– Murtala introduced Buhari to the corridors of power and leadership
– Came up with stern and uncompromising policies
– Buhari followed suit, still lives as a strict Nigerian leader
Late General Murtala Mohammed shaking General Ibrahim Babangida after being promoted.
A fresh analysis has emerged of how late General Murtala Ramat Mohammed influenced the decisions Muhammadu Buhari, Nigeria’s current president, who was a junior officer to him (Murtala).
According to Leadership, the former military ruler whose government is still recalled with nostalgia by many Nigerians as a golden era, remains the only Nigerian leader affectionately called by his first name.
Murtala’s emergence
At the time, he gave Nigeria a glimpse of the principled, focused and dynamic leadership that its citizens craved, as he was very decisive with issues and this made his country men and women to be immensely happy with his administration.
Their joy stemmed from the fact that, at last an uncompromising leader with the discipline and tenacity to take the nation to the proverbial ‘Promised Land’ had arrived.
Throwback… General Murtala Mohammed and Muhammadu Buhari
These qualities of Murtala’s would later rub off on then young Colonel, Muhammadu Buhari, who was introduced to the corridors of power by the late ruler, and also justified the trust reposed in him as he also rescued the nation at a critical time in history.
Although Murtala’s tenure was short-lived as the entire nation was stunned on Friday, February 13, 1976, to the news that he had been killed in a coup d’état led by Colonel Buka Suka Dimka, his legacies have since lived on.
He had started grooming Buhari for leadership roles after making him governor of the northeastern region, now broken into six states; Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe.
Before then was the story of how Murtala marched the young Lieutenant Buhari to Gowon, who had just been made Head of State.
Young Muhammadu Buhari as Nigeria’s Head of State.
After the routine salutations, Murtala introduced Buhari thus: “Sir, here is your ADC; don’t look further if you are looking for a competent, honest, dedicated, diligent and focused officer for that position.”
Looking up at Buhari, who stood at about 6’4” and laughingly, with eyes twinkling, Gowon reportedly said: “Ah, my brother, Murtala, when people see me and this man they wouldn’t know who the Head of State is.”
While he was a governor, Buhari also participated in the regime’s fight against corruption, indiscipline and indolence head-on, as they battled the public service and held government officials accountable for their stewardship.
Buhari steps into the big shoes
After the coup of December 31, 1983, Buhari became the Head of State and his deputy, late Major General Tunde Idiagbon, told Nigerians categorically that their regime was an off-shoot of the Murtala/Obasanjo regime, and promised that they would correct what they found wrong in the country.
As soon as they came into power, the Buhari/Idiagbon pair held public officers of previous regimes accountable for their past actions or inactions.
President Muhammadu Buhari as Nigeria’s politically-elected president.
And in 1984, while in trying to get the fervour for patriotism in Nigerians, Buhari said: “Indeed, this generation and future generations of Nigerians have no other country to call their own; we shall remain here and salvage it together.”
Buhari’s non-nonsense approach to his war against corruption, which he sees as being worse than the menace of Boko Haram, is one of the strong points of his campaign prior to his election last year.
Nigerians will also be hoping to see how well he keeps up with his “I belong to everybody and I belong to nobody” mantra which he delivered during his inaugural speech as Nigeria’s president in May 2015.