President Muhammadu Buhari has said that the late General Murtala Mohammed was on his way to putting Nigeria back to the path of order and discipline before his assassination truncated by a military coup on February 13, 1976.
Speaking in Abuja at the 40th memorial lecture of the former head of state, President Buhari said he developed a great liking and respect for Muhammed who showed “genuine interest and concern for up-and-coming officers like myself”.
He described him as a great personality who made huge sacrifice for the country. “Nigeria suffered a grievous blow with the assassination of Murtala Muhammed in a failed coup d’état. The country mourned, and rightly so, because Murtala had been on his way to putting Nigeria back to the path of order and discipline, after years of drift, corruption and near despair,” Buhari said.
“It would not be over-stating the case to say that Nigeria lost its newly-found momentum with Murtala’s demise. Although he was much more senior to me in the army, I developed a great liking and respect for him on account of his professional excellence, competence, straightforwardness and genuine interest and concern for up-and-coming officers like myself.
“Of course, no one is without flaws. He was a man in a hurry, and sometimes this could make him appear abrupt or even moody. But what he could not tolerate was incompetence and idleness.
“By the time Murtala was given command during the Civil War, the Federal side was on the defensive. The rebels had over-ran the then Mid-West, and reached as far as Ore, just 100 miles from Lagos. By dint of sheer bravery, improvisation and resourcefulness, he mustered a rag-tag group of soldiers, integrated them into an entirely new division, knocked them into fighting shape, recovered Mid-West and ventured across the Niger. Alas, there were terrible casualties on both sides.
“The shadow of his death still somewhat hangs over Nigeria. His life, short though it proved to be, was marked by an extraordinary passion, energy and determination to do better, and to make Nigeria better. These are values that young and old alike should all remember – and celebrate.”
Retired General Theophilus Danjuma, vice-president of the board of trustees of the Murtala Muhammed Foundation, organisers of the annual lecture series, expressed joy for being associated with the late Murtala early in life.
He commended the efforts of the foundation and advised its leadership to embark on aggressive media campaign with a view to educating members of the public on its activities and achievements so far.
United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki Moon’s representative and head of the UN Office for West Africa (UNOWA), Mohamed Ibn Chambas, who also represented former President of Namibia, Lucas Pohamba, noted that the death of Muhammed, 40 years ago, had left an indelible mark in African history.
He extolled the virtues of the former head of state, describing him as a natural leader.
David Richards, former chief of defence staff of the British armed forces, who was the guest speaker, noted that inter-state and intra-states rivalries had continued to make the world unstable for mankind.
Richards, who spoke on the topic, `Regional Security and State Building: Portents and prospects’, challenged leaders to find lasting solutions to socio-political crises across the world.
Aisha Muhammed-Oyebode, chief executive officer of the Murtala Muhammed Foundation, saluted President Buhari for embarking on the crusade against corruption also commended the efforts of the Buhari-led administration towards the fight against Boko Haram insurgency in north-eastern states.
She expressed the hope that the abducted Chibok schoolgirls would soon be rescued in view of the successes being recorded by the Nigerian army and other security agencies.
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