The Nigerian media we know are mostly tools in the hand of their owners whose interest alone is what they protect, its no wonder then that we still have till this moment what is referred to as Lagos Ibadan axis press, the Kaduna axis press and so on and so forth and this has been a great set back in the media industry, because we now preached only sectional interest rather than national interest. The Nigerian media has never seen herself as one entity, but rather, as regional champions which only see Nigeria from a regional perspective.

The Nigerian media industry has failed the Nigerian people, because the media has only help in making Nigerians believed that the problem we have in the country is the people in this or that region. An average Igbo man sees the Hausa and the Yoruba as the problem of this country likewise the Yoruba and the Hausa man sees the same and so this just the success recorded by the media so far.

Let me not over deviate, the main issue I am looking at here is the man Abacha: a hero, or a Villain. The media has succeeded in painting him black in the eye of majority of Nigerian, but was that the true picture of the man Abacha? Nigeria a vibrant, virile nation of about 133 million people. Nigeria occupies on the west coast of Africa 923.768 square kilometer of land that spans six ecological zones within the tropics and has the largest concentration of black people in the world. It gained independent from Britain on the 1st of October 1960.

Abacha mount the leadership of this nation on the 17th of November 1993 as the ninth leader of this virile nation when it was handed over to him by the then interim President Chief Earnest Shonikan, the man accepted it out of obligation and sense of responsibility as a general that has sworn to see to the survival of the nation. He has said that his administration was a child of necessity and in his maiden broadcast on November 17th, 1993 as the Nigerian head of state General Sani Abacha said; “Many have talked about the concern of the international community. However, under the present circumstance, the survival of our beloved country is far above other considerations. Nigeria is the country we have we must therefore solve our problems ourselves”.

At the 35th anniversary of Nigeria’s independence on October 1, 1995 General Abacha said; “it was our generation that fought in the field of battle and buried its young to keep Nigeria one, our generation that undertook the sensitive task of reconciliation and reconstruction. Today, it is our generation that is trying to facilitate the political regeneration of our country after several failures and misdirection”.

For the benefit of young Nigerians like me who are ill inform about the man General Sani Abacha lets look at the giants strides of the man Abacha, which the media has made us to believed that he was only a looter, who has no regard for national interest. There are many things he did for the nation, which still speaks today.

On assumption of power November 17, 1993 the man realized, there are many political wrongs that need to be corrected. And that was what led to the man’s formation of the national constitutional conference, one of the finest Nigerias ever had, if you are doubting it we can even conform that from Dim odumegu Ojukwu a participant in the conference then. That was not the type of the last one, Nigerians witnessed. I mean the Abuja tea conference and Ghana must go collection conference. I am saying this with due respect to the true patriot that were at the political reform conference.

General Sani Abacha set out a programme to salvage and sanitize his beloved country and carry out a total political transformation. He said at the inception of his administration. “We must lay a very solid foundation for the growth of true democracy, we should abhor any ad-hoc or temporary solutions, the problem must be addressed firmly, objectively, decisively and with all sincerity of purpose”. On his part then he pledged “we would set example by our endeavor that we seek we were prepared to travel the distance, bear any burden and seek every valid avenue in our undertaking to lay the bedrock of a lasting democracy for our country”. In order to get the people, involved, the General invited Nigerians to decide for themselves the kind of nation and civil governance they wanted.

And the fact then that, there was no properly constituted National electoral commission, the constitutional conference election organized and supervised the election of constitutional conference delegate on a direct universal adult-suffrage basis.  All adults of 18 years and above were free to vote without restriction of a voter card, and that was the widest possible franchise known to civilization.

Representatives of all ethnic nationalities converged at Abuja the Nations capital. Everybody was represented and not like the last one we had at Abuja, where some selected people were called to do as they were directed by their nominator. what happened at Abuja recently was a case of he who pays the pipers, dictate the tune, that was why we were having people that were asking for (six) 6 years single term for President and Governors and that it should begin with them Nominator. Is it not ridiculous and funny for any right thinking person to be thinking of that. That was truly and abuse of democracy.

The elected representative during General Sani Abacha do renegotiate the nature and scope of their participation in the Nigerian federation. An unanimously, they voted for the “retention of United, indivisible and indissoluble nation built on a federal arrangement that recognizes a thrice-tier Government”.

