|
An Eclipse over a Unique Brand of Fascism; The End of Atiku’s Misrule in Adamawa, 1999AD- 2007AD By Mahamman Adarawa
Adamawa has witnessed three major threats in its contemporary history. The first was that of Hayatu Balda who was an itinerant scholar and prince from Sokkoto, in actual fact a great grand son of Sheik Usman Bin Fodio. He was dissatisfied with the political situation particularly over the choice of a Sultan and decided to migrate to Adamawa in the 1870’s. He passed through Yola and then through other smaller towns before finally settling at Balda (near Maroua in present day Republic of Cameroun). Over time he gathered enough resources and followers and alarmed the whole of Adamawa when he decided to enter in to alliance with Rabih ibn Fadlallah. Rabih was an invader from Sudan who attacked Borno and deposed its rulers. He subsequently built a new capital at Dikwa. Suspicions were rife that the intention of Hayatu was to use the support of Rabih to take over Adamawa and ultimately the whole of Sokkoto caliphate. Lamido Zubairu got the go ahead from Sokkoto and then mobilised a force to neutralise Hayatu’s threat at Balda. Though Hayatu Survived thanks to his shrewdness, he met a tragic end in 1898 at the hands of his cruel brother in- law who is also the son of Ibn Fadlallah. The Fadlallahs believed Hayatu was planning to enter in to alliance with the British colonialists and betray them. Some historians believed that Hayatu’s ambition was driven by mahdist philosophy of revolution to cleanse decadence in the society.
The second threat was the combined British, German and French colonial invasion and permanent dismemberment of Adamawa between the infamous Berlin conference of 1884 and the end of the first world war in 1918. The Arrowhead of the colonial exploits was Frederick Lugard. The motive of colonialist as anywhere is political control to allow effective economic exploitation. The most significant negative consequences of colonialism was division of people by artificial and irrational boundaries to satisfy the greed of the colonialist but unmindful of bonds and ties between communities on one hand and their differences on the other hand. On a positive side, there is reorganisation of government, security, economic activities, hospitals and education. The unique experience of colonial invasion in Adamawa by three mortally competing powers, coupled with Adamawa being one of the major battlegrounds of the First World War in Africa has to some extent affected its development in later years.
The third and most recent threat was that of Atiku’s misrule in Adamawa. Atiku started his political career in the early 1990s at the time when his character alike Ibrahim Babangida deceived Nigerians with return to civilian rule. He was introduced in to politics by his late mentor Musa Yar’aduwa. The only thing he learned from Yar’aduwa before the latter’s death was political mobilisation but he lacked other smart attributes of his mentor. Thus right from the beginning of his political career the motto of his political philosophy is quite clear to all- Snatching power at all cost with the aim of accumulating wealth by any means. Thus at the return of civilian administration in 1999, IBB out of selfish self preservation hoisted Obasanjo on Nigerians and the latter out of fear of the North decided to take a weakling like Atiku as his VP. Between 1999 and 2003 while Obasanjo was busy destroying the economy of the North and perpetuating his kinsmen on the economy with impunity, Atiku was busy accumulating wealth for himself. Thus industries like textile, cement, banking and agriculture were destroyed under his watchful eyes. Adamawa suffered most compared to other states in Northern Nigeria. Portable water became a rare commodity in Adamawa thanks to neglect of infrastructure and corruption. Apart from water supply, hospitals, schools and roads became dilapidated and services suffered. Nepotism became the order of the day. Even in simple matters like payment of salaries there were complains of nepotism. While the people of Adamawa were suffering and moaning under the yoke of Atiku the Vice President and his protégé Boni Haruna the Governor, the Duo were busy diverting the state’s allocation of federal revenue to their personal projects. Thus Atiku bought off the houses of all his neighbours in Jimeta except for one proud retired civil servant. He also competed with people in building and taking over of restaurants, business centres and clinics. It was as if the people voted him so that he could use the state’s resources to snatch away their businesses. To worsen matters Atiku frustrated the completion of important projects in Adamawa state like the Chouchi Irrigation Project and the equipping of the Federal Medical Centre which were meant to boost food production and take care of the health of the people respectively. In order to satisfy his grandiose ideas he used people’s resources to build a University in his name. Hopefully the University will be given back to its rightful owners the people of Adamawa sate. On the political side, he helped Obasanjo to get the second term of his presidency by massive rigging, intimidation, harassing and even killing political opponents. Atiku was quoted in the BBC inciting violence. No wonder the people of the state refused to sympathised with him in his subsequent travails against Obasanjo and other political rivals. Atiku and Boni were also responsible for ethno- religious crisis in Numan that lead to loss of lives. The political prize was deposition of the chief of Numan and replacing him with their stooge to facilitate unholy land deals.
On the moral and legal side, No one can bear witness that Atiku ever condemned corruption in private and public life. He also threatened to slap judges when Justice Zanna Bukar gave a verdict against his whims and caprices, after he rigged elections in Adamawa in 2003. Atiku only became a born again advocate of due process and respect for rule of law when his ambition was truncated by Obasanjo. Thus Atiku is yet to acquire the attributes of a good leader. Infact he has just started the primary school of politics with his appreciation of due process and rule of law. Politics is more than bribing for votes, rigging, arrogance and primitive accumulation of wealth. It involves among other attributes like self sacrifice, moral uprightness, dedication and always taking interest and trust of the people seriously.
In conclusion, the people of Adamawa neutralised the threat of Hayatu Balda and manged to survive colonial invasion by Frederick Lugard and his co colonialists at the turn of the 20th century. The former was a revolutionary scholar while the latter was a Colonial invader, both with their visions on Adamawa though not necessarily in tune with the wishes of the people. History has just repeated itself at the early years of the 21st century when on 26th April 2008, the people of Adamawa armed this time around with only their ballot papers and peace neutralise the threat of a visionless and corrupt political war lord Atiku Abubakar for good, thus ending almost a decade of deprivation and decadence. Yours Faithfully, Mahamman Adarawa,
Abuja, Nigeria. |