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 Daily Independent Online.
* Friday, July 23, 2004.
Sins of the
fathers (2) Fri. July 23
The reactions of
Nigerians (to the
coup broadcast) were predictable. The nation was tired of military
changeover and their unfulfilled ‘manifestoes’. Abacha read what appeared
to be the longest "face the people" speech in Nigerian history.
He condemned in its entirety the policies and governance of Buhari, a
regime where he was one of the major decision makers.
Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida
became the Head of State of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and few
months later changed his title to President -a situation that aroused the
curiosity of Nigerians regarding what he was up to. True to type
Babangida started his own magic and got to an intolerable height of a Maradona
-a name he got from the press based on his consistent inconsistency. A
short-sighted Machiavellian who believes in settlement, Babangida started
awarding contracts to those he felt would aid him realize his tall dream.
His wife Maryam, unlike her immediate predecessor, engaged in spending
spree under the guise of Better Life for Rural Women. With her fashion
zealotry she became a cynosure of the people's eyes. Nigerians groaned
under pain and frustration while Babangida and his military junta
flourished in stupendous wealth.
To rescue a nation whose
public and international image was being smeared by drug trafficking,
money laundering and other vices the likes of Gani Fawehinmi, Femi Falana
and National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) started calling for
democratic rule and the extinction of the military in power. Courageous
journalists through pen and paper were attacking the government left,
right and center. Babangida rolled out strangulating decrees and reviewed
other existing ones he felt gave press leverage to government criticisms
.He clamped Gani and others in prison custody with Gani the most a die
hard government critic becoming the most frequent prison inmate in
Nigeria history.
The living
conditions in prison were so dehumanizing that some members of the
opposition hastily arranged their traveling documents and flew out of the
country on a self-exile. In Babangida's tyranny Nigerian most sensational
journalist was killed in an unprecedented letter bomb and the mystery
surrounding the death remaining the boldest question mark in the history
of black race. Babangida's era also wallowed in the Advance Fee fraud,
stirring up questionable liquidity and galloping inflation in the
economy.
In his own deceit Babangida
conducted the first, second and third election that never came to
fruition. He annulled the June 12 election acclaimed to be the fairest
and most transparent election in Nigeria political history. Following the
annulment Babangida vowed to reconduct in eight weeks an election, which
hitherto he couldn't in eight years. Nigerians were all wondering how he
was going to do it and not quite long he realized he had bitten more than
he could chew. He had shifted the handover date to the extent that he too
became convinced that Nigerians including his own military constituency
would no longer oblige him. Ashamed of himself though with some elements
of army bravado Babangida told the world in a hurriedly arranged press
conference that he was stepping aside. Whatever that means -Time will
tell.
The interim government of
Ernest Shonekan a former UAC Chieftain and renowned technocrat stepped in
and for the first time in a long while Nigerians heaved a sigh of relief
not necessarily that Shonekan was coming in as a messiah but apparently
because the evil genius has gone into oblivion. Shonekan was quite brief
though not so brief that he could not sign away a Multi Million Naira
World Bank Assisted water project for his state in the South West.
Unsurprising to the nation
Abacha disposed him of his leadership and as an offshoot of Babangida,
came out with decrees much more draconian than those of Idi Amin of
Uganda. He hired the services of some professional killers who executed
the various killings that brought tears and sorrow to many families. He
arrogated Mustafa, his Chief Security Officer to a demigod giving him
unlimited powers to ruthlessly deal with all oppositions. He avoided the
Press and their interview sessions and set up his own click who helped
launder a badly battered image while siphoning the economy of the nation.
Within Six months of reign
Abacha had acquired more wealth than any Nigerian living or dead. Unlike
Shonekan, Abacha was adamant and uncompromising in his approach to issues
affecting the State and the Citizenry. Like a bull he kept all his
subjects and the entire army community under strict surveillance. Under
Abacha Nigeria went back to the dark ages of black history and like the Israelites
in the wilderness cried aloud to the Almighty.
On the 8th day of July 1998 to
the consternation of all and sundry particularly those that saw him the
previous day, Abacha dropped dead. Ironically a wild jubilation engulfed
the nation. Nigerian workers, Students and Market women took to the
streets waving Victory Flags and chanting solidarity songs. The resulting
jubilations on the hills of Abacha's sudden death ushered in the
government of Abdulsalam Abubakar.
Another Niger man in power,
Abdulsalam came in with some sweeping reforms and those changes
jumpstarted the socioeconomic and political reconstruction. He handled
the sate affairs with amazing wisdom carrying everybody along until
another sudden death, this time the African pillar of sports Moshood
Abiola. His death again flared protest and violence across the nation.
Accusations and counter accusations of who killed the Onakokanfo
enveloped the political scene. The government while trying to manage the
impending mayhem started building political structures that were to
hasten the handing over government to civilians. The formation of
political parties were encouraged and that arrangement brought not only
Obasanjo from prison to power but presumably also what Nigerians today
are enjoying as democracy.
One year after that sizzling
interview with Mathew Kuka Nigerians have woken up to a painful
realization that nothing had changed at least for better. Except for
Abacha all the erstwhile Heads of State are still alive and like every
other homosapien not in a hurry to leave the planet. Rather than loose
their lives of comfort and affluence they are obviously fighting forces
of degradation. They want to bounce back to political and economic power
without which they feel naked and insecure.
Today Gowon is the chairman of
some blue-chip companies and many years after still enjoy the full
benefit of a retired army general. Currently Obasanjo is the Nigerian
president presiding over the affairs of an oil rich nation. He pays the
piper and therefore dictates the tones. Shehu Shagari is practicing
agriculture in a grand scale and spear heading the Arewa Consultative
Forum-a consortium of Northern elders where major decisions affecting the
nation are hatched. Buhari has been going from court to court advocating
an overturn in his favour the swearing in of a government whose second
tenure is almost expiring. He is desperate to come back to power for his
inordinate ambition.
Ibrahim Babangida has been out
of job since September 1993 and like every other job seeker he's been
worried because time is of essence. We all know how unpleasant a life of
inactivity could be particularly for someone who had a State portfolio
controlling the destinies of more than one hundred million people, now
finding himself in solitude. Today he is carrying out an opinion poll to
evaluate the degree of the people's perception of his second coming.
Shonekan and Abdulsalami with
the wisdom of Solomon are relaxing in their Lagos and Minna hideouts
respectively and probably working underground mapping out strategies.
Whichever way, the truth
remains that the presence and undying interest of the past Heads of State
leaves much to be desired. The intrigue of who gets what, when and how
undeniably remains the major problem facing the Nigeria Society. Should
any of these men of military might or their allies grab the presidency
come two thousand and seven, history would have completely vindicated the
philosophies and predictions of Kuka and Nigeria left in a thunderous
roller coaster.
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