The Idumota Lagos Commemoration and Remembrance of soldiers that sacrificed their lives for the world and Peace Keeping changed when soldiers tasted political power and realized they could be Heads of State as well, not just heads of the Army. It is one thing to risk lives in a coup to punish those who overthrew African Independent Activists like world-revered and feared patriots Nkrumah or Lumumba, but another to save Babangida and accept Structural Adjustment.
We used to say we could die for our country during colonial rule to liberate ourselves. History still teaches Slave Trade and about the days most Africans were willing to die to free their countries. Slave trade became dangerous not only out of the goodness of slave traders’ hearts but also danger of African Revolts on land and high sea. Many of us remember the patriotic fever and love of the country. Ready to die for Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, Kenya and others.
Many African soldiers died in the fight for Freedom during Slavery, World War I & II. When they came back from Europe after the World Wars fighting for Freedom, they were still colonized at home. African Americans and Europeans were still discriminated against. Nigerian soldiers later became known as one of the best International peacekeeping forces, and so recognized worldwide. But why stop at being the kingmaker of politicians when they could be in charge?
As Africans we are our brothers’ keepers. Just as we say, it takes a village to raise a child. One American President, John F. Kennedy once challenged his people to ask what they can do for their country, not what their country can do for them. When and how did we lose our dedication to African Youths to the point of paying a fortune to risk death crossing the sea and the desert?
When the Military started taking over from civilian rulers, we thought they were saviors coming to our rescue after the civilian Governments lost their heads. The Military coups were cheered in many African countries because the tolerance for abnormal or what we saw as strange behavior in high places, especially in government was repulsive. Therefore, military discipline and quick clean up without resorting to the long process afforded by rule of law became attractive.
Boy, were we wrong! Good motives turned to parochial interest. Instead of people dying for the good of the country, soldiers destroyed long-held patriotic feelings for Nigeria, other African countries, and turned it into ethnic chauvinism. The morning after, as the night broke into daylight, over several days, we came to realize these people were not ready to die for Nigeria or Africa but for personal ambition.
Imagine wannabe soldiers of fortune lined up at the Ukrainian Embassy in Nigeria risking lives to get paid. Russia recruited Africans for the Ukraine war. https://allafrica.com/stories/
Before Kaduna Nzeogwu, Jerry Rawlings, Steve Biko, Sakura, and lately Ibrahim Taotra, now trending in Africa; we had both the military and civilians out of patriotism willing to die for Africa. Akufo, Achempo & co. had to face the military tribunal for overthrowing Nkrumah, Africa’s formidable Activist colonialists feared most because he knew them inside out. Jerry Rawlings of Ghana overthrew Akufo and Achampo & co. as a team that overthrew respected African hero, Kwame Nkruma.
Now militricians are an upper class. Unfortunately, most of the African military proved to be worse than the civilians they overthrew. Little did we realize that those who were supposed to clean up corruption in high places would regale in a worse form of corruption themselves. Whatever became the consequences of Nzeogwu Military take-over, it was initially welcomed as a relief to indifferent civilian rule by cabals that retain Power in the hands of groups that unite to loot the country but divide and rule the masses.
The celebrations, jeering and humiliation of the fallen after Nzeogwu coup in Nigeria, created a glowing anger that finally burst into mutiny and counter-coup. Until university graduates started joining the Army for the sole purpose of overthrowing civilian governments, the pride of being in military uniform was low. You could not find anyone from a good home going into the Armed Forces, except a few radical university graduates.
Two cases exemplified the trust Nigerians placed on the military and how it fell apart. We believed Nzeogwu was betrayed. The Nzegwu coup was initially welcomed. Just as we trusted Buhari’s “primordial” aversion for corruption. Buhari turned out to be far from being a saint after all. He turned out to be “fantastically” corrupt without Idiagbon behind him! Buhari went as far as absolving Abacha that invaded the Central Bank and looted foreign currencies.
It was this same Buhari, in fairness to him that refused to Devalue naira. Since no country without finished goods to export has ever recovered from its currency Devaluation. Reliance on foreign investment without local training and specified time for handing over to locals, are misplaced. Its benefits are highly exaggerated. Turned into a lifetime exploitation. Unfortunately, African countries become dependent at the expense and detriment of reliable Inter-African Trade cooperation.
Babangida should have been overthrown by junior officers like Rawlings did in Ghana! IBB never explained the true reason he overthrew the Buhari/Idiagbo only to accept Structural Adjustment and Devaluation that eliminated Nigeria’s middle class. The same Devaluation as a member of the Military Government of Buhari/Idiagbon had refused. Abacha displaced the Interim Government of Shonekan in less than 6 months and wasted no time looting Central Bank of its foreign currencies in broad daylight.
This is certainly not a preference for one incompetent government over the other; military or civilian. We must keep our focus on the Prize, not frivolous economic indicators that rely on unworkable economic theory of supply and demand Africans can beat and defy. Economic statistics like General Gross Products, National Gross Products or Average Domestic Products usually overlap from one Administration to the next. Nigeria’s political economy defies theory.
No African country can compete with Western countries that print their own currencies to their economic advantage. It is like a goat chasing a lion! Yet, Africans heed the call to use Western countries’ currencies as local promissory notes in a liberal market. But have not been able to manipulate their own currencies for their economic interests. Ironically, when China devalues its currency to sell finished goods that are locally manufactured cheaply, the Western world cries foul!
If anyone claims that Structural Adjustment that Babangida allowed after overthrowing Buhari, is not the problem, ask them to point to the means of paying. The country went into perpetual debts first, before they manufacture finished goods to pay like China.
Resulting in spiral debts. Fanciful and imported exotic tastes without means or finished local manufactured goods to pay for them are highly flawed and motivated by greed and corruption at the expense of the masses.
Farouk Martins Aresa @oomoaresa1