Honorable, justice Adolphus Karibi-Whyte, Judge of the international criminal Tribunal at the Hague, and Chairman of the conference has this remark. “The debate on the address of the Head of state brought out the best in the debating ability and skills in the delegates. As the address concerned and touched all conceivable aspect of Nigerian social and political life, accentuating mainly the weakness in the body politic and the reaction of the political class to contemporary problems, so was the contribution of delegates to many of the issues raised in the address”.

Most of those things agreed in that conference was today discarded not because of their irrelevance but because of the present administrations hatred for the laudable project of the Abacha’s government, they just want to ensure that Nigerians see General Abacha as the devil incarnate, and not the messiah that he was. Considering the period in which he took over the leadership of our beloved country; and this is where the Nigerian mass media has been used they have used this agenda setting, power to do the biding of the power that be.

During the General Abacha’s conference, delegates debated seriously on the monopoly of power by the majority ethnic groups, and the invidious practice of marginalization of the minorities, and it was agreed that the position of the President, Governors, and chairman of local governments should be rotational, and not just that but that the position of the President will be made less attractive and more power will be relinquished to the states and local governments, many Nigerians will agree with me that, that was the best Nigerians and Nigeria never had, the recent tea conference at Abuja, has nothing to offer to Nigerians than that one of Abacha’s era General Sani Abacha, in his 35th independence anniversary speech, stated the conviction of his administration that political offices at the federal level will become less intense, less attractive or acrimonious if some federal powers are devolved to state and local government. He reiterated that devolution will also promote more rapid development at grass roots. Consequently, Government established a committee to work out modalities and guidelines for devolving more power and functions to the lower tiers of Government especially in the areas of health, education agriculture, roads and housing. All these laudable programme were put in the refuse bin because it was Abacha’s programme. On the issue of revenue allocation, it was under Abacha’s administration that it was agreed according to the draft constitution, a fixed percentage of 13% of all revenue accruing to the federation account from natural resources shall be given to the communities from where such resource are exploited. This is to promote rapid development in such areas and to compensate them for any ecological inconvenience occasioned by oil and mineral exploration and exploitation (For those who sees the man as anti south-south). On the social scene, let me say it was under General Abacha that Nigeria had for the first time a long term development planning.

The concept of vision 2010 is to enable Nigerian appreciate the importance of long term planning in achieving national self reliance, economic strength and political stability. The terms of reference of the committee included defining for Nigeria a correct bearing and sense of economic, political, social and cultural direction and to set appropriate goals, targets and time-frame for achieving these set objectives. On the whole, the committee was to forge a plan which will ensure that Nigeria will, by the year 2010, become largely developed in terms of economic prosperity, political stability and social harmony. For the other details of what vision 2010 had for Nigeria, Chief Ernest Shonekan, the chairman of the promising wagon should speak out for younger Nigerians.

Now the finest all the programmes, Petroleum special Trust (PTF). The impact made by the fund is obvious everywhere in the nation. No administration in Nigeria has ever justify the upward pricing. Of petroleum product in Nigeria like the Abacha’s administration if my memory serves me right it was nine naira where he assumpt the leadership of the country and he add 2 naira making it 11 naira and the fund was established so that the proceed will be going to it. Every honest Nigerian will agree with me that the impact made by the fund under the able leadership of General Mohammed Buhari can best be described by the blind, deaf, dumb and the down trodden Nigerians in the remote area and if we must ask in the major cities then we should go to the ghetto’s and the true story will be told.

What we have today is a government that has no listening ear to the plights of the masses, it upward pricing of the fuel has always been 100% and above and yet there is no justification as it was obvious under Abacha, yet this same regime want Nigerian to believe that General Abacha was a saddist and not the optimist that the was. whether this present regime admit it or not, we the masses of this country believed and are convince that we were better off under Abacha. Within two years of it establishment 12, 500 kilometers of national highways and urban roads have been contracted to construction companies at total cost of N35 billion through the effort of the fund.

