NIGERIANS UNFAIR TO ABACHA
People saw him as a blood-thirsty tyrant.
They saw him as a greedy dictator.
Many saw him as a power hungry despot.
And as a political liability to the country.
In spite of all these sayings, from hind sight, I am inclined to believe that Abacha was one of the greatest and most visionary leaders Nigeria and Africa have ever had. I discovered how wrong most Nigerians were in their opinion of Abacha, especially the youths, who did not know much about Abacha then.
I am currently doing a book on the post war Nigerian presidents/Heads of State from 1979 to date which should be out early next year.
I know some people will be angry with me for saying this. I will be ready to welcome any challenge or debate with anybody or group in and outside the country on the book. Any such person can contact me through my email address: pressmerit@yahoo.com
But if anybody would sit down and carefully analyze what I have said here, they will see the truth. I have now come to believe that all the negative stories about Abacha both during his tenure and after his death were more like the handiwork of local and international blackmail hatched by some Western powers against a man they perceived as a visionary and defiant African leader.
This is not the first time the Western powers would hatch such sinister blackmail and conspiracy against African leaders who try to break from the neo-colonial influence of foreign powers over African countries, the West African sub-region in particular.
They did it to Muammar Gadhafi
They did it to Patrice Lumumba of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
They did it to Muammar Gadhafi.
They did it to Thomas Sankara among others.
Even our own Goodluck Jonathan, when he refused to adopt same sex marriage for Nigeria, they started to fight him.
Let’s consider a few points on Abacha’s regime:
Take it or leave it, Abacha was one of the most detribalized heads of State in Nigeria as well as one of the most honest and sincere about Nigerian unity based on justice and equity.
This vision can be seen in the Abacha era National Conference which in fact ranks as the best so far in terms of the agenda or terms of reference, which included the vexed issue of restructuring the country. How many other Nigerian leaders has done this?
Few other Nigerian presidents or heads of State if any had the kind of quality and qualified persons in their cabinet as Abacha and at the same time maintaining geopolitical balance and equity based on merit.
Abacha was one Head of State that practicalized the concept of Health for all Nigerians as against the empty theories of other Nigerian leaders. As a way to ensure that Nigerians stopped going overseas for medical treatment and wasting the country’s foreign reserves, Abacha embarked on an extensive health scheme by establishing a state-of-the-art Abuja National hospital.
He followed this up with the establishment of Federal medical center in every State capital.
He did not stop there. He went ahead to build the Women and Children Hospital Sokoto and Aminu Kano hospital in Kano. He broke the jinx of out of stock syndrome in public hospitals across the country. Which other Nigerian leader has done that before?
Contrary to the erroneous insinuations that Abacha was averse to democracy and rule of law, he demonstrated practical commitment to a democratic administration by building the National Assembly Complex, Abuja which is one of the best in Africa.
And to further provide the enabling environment and comfort for the legislators, he went on to build the Apo legislative quarters Abuja which has now been privatized. Which other Nigerian leader has done that?
Abacha was one Nigerian Head of State that seriously and honestly addressed the problem of social infrastructure in Nigeria. When he noticed the deplorable state of social infrastructure, he established the PTF which signaled the best era of infrastructural development and public services across the country.
To show that he had no ulterior motive, Abacha appointed Muhammadu Buhari, who was his senior in the army and someone he could not manipulate as head of the PTF. He also appointed other highly principled Nigerians like late Dora Akunyili into the board of PTF.
Using the PTF, Abacha built an unprecedented number of roads, schools and other social facilities in all sectors of the economy in the country. Which other Nigerian leader has done that?
- Gwarinpa Housing Estate.
As part of his effort to improve social infrastructure, Abacha regime built the Gwarimpa Housing Estate.
Abacha was one Nigerian leader who placed high value on education. Under his regime, countless lecture halls were built in the country’s universities and in addition to the purchase of campus buses while student hostels were built in all Federal universities across the country. Which other Nigerian leader has done that?
When Abacha noticed the problem of public transportation in the country and the hardship and financial burden this was causing Nigerians, his regime acquired hundreds of high caliber vehicles to ameliorate the problem. Which other Nigerian leader has done that?
As part of his effort to ease transportation in the country, Abacha initiated the revitalization of the Nigerian Railways. Unfortunately, the laudable scheme which should have been completed many years ago is still on.
Abacha regime revitalized and refocused this vital organ to become effective and responsive to the national economy. Which other Nigerian leader has done that?
As a regime with economic foresight, Abacha encouraged local manufacturing, including agriculture by helping manufacturers and farmers export and earn good money for their products, thus boosting the country’s foreign exchange and general economy. Which other Nigerian leader has done that?
It is on record that it was Abacha regime that initiated the Mobile Telecommunication System in Nigeria which was already on the drawing board when he died.
It is also on record that the Abacha regime initiated a Nuclear Electricity project for Nigeria using uranium which was in progress when he died.
Contrary to the insinuation that Abacha was stonehearted, he proved the critics wrong by paying all Federal contractors owed by previous regimes, something that has never happened under any administration up till today, where the practice is that once there is a change of regime, the new regime balks at paying debts owed to contractors by its predecessor.
On the issue of Abacha looting the nation’s treasury, it is on record that under Abacha, in spite of multiple economic sanctions from the West, his regime achieved unprecedented economic feats.
a. FOREIGN EXCHANGE RESERVES: Abacha’s regime marked an increase in the country’s foreign exchange reserves from $494 million in 1993 to $9.6 billion by the middle of 1997.
b. EXTERNAL DEBT: The Abacha regime reduced the external debt of Nigeria from $36 billion in 1993 to $27 billion by 1997.
c. PRIVATISATION: Abacha regime stopped the privatisation programs of the previous regime.
d. INFLATION: His administration reduced the inflation rate from 54% inherited from his to 8.5% before he died.
e. STABILIZATION OF NAIRA EXCHANGE RATE: From the day that Abacha took power to the day he died on June 8 1998, a period of some five years, the ‘official’ exchange rate of the naira to the dollar remained constant at N21.89. One reason foreign powers despised him.
Curiously, in 2000, two years after he died, the rate jumped to N85.98, N106 in 2001, N113 in 2002, N127 in 2003 and onwards to today’s N500 plus.
It is on record that Abacha regime achieved all these feats while oil sold at $15 per barrel. When Abacha died, his regime left behind billions of naira in both foreign exchange and domestic reserves.
If indeed Abacha looted the treasury and at the same time was able to stabilize the Naira for this long and make such huge saving for the country, that must have been an economic miracle. Which other Nigerian leader has done that before?
Mazi Omife I. Omife
Mbuze Mbaukwu
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