Nigeria and the ruins of military rule
Military intervention in Nigeria’s politics as well as the overthrow of federalism and enthronement of unitary system of governance not only arrested Nigeria’s progress, that traumatic experience 50 years ago continues to haunt the nation’s life and threatens her future growth. Therefore, even after 17 years of unbroken civilian rule, Nigeria is yet to find its feet as a federation as vestiges of militarism still hold the country to ransome.
This being the 50th anniversary of military assault on Nigeria’s political soul, now is the time to look at the road the country has travelled and return it to the path of progress through a proper and sound federal structure.
Nigeria obtained independence on October 1, 1960, republican status on October 1, 1963 and thrived on the principle of federalism. Regionalism took root and prospered with four federating units developing in accordance with their endowments. They were not polluted then by the advent of oil and gas resources as they depended on deposits in their domains. But trouble began on January 15, 1966 when a group of young army officers led by Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu struck and killed so many political leaders of the regions but failed to take over state power. And then Major General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi, an officer of eastern extraction, took over from the putschists. General Aguiyi-Ironsi who emerged head of state and supreme commander of the armed forces then began, in military style , the demolition of the federal structure when he promulgated Decree No.34 of 1966, which enthroned a unitary system of government to be administered from the centre, then, Lagos.
The January 15, 1966 then gave birth to a more devastating counter-coup on July 29, staged by aggrieved officers of northern origin who killed General Aguiyi-Ironsi and his host, then Governor of Western Region, Lt. Col Adekunle Fajuyi in Ibadan, where he, Ironsi had gone to attend a traditional rulers’ meeting on the crisis of the new military government. That coup brought Lt. Col Yakubu Gowon to power, who partly did away with the unification decree and quickly created 12 states out of the four regions but all controlled still from the centre.
This is the origin of Nigeria’s crisis of federalism. Five decades on, Nigerians are still battling with the devastating effects of that adventure. Justice, equity and prosperity have been sacrificed on the altar of untarism or a false federalism. Today, the nation is still deafened by the clamour for the real thing.
It is, therefore, intriguing that this year, on the anniversary of the death of regional autonomy and true federalism, a retired military officer who had also served as military head of state, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), is the democratically elected leader of Nigeria. And it should be hardly not surprising that he remains opposed to even any discussion of the spectre of federalism annulled 50 years ago by his colleagues in uniform. So, for those who hold that Nigeria has been dealt a bad hand by the military, Buhari’s disposition to federalism today is evidence that not only is the same military temperament still in power, there may be no respite in the offing.
What a disaster the Nigeria’s military’s adventure into politics was and remains for Nigeria can also be seen in the game of the successive officers who seized political power at whim, using false, ego-driven and sometimes unpatriotic considerations. The other day, President Buhari, who was military Head of State recalled that his successor, General Ibrahim Babangida, toppled him because there was ongoing investigation with a view to sacking, another officer Aliyu Gusau who was Babangida’s friend for alleged corruption. Babangida has denied this, but the world now knows that Nigeria, the largest black nation on earth was nothing more than a toy in the hands of military officers in that era.
Military politicians in power from January 15, 1966 until 1999 destroyed Nigeria’s economy, ruined the currency, desecrated the civil service which was the best on the continent then and killed education, which was one of the world’s best. They ruined a culture of honesty and institutionalised corruption that has become public enemy number one today. What is more, they even destroyed their own institution, the military, which at some point became one of the most operationally inefficient and corrupt on the continent.
It is now very important for Nigerians to remember that the most significant assignment for President Muhammadu Buhari and the ruling party that brought him to power is to recover those lost years by strengthening democracy and by restoring federalism.
That is the only path to redemption for Nigeria. It is the only way to peace, progress, unity and prosperity.
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11 Comments
On point, Gbam!
I totally disagree with this editorial. The problem was the politicians and is still the politicians not the military. The politicians right from the time of our so-called founding fathers have been very selfish. They cared only for themselves that is why corruption is rife today. What legacy did those that have left leave behind, nothing but corruption. The current crop of politicians are the same. The first military coup was because of corruption, then. Apart from the second military coup which was a revenge coup all others have been because of corruption. The decadence in the military can be traced to the politicians. If the politicians had taken their time to discuss the best way forward for Nigeria, instead of jostling to take over from the colonialists, things would have been a lot more better than the terrible situation we are in today. The politicians of today are still jostling to take over….. That is the mentality, and they don’t take responsibility.
