Bayelsa State’s anniversary and Abacha’s legacy

Although General Abacha is dead, his memory will remain ever etched on the hearts and minds of the Bayelsa people. In recognition of the late General Sani Abacha’s contribution to the development of Bayelsa, the people of the state have resolved to award him a posthumous honour as part of the 10th anniversary of the […]

Although General Abacha is dead, his memory will remain ever etched on the hearts and minds of the Bayelsa people. In recognition of the late General Sani Abacha’s contribution to the development of Bayelsa, the people of the state have resolved to award him a posthumous honour as part of the 10th anniversary of the creation of Bayelsa State. Indeed, it is not how long a leader stays in office that matters but the impact of his rule. State creation is one of the toughest decisions that can confront many governments in Nigeria. Strong leaders like the late General Sani Abacha did, not however, fear taking tough decisions. His creation of Bayelsa State was like a pleasant surprise to the indigenes of the area when it was officially announced. It was greeted with a sigh of relief. To demonstrate their love and appreciation to the late General Abacha, a powerful delegation of Bayelsa indigenes recently visited Kano State to express their support for the gubernatorial ambition of Mohammed Abacha, the son of the late military ruler, who is aspiring to be elected as the governor of Kano State in 2011 under the platform of the PDP.

The leader of the delegation, Chief Simon Ambakederemo, advised the people of Kano State to throw their weight behind the gubernatorial ambition of Mohammed Abacha. He said they are proud that one of Abacha’s sons has joined politics to offer service to the people. According to him, the late General Abacha had worked greatly for the progress of Nigeria and the people of Kano State should reciprocate his efforts by supporting Mohammed Abacha to become the next Governor of the State. Chief Ambakederemo believes that Mohammed is imbued with passion and energy for service, which makes him the symbol of generational change. According to him, younger people are taking over political leadership across the world and that Nigeria cannot overlook this global reality. He said it is not enough to call our youths the leaders of tomorrow unless we are ready to give them a chance to prove themselves. As Bayelsans mark the 10th anniversary of the creation of Beyelsa state on 1st October 1996 by the late General Sani Abacha regime, the people of the State are full of praises for the late military Head of State for bringing their long-held dream to fruition. Good record is usually cast in stone and, therefore, no attempt by opponents of a man can wipe away the memory of his outstanding performance.

For several years, the people of Bayelsa State had agitated for a state of their own but the dream didn’t materialize until in October 1996 when the late General Sani Abacha finally listened to their appeal. In a tribute to General Abacha, a top Ijaw leader, Chief Simon Ambakederemo, effusively praised God for bring someone like Abacha along to make their dream a reality, after many years of ardent and hard struggle. According to Chief Simon Ambakederemo, who is also a publisher, General Abacha’s name would remain ever etched on the minds of the Bayelsians. Indeed, a good legacy is the greatest bulwark in defence of a man’s record. State creation requires a decisive leader to carry out and courage was the late General Abacha’s middle name. Ironically, because of our short memories, it takes the passage of time to bring out the salient features of a man’s achievements. Again, the failures of today usually take us back to the good record of yesterday.

Therefore,   the decision by the indigenes of Beyelsa State to posthumously honour General Abacha among other prominent Nigerians listed to mark the 10th anniversary of the state’s creation cannot be faulted. His impact was brief but profound. In fact, some of the legacies of his regime are still standing a as a tribute to his memory. The National Hospital, the railway modernization project and the dredging of the lower Niger are legacies for which we must give credit to Abacha. Giving the Niger Delta 13 percent under the derivation principle of revenue allocation formula is by far the greatest contribution of the late General Abacha to the development of the oil producing area. Since then, subsequent governments have been confronted with the necessity of increasing their allocations.

Jackson wrote in from No. 120, Sir Mobalaji Bank-Anthony Way, Surulere, Lagos State