Nigerian Leadership: Murtala Muhammed 35 Years After His Demise

16 February 2011

By Babandi Gumel

Friday the 13th February 1976 was the day many of us would never forget in our lives as it became the black Friday when the no nonsense decisive and charismatic leader General Murtala Muhammed was assassinated. The day he was killed I cried shedding tears as I remembered the days he used to attend Juma’a Service with other Muslim faithful at the Dodan Barrack Mosque Obalende when I was studying in Lagos.

The Late Murtala used to come to the Mosque every Friday alone he and his ADC and the driver at the time with no usual motorcade convoy with sirens befitting to most African leaders at that time. I was at the Institute of Journalism in Lagos attending a 3-month short term Advanced Writing Course in Journalism and I used to finish lectures on Friday on time to enable me attend the Mosque where Murtala used to pray with the congregation together.

It was so fascinating and memorable having a glimpse at the Head of State coming as ordinary worshipper joining the congregation which he never missed every Friday. We enjoyed having a glance at him even though from far whenever he came to the Mosque for the Friday Prayers acknowledging cheers from the crowd before and after the prayers. After the prayers he and his ADC Lt Akintunde Akinsehinwa and the driver Sergeant Adamu Michika and an Orderly Staff Sergeant Michael Otuwe would go back again to the office without any escort as he was so popular and the Lagosians were used to seeing Murtala the Nigerian leader .

Unknown to him that fateful Friday he was driving to the office taking the usual route when suddenly Dimka and his fellow assassins pounced on his motorcade killing him his ADC the orderly and the driver mentioned. After the assassination Dimka rushed to the Broadcasting House NBC nearby Ikoyi to make the pronouncement that Murtala’s Government had been toppled. All Military Governors according to him had no powers over their states as they would be run by the Brigade Commanders until further notice.

Any act of resistance said Dimka would be met with death . Airports and Sea ports were all closed until further notice. But the Commander of the 1st Infantry Brigade Major General Alani Akirinade made counter pronouncement in Kaduna, denouncing Dimka’s coup attempt and assassination of the Head of State which sent wave of demonstrations by the University students, Trade Unions from Benin to Lagos spreading across the Country.

Eventually the former Military Leader General Ibrahim Babangida was sent to the Broadcasting House in Lagos to dislodge Dimka and his comrades who eventually escaped after manhunt he was eventually caught and sentenced to death .

He was found guilty with others conspirators including the then former Commissioner for Defence Major General Iliya Bisalla who was seen shedding tears at the funeral of Murtala in Kano two days after the attempted coup which he was implicated. As no-nonsense fearless soldier when he became Head of State on the 29th July 1975 he retired all the Army Officers above the rank of Major General.

While he was gallantry he was brisk and decisive with major issues that boarded on impulse characterising the Regime as corrective regime tackling corruption leading to retirement and retrenchment of public servants with some summarily dismissed with immediate effect.

Since the inception of the Regime Nigerians learnt to behave well going to work on time beating the so called usual traffic jam especially in Lagos causing go slow excuses which they used to give coming late to the office. Immediately he became the leader he declared his asset encouraging his colleagues in the Supreme Military Council to follow suit making him exemplary transparent leader. I remember his younger brother Kamilu used to work with us at the Ministry of Information in Kano as a Messenger even when his brother became the Head of State he remained in the same position without giving him any preferential treatment expected of those in power.

That was Murtala who used to take decisive actions when he was the Head of State not allowing his very self to be a stooge or dictated by someone else. Among the few decisions taken by him included the moving of the Federal Capital from Lagos to Abuja and the promise of handing over power to Civilians in which General Gowon described as unrealistic. He also cancelled the disputed 1973 census results which generated controversy.

On Foreign Policy he supported the Angolan Independence under the so called Marxist Regime of the MPLA of Augustino Neto contrary to the wishes of the American Regime and other Western Powers who were supporting Jonas Savimbi of the UNITA .

Late Joe Garba the Commissioner for External Affairs under the guidance of Murtala rallied the African Countries and other non Alligned Nations to recognise the MPLA Regime which eventually won the election on attaining Independence.

After the attempted coup in which Murtala lost his life his deputy Olusegun Obasanjo was made the Military Leader to succeed him. At the same time the Supreme Military Council chose Late Brigadier Shehu Musa ‘Yar Adua the elder brother of Late President Umaru Musa Yar Adua to be the second in command to Obasanjo who handed over power to the Civilian of Shehu Shagari as promised in 1979.

So thirty five years of the demise of Murtala was like yesterday. He was immortalised leaving legacies all over the Country which included the naming of the Lagos International Airport Murtala Muhammed Airport .

In addition the Central Bank immortalised him with the introduction of new N20 Note making it the highest denomination of the Nigeria’s currency at the time with his picture popularly known as ‘Yar Murtala in Hausa.

Equally in Kano his birth place he was buried there at a place called Tudun Murtala the nearby Mosque was given Masallacin Murtala among some of his legacies. Others included the renaming of Kano City Hospital to Murtala Muhammed Hospital and the former Metropolitan Building to Gidan Murtala all in Kano. Almost everywhere throughout the Country he was immortalised naming streets and other important places of interest after him.

Unfortunately his name did not appear among the lists of those posthumously honoured during the fiftieth Anniversary last year. Although his Regime lasted for only six Months but he achieved so many things which impacted the lives of so many Nigerians which could not be quantified as legacy that was so inspiring commendable and laudable.

So whatever his shortcomings as a human being who is never perfect Murtala as a person we can confidently say tried his best leaving a lasting legacy for everyone to see which can only be judged by the posterity.

Nonetheless it was outstanding brilliant performance achieving wonderful results witnessed in the six months of his reign as Military Leader of the Corrective Regime. As they say give credit to those worthy of getting such credit and in our opinion Murtala deserved one the least we can do for him is commendation not condemnation.

Therefore he needed to be remembered as we remembered all those who sacrificed their lives for the continued survival of the nation known as heroes or martyrs. Murtala was among such people acknowledged by friends and even those regarded as foes have to admit his contribution. Allah jikansa.

Wa Akhiri Daawana Anil Hamdu Lillahi Rabbil Alameen.

©  EsinIslam.Com

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