I really cannot agree with your editorial in total. I am not a historian nor an anthropologist, but this article reminds me that for we, black, coloured, negro whatever you want to call us, all over the world, our woes are always caused by some external event or person, never by ourselves. For the african americans and caribbeans, its slavery, for the the africans its either the colonial masters or tribal genocide or dictatorship in one form or another that has put us where we are. I am not trying in any way whatsoever to make light of the enormous and horrendous economical and physcological impacts of slavery, or colonialism or dictatorship, but is that an excuse for not moving forward, when the opportunity is given. Is having a corrupt military dictatorship an excuse for having a an even more corrupt civilian democratic government. We have to take responsibility for who we are and what we are. Its not enough to say that the military destroyed us. We destroyed us, and we will continue to until we evolve into a more civilised society. During the last Government, I asked my some of my friends from the south south, if it was not a pity that our former President Jonathan was given the opportunity by the people of Nigeria on a platter of gold (we voted for him) to be greater than Nelson Mandela in Africa, to lead us all towards civilisation and prosperity, their general response shocked me – “it is our time now” they said ” the yorubas and hausas have had their own share, why should we now be the only ones that wont have ours” Need I say more. Maybe we did get the government we deserved. I hope that this current government will help to develop some level of civilisation and for lack of a better word, mental sophistication, amongst our people, because until then, we are who we are, and we must first take responsibility for it before we can grow beyond it.
Nigeria’s problem was not the military and it did not start with the military, it was tribal politics spearheaded by AWOLOWO and AKINTOLA (western region operation wetie) and the NPC tribal oligarchs.
Zik was a true nationalist, ahmadu bello and awolowo were nationalistic tribalists.
This brought about the January ’66 coup led by nzeogwu.
Nigeria will continue to go backwards perhaps she will return to 1966 soon.
The northern oligarchy remains the biggest enemy of Nigerian unity because of their opposition and resistance to restructuring Nigeria to real federalism, they have appropriated the Nigerian state for themselves and virtually every important position of power in Nigeria is occupied by the Hausa fulani to the exclusion of other tribes, it does seem that the only Nigeria they accept is that which gives them dominion and makes them the colonial master of the other tribes in Nigeria.
it is the will of allah that some would hold the head of the cow while others milk it…
THEY SHOULD READ THIS WITH RAPT ATTENTION as it contains a lot, for the informed and trained minds – ‘course, it is coming to you free of charge!
[Military intervention in Nigeria’s politics as well as the overthrow of federalism and enthronement of unitary system of governance not only arrested Nigeria’s progress, that traumatic experience 50 years ago continues to haunt the nation’s life and threatens her future growth. Therefore, even after 17 years of unbroken civilian rule, Nigeria is yet to find its feet as a federation as vestiges of militarism still hold the country to ransome.
This being the 50th anniversary of military assault on Nigeria’s political soul, now is the time to look at the road the country has travelled and return it to the path of progress through a proper and sound federal structure.]
The unfortunate thing happening or happened to Nigeria is that all those so-called military leaders do not know anything about DEMOCRACY and economics or how to achieve or nurse one as was the case for France and the other States managed under Military Rule! Worse of all being that those who showed understanding of how to mend the fences collapsed about Nigeria amongst the military officers at the helm of affairs in Nigeria were masterly removed – officers like Murtala Muhammed and Tunder Idiagbon! The worst case scenario is that of IBB’s tenure – he turned Nigeria on its Head both politically and economics such that the currency of Nigeria was not only devalued but debased! In a country without infrastructure, no Industries in the true sense of it – no energy power which every economy or society crave for at least to keep the hope and security of the people alife even under the fractured cohession required for the building of any economy he ensured (went further) that all collapsed and or truncate everything about Nigeria! Even now attempts to remind them about the dangers and how to return the country to sane and rational thinking you’re rebuffed all due to that same inefficient or deficient trail of not organised Military! Nigerian leadership which admits the effect of SPOILS of War and the incumbent admits that the precursor was responsible for the woes on the country still cannot do something to set such leadership us as example! On the contrary, they went fishing out Gen. Sani Abacha’s loots even though he (Abacha) set up a panel whose report could have helped Nigeria in dealing with corruption from its root cause that early! OBJ claimed he could not see the ‘Report’ in the archives of Nigeria’s administrative set-up – all visionary leaders for Nigeria! Na wa-wa-wao for Nigeria!
