Thanks For That History Lesson

Thanks For That History Lesson, Kongi

Omotope Olulana

I read Prof Wole Soyinka’s press conference speech titled “ The Nigerian nation against Major General Muhammadu Buhari” pages 8 -9, Guardian Newspaper, January 16^th. 2007, with much interest.

The Nobel Laureate himself needs no introduction in these climes of course. As I told one of my European friends recently, though we know him in Nigeria both as a writer and Nobel Laureate, it is as a human rights activist that we perhaps know him best. While I have never personally met him myself, this article has further reinforced my utmost respect for the great Kongi.

In order to get to the gist of my message quickly, I will take a few words from the introductory part of his speech. In the fourth paragraph, he says inter-alia ” History matters. Records are not kept simply to assist the weakness of memory but to operate as guides to the future.” Very true indeed.

Some of the facts he enunciated - in detail – about the Buhari regime were familiar to me. Some were not. However, in ALL cases, the details were hitherto incomplete in my mind until I read his speech. It is for filling in those so vital gaps that I titled this piece.

I was aware of the judicial murder by retroactive decree of three young men for drug related offences at the time but seeing their names clearly in print, brought home the curious and notable fact that all three were from the South, two from the Southwest and one from the South East. Let me add that I have always personally believed it was this heinous act of arrogant abuse of military fiat that served as the precedent which encouraged Ibrahim Babangida to murder Mamman Vatsa and nine others also by retroactive decree for a “coup conspiracy” in March 1986. Until then, “conspiracy to treason” in Nigeria was regarded legally as a “treasonable felony” rather than “treason”. It attracted long prison sentences such as those meted out to Obafemi Awolowo et al. (1962/63) and Bukar Mandara (1982). It did not attract the death penalty. However, once Buhari had set the example by doing what he wanted (as opposed to what was just) by retroactive decree, it was easier for Babangida to take the cue. On a more deplorable tone, the idea of making a video of the judicial murder by hanging of Ken Saro-Wiwa (an Ogoni from the South-south) for the macabre entertainment of Sani Abacha was taken from the equally sick precedent set by Ibrahim Babangida of making a video of the judicial murder by firing squad of the bestman at his wedding, Mamman Vatsa. This sad tyrannical relay of musical chairs played by despots of Northern origin on the Nigerian psyche is obviously not new. As Kongi has warned us “… history serves as a guide to the future.”

I was also aware of the detention and (sometimes) trials of second republic politicians. Again the details clarify things. It is curious that Shehu Shagari, (a Fulani from the North) who had been president and Commander in chief was placed in “ cosy detention in Ikoyi” while his deputy Alex Ekwueme (an Igbo from the Southeast) was locked up in Kirikiri prisons. Bisi Onabanjo (Yoruba, Southwest) was jailed on trumped up charges. Octogenarian Michael Ajasin (Yoruba, Southwest) was tried THREE times and acquitted, yet was still kept in indefinite detention for no reason. Balarabe Musa, (Hausa, North) was kept in custody but never tried. Do we see a pattern here? I do and I say, “..history serves as a guide to the future”.

How about the many cases of selective application of “anti-corruption”. Prof. Soyinka’s article mentions examples such as the case of fifty three suitcases loaded with Foreign exchange smuggled into the Country by a Northern Emir which Buhari not only overlooked but actively abetted. Yet Afrobeat musician Fela Anikulapo Kuti (a Yoruba from the Southwest) was handed a stiff jail sentence for being in possession of foreign exchange he had legitimately received for the upkeep of his band on a foreign trip. Also Akin Fatoyinbo (Yoruba, Southwest) was brutalized and jailed under similar circumstances. How about the miraculous “escape” from detention of Uba Ahmed (Hausa, North) for which Buhari had no meaningful explanation. The slap on the wrist meted out to Abubakar Alhaji Alhaji (Hausa, North) for foreign exchange offences also clearly demonstrates in Prof Soyinka’s words the “theme of double, triple, multiple standards in the enthronement of the law” of Buhari. This selective application of so called “principles” is the hallmark of hypocrites of which Muhammadu Buhari is clearly one.

