Former President Jonathan was paying glowing tribute to a leader who was silenced by the wicked ones 50 years ago. According to those who served him, as Head of State, Gen Muhammed led a simple life. He moved without a siren-blaring convoy and mixed with Nigerians in the market and other public places. Forty years after his death, ten years ago, his life and times were celebrated too at a photo exhibition tagged: “Our Hero Past” at the National Museum in Onikan, Lagos.
Our leaders we hardly trust these days should note and take away some lessons from the General: Murtala jolted a sleepy nation into life. The vibrancy in his voice was captivating. The fire in his eyes charmed and awed the nation in only six months …Murtala, the leader, adopted a low profile policy. The 504 replaced Mercedes Benz as the official government car. Only the Head of State rode a Mercedes Benz: not bullet proof and not the 600 series. For the 200 days Murtala was Head of State, he lived in the house he had occupied as Director of Army Signal Corps. He drove to work at the Dodan Barracks every morning from his house accompanied by his driver, his orderly and his ADC. No convoy. No sirens. No outriders. Few days after his assumption of office, Murtala shunned the sirens and convoy and rode alone with his driver from Lagos to Kano, a journey of more than 1000 kilometres in his personal car.” These were the words of former Nigeria’s High Commissioner in Namibia Ambassador Adegboyega Christopher Ariyo, guest speaker at an event organised by the National Commission of Museums and Monuments (NCMM), in collaboration with Murtala Muhammed Foundation and Ikoyi-Obalende Local Council Development Area (LCDA) to mark the fortieth anniversary of the death of former Head of State. Adegboyega revealed then that the late General had only N70.20 in his account when he died on February 13, 1976.
As soon as he took over, General Yakubu Gowon’s military governors were sacked, some of them tried for corruption and their ill-gotten wealth confiscated. General Murtala cleared the “cement armada”; a derisive term for a long line of ships that had practically paralysed the Lagos seaport while waiting to discharge imported cement. There followed a massive purge that affected the civil service, diplomatic service, the judiciary, public corporations, the police and armed forces. General Murtala sought to demobilise 100,000 troops from the rank of the bloated Nigerian Army. He brought broadcasting under federal control, cancelled the 1973 census and began to review the Third National Development Plan.
He introduced some terms into our governance language. Thus, his government would “arrest the drift” and give the country “a new lease of life”. “Deadwoods” were retired; appointments were made or terminated with “immediate effect”. General Murtala also introduced the term “Fellow Nigerians”. For a while, everyone took Nigeria serious and people were ready to be accountable for what they did or didn’t do.
Murtala’s administration was a perfect example of how the economic, political and social well being of a country could impact its international status. General Murtala, speaking on 11th January, 1976 at Addis Ababa,
Ethiopia, during an extraordinary session of the then Organisation of African Unity (OAU), held the entire continent spell bound with his hard hitting anti-imperialist tirade directed at Western countries seeking to reinforce colonialism and racism in Africa. He brought delegates to tears in a speech dubbed “Africa Has Come of Age”, which was essentially a clarion call to action against apartheid and colonial rule. The historic speech called for unity of purpose and Murtala’s regime led the way for a concrete financial and material assistance to freedom fighters all across Africa. This was Nigeria’s finest moment. Of course, the West was alarmed.
Murtala’s OAU speech was undiplomatic. It was shunned of rhetoric and it was rousing. It was a serious business. General Murtala communicated his own personal pain about apartheid thus: “Mr Chairman, when I contemplate the evils of apartheid, my heart bleeds and I am sure the heart of every true African bleeds”. Somewhere in this inspiring address, the General warned (the West): “Africa has come of age. It’s no longer under the orbit of any extra-continental power. It should no longer take orders from any country, no matter how powerful, the time has come when we should make it clear that we can decide for ourselves; that we know our own interests and how to protect those interests; that we are capable of resolving African problems without presumptuous lessons in ideological dangers which, more often than not, have no relevance for us, nor for the problem at hand”.
All told, our leaders at all levels should therefore reflect on the life and times of the leader we are celebrating today fifty years after his death and ask this question: what will my people remember me for even 50 days after my death?
