As Head of State, the late Gen Murtala Ramat 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, his life and times were celebrated last week at a photo exhibition tagged: Our Hero Past at the National Museum in Onika, Lagos. Assistant Editor Arts OZOLUA UHAKHEME reports.
Murtala jolted a sleeping nation into life. The vibrancy in his voice was arresting. The fire in his eyes charmed and awed the nation. …Murtala 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 type. 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 Gen Murtala Ramat Muhammed.
He said the late general had only N70.20 in his account when he died on February 13, 1976.
According to him, Muhammed brought activism and forthrightness into the Nigeria diplomatic enterprise in the actualsiation of the national interests of Nigeria. “Nigeria justified by the moral authority of his campaign for the total eradication of colonialism and obnoxious, dehumanising apartheid white racist regimes in South Africa and backed with strong economy and committed diplomatic and military machines, was able to influence decisively programmes, tasks and strategies that contributed significantly to the liberation of the Southern African states and restored the dignity of Africans.
“Indeed, the activities that led to the golden era of Nigeria foreign policy were hatched under General Muhammed and his colleagues. Though geographically in West Africa, Nigeria became a member of the Frontline States of Southern Africa,” he recalled, adding that his ‘Africa has come of age’ speech at Addis Ababa, Ethiopia was a clear signal that Nigeria had the resources to tend her future in dignity and would not take any nonsense. But, unfortunately, Nigeria lost focus as money became the god of our leaders.
Ambassador Ariyo said competition and self-centredness took control of our living as a people while destroying our culture and values. He noted that we adopted foreign culture, uncaring and undisciplined system of governance, destroyed systems, institutions and processes for national stability and prosperity through strange political acrobatics unknown to real ideas-based democratic practices.
Continuing, he said: “Our people lost hope and human life became worthless. Insecurity, corruption, disunity, lack of focus, joblessness, excruciating internal and foreign debts rendered us voiceless where it matters. Our military lost the steel to protect us and be relevant in power equation in Africa and the world to allegedly inept and corrupt leaderships.” The former Nigeria’s High Commissioner to Namibia asked what lessons can Nigeria learn from the life of the great legend?
Information and Culture Minister Alhaji Lai Mohammed said the late general left an indelible mark and record that were difficult to surpass, noting that his patriotism and love for the nation and her people is certainly unquestionable.
“As a military officer, he was a gallant, brave andpatriotic soldier. He served the nation in variuous capacoities during his military career. He was among the crop of young military officewrs that represented Nigeria as part of a Uniteed Nation’s peace keeping mission tot he then Congo (Zaire) now Congo DR in 1962. During the 30 month Nigerian civil war between 1976 and 1970, he fought gallantly to keep the unity of the nation. He was one of the heroes of the war.
“His brief reign as head of military government witnessed several landmark achievement , the legacy of which we still have with us today. One of these was the creation of seven additional states on February 3, 1976 among others.
The minister who was represented by the Director-General of Centre for Black African Arts and Civilisation (CBAAC) Mr Ferdinand Anikwe said there is nothing that is done to remember the late Muhammed that is too much but rahter it is in appreciation of his great contributions to the socio-economic and political development of the nation. he described the photography exhibition as a challenge to the wide spectrum of today’s leaders to serve the nation with patriotic zeal, eschew corruption, nepotism, political thuggery and rigging, tribalism and personal aggrandisement. According to the minister, the event is a clarion call to the youths to see themselves as key players in the nation’s socio-economic and political development.
“It is a call to the military to serve the nation with patriotism and help safeguard the unity of the country and protect our young fledging democratic process. It is a call to all Nigerians in all facets of life to love this country that we call our own so that we can individually make very meaningful patriotic contributions towards national development in tandem with the change agenda of this present democratic administration. I implore us to see ourselves as veritable tools in the change agenda and vision of the present administration and endeavour to make meaningful contributions to the socio-economic and political development,” he added.
First daughter of the late general, Aisha Muhammed Oyebode, who is Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Murtala Muhammed Foundation, said she was humbled by the legacy of his late father. “I am always humbled by his legacy. I also feel humbled when I see the kind of response that people have towards him 40 years after. So, I really feel it is something that makes me very proud. At times I realise that he really was a visionary because so many things that he talked about 40 years ago are the ones affecting us today,” she said.
Aisha, who was 12 and a Form 2 pupil at Queens College, Lagos, when her father was killed in a coup spearheaded by Lt. Colonel Buka Sukar Dimka, recalled that for quite a while she did not know her father was killed. “As soon as it happened, the Head Mistress called me into her office and said I needed to go home. The lady that came to pick me was the Principal of my former school. “It was when we got to Kano the following day which was on Sunday morning that my father’s mother told us that my father had been killed. That was after he had been buried. All this while my mother was away, maybe if she was around we would have known earlier,” Aisha recalled.
Earlier in a message, Aisha said the event provided the foundation the platform to celebrate the contributions of her late father to the project of nation building for which he was very passionate. She added that it also allowed the foundation to highlight the very ideals eschewed by the late Muhammed on which the foundation is founded.
“It also allows us an opportunity to remind the younger generation of the rich heritage already laid down by Hero’s Past, which ultimately will enable us all to attain the full development and scope of the potential that this country is capable of attaining. Such an endeavour will surely be the greatest tribute we could pay to the memory of our Hero Past, General Murtala Muhammed,” she said.
Director-General NCMM, Yusuf Abdallah Usman, said despite the short rule of the late Muhamamed, he made quite some long-term contributions to the nation’s development.
“General Muhammed ruled Nigeria for only 200 days but they were the most action filled, most dynamic and probably the most impactful 200 days on the contemporary political and social history of our nation. Three things remain indelible: His commitment to good governance, robust attempt to root out corruption and fierce battle against indiscipline,” Usman said.
He disclosed that the late General’s tomb has been proposed as a national monument as a reminder of the great contributions of the great man.
Our Hero Past showcases some of the vantage photographs of the late general at different locations and events during his service in the military. It also shows some of his public pronouncements especially after the civil war. Such pronouncements are: “In the endeavour to build a strong, united and virile nation, Nigerians have shed much blood, the thought of further bloodshed, for whatever reasons, must, I am sure, be revolting to our people…”
“It is incumbent on us not to misuse our public offices and to hold sacred and utilise in the most efficient manner, the public funds entrusted to the care of the Federal Military government,” this was made during the swearing in ceremony of 10 of the new governors on July 31, 1975.
The exhibition is to honour a national hero whose numerous attributes are worthy of emulation by the present greneration. The show is also to encourgae young Nigerians to be deligent in service, truthful and courageous. According to the late SG Ikoku, Muhammed ‘is a martyr of the new Nigeria. What we owe General Muhammed is to work even more painstakingly for the realisation of the dynamic disciplined and self-directed nation he toiled so hard to build.’
The event also witnessed the presentation of a collection of postage stamps by representatives of Nigerian Postal Services as memorabila in commemoration of Muhammed ‘s 40 years anniversary.
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