Look I don’t want to be drawn into this blame game discussion other than to say that I saw part of the problems as early as 1979 and I did write to both Obasanjo and Governor Jim Nwobodo of Anambra State from London reminding them what the problems were likely to be and how they can be dealt with in a piecemeal manner or approach, if you like knowing the background of each one of them – one civilian and the other military not trained in any sense to take care of covilians! The problems have persisted unabated to date in Nigeria and they are growing with the growth of the population! incidentally solutions have been proffered for use in attempting to solve the problems but the issues at stake is that those in authority I said early, need to know what the problems and the policies to avert them on their own first before they call in advisers to muddle things up! unfortunately, the system in Nigeria appears or is arranged to relegate the people that can help and it their place recruit unscrupulous characters to manage the affairs of the people – and that exacerbated the problem you have in the country! Worse is that those advising the leaders are not duly elected by the people so they get onto the system with such baggage lined up with vendetta and vindictive dispositions – whims and caprices such that even their ‘bosses’ get in position of ‘hostages’, if you like! I mean going by my obvious observation that you need leadership to know firsthand what policies and programs are about on their own volition first before they call in such advisers, in our case, are not elected in fact, in most of the cases, we don’t know then because the system we practice encourages them to work/ perform under cover and therefore wrongly administratively-back-stage!
Being aware of the problems economic and political I prepared a reasoned book by 1986 titled; “Nigeria – survival or disintegration!” the Chapter two of it bears the solution “A Self sustaining political system/ approach for Nigeria!” iN that chapter you discover the Option A-4 nd many other aspect of Nigeria’s administrative set up that I considered needed some reforms including the civil service – there was need for National Orientation , ‘Asset’ declaration and would you believe this ‘solar energy’ power for Nigeria all discussed that early, folks! Now with all that suggestions in the contacts acknowledged at the time the civil service was ripe and in keeping with the (GO) to send replies to correspondences, you’ll anticipate that Nigerian with my kind of thinking would find it easu to enter the administrative set-up rather it leaves you with that proverbial about the ‘Rich trying to get into the Kingdom of heaven!” Even to date and I have always referred to my website which speaks for itself; http://www.virgo-enterprised.com you’ll find names aand solutions on the website such that I am told that it is now regarded as a ‘repository’ for Nigerian authorities where they can poach solutions and then go away to magnify such at end opf ot they still make mistakes because they are not the owners of the concepts therefore do not know (cannot comprehend fully) what is meant in the concepts and how to apply them so as to provide the desired solutions for the people/ country!
The same thing is happening to the new political leadership solutions; rather than call the owner of the ideas, since you have other Nigerians employed to serve, they choose to copy your ideas and they make parody of it all end of the day – think about the ‘Option A-4’ and the adjuncts (Kogi State Governorship elections for example, you preferred/ settled on somebody with three wives and you’re talking about cut backs in your expenditures), then the Professors engaged as Commissioners and the Chairmen, none is privy to the ideas/ solutions yet the owner of the system not seen in the corridors of power and they talk about being DEMOCRATS! It is no gain saying it but then unless you start doing it the way and manner others before you did it, you are not going anywhere – there is no magic wand about political or economic growths for countries because successes on these aspect of development are based on conformity to facts (standards) and practical experiences, not on mago-mago mendacity!
They should study my new political leadership solution intent to help you solve the prevailing uneasiness in all spheres of your economic and industrial expectations and, for God’s sake, call in Vincent to expatriate his solutions to give you the full effect of the intentions for Nigeria!
Vincent writes from London – from the ‘Olympian height’ as it were – as a good philosopher you can see the trappings in Nigeria much better from that height, folks!
You don’t really understand what is wrong with Nigeria.
I encourage you to go read about SAP, try to understand it and its practical implications. I challenge you to take just one sector like cocoa or banking and do a deep analysis.
Currency devaluation is good for Nigeria. Anyone who doesn’t know this is simply ignorant.
the significant assignment for buhari is to remove the white part from our flag…
Look, the more I think about the critique from William Norris and his kind I get that infuriated – talking about ‘devaluation’ – I mean even the need for ‘National Orientation’ suggested for the Administration that will buttress whatever manufacturing you have in plan was not accepted – that is talking about the cohesion you need for the country’s citizenry to help you in such ‘SAPyy’ policy like they did in China! I mean Tude Idiagbon proposed need for a revival of primary industries to lead us to secondary and heavy ones with energy-power but all that were not thought out for during the era! Look just face your understanding of the articles/ features posted and leave my comment O.k.! At least, I am happy that my website speaks for itself about my own thinking and contributions for Nigeria, which are very compatible and they still cannot comprehend it fully, as we debate things!
We will review and take appropriate action.