Many interstate and intercity roads hitherto impassable as a result of numerous potholes were rehabilitated to ensure free flow of traffic, to this every Nigerian is a witness. Talk about health, education, water supply, in the health sector all university teaching hospital, federal specialist hospitals selected state specialist hospital and one primary/comphensive health centre per local government council area and one General hospital per senatorial district just at the cost of about N3 billion. On essential drug supply the fund entered agreement with manufacturers for supply of these drugs, it was no wonder then that our hospitals were having drug and were given it out at a subsided rate, not like now that the hospital both at states and federal level has turned to a mere consulting clinic. General Abacha remains the man for the masses. Road and health intervention of the fund still speaks and the hostels in the university across Nigeria and the 2 1414 luxury buses each for the federal universities in the country are still there. The petroleum special trust fund (PTF) has made it impacts in every aspect of our live, society, economically, educationally, and in whatever way one may look at it and that was just an increment of two naira. What justification would the present regime has for makign100% increment in 200 yet canceling the fund which was the hope of the masses The success of this regime so far has been the increment or upward pricing of petroleum product without any justification. The Nigerian today both young and old will bear me witness that General Sani Abacha was a patriot to the core compared to Obasanjo.

Looking at the successes recorded by the (PTF) as a result of just # 2 increments from 1994 to the last day of his regime. But what do we have now almost yearly increment and what do we have on ground nothing. General Sani Abacha’s regime was 100 times better then this administration. No matter how tough things were during his era, Nigerians were still affording their three square meal per day.

General Sani Abacha, was a leader, that stand tall above the present administration is almost every thing. When he came to power in November. 17th 1993, the economy of the nation was faced with a lot of problems among which are low quality of social service, unemployment and under-employment and absence of a vibrant middle class, sluggish economic growth inefficient utilities, a weak private sector, dependence on foreign loans e.t.c, these among other were common scene in Nigeria.

But on assumption of power 1993, the was able to achieved significant progress in the following areas: stability of the exchange rate system, deregulation of the interest rate, substantial reduction in the rate of inflation, restoration of the confidence of the international financial institutions in the Nigeria economy, restoration of depositors confidence in the banking system, reduction in the country external debt etc. Nigerians will agree with me that, there was stability is the foreign exchange rate during Abachas regime. Nigeria than was sitting her debts and not borrowing as seen under this present regime. There was reduction and not increment in the borrowing, Nigerian foreign reserved was growing stability during Abacha’s era but what do we have now.

There was sanity in the banking sector, during the Abacha’s regime, the promulgates o the failed bank (recovery of debts) and financial malpractices Decree No 18 of 1995, which made it possible to prosecute and recover substantial debts from bank debtors. This singular act of the government has restored depositors confidence in the banking system and had created a conducive atmosphere for the conduct of banking business to Nigeria Statistic available has shown that the Abacha administration has succeeded in reducing the rate of inflection from 72.8% in 1995 to 28% in 1996 and to under 10% in 1997.

Capacity utilization of the manufacturing sector has also increased from 29.3% in 1995 to 32.5% from a budget deficit of N 81 billion in 1994 and modest surplus of N 1 billion in 1995. The Abacha administration achieved a budget surplus of N 37 billion or 1.45% GDP in 1996 In 1996 the country witnessed a 3.25% growth in GDP as compared to 1.3% in 1995 external balance of payment to 1.3% in 1995 from and 1.44 billion Dollars in 1995 to 4.08 billion Dollars in 1996 while the nation’s external debt stock decreased from and 34 billion Dollars to less than and 28 billion Dollars in 1996.

Nigerian should please judge for me who is it that did better between the two leaders? We are all today living witness that it was better the Nigerian during Gen Sani Abacha than today what do we have? Salary increment that will be rendered useless by fuel increment that is always done without the interest of the Nigerian people. What the present regime seem to ignore is the fact that, when the petroleum price is hiked, there will be increase in the price of every thing. What pains us now is the yearly increment without a find (PTE) to justify.

I am praying that people like the distinguished economist Prof. Sam Aluko to speak out again for Nigerians on the economic policies of Gen. Sani Abacha compared to the present one of course, and it will be like comparing the devil with an angel. Every body knows that General Sani Abacha has the finest economic policy for Nigeria in recent times.

Nigeria, Nigerians and the Nigerian media, it is high time we begin to eulogize the virtues in Gen. Sani Abacha and stop deceiving the masses about Gen. Abacha. He was a patriot that died serving the fatherland in the number one office. The present regime should stop painting the man black because he was not. Every Nigerian knew why the present government will not like Abacha for obvious reason. But Gen Sani Abacha was the man for the Nigerian masses, on this note, may his soul rest in peace (May Allah Grant Him Eternal Rest)  

Ibrahim Aji Ndiriza Debiro

Department of Mass Communication 

University of Maiduguri