MURTALA @ 40 – A HERO FOREVER

If Nigeria were looking for a combination of George Washington, Winston Churchill, Ho Chi Minh and Mao Ze Dung, it doesn’t need to look far; all of these national heroes arguably converge on one person – the late General Murtala Mohammad, perhaps Nigeria’s only legit hero who died, nay, was killed exactly forty years ago […]

If Nigeria were looking for a combination of George Washington, Winston Churchill, Ho Chi Minh and Mao Ze Dung, it doesn’t need to look far; all of these national heroes arguably converge on one person – the late General Murtala Mohammad, perhaps Nigeria’s only legit hero who died, nay, was killed exactly forty years ago today. It has been a refrain of this Column that this day, February 13, be declared Heroes’ Day in Nigeria to celebrate Murtala, whether with a public holiday attached to it or not, but preferably with.
Murtala has now spent more years in his grave than all the years he had spent alive. Commemorating him two years ago, this Column had said Murtala spent an equal number of years – 38 – alive and dead. But today, two years later, he has been gone 40 years than the years that he was here.  And of all my colleagues who would write, or have written, on Murtala this week, I have the good fortune and privilege of writing on the exact day, February 13.
Just a few weeks ago, we also ‘celebrated’ the legacies of the late Sardauna and Tafawa Balewa on the occasion of fifty years since their assassination. But, for the sake of argument, this Column would tentatively hazard that Murtala did more for this country, and Africa, more than any other leader past or present – and only Allah knows the future.
I am sure many people would disagree with me, and they have every right to do so. First, even my premise is subjective: I did not know Sardauna or Tafawa Balewa directly – all their good deeds I learnt second hand. But Murtala I knew, even if not personally. Meaning, I was aware when he was around. Secondly, perhaps because my father was an Imam and a school teacher and was not a ‘big government official’, I did not directly ‘suffer’ from Murtala’s bulala. Thirdly, as the seventies were the era of leftist politics, my opinion and judgment may have been clouded by the philosophy of the time.
Be that as it may, I have always wondered what Murtala would have become, or done, had fate not befallen him – and us – that morning of Friday February 13, 1976 in Lagos. Wondered about Murtala life-after-retirement after handing over to civilians in 1979. Wondered whether the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) would have won an election under a decidedly left-of-centre Murtala. In fact wondered whether many of the contestants of those 1979 elections would have even contested.
If Murtala were alive, would he have kept quiet in the face of the now inane (but at then considerable) inequities of that Second Republic? Would Murtala have supported, or sanctioned, the military coup of 1983? Would he have done an Obasanjo – come out of retirement and contest election? Would he, also like Obasanjo and Mahathir Mohammad of Malaysia, refuse to be rendered irrelevant after leaving office? Always wondered on these questions…but we qualify them with ‘walLahu A’alam’ – only Allah would have known what Murtala would have done, or become.
Murtala is a legend, he is history, but he is also current affairs. Our social studies and history books should be reviewed so that we can teach our children the Story of Murtala. The younger generation needs hope, and there is a lot of it in this man. Our children should be told this feel-good story: that there was once a Nigerian leader who epitomised selflessness, discipline and decisiveness. They should know, for example, that Murtala would have executed, as they do in China, ArmsGate culprits; in fact, the culprits would not have dared ab initio. Therefore, it is not enough, it may even be unfair, to list Murtala among the ‘has-been’ of Nigerian leaders. He was a pluribus unum! (Translated as From Many, One!)
At least one organisation is keeping the Murtala Torch alive – the Murtala Mohammed Foundation (MMF) a Nigeria-based non-governmental organisation dedicated to engendering socio-economic change through encouraging discourse and debate on issues pertinent to Africa’s development and programmes specially focused on citizens in a democratic state of law. MMF’s CEO is, Aisha Oyebode, the late General’s first child, herself an accomplished legal practitioner with an LLM and MBA.
Much has been written about Murtala and much will continue to be written. Apart for from the fact that, within the 199 days he was Nigeria’s Head of State (July 29, 1975 to February 13, 1976) Murtala initiated the return to civilian rule, created seven additional states, initiated local government reform, initiated the movement of the Federal Capital from Lagos to present-day Abuja in the middle of the country, it can be argued that his most important contribution to nation-building was in instilling discipline in the citizenry.
In his book, ‘The Trouble With Nigeria’, Professor Chinua Achebe tells the story of how “on the first morning of Murtala’s regime, the notoriously tardy Lagos employees managed to find a way to get to work on time – beating the stifling traffic and transport problems which had always formed part of their standard excuse for being late for work. The new helmsman’s ferocious reputation was such that Lagosians dared not cross him on his first day in office. Despite the fact that there were just as many vehicles on the road, Lagosians got to work on time for fear of offending the military strongman from Kano.”
In Murtala, the age-old argument about leaders being born or being evolved raised its head significantly. But, as Wikipedia says, leadership has qualities which include charismatic, inspiration , initiative and drive; role modeling; preoccupation with a role; a clear sense of purpose and commitment; result-orientation; and optimism. It could be said Murtala possessed all, if not more, than these qualities.
One thing Murtala had in abundance was charisma, known in Hausa as kwarjini. This was not unrelated to the fact that he had been fearless (jarumi) since he was small. This writer remembers reading somewhere that the late Chief Sunday Awoniyi had recollected that, at Barewa College in Zaria, Murtala did not pick fights with his equals: he fought higher, with his seniors. Perhaps the greatest contrast in history was the one between Murtala and his successor: while the whole world remembers Murtala as dashing, his then deputy was dashing for cover during the abortive February 13 coup.
Writing on the occasion of Murtala’s 31 years since assassination back in 2007, writer and commentator Alhaji Garba Isa said, among other things, that: “Murtala set up the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) under Alhaji Babatunde Jose, which were later copied by President Obasanjo in setting up the ICPC and EFCC. Murtala’s war on corruption was one of his most controversial decisions.  In his bid to sanitise the Federal Civil Service, Murtala sacked so-called “Super Permanent Secretaries.” In the style of administration envisaged by General Muhammad, no post was permanent.
Murtala’s foreign policy was decisive. On January 11, 1976, an extra-ordinary meeting of the OAU Heads of Government was convened in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on the Angolan question. Murtala made the historic and powerful Africa Has Come of Age speech wherein he said: “Mr. Chairman, Africa has come of age. It’s no longer under the orbit of any extra-continental power. It should no longer take orders from any country no matter how powerful…gone are the days when Africa will ever bow to the threat of any so-called superpower…’
It is almost unbelievable that Murtala died at 38, while his age-mates of 70 to 80 are still around, busy messing up his beloved country which has refused to Come of Age.
May Allah’s mercy be upon General Murtala Mohammad.