate say in the bid to distort history.
“Facts and records will ultimately prove them wrong. When some people engage in deliberate falsehood and distortion of facts that pertain to our tenure in office, I take solace in the fact that records are
there, and will remain inviolable.”
The two publications; Working with Buhari:Reflections of a Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, 2015 – 2023, written by Femi Adesina, who served as his Media Adviser for eight years, and a volume of five books, Muhammadu Buhari: The Nigerian Legacy (2015 – 2023), edited by Dr. Udu Yakubu, were presented to the public.
Praising Adesina and Yakubu for their efforts, Buhari said, “I told Adesina when he visited me in Daura with an advance copy of his book that he has done the nation a favour in writing it, as he has provided a one-stop shop on our stewardship to the country. The same has also been done by Dr. Udu Yakubu and his colleagues.
“Without documentation, revisionism wins. Human beings often have short memories, and unless events are recorded in cold print, some people would come and attempt to either distort, or even obliterate recent history.
“But the fact in our favour is that nothing was done under the veil of secrecy. We were as transparent and accountable as possible, being aware of the fact that posterity was the ultimate judge.
“We kept records of our stewardship, knowing that we would always
be required to account for the trust entrusted to us. This event today is part of accounting for our two terms in office, and I thank those who have
laboured day and night, to ensure that this history is recorded for now and
the future.
“Government is a continuum. It is like a relay race. You run your course, and hand over the baton to the next person. This we have done, and the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration has my support and confidence, in the quest for us to have a country of our dreams, where there is emancipation for our teeming population.
“With the cumulative achievements of government after government,
I believe we will get there in no distant time.
“In our journey to the desired destination, there will be hard decisions
taken, and the people would bear some costs. We can only seek their
understanding, and state that there was no intention to deliberately inflict pain on any one.
“This is why I apologized to such people at the end of our time in office. Sacrifices are still being made now, and will continue to be part of our national life and development. Governments will continually seek the understanding and support of the people they lead, for our ultimate good and goal.”
