Jakande, Abacha and history
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- Category: Philosofaith
- Written by Adesola Muyiwa Abdul-Kareem
- Hits: 987
When history is written from the perspective of prejudice, fed by ignorance, facts are bound to be brutally suppressed. This seems to be the reality surrounding the assessment of the late General Sani Abacha, especially from the perspective of South-West analysts and commentators. In fact, they virtually see nothing good about the late military ruler. Criticism arising purely from prejudice and animosity is the laziest intellectual efforts. But prejudice apart, are all the attacks on the late General Abacha justified or fair?
One man, however, who has consistently made frank efforts to assess the late General Abacha with an open mind is the former civilian governor of Lagos State during the Second Republic, Alhaji Lateef Jakande. Speaking during a recent interview with the Vanguard newspaper, Alhaji Jakande admitted that the late General Abacha had more accolades to his record than his enemies are courageous enough to admit.
According to the veteran Journalist, Gen. Abacha meant well for Nigeria and was on the course of executing and completing major development projects before fate struck in June 1998. Chief Jakande recalled that as a former Minister of Housing and Urban Development under Abacha, their administration had started major housing projects, witnessing the execution of 125,000 houses across the country. These projects, he said, had already got off the ground across the country.
Even without Jakande going into copious details, Nigerians can see the evidence of Abacha’s achievements on the ground twelve years after his demise. For example, the Gwarinpa Housing Estate, which is the largest single housing project in Africa, remains an enduring tribute to the memory of the late General Abacha. Former President Obasanjo is the harshest critic of General Abacha and, despite earning more billion dollars of oil revenues than the late military ruler, his performance record after eight years in office was an outstanding failure.
Therefore, as far as most fair-minded Nigerians are concerned, Alhaji Jakande was preaching to the converted. Nigerians can see Abacha’s achievements on the ground. During the eight-year-rule of former President Obasanjo, national infrastructure started a major decline, despite billions of dollars received by his administration as oil revenues. In fact, even the 18 billion dollars debt relief granted Nigeria under his administration didn’t have any impact on social and physical development.
Other Nigerians didn’t envy the South-West under Obasanjo. Today bad road network is one of the sorry legacies left by the former Obasanjo administration in the South-West. In fact, Obasanjo himself admitted at one point that he was ashamed of the conditions of federal roads! The bigger shame however, is that he couldn’t justify the billions of dollars that came into the coffers of his administration as oil revenues. His failure obscured the bright promises which Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999 was supposed to have brought about.
In contrast, however, the late General Abacha was able to make a significant impact within five years at a time the total oil revenues that came to his administration was put at 10 billion dollars. With the establishment of the defunct Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF), Nigerians had for the first time saw the concrete benefits of petroleum subsidy withdrawal. Our hospitals, schools, roads, water supply systems, transport sector and electricity began to show remarkable signs of improvements with PTF intervention.
Unfortunately, former President Obasanjo impulsively scrapped the PTF and reversed the achievements without offering alternatives. Despite spending an estimated sum of 10 billion dollars to achieve regular power supply by the Obasanjo administration, the money went down the drain. Testimonies before the House of Representatives Power Probe Committee were devastating as it opened the eyes of Nigerians to the hypocrisy of the former Obasanjo administration.
It is on record that the late General Abacha started a major railway rehabilitation and modernization projects. He invited the Chinese Civil Engineering and Construction Company and within a few months, our railway system was taking an impressive new shape. Sadly, Obasanjo frustrated the railway projects out of personal animosity against Abacha, thereby sacrificing the larger public interest to serve a private motive. Shamelessly, however, towards the end of his tenure, he re-awarded the rail contracts at a more staggering cost to Nigeria. Because it was done out of malicious motives, the railway modernization projects are today bogged down, thanks to Obasanjo’s insincerity.
