NIGERIAN MILITARY IS SEEN AS LOSING SUPPORT - THE NEW YORK TIMES 1984

LAGOS, Nigeria, April 29— Four months after seizing power, Nigeria's military leaders appear to be suffering an erosion of popular support.
Last Dec. 31, Maj. Gen. Mohammed Buhari led a group of young officers in a coup against the civilian Government of President Shehu Shagari, saying the takeover was necessary to save Nigeria, Africa's richest and most populous nation, from economic collapse.
The military intervention appeared at the time to enjoy enthusiastic support from a broad range of Nigeria's population.
Many intellectuals argued that the corruption and incompetence of the Shagari administration had made drastic action both necessary and inevitable. Traders, merchants and people in the streets welcomed the soldiers and looked forward to a quick improvement in their standard of living.

Growing Disappointment
Recently, however, there seems to be growing disappointment with both the military Government's approach and pace.
''Since coming to power, this Government has not found a single problem,'' said Dr. Olu Onagoruwa, a prominent lawyer and a longtime opponent of the Shagari administration. ''But it has managed to alienate the judiciary, the press, labor and students - all the groups that supported it just a few months ago.''

Critics of the military Government point out that it has yet to present its budget. Loan negotiations with the International Monetary Fund continue but Western economists say that Nigeria and the I.M.F. appear to be further apart now than during the final days of the Shagari administration.

Early indications that General Buhari would agree to devalue Nigeria's currency, liberalize trade and reduce domestic petroleum subsidies have so far not materialized. Prices Have Climbed

In addition, prices for food and other essential commodities, which fell in the first weeks after the coup largely because of the presence of soldiers in the marketplaces, have now returned to or exceeded their levels before the coup. Unemployment has been rising, and many of the imported raw materials and spare parts needed to keep factories running have been lacking.

Critics note further that political activity and even debate have been banned and some students organizations have been outlawed. There has been a clampdown on Nigeria's press, and the country's traditionally independent judiciary has also seen its role sharply diminished.

''At the moment we're looking at a clear movement toward authoritarian dictatorship,'' said Stanley N. Macebuh, executive editor of The Guardian, an independent newspaper that had often taken the Shagari administration to task. ''It's a trend that disturbs a lot of people, not least those who welcomed the change of government.''

Spokesmen for the military leadership maintain that they know what they are doing and refuse to be rushed. They deny the charges of inaction, saying that steps have been taken. Trials Being Prepared
The Government, they say, has put much energy into investigating the corruption of the Shagari administration and in preparing tribunals to try the accused, close to 500 of whom are now under detention.
Officials say about 2,000 illegal aliens have been ejected from the country and several thousand people have been detained in a crackdown on suspected criminals and Moslem extremists.
They say Nigeria's bloated bureaucracy has been streamlined through the dismissal of thousands of officials and civil servants.
Three weeks ago an agreement was reached in London on converting a part of Nigeria's uninsured trade debts into loans.
The Government's critics respond that the economic initiatives treat symptoms rather than causes and aid the larger issue of how to restructure Nigeria's economy.
A Western diplomat said General Buhari ''could have accomplished so much if he had moved quickly and boldly in the early days when his popularity was still so high and when he could have credibly blamed everything on Shagari.''

http://www.nytimes.com/1984/05/01/world/nigerian-military-is-seen-as-losing-support.html

cc lalasticlala

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Buhari baba go slow and steady

It looks like this Baba go slow slogan of our Daura Dol!ard didn't start today. The only change to me is the date.

Same steps/approach to me....

It's so painful some people don't learn from their mistakes in life. Once a dullard always a dullard

And they promised fast tracking.

Baba IFOD

Anyone expecting Buhari to perform better in 2015 compared to 1984 is simply silly. Does a dog learn new tricks at old age
We would be lucky if he performs half as well as he did in 1984.

Today, he has this 'democaracy' handicap thing, where the opposition has a real role and need to yab him as much as they like.
In the military days, any opposition is silenced; that maybe a little difficult today, thanks to the standards set by GEJ to allow even the most hateful opposition air their voice.

Did I not tell you guys its back to the 1980s? See what Oyibo is saying. Even then he and his military thugs did nothing.

Una don elect coup plotter wey reach grandpa level and now, with all the pictures of him here and there, and today, Boko Haram is better than before, no steady power, no cabinet, no nothing.

Sai Buhari

The Wailers are very busy above

Now they are crying of how Buhari has not fixed all the mess created by the PDP in a lightening speed.

#Wailers

Well it seems you have no choice but to wait 4years this time around. No military coup is going to truncate the full process this time around.

Sai Baba

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egift:
The Wailers are very busy above

Now they are crying of how Buhari has not fixed all the mess created by the PDP in a lightening speed.

#Wailers

Zombies still trying to make sense with a dead brain. The US government said your team of dullards couldn't even put together a power point presentation. Over 200 people went on a useless trip to USA and came back with zero progress and your not even ashamed or repentant

what ever it is I v not seen any candidate which is beta Dan pmb kom 2019 let d tanoiids keep deceiving demselves. till all ur paymasters secret is publicly exposed u people will never stop wailling tatas on d loose

This piece is quite instructive. But I refuse to be pessimistic. Buhari has six months to show nigerians that he's different or we wait for another 'messiah'.

I hope he has learnt his lessons. Thunder shouldn't strike twice on the same spot

It was as if I was reading 2015 news.....

Baba go slow dishing out change since 1984

Nigeria the only sh1tthole in the world where sectional coup-plotters benefit from the same Democracy they work very hard to truncate. Thank God i'm Biafran.

Ok

Once a Go-Slow always a Go-Slow. His Royal Cluelessness got his Go-Slow medal way back in 1984.