16th July, 2025
PRESS RELEASE:
WHY BUHARI IS THE FATHER OF MODERN NIGERIA
A faith-based human rights organization, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has reiterated its description of the late former President Muhammadu Buhari as the Father of Modern Nigeria. The group also gave reasons for giving him the appellation.
The reasons were contained in a statement issued on Wednesday, 16th July, 2025 by the group’s Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola.
The statement reads:
“Hundreds of tributes have been pouring in for the late former President Muhammadu Buhari whose death was announced on Sunday, 13th July, 2025. He died in a London clinic at the age of 82. But none of those tributes has captured vintage Buhari as we know him.
“We have called Buhari ‘Father of Modern Nigeria’ at least on two occasions. We first gave the late president the name ‘Father of Modern Nigeria’ in our statement of 14th March, 2022.
“Showcasing the Lagos-Ibadan train which was newly launched at the time, we took about twenty of our members on a picnic from Lagos to Ibadan. We rode on the train for the first time as first hand witnesses.
“Impressed by what we saw and experienced, we declared that Buhari was the Father of Modern Nigeria (https://www.vanguardngr.com/2022/03/how-buhari-has-re-engineered-modern-nigeria-muric/).
“We reiterated this stand one year later in May 2023 when Buhari handed over government (https://leadership.ng/muric-hails-buharis-achievements-calls-him-father-of-modern-nigeria/; https://gazettengr.com/buhari-father-of-modern-nigeria-survived-death-conspiracy-muric/?tztc=1). We are consistent even though his achievements are too numerous to mention in a single press statement.
“The most outstanding cassu belli for calling Buhari ‘Father of Modern Nigeria’ are his compelling infrastructural achievements, particularly his breakthrough in rail transportation. Lagos-Ibadan expressway used to witness long traffic gridlock extending over twenty or more kilometers.
“Vehicles moved at snail speed on Lagos-Ibadan expressway and a journey which should last just one hour, ceteris paribus, used to take eight to ten hours. It was a route of waste, frustration, horror and sorrow. But all these disappeared the moment Buhari’s train made its debut. That is one major reason for calling Buhari the ‘Father of Modern Nigeria’.
“Buhari’s train did not stop at Lagos-Ibadan, Abuja-Kaduna and Itakpe-Warri standard gauge rail lines will remain Buhari’s bold signatures for a long time. The latter had been abandoned since 1987.
“It is important to note that if former President Muhammadu Buhari had been corrupt, the $2.1 billion spent on the Lagos-Ibadan railroad would have gone down the drain. The painful frustrating journeys to those destinations would have continued till date. Ditto for other railroads constructed by him.
“But there are other reasons. Buhari’s other achievements stood him out. He turned the security architecture round 360 degrees. Like we said in one of our earlier statements, one of Mr Buhari’s successes in the area of security is the absence of suicide bombers and the closure of many Internally Displaced People (IDP) camps.
“Seventeen out of Nigeria’s 774 Local Government Areas were under the full control of Boko Haram when Buhari took over in 2015. It was so bad that the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) said Boko Haram was controlling the size of Belgium. But Buhari pushed them back and recovered all territories.
“Nigerian troops who used to flee to Niger or Chad during fierce clashes with insurgents due to lack of better weapons became emboldened under the Daura-born president. Nigerian media reported this ugly spectacle in November 2014 during the reign of ex-President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan (https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/170914-nigerian-soldiers-flee-as-boko-haram-captures-more-territory-in-adamawa.html?tztc=1).
“This was made possible because instead of diverting funds meant for weapons and military hardware, Buhari made Nigeria’s money count. He strengthened the military by purchasing the most sophisticated weaponry from everywhere in the world, including American Tucano fighting jets and attack helicopters.
“Who else can qualify for the appellation ‘Father of Modern Nigeria’ but a three star general who was former military governor, former head of state, former Chairman of the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF) and president of Nigeria for eight good years but in spite of these high level opportunities to enrich himself, he died three days ago leaving behind just two houses which he had before becoming president: one in Kaduna, and the other in Daura, his hometown. He has not built an additional house even after eight years in office.
“Though he has not hurt Nigerians in any deliberate manner, he asked for forgiveness from us. Courtesy demands that we must pray for him in death. In particular, as a faith-based organization, MURIC will be failing in its duty if we do not pray for this great man who has done so much for his country but who has often been misunderstood.
“May Almighty Allah forgive him. May He shower His Divine Mercy on him. May He also grant him Al-Jannah Firdaus. Aamiin.
“A colossus and an indisputable national icon, Buhari pursued politics of discipline, honesty and selflessness. For him, it was Nigeria first. He was a leader par excellence, a patriot nulli secundus. He stands tall among other Nigerian leaders, living or dead.
“Greatest Nigerian People, Ladies and Gentlemen of conscience and truth, we present to you posthumously, Mr. Integrity, Mr. Pedigree, Mr. Nigeria First, the greatest patriot Nigeria ever had, Ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, the Father of Modern Nigeria.”
#Buhari
#FatherOfModernNigeria
Professor Ishaq Akintola,
Founder/Executive Director,
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)
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