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Too Early to Celebrate! By Kabiru Inuwa Tsakuwa
Even-though I did not study History or Social Sciences, being a science oriented individual, my training and experience over the years had taught me to always be conscious of my environment so that the experience gained may be used to project and shape the future with a view to avoiding a repeat of past mistakes. History according to Social scientist is the ingredients that constantly reminds us about time gone by, it enable us to prepare our minds to face the future with a greater expectations for a better, more blissful, more brighter and contented life tomorrow.
The last eight years of un-democratic civilian contraption, was no doubt a very traumatic one for the generality of Nigerians. During the periods, Nigeria was raped mercilessly and immorally. It was bastardized and thrown to the dust-bin of under-development by the despot that ruled with the most in-human, most insensitive and most vicious style that even the former military dictator of the infamous Tazarce famed, will never contemplate doing so!
The main thrust of this write-up therefore, is to draw the attention of Nigerians about the History of governance in Nigeria from a 1983 to 2007 and to remind them that, it is not yet uhuru as far as Nigerian leadership is concern! It is no-doubt that, Nigerians have un-duly suffered from the last despotic regime and are grateful to Allah (swt) for accepting their silent and collective prayers for a new lease of life that usher in a new democratic reality that has so-far shows a tremendous capacity to listing to the yearning and aspirations of the populace. Even if the process that brought it into being, failed short of the minimum acceptable standard, the fresh air that pervades the surrounding is to say the least, very soothing and refreshing indeed and Since June 29th, Nigerians were relieved mercifully from the “Gra-Gra” and “Jaga-Jaga” government and for that, they deserved to be congratulated. Congratulation Nigerians!!
I’m not an agent of doom neither an in-curable pessimist. I’m only afraid about the new frenzy of celebrations by Nigerians about some few positive measures taken by Mallam Umar Musa ‘yaradua’s administration so far, taking into consideration the phenomenon of History that has an un-usual ability to always find a way of repeating it self. We are very much aware about the same populist measures adopted by all the previous administrations to gained the much needed legitimacy, after which, they turned out to be worst than the governments they replaced!
In 1983 when General Buhari took over the mantle of leadership of our country from Alhaji Shehu Shagari, we celebrated cheerfully. Because at that time we considered the new government as a strong departure from executive lawlessness, corruption, nepotism, rice import racketeering and in-decisions. We wanted decisiveness in the art of governance and social and economic rejuvenation; but with time, the new administration begin to enact decrees that, Nigerians considered too draconian , like the emasculation of the freedom of expression and the arbitrary arrest and subsequent detention of prominent politicians. Subsequently, the promised to revamp our economy failed, so also the promised made to re-stock our hospitals that were earlier described as mere consulting clinics. At the end of the day, the Buhari administration ruled iron fistedly, which made it too rigid for our comfort. When it was overthrown in a bloodless palace coup’de- etre we gladly celebrated
The same trends applied to General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida administration. when he took over power from Gen. Buhari, he begin to un-do most of the un-popular decisions of the previous government; like the release of all political detainees, the abolition of the obnoxious decree on freedom of expressions. He also tried to involve Nigerians in a national dialogue on the issue of IMF Loan and Structural Adjustment Programmed (SAP). After he sufficiently, got enough legitimacy, the true colour and shape of the despot began to manifest. The self acclaimed evil-genius, the Maradona gifted with an un-canny penchant for deception, dribbled Nigerians perpetually for eight years until his administration reached a point of no return, a kind of administrative and political cul-de-sac which prompted him to set up an interim contraption under Mr. Earnest Shonekan.
In the same vein, the administration of General Sani Abacha came with the promised to right the wrong and stabilized the polity from the brink of collapse. Based on that promised, Nigerians welcomed the new administration whole heartedly with a very high hope for a new Nigeria of our dream. What happened from august 1993 to June 8th, 1998 when Abacha returned to our creator was now history and need not be repeated here. But suffice it to mention the infamous issue of Tazarce by all means, the arbitrary arrest and detention of real and perceived political enemies and other executive high handed ness; which made Abacha very much un- popular among the generality of Nigerians. This derailed the government from its earlier promise to restore sanity in the polity and heel the wound among the various ethic Nationalities.
The point I’m trying to make so far is that, all the previous administration adopted a populist measures in order to gain legitimacy at the beginning of their suzerainty in order to have a solid acceptance after which they began to manifest their true colour much to our consternation and utter chagrin. The only exception was the government of General Abdulsalam Abubakar that promised to hand over power to a democratic dispensation within one year and mercifully accomplished the rare feat. But had we know what was awaiting us for the next eight solid and unfortunately wasted years of the obj administration, we will have opted for Abdulsalam to continue until God in his infinite wisdom intervened in his own way. Praise is to God alone.
I need not over burden us with the painful recollections of what has transpired in the last eight harrowing years of the Igbo-Chuku Obasanjo administration. because they represented the worst periods in the checqured history of our country. Therefore, based on the above, Nigerians should be very careful and extra cautious about celebrating a baby that has not yet grown up, whether it will be obedient to the parents or not? And whether it will be a blessing or a curse? Instead we should collectively devote and concentrate our energy to prayer, earnestly seeking Gods guidance for Mr. ‘yaradua administration not to derail from the right track. For it is not yet Uhuru! As the Hausas have a saying that: “ba’a yabon ‘dan kuturu sai ya shekara Arbain” that is, never trust a son of a leper until he reached forty years with all his fingers intact! Another Hausa saying that perfectly fitted our present situation is that “Ba girin girin ba,tai mai” roughly translated means: it is not the beginning that matter, but the end!
Therefore let us collectively use the potent weapon we relentlessly deployed to shame our detractors and the enemies of our dear country at all times, because the future of our nation depended solely on it. But before we begin please obey this simple instructions: If you are in the middle of something please do spare a minute for your country, if you are a Muslim, face the direction of the Qibla, preferably with Ablution, and raise your hand up and repeat the word Ameen continuously. If you are a Christian, please stand up, remove your cap and close your eyes, preferably with a rosary to match, and face the direction of the Vatican or Jerusalem as the case may be and recite Amen severally. If you are an Animist, well say whatever you used to say when you got entangled into trouble.
Let us be in a spiritual contemplation and prayer fellow citizens of Nigeria! May the Omnipotent, the Omnipresent, the Omniscient being, enable ‘Yaradua to remain stead-fast, un-wavering, and resolute and steady until the end of his tenure. May the Supreme Being support ‘Yar Adua to un-do all the negative policies that short changed Nigerians mercilessly and subjected them to endless penury in the midst of abundance? May the beginning of ‘yaradua administrations which perfectly tallied with our aspirations remain un-change. May this democratic dispensation be a turning point for the rule of law, equity and justice, progress and development, where every Nigerian irrespective of primordial sentiment will be able to realize his dream? May our three square meals complete with all the necessary and delicious ingredient be restored without wahala and serious exertions. May the glitter and excessive paraphernalia of the office of Mr. President and the C-in-C of the arm forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as powerful as it is, and as intoxicating as it used to be, never enter corrupt his mind so that, he remained a humble servant leader, with a listening ear and stronger capacity to respond to our collective yearnings promptly and decisively. May God protect ‘Yaradua and support him to be totally different from all that Obasanjo represented in every ramifications. And finally, May the demolition exercise be carried out with a human face as promised by the man of destiny and May it be restricted to the City Centre (Phase 1 &11) only! Ameen Summa Ameen.
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