It is also to Abacha’s credit that he didn’t collect any foreign loan but he was still able to deliver. Former FCT Minister, General Jerry Useini and Former Chairman of National Economic Intelligence Committee, Professor Sam Aluko have testified to this fact in several media interviews. Nigerians don’t need a reminder from Alhaji Lateef Jakande to appreciate General Abacha’s impressive record within a relatively short space of time he was destined to be in government. Since 1999, Nigerians oil revenues have risen to unbelievable extent but the so-called democratic rulers have only managed to increase the scale of corruption and accelerating poverty in the country.
A former U. S. President, Bill Clinton, said in the year 2000, during a visit to Nigeria that his country would not oppose debt relief for Nigeria, provided the benefits would go to ordinary Nigerians. Unfortunately, Clinton’s fears were eventually confirmed. A few years after the debt relief, the so-called national budgets didn’t bring any significant improvement in the quality of life for ordinary Nigerians. One of the arguments for debt relief made by the former Obasanjo administration was that Nigeria was committing almost 50 percent of its budget to servicing foreign debts to the detriment of key social service sectors.
Persuaded by these superficially genuine arguments, the Western creditors finally granted Nigeria a debt relief of 18billion dollars in 2003. However, even the Western nations are themselves disappointed with the quality of life of Nigerians today, despite granting the country the 18 billion dollars debt relief. With this disgraceful record of failure, what moral justification should former President Obasanjo have to condemn the Abacha administration?
One commends Alhaji Jakande’s courage to speak up honestly about Abacha’s achievements in the political environment of the South-West, which is hostile to Abacha’s memory. However, prejudice cannot crush the truth because it will always resurge.
Abdul-Kareem wrote in from No. 29, Panama Street, Minister’s Hill Maitama, Abuja
One man, however, who has consistently made frank efforts to assess the late General Abacha with an open mind is the former civilian governor of Lagos State during the Second Republic, Alhaji Lateef Jakande. Speaking during a recent interview with the Vanguard newspaper, Alhaji Jakande admitted that the late General Abacha had more accolades to his record than his enemies are courageous enough to admit.
According to the veteran Journalist, Gen. Abacha meant well for Nigeria and was on the course of executing and completing major development projects before fate struck in June 1998. Chief Jakande recalled that as a former Minister of Housing and Urban Development under Abacha, their administration had started major housing projects, witnessing the execution of 125,000 houses across the country. These projects, he said, had already got off the ground across the country.
Even without Jakande going into copious details, Nigerians can see the evidence of Abacha’s achievements on the ground twelve years after his demise. For example, the Gwarinpa Housing Estate, which is the largest single housing project in Africa, remains an enduring tribute to the memory of the late General Abacha. Former President Obasanjo is the harshest critic of General Abacha and, despite earning more billion dollars of oil revenues than the late military ruler, his performance record after eight years in office was an outstanding failure.
Therefore, as far as most fair-minded Nigerians are concerned, Alhaji Jakande was preaching to the converted. Nigerians can see Abacha’s achievements on the ground. During the eight-year-rule of former President Obasanjo, national infrastructure started a major decline, despite billions of dollars received by his administration as oil revenues. In fact, even the 18 billion dollars debt relief granted Nigeria under his administration didn’t have any impact on social and physical development.
Other Nigerians didn’t envy the South-West under Obasanjo. Today bad road network is one of the sorry legacies left by the former Obasanjo administration in the South-West. In fact, Obasanjo himself admitted at one point that he was ashamed of the conditions of federal roads! The bigger shame however, is that he couldn’t justify the billions of dollars that came into the coffers of his administration as oil revenues. His failure obscured the bright promises which Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999 was supposed to have brought about.
In contrast, however, the late General Abacha was able to make a significant impact within five years at a time the total oil revenues that came to his administration was put at 10 billion dollars. With the establishment of the defunct Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF), Nigerians had for the first time saw the concrete benefits of petroleum subsidy withdrawal. Our hospitals, schools, roads, water supply systems, transport sector and electricity began to show remarkable signs of improvements with PTF intervention.
Unfortunately, former President Obasanjo impulsively scrapped the PTF and reversed the achievements without offering alternatives. Despite spending an estimated sum of 10 billion dollars to achieve regular power supply by the Obasanjo administration, the money went down the drain. Testimonies before the House of Representatives Power Probe Committee were devastating as it opened the eyes of Nigerians to the hypocrisy of the former Obasanjo administration.
It is on record that the late General Abacha started a major railway rehabilitation and modernization projects. He invited the Chinese Civil Engineering and Construction Company and within a few months, our railway system was taking an impressive new shape. Sadly, Obasanjo frustrated the railway projects out of personal animosity against Abacha, thereby sacrificing the larger public interest to serve a private motive. Shamelessly, however, towards the end of his tenure, he re-awarded the rail contracts at a more staggering cost to Nigeria. Because it was done out of malicious motives, the railway modernization projects are today bogged down, thanks to Obasanjo’s insincerity.
It is also to Abacha’s credit that he didn’t collect any foreign loan but he was still able to deliver. Former FCT Minister, General Jerry Useini and Former Chairman of National Economic Intelligence Committee, Professor Sam Aluko have testified to this fact in several media interviews. Nigerians don’t need a reminder from Alhaji Lateef Jakande to appreciate General Abacha’s impressive record within a relatively short space of time he was destined to be in government. Since 1999, Nigerians oil revenues have risen to unbelievable extent but the so-called democratic rulers have only managed to increase the scale of corruption and accelerating poverty in the country.
A former U. S. President, Bill Clinton, said in the year 2000, during a visit to Nigeria that his country would not oppose debt relief for Nigeria, provided the benefits would go to ordinary Nigerians. Unfortunately, Clinton’s fears were eventually confirmed. A few years after the debt relief, the so-called national budgets didn’t bring any significant improvement in the quality of life for ordinary Nigerians. One of the arguments for debt relief made by the former Obasanjo administration was that Nigeria was committing almost 50 percent of its budget to servicing foreign debts to the detriment of key social service sectors.
Persuaded by these superficially genuine arguments, the Western creditors finally granted Nigeria a debt relief of 18billion dollars in 2003. However, even the Western nations are themselves disappointed with the quality of life of Nigerians today, despite granting the country the 18 billion dollars debt relief. With this disgraceful record of failure, what moral justification should former President Obasanjo have to condemn the Abacha administration?
One commends Alhaji Jakande’s courage to speak up honestly about Abacha’s achievements in the political environment of the South-West, which is hostile to Abacha’s memory. However, prejudice cannot crush the truth because it will always resurge.
Abdul-Kareem wrote in from No. 29, Panama Street, Minister’s Hill Maitama, Abuja
Articles
Jakande, Abacha and history
Category: Philosofaith Written by Adesola Muyiwa Abdul-Kareem Hits: 987
When history is written from the perspective of prejudice, fed by ignorance, facts are bound to be brutally suppressed. This seems to be the reality surrounding the assessment of the late General Sani Abacha, especially from the perspective of South-West analysts and commentators. In fact, they virtually see nothing good about the late military ruler. Criticism arising purely from prejudice and animosity is the laziest intellectual efforts. But prejudice apart, are all the attacks on the late General Abacha justified or fair?One man, however, who has consistently made frank efforts to assess the late General Abacha with an open mind is the former civilian governor of Lagos State during the Second Republic, Alhaji Lateef Jakande. Speaking during a recent interview with the Vanguard newspaper, Alhaji Jakande admitted that the late General Abacha had more accolades to his record than his enemies are courageous enough to admit.
According to the veteran Journalist, Gen. Abacha meant well for Nigeria and was on the course of executing and completing major development projects before fate struck in June 1998. Chief Jakande recalled that as a former Minister of Housing and Urban Development under Abacha, their administration had started major housing projects, witnessing the execution of 125,000 houses across the country. These projects, he said, had already got off the ground across the country.
Even without Jakande going into copious details, Nigerians can see the evidence of Abacha’s achievements on the ground twelve years after his demise. For example, the Gwarinpa Housing Estate, which is the largest single housing project in Africa, remains an enduring tribute to the memory of the late General Abacha. Former President Obasanjo is the harshest critic of General Abacha and, despite earning more billion dollars of oil revenues than the late military ruler, his performance record after eight years in office was an outstanding failure.
Therefore, as far as most fair-minded Nigerians are concerned, Alhaji Jakande was preaching to the converted. Nigerians can see Abacha’s achievements on the ground. During the eight-year-rule of former President Obasanjo, national infrastructure started a major decline, despite billions of dollars received by his administration as oil revenues. In fact, even the 18 billion dollars debt relief granted Nigeria under his administration didn’t have any impact on social and physical development.
Other Nigerians didn’t envy the South-West under Obasanjo. Today bad road network is one of the sorry legacies left by the former Obasanjo administration in the South-West. In fact, Obasanjo himself admitted at one point that he was ashamed of the conditions of federal roads! The bigger shame however, is that he couldn’t justify the billions of dollars that came into the coffers of his administration as oil revenues. His failure obscured the bright promises which Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999 was supposed to have brought about.
In contrast, however, the late General Abacha was able to make a significant impact within five years at a time the total oil revenues that came to his administration was put at 10 billion dollars. With the establishment of the defunct Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF), Nigerians had for the first time saw the concrete benefits of petroleum subsidy withdrawal. Our hospitals, schools, roads, water supply systems, transport sector and electricity began to show remarkable signs of improvements with PTF intervention.
Unfortunately, former President Obasanjo impulsively scrapped the PTF and reversed the achievements without offering alternatives. Despite spending an estimated sum of 10 billion dollars to achieve regular power supply by the Obasanjo administration, the money went down the drain. Testimonies before the House of Representatives Power Probe Committee were devastating as it opened the eyes of Nigerians to the hypocrisy of the former Obasanjo administration.
It is on record that the late General Abacha started a major railway rehabilitation and modernization projects. He invited the Chinese Civil Engineering and Construction Company and within a few months, our railway system was taking an impressive new shape. Sadly, Obasanjo frustrated the railway projects out of personal animosity against Abacha, thereby sacrificing the larger public interest to serve a private motive. Shamelessly, however, towards the end of his tenure, he re-awarded the rail contracts at a more staggering cost to Nigeria. Because it was done out of malicious motives, the railway modernization projects are today bogged down, thanks to Obasanjo’s insincerity.
It is also to Abacha’s credit that he didn’t collect any foreign loan but he was still able to deliver. Former FCT Minister, General Jerry Useini and Former Chairman of National Economic Intelligence Committee, Professor Sam Aluko have testified to this fact in several media interviews. Nigerians don’t need a reminder from Alhaji Lateef Jakande to appreciate General Abacha’s impressive record within a relatively short space of time he was destined to be in government. Since 1999, Nigerians oil revenues have risen to unbelievable extent but the so-called democratic rulers have only managed to increase the scale of corruption and accelerating poverty in the country.
A former U. S. President, Bill Clinton, said in the year 2000, during a visit to Nigeria that his country would not oppose debt relief for Nigeria, provided the benefits would go to ordinary Nigerians. Unfortunately, Clinton’s fears were eventually confirmed. A few years after the debt relief, the so-called national budgets didn’t bring any significant improvement in the quality of life for ordinary Nigerians. One of the arguments for debt relief made by the former Obasanjo administration was that Nigeria was committing almost 50 percent of its budget to servicing foreign debts to the detriment of key social service sectors.
Persuaded by these superficially genuine arguments, the Western creditors finally granted Nigeria a debt relief of 18billion dollars in 2003. However, even the Western nations are themselves disappointed with the quality of life of Nigerians today, despite granting the country the 18 billion dollars debt relief. With this disgraceful record of failure, what moral justification should former President Obasanjo have to condemn the Abacha administration?
One commends Alhaji Jakande’s courage to speak up honestly about Abacha’s achievements in the political environment of the South-West, which is hostile to Abacha’s memory. However, prejudice cannot crush the truth because it will always resurge.
Abdul-Kareem wrote in from No. 29, Panama Street, Minister’s Hill Maitama, Abuja