ALL HAIL SAINT SANNI ABACHA

TONY ITA ETIM

ALL HAIL SAINT SANI ABACHA

Nigerians are a bunch of a sort. The sort that defy explanation. We do not appreciate and give honour to our “heroes” past and present. We do not celebrate our leaders, especially former presidents and heads of state who have served this country, criminally, sorry, “meritoriously.” I told you we are a sort. Since our former military leaders Generals Ibrahim Babangida, Muhammadu Buhari and Abdusalami Abubakar initiated the process to canonized former head of state, General Sani Abacha, there have been a lot of reactions from these sorts of people called Nigerians. At the 10th memorial anniversary lecture of Abacha, the trio are reported to have declared late General “a patriotic leader who never looted Nigeria’s treasury.”

I am worried by the flurry of reactions that the modest declaration of Abacha as the “greatest patriot” that has ever walked on the sands of Nigeria and was not a corrupt leader, that such, vile comments has been attributed to. These ungrateful Nigerians cannot see anything good in Sani. The generals who made this declaration are great “patriots” and leaders, who have all contributed to the political and economic underdevelopment of Nigeria. Babangida, sent Prof. Tam David- West to jail for drinking tea and collecting a wristwatch while on national assignment yet the evil one is living in a mansion allegedly given to him by one of the construction companies he favoured while in office. Also Babangida till date cannot account for $12 billion Gulf war oil windfall. Buhari, remember the 52 suit cases was the Chairman of Petroleum Trust Fund, this appointment brought him from political Siberia back to national reckoning. In fact, Abacha rehabilitated Buhari after Babangida sacked him. Abubakar, he is a chairman of one of the companies that benefit from the NIPP, collected billions of naira but does not know the site of the project. He is also a direct beneficiary of Abacha’s death, so why won’t he praise Abacha for giving him the chance to be Head of State. Was this declaration an action to confirmed Alhaja (Dr.) Mariam Abacha declaration that Abacha’s friends, like the trio have not abandoned the family? These are all honourable men, generals for that matter, and so was Abacha; and their antecedents and past deeds, speak for them. If they are not the ones, advocating for the canonization of Abacha, who would do it?

They, like Abacha, are birds of the same feather, they flock together, please permit the cliché. These generals are merely living up to a common saying that dogs don’t eat dogs. They know that they have no moral right to condemn Abacha (or any person for that matter) for corruption and miss-governance as they are all guilty of the same offences. They don’t want to judge so that they would not be judge, smarts guys. They are all sinners who are seeking for forgiveness from Nigerians, and they want to use Abacha to test the capacity and capability of Nigerians to forgive and forget. They, like Abacha, committed a cardinal sin against the Federal Republic of Nigerian by plotting coups. Whether their coups were successful or not the fact is that they all took up arms against a duly elected government, whatever justification they may have. They did sin against the god of democracy. They violated the constitution of Nigeria and even suspended it. A coup is a coup whether failed or successful. Since plotters of failed coups in Nigeria are punish by dead, and then a successful coup does not justify the action of the plotters. They are all unpatriotic Nigerians. One of these days, General Jeremiah Useni would call on Nigerians to emulate Abacha’s family life, because the late general was a faithful husband who never tasted the forbidden apple whether imported from India or not.

How dare someone in his right senses accused late Sani of corruption? Was he not the Head of State and Commander-in –Thief, sorry Chief? And his commanding powers extended to the nation’s treasury therefore he has no business looting Nigeria’s money. Whatever money Abacha and his family were alleged to have taken outside the country was in national interest. They did not steal the money that is why they chose Swiss secret banks so that the enemy of his government (NADECO people) would not loot our treasury. Don’t mind those foreign countries who claimed that they blocked Abacha’s stolen money; there are imperialists propagandists who are jealous that Nigeria was blessed with such a great leader and financial guru. They will never see anything good in our patriotic leaders. They money taken abroad were for safe keeping, after all, during Abacha’s regime, our banks were going distress on a daily basis, so why keep the nation’s wealth in Umana Umana Plc? Those billions of naira returned by Switzerland and other countries to Nigeria as Abacha’s loot might have been taken there by NADECO and these pro-democracy people, who just want to give a dog a bad name to kill it. Please do not ask me how all his children became businessmen and millionaires overnight and how their fortunes and influence wane after their father’s demise. This money management runs in their blood and as the first family the also have commanding powers over Nigeria’s treasury. That is why when Sani died on national assignment, his family out of patriotism returned some money belonging to the federal government that was in their custody. Nigerians should apologise to Mohammed Abacha for keeping him in detention for the service he rendered to an ungrateful nation by keeping the country money abroad. He deserves a national award like the Grand Criminal of the Federal Republic (GCFR). But trust Nigerians, they don’t see anything good in the Abacha’s, May God forgive them. They will never appreciate the great contributions of this noble family to national economic and political underdevelopment. Sani’s birthday and “deadday” should be made public holidays, with celebration and lectures in all nooks and crannies of Nigeria. After all, Murtala Mohammed died in office and he is remembered every year, Abacha too died in office. His love for Nigeria was so great that he wanted to drop his uniforms and put on agbada just for the sake of Nigeria and he died serving Nigeria.

Accusing Abacha of corruption is like accusing his administration of killing late Ken Saro-Wiwa. Ken was mad. He wanted the people of Ogoni to commit mass suicide so that Abacha’s government would be accused of genocide by the world but when Major Paul Okutimo was able to persuade the Ogonis from such stupid action, Ken and the Ogoni eight, trying to act as Ogoni heroes, decided to commit suicide. Saro-Wiwa and the Ogoni eight did not died by hanging as the media and Ogonis want us to believe, wallahi, they committed suicide!! Abacha did not kill them. Though a soldier, he detested shedding blood, especially innocent blood. Sani was so humane and compassionate to do such a thing, to kill harmless and defenceless civilians. Sani was shocked and embarrassed by the dead of his friend, Saro-Wiwa. Don’t mind Major Mustapha, Sani did not ask him to do any of those things he was doing. He was on his own and is still on his own.
Late General Sani Abacha, GCFR, deserves honour from Nigerians, don’t mind those June Twelvers, who insinuated that Sani had a pact with the evil one to step in while he stepped aside, it is a lie. Wallahi, Sani became Head of State in view of the prevailing political and economic situation in the country then, it was not his will. It was done in national interest and to keep the trouble ship of the nation afloat. May I now have the privilege and honour to join the generals, imagine a bloody civilian but we are in a democracy, to move a motion for the canonization of His Excellency, General Sani Abacha as a Saint in the Nigerian Temple of corruption! He is a saint of the Order of Abacha. All Hail Saint Sani Abacha! Saint Abacha pray for Nigeria. May your type never come our clime again, Amen.