REMEMBERING GENERAL MURTALA, AGAIN

Last Thursday, February 13, marked the 38th anniversary since this Nigeria’s most dynamic leader was assassinated in an abortive coup in 1976. Murtala has now spent 38 years in his grave, the exact number of years he had spent on earth: had he been alive, Murtala would have been 76 this year, as he was […]

Last Thursday, February 13, marked the 38th anniversary since this Nigeria’s most dynamic leader was assassinated in an abortive coup in 1976. Murtala has now spent 38 years in his grave, the exact number of years he had spent on earth: had he been alive, Murtala would have been 76 this year, as he was born in 1938 (see the Twenty Naira note).
Our social studies and history books should be reviewed so that we can teach our children The Story of Murtala. Our children should be told this feel-good story: that there was once a Nigerian leader who epitomised selflessness, discipline and decisiveness. The younger generation needs hope, and there is a lot of it in this man. They should know, for example, that Murtala would have executed, as they do in China, Fuel Subsidy thieves; in fact, the culprits would not have dared ab initio. It is not enough, even unfair, to list Murtala among the ‘has-been’ of Nigerian leaders. He was e pluribus unum!
At least one organisation is keeping the Murtala Torch alive – the Murtala Muhammed 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.
Last October, the MMF held the third in its Annual Policy Dialogue series with the theme “Investing In Nigeria’s Future: Unlocking the Potential of our Next Generation of Leaders.”
The Dialogue explored different strategies for the development of effective leaders for Africa in general, and Nigeria in particular, including strategies for: Identifying youth that possess innate leadership qualities; Coaxing out the innate leadership qualities in the youth; Refining and honing the identified leadership qualities for effective deployment; Motivating the trainee leader to desire the vocation of leadership and to embrace the societal responsibility of leadership.
Exactly what Africa, and Nigeria, will need, if they are to ‘come of age’!
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 which culminated in 1979, created more states from 12 to 19, initiated far-reaching local government reform, initiated the movement of the Federal Capital from Lagos to the middle of the country (and today Abuja is a reality), 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.”
Another writer, Aliyu Ammani, writing a few years ago, described Murtala’s 199 days as the “most dynamic, pragmatic, breathtaking, purpose-driven, result-oriented period of our country’s political history…Murtala jolted a sleeping nation into life. The vibrancy in his voice was arresting. The fire in his eyes charmed and awed the nation. Murtala had adopted a low profile policy, so for the 200 days he was Head of State he lived in the same house he had occupied as Director of Army Signal Corps and drove to work at the Dodan Barracks every morning from his house. No convoy. No sirens. No outriders. Few days after his assumption of office, Murtala shunned the sirens and convoy and rode alone with his driver, from Lagos to Kano, a journey of more than one thousand kilometres, in his personal car.”
Ammani continued: “Murtala never detained a single person in the 6 months that he led the Nigerian nation. When former Lagos University Law Lecturer Dr. Obarogie Ohonbamu wrote in his magazine African Spark that Murtala had corruptly enriched himself before becoming Head of State, and accused him of owning fleets of trailers and rows of houses, Murtala did not descend on him with his heavy boot as most military dictators, he quietly went to Igbosere magistrate court and sued Ohonbamu for libel. At the last hearing, the case was adjourned till 17th March, 1976. Murtala was assassinated on 13th February. And in an interview with The Punch of May 4th 1982, the late Chief MKO Abiola, a very close friend of Murtala’s, said that Murtala had only Seven Naira Twenty Two Kobo (N7.22) in his bank account when he died.”
And that is why all lovers of Murtala would miss Chief Abiola – every year while he was alive, the Chief would take full-page adverts in several newspapers remembering his friend and reminding Nigerians of their hero. Sadly, last Thursday, not many media houses even remembered to commemorate the anniversary, although this newspaper’s sister publication, Daily Trust, of Thursday carried a prominent story about the neglected Murtala Cenotaph in Lagos, erected at the exact location the late leader was assassinated.
Still on this hero of our generation, the writer Aliyu Ammani had further stated: “Murtala pursued an aggressive foreign policy with Africa as its centrepiece. On the 11th of January 1976, an extra-ordinary meeting of the OAU Heads of Government was convened in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to tackle the Angolan question. Murtala made the historic and flamboyant appearance at the conference where he gave the powerful Africa Has Come of Age speech.
“Mr. Chairman, when I contemplate the evils of apartheid, my heart bleeds and I am sure the heart of every true blooded African bleeds.’  Thus, Murtala opened the powerful and deep moving Africa Has Come of Age speech. Murtala continued: ’Rather than join hands with the forces fighting for self-determination and against racism and apartheid, the United States’ policymakers clearly decided that it was in the best interest of their country to maintain white supremacy and minority regimes in Africa…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…’ There was thunderous ovation from the Africa Hall and Murtala Muhammad went back to his seat, little knowing that he had exactly 34 days more to live.”
In Murtala, the age-old argument about leaders being born or being formed 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 leadership 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 a fearless person since he was a small boy. (This writer remembers reading somewhere the late Chief Sunday Awoniyi recollecting that, at Barewa College in Zaria, Murtala did not pick fights with his equals: he fought higher, with his seniors.)
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, alas, HAS REFUSED TO COME OF AGE!
May Allah’s mercy be upon General Murtala Muhammad.