I was aware at the time that the late Engineering Professor, Ayodele Awojobi (Yoruba, Southwest) expended tireless efforts to get to the root of the famous 2.8 billion Naira that suddenly disappeared from NNPC accounts while Buhari was Petroleum Minister. He even went to the extent of registering for a law degree simply to be better positioned to fight this and other such abuses against the Nigerian state. It is notable that he suddenly died under very suspicious circumstances after Buhari became Head of State. I believe his strange death should be investigated in the same manner and with as fine a toothcomb as the murder of Dele Giwa (Yoruba, Southwest) of which Ibrahim Babangida is the prime suspect. Inquiring minds also still want to know the truth about the missing 2.8 billion Naira and Muhammadu Buhari should be made to answer for this since he was Petroleum Minister at the time. What of the incarceration without any charges of Ebenezer Babatope (Yoruba, Southwest)? A recent publication by the same Babatope, detailed accounts of extreme harassment of Elder Statesman Obafemi Awolowo (Yoruba, Southwest) by the Buhari regime. This included ransacking the old man’s home and also seizing his International passport. Again do we see a pattern here ?

One can continue ad infinitum but I think there is more than enough here to draw clear conclusions. A recent reply to the Soyinka article has come from some quarters including the likes of Balarabe Musa, Tony Momoh, Tam David West etc. None of them actually responded to the issues raised by Kongi. Even worse is the fact that Buhari himself has not deigned to reply. This is of course only in keeping with his disdain for real discourse, the major hallmark of hardened fanatics and megalomaniacs. Any true democrat running for a position as sensitive as the Presidency would consider such issues raised by Professor Soyinka as worthy of PERSONAL response. Not Buhari, who as noted did not even bother to appear at the Oputa Panel. I also recall that during the last Presidential election in 2003, he refused to appear for a Presidential debate with incumbent Olusegun Obasanjo. He has also stated publicly that he has no apologies for the many allegations of injustice attributed to him and his regime. That some notable politicians from the Southwest should endorse the Presidential ambition of such a despot is nothing short of madness. As Kongi noted in his article, such people require psychiatric examination. In fact, they deserve to be charged with treason against their own people. Clearly, a Buhari presidency at this time is a condemnation of the Nigerian state to religious and ethnic tyranny. Buhari has never hidden the fact that he intends to Islamize Nigeria. Even his mistakes smack of religious bias. The idea of executing drug offenders has an Islamic twist and it is well known that Islamic Countries are the ones in which drug offences attract capital punishment, (for example, Indonesia and Malaysia – by hanging; Saudi Arabia - by beheading). Also of note to the discerning is the fact that Sanni Yerima, the famous Sharia Governor was one of those who stepped down as presidential candidate for Buhari on the ANPP platform. I do not believe that Yerima would step down (in spite of all the work and money he had spent on his campaign) without clear promises made by Buhari to advance the principles he stands for including Nationwide Sharia rule. A vote for Buhari is a vote for ethnic and religious cleansing in this Country. For the obvious intended victims to support their own demise is a clear case of regional and ethnic suicide. As Prof. Soyinka concluded in his article, it is a disgrace to partake in such a “degrading surrender”.

On a final note, it is a sad trait of the Nigerian polity to dwell on people instead of ideas. What is even worse is to dwell on people of the past. The idea of a retired General such as Buhari (who must be closer to age seventy than sixty) to be a candidate for the presidency in today’s Nigeria after so many decades of despotic Military rule portrays Nigerians as a people in the throes of abject masochism. I urge Nigerians to consider the candidature of younger, dynamic men such as Pat Utomi. Utomi (who hails from the South-south) is a seasoned academic and a successful businessman. Let us remember that it is younger men who still have a stake in the future of Nigeria. Let us also not forget that the Buhari’s who are trying to recycle themselves today ruled Nigeria as much younger men. Now that they are old, suddenly ‘youth’ is no longer fashionable! Also, no University graduate has actually ruled this Country (Azikiwe was President briefly and symbolically in the first republic but it is well known that Tafawa Balewa, the Prime Minister, was the real ruler of Nigeria then) neither has anyone from the South-south region. I say, now is the time for change. Now is the time to try something new. Now is the time to guide the affairs of this Nation on the right path. My vote goes to Pat Utomi. How about you?

Omotope Olulana, an Engineer, lives in Ikorodu, Lagos State.

References: “The Vatsa Conspiracy” by Nowa Omoigui