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| Murtala Mohammed |
Notably, late General Murtala Ramat Mohammed, Nigeria’s
fourth head of state, is one of the country’s most popular rulers. He came to
power on a promising note, showed readiness to deliver and was taken out of
power when the ovation was loudest. The 198 days he spent in office were
eventful and loaded with activities that strategically shaped and are still
shaping the affairs of the nation 40 years after. His low profile and
flamboyance-shunning approach to governance; zero tolerance for graft,
ineptitude and laxity; and resolution of issues with despatch, which has come
to be known as ‘military alacrity,’ endeared to him to most Nigerians but also
won for him, strident critics and enemies, who opposed his style.
Murtala Mohammed
mounted the saddle of leadership on July 30, 1975 but was killed less than
seven months later in an abortive coup of February 13, 1976. But before his
assassination, Murtala Mohammed had left his footprints on the sands of time.
Crucial decisions Murtala Muhammed Benefiting from the toppling of General
Yakubu Gowon, on account of failure to meet the expectations of Nigerians,
reneging on returning power to civilians, ruling the country without
consultation, neglecting the armed forces and being insensitive to the
yearnings of Nigerians among others, Murtala Mohammed had before him urgent and
crucial decisions to take. And that he did with despatch in an unmistakable
manner.
Beginning with his first broadcast, Mohammed announced a
series of initiatives, which he pursued with a dizzying speed. The initial
decisions include: Retirement of Gowon, then serving military governors and
some members of the Armed Forces with immediate effect; reorganizing the
structure of the Federal Government into three organs – the Supreme Military
Council, National Council of States and Federal Executive Council; promise to
review the political programme and to set up panels on the question of new
states and the federal capital; and cancellation of the controversial 1973
population census and reversion to the 1963 census among others.
He was to follow up with more concrete steps. He announced
plans for an orderly return to civilian rule by October 1, 1979. He appointed a
50-man Constitution Drafting Committee headed by Chief Rotimi Williams, to
hammer out a new constitution for the country in readiness for the return to
civil rule. Panels were set up to advise on assets investigation of some former
public officers, abandoned properties in the three Eastern States, the location
of the Federal Capital and creation of more states.
The administration announced a ‘low profile policy for
public officers and he chose to stay at his home in Ikoyi rather than move into
the more fortified Dodan Barracks residence. He occasionally startled observers
by showing up at many places such as the Polo ground without protection. In the
weeks leading to his assassination he was warned to be more cautious but he
brushed aside all admonitions. A simple leader with populist ideas, Murtala
Mohammed had no speeding convoys. He refused heavily-armed security details and
preferred to stay in the traffic with his ‘fellow Nigerians’ until it eased.
Creation of seven states:
He set up a panel
headed by Justice Ayo Irikefe on the creation of seven more states (Niger,
Bauchi, Gongola, Benue, Ogun, Imo and Bendel) to the 12 existing ones on
December 22, 1975. The panel came up with a report which was utilized in the
formation of new states in 1976.
Making Abuja new Federal Capital Territory: To give the
country a befitting capital as Lagos was becoming over-crowded, Mohammed set in
motion plans to build a new Federal Capital Territory. He set up a panel headed
by Justice Akinola Aguda, which chose Abuja ahead of other proposed locations.
On February 3, 1976, 10 days before he was killed, he made an announcement that
the Federal Capital would be moved to a ‘federal territory of about 8,000
square kilometres in the central part of the country.’
Civil service purge:
He removed top
federal and state officials to break links with the Gowon regime and to restore
public confidence in the Federal Government. He went on sack more than 10,000
public officials and employees on account of age, health, incompetence,
malpractice or corruption. The purge affected the civil service, judiciary,
police and armed forces, diplomatic service, public corporations, and
universities.
Some officials were tried for graft:
Demobilisation of
100,000 troops: Although unpopular within the military, Mohammed embarked on
the demobilization of 100,000 troops
from the swollen ranks of the armed forces. Implemented diarchy: Mohammed also
operated diarchical system of government by incorporating civilians. Twelve of
the 25 ministerial posts on the new Federal Executive Council went to civilians
even though the cabinet was secondary to the executive Supreme Military
Council.
Entrenching unitarism, media control:
The Federal Government took over the operation of the
country’s two largest newspapers – Daily Times ans New Nigerian, made
broadcasting a federal monopoly, and brought remaining state-run universities
under federal control.
Other achievements:
Murtala Mohammed initiated a comprehensive review of the
Third National Development Plan. He announced that his government would
encourage the rapid expansion of the private sector into areas dominated by
public corporations.
He reappraised foreign policy, stressing a “Nigeria first”
orientation in line with OPEC price guidelines that was to the disadvantage of
other African countries. Nigeria became “neutral” rather than “non-aligned” in
international affairs.
The shift in orientation became apparent with respect to
Angola. Nigeria had worked with the OAU to bring about a negotiated
reconciliation of the warring factions in the former Portuguese colony, but
late in 1975 Murtala Muhammed announced Nigeria’s support for the Soviet-backed
Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola, citing South Africa’s armed
intervention on the side of the rival National Union for the Total Independence
of Angola (UNITA).
Dreams and projects :
The realignment strained relations with the United States,
which argued for the withdrawal of Cuban troops and Soviet advisers from
Angola. In October, the Nigerian Air Force took delivery of Soviet-built
aircraft that had been ordered under Gowon.
However, he did not
live long enough to realise most of his lofty dreams and projects. Murtala
Mohammed was killed, aged 37, along with his Aide-De-Camp (ADC), Lieutenant
Akintunde Akinsehinwa in his black Mercedes Benz saloon car on, February 13,
1976 in an abortive coup attempt led by Lt. Col Buka Suka Dimka, when his car
was ambushed while en route his office at Dodan Barracks, Lagos.
