If military rule cannot liberate Africa from vestiges of colonialism, what could? The Activists and Independence Fighters fought and courageously gained Political Independence but Economic Independence still eluded them. Structural Adjustment that Buhari rejected and Ibrahim Babangida accepted reveal the beginning of the end of local Economic Salvation. It gave birth to Foreign Economic Salvation and the rise of Japa flight to foreign countries in Nigeria.
Despite the effort of Herbert MacCauley, Nkrumah of Ghana, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Obafemi Awolowo, Ahmadu Bello in West Africa, Jomo Kenyata, Joshua Nkomo, Robert Mugabi, Patrice Lumumba in Central, East Africa. Walter Sisulu, Oliver Tambo, Steve Biko, Nelson Madela, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, Joe Slavo, Albert Lutuli in South Africa and others. African countries lost their balance and have never regained control sixty years later.
We cannot categorically state that the worst form of Civilian administration is better than the best form of Military rule. But Africans can now discern clearly whether Civilian administrations or Military rules made our countries better or worse off. The reason many Africans cheered military coups is because we thought civilian administration was so corrupt, nothing could be worse. Well, the Army has demonstrated that they come from the same culture of greed.
The idealistic goal of the First military coup in Nigeria never materialized because of ethnic betrayal. Military rule in African countries was our greatest disappointment. It erased the progress made by Freedom Fighters and introduced impunity by armed robbery. Nigeria that was supposed to lead as the so-called Giant of Africa collapsed under the military rules with devastating consequences for the rest of Africa.
Everyday Nigerians are reminded of their mistakes and reliance on the Military Force to solve all or most of our problems. All the military leaders with good intentions from Kaduna Nzeogwu, Murtala Muhammed, Buhar-Idiagbon and Obasanjo either were usurped or derailed out of personal ambition, greed or coverup of misdeeds of enormous proportion.
The recent encounter between the Abuja Administrator and a Lieutenant in the Army pointed to the vestiges as a reminder of how far Nigeria has stunted into the colonial past that trained our Army to plan coups and usurped legally constituted authority of elected government. What is even more damning was the cheers from some masses praising and encouraging the same way we cheered when the Army overthrew Civilian governments. An anomaly labeled courageous!
Buhari-Idiagbon rule was so promising, it demonstrated that it does not have to take time to change people’s culture of indiscipline with Operation WAI “War Against Indiscipline”. There was speculation even then that Idiagbon was the backbone of Buhari’s image of some inherent abhorrence for corruption. People were so scared of the duo regime that lawless folks on the streets started queuing up in turns for services.
However, Babangida, suspected of using drug mules, was going to be exposed and forced to defend the allegation. IBB staged a coup and overthrew Buhari. The new regime headed by Babangida became the worst that beget even the most severe regime of Abacha! Babangida went further after his debacle regime and wrote a book celebrating the impunity of Military rule and how they have benefited Nigeria!
Buhari, the great Black Hope, did not attend Babangida’s book launching celebration. When Buhari became a civilian President, he did not seek retribution against Babangida. What became clearer was that Buhari without Idiagbon was a paper tiger deeply entrenched in the culture of corruption. People under him and their cronies were more corrupt than any Nigerian could have envisaged under the old indefatigable Buhari we knew with Idiagbon.
The Lieutenant Yerima incident reminded us that Nigeria is still deeply gripped in the mentality of Military rule superiority over Civilian administration. The same mentality which the Army assumes to derogate the polity as “bloody civilians”. The Army thinks they are still in charge of the country and every civilian rule must be at their command, wish and caprices. We see the Military in places they have no business, used to intimidate and enforce their will.
Indeed, retired Generals constitute themselves into a shadow government that exercises their culture of corruption by grabbing the most lucrative sector of the economy. As much as Civilian Administrations try to get hold of how much mineral resources are leaving the country, no one dares challenge them. It is part of the daily News that Generals are controlling the underground economy that should have been normal income of any sane country.
Generals are at liberty to grab precious land, properties and share businesses they desire, no question asked. Lt. Yerima, a young man at the initial stage of his career, is not the problem. He is only following the established culture of corruption ordered by the retired general that was put in place right from the time Ibrahim Babangida overthrew Buhari.
Nigeria must remember that it was this same Babangida celebrating the culture of corruption with his book launch about how Nigeria was saved by the Military. He accepted Structural Adjustment rejected by Buhari. It was the coffin that nailed the Middle Class in Nigeria. We have never recovered and the Depreciation of Naira continues since then.
Nigerians are not blind and not all of us are gullible cheering and welcoming Military men indiscretions every time. The fact that we see Nigerians cheering Lt. Yerima, though not new, does not mean the majority of Nigerians are not watching in disgust. This is a country the whole world recognizes for their intellect but fails to use it to better themselves at home. How can they cheer the Military that uses guns to terrorize their people into submission?
There was a point, Africans at home and in Diaspora created what in retrospect was a paradise in Western Nigeria. It was not only the First in Africa but a more civilized place than many countries in Europe, Asia and America. A real melting point where Nigerians, Africans and others around the world enjoyed peaceful co-existence. Europeans, Asians and Americans japa to Nigeria telling you it is the best place to make it, money!
Have you ever asked yourself why Black Americans succeed no matter which country they go to but not in their own country? If Nigeria turns to Paradise, some people will still japa. Most of the Nigerians that japa, claimed they do it because the society is dysfunctional. What most of them do not admit is that there is no dignity for a Black man no matter where they japa to.
Talking about a dysfunctional society, Africans are yet to confess to one another that outside Africa, all the places they glorify are dysfunctional for a Black man no matter how rich you are. Ask General Powell and President Obama, the two most prominent Americans about their encounters on the streets with police.
Hearing gun shots at night, police siren and ambulances are world poor communities’ common denominator. The life expectancy in the rural areas with poor whites and in the ghettos with poor Blacks are no different from those in the third world countries. Yet, some of them would not leave their community for better areas. Canadians japa to America to make money until they find out that there is more to life than money.
