ABACHA’S YESTERDAY MEN AND HOPE FOR NIGERIA
First of all, I will like to say Ramadan Kareem to the Muslim Faithful in Nigeria and beyond while praying alongside that all your prayers in this fasting season be answered.
Today marks the commemoration (commemoration sounds too much like a heroes thing) or remembrance (with sadness and anguish of course) the 18th year after the passing away of the Villain (Yes, Villain) with the dark shades, General Sani Abacha (the dark goggled one from Kano). Although I wasn’t so aware of the happenings around me then, I am a good student of History. It was on this day that a Heavenly Coup took place in Nigeria (Yea, enough of the military ones) at the greatest height of national helplessness and hopelessness. The Man General Abacha alongside his cohorts and co travellers was trying to transmute from a military Dictator to a civilian President (haba mana). Then was the time when the likes of Chief Arthur Eze, Ibrahim Mantu (The current factional Chairman of PDP), Tom Ikimi (Former Foreign Affairs Minister) etc were head over heels selling the devilish idea to the common helpless Nigerians that General Abacha was the best thing that happened to Nigeria and in a country of over a 100 million people, there was no one capable of leading as a President apart from the General. This article is not to in anyway gloat over the passing away of a fellow human being or to indict anyone but to draw the attention of Nigerians to the fact that God has never and will never leave NIGERIA. Of course many upright men stood up to challenge the General and his sycophants that there were capable hands other than His at the expense of their lives and family. Chief among this patriots are Chief Solomon Lar, our very own Chief Dr Stephen Makoji Achema, then Dr Attahiru Jega (Now Prof), Prof Wole Soyinka and a host of others. The major argument of