Military Regime: Never again!, by Kola Amzat
Military forces made their first incursion into the nation polity with devastating and very violent coup that not only swept away illustrious and the nation’s founding fathers like Sir Ahmadu Bello, Alhaji Tafawa Balewa and Chief Ladoke Akintola Eboh from office, but also neutralized them and others, like Chief Festus Okotie-Eboh, Brig-Gen Samuel Ademulegun, Col Shodeinde etc.
The coup launched into national prominence General Yakubu Gowon, who ruled the country from 1966-1975. Meanwhile, Gowon was bundled out of office while he was attending an Organization of African Unity (OAU) meeting in Addis Ababa, with the coup plotters alleging him of leadership ineptitude and deficiency.
In-fact, the Plateau State born military leader gave himself out as a leader devoid of visionary acumen with his careless and reckless pronouncement in one of his broadcasts to the nation that “The challenge with Nigeria is how to spend money, and not how to generate revenues”
The disgraced Head of States was simply oblivious of the fact that, no quantum of resources is enough to ensuring infrastructural developments in roads, rails, airways, medical and research initiatives in universities for a country desirous of greatness.
After the eclipse of the administration which endured for nine (9) years, the military were also dominant in the nation polity from (75-79), (85-99), the period when the Olusegun Obasanjos, Sheu Yar’Aduas, Theopilus Danjumas, Ibrahim Babangidas, Sani Abachas, Addulsalam Abubakars, David Marks and many other top military chieftains across the country acquired so much fortunes all at the expense of the nation, sufficiently enough for their second (2nd), third (3rd) and even, fourth(4th) generations to live life of stardom.
Besides, their twenty seven (27) years combined eras in the nation polity since the nation’s 1960 Independence represented the years of locusts, caterpillars, cankerworms and palmerworms.
They caused incalculable and immeasurable damages to the citizenry and the nation in all facets. They squandered several billions of nation resources on ventures that didn’t add values to the country. They bastardized virtually all the nation’s institutions. They militarized Nigerians’ psyche. They administered the country like a conquered territory and essentially, as their fiefdom.
It was particularly worsened during IBB regime, the administration that institutionalized high-wired corruption in Nigeria. For about nine years, the ex-military leader played with intelligence and sensibility of Nigerians, introducing several deceptive economic initiatives that he was well conscious of were not going to align with the nation economic circumstances.
The political class were the worst hit, as he deceived them severally that he was going to return the country to democratic governance. For years, he was personally forming political parties and fixing politicians therein, without due regards to their political beliefs and ideologies.
After years of manipulation, he got entangled in his own snare and had to forcefully thrown out of the seat of government after immense pressure from Nigerians.
Sani Abacha, who indeed threw out Ernest Shonekan who IBB foisted on the nation, continued from where IBB stopped.
The Kano born Army General caused unprecedented tension ever, in the annals of Nigeria in a vain attempts to hold on to power.
He neutralized many illustrious sons and daughters of the country who had sympathy for NADECO, through a killer squad led by one Sergeant Rogers, under the direct command of Major Hamza Mustapha.
For the records, patriots who weren’t lucky to escape the bullets of the killer squad included Pa Alfred Rewane, Alhaja Kudirat Abiola, Alhaja Suliat Adedeji etc.
Many flee abroad in order to save their life.
By the design of nature, Pa Abraham Adesanya and Felix Ibru escaped, but, he remained disabled till he finally bided the world good bye.
Sani Abacha, also attracted the wrath of the global leaders by his mindless and wicked execution of Ogoni nine, at the time the global community were appealing to the Nigerian government to spare their life.
Of course, the United Nations declared our country a Pariah state.
Even though, the Abdulsalam Abubakar regime that succeeded Abacha administration eventually handed over government to democratic government months after it came to power, the 1999 Constitution foisted on the nation is draconian, military-centric, less developmental and doesn’t rely align with the Federal System of government the nation is professing to be running.
I’ve deliberately highlighted the misadventures of military men in the nation polity since 1960 Independence to warn the disgruntled Nigerians and agents of opposition parties to hold their breath, and completely stay away from their thoughtless, myopic, shortsighted and less patriotic calls for military intervention.
It’s instructive to submit that, the military regimes are dominant in the South American continent. Indeed, 90% of that part of the globe are under the firm control of military junta.
Despite their proximity and of course, the affinity of the continent to America (the best country in the world), poverty, deprivation, unemployment, hunger continue to be the lots of the citizenry over there, with millions of them living in squalor and complete life of drugs and cannabis, on account of frustration.
The South America countries situation highlighted above is not better than happenings in some of the African countries under the strong hold of military junta.
The centerpiece of this Piece is therefore to appeal to generality of Nigerians to be patience with President Bola Tinubu and give him maximum supports in his valiant and very spirited efforts in turning around the fortunes of the country in all facets.
Without any iota of doubt, the president has displayed uncanny patriotism, honesty, sincerity, decisiveness, fairness & equity, courage and unprecedented zeal never seen before in nation’s past leaders, in superintending the affairs of the country since he assumed office.
He’s busy committing huge resources of the nation in infrastructures in rails, roads, airways, medical, educational and research institutes with a view to ensuring prosperity, growth & development in the country.
He has instituted an enduring structure that would continually make NNPCL very responsive, responsible, service-centric, nimble, result-oriented and more importantly, to fulfill its optimal potentials for the expectant nation.
He has ensured surgical operation in CBN, by sweeping away the erstwhile leadership of the Apex Bank that was obviously political, effrontery and running the Bank with so much impunity, so much that trillions of Naira were been printed every month without necessary productive activity to back them up.
The president has also mandated the collaboration between fiscal and monetary policies, a fiscal initiative aimed at stabilizing the economy and the financial system.
In order to reduce cost of governance and thereby releasing adequate funds for capital projects, the president has ordered immediate excavation and full implementation of Oronsaye’s report.
And of course, Tinubu administration is making deliberated efforts to professionalize the nation civil service as he did in Lagos state, through reengineering, repositioning and restructuring the all-important segment of government.
The president has also assented the new Electricity Act 2023 that ended the monopoly of NERC in electricity administration, granting States, Companies and Private Individuals ample opportunity to participate in the investment in power sector with the latitude to generate, market and transmit electricity with the main purpose of making power supply affordable to millions of Nigerians.
The same administration recently gave approval for delineating Nigerians electricity system into categories-Band A, Band B, Band C etc, an initiative that has significantly relieved the downtrodden of huge tariffs payment on monthly basis.
The Student’s Loan that gives Nigerian Indigent students in Tertiary Institutions access to Interest-free facility to fund their educational pursuits is also an awesome initiative from the government.
And of course, the Federal Government has commenced disbursement of N50, 000 to 1,000,000 on monthly basis, a Presidential Conditional Grant Scheme, also known as the Trade Grants Scheme.
The government also initiated the launching of a new program called the Presidential Intervention Fund, with huge amount of N200 billion set aside to help small businesses grow.
The scheme is purposed mainly to help small businesses, with specific focuses on sectors like trading, food services, ICT, transportation, creative arts, and artisans. The grants are not meant to be repaid back. The Grant Scheme underscores the government’s commitment to supporting small-scale entrepreneurs and driving inclusive economic growth.
The administration ingenuity of reducing number of taxes payable by Nigerians in all sectors from 52 to 10, a fantastic initiative that purposed to end the regime of multiple taxation is also an initiative expected to reduce burden of unnecessary tax payment on Nigerians.
There is hope that the economic benefits of Petroleum Subsidy removal, as well as floating of Nigeria currency will soon start manifesting.
I therefore passionately plead to Nigerians to please support the president in his quest to ensure turn-around in all the gamut, and perish this retrogressive thought of military regime that would do our nation no good, but, instead, further plunge the nation into hopelessness and despondence.
Kola AMZAT (FCA, FCIB)
Lagos based Financial & Management Consultants,
09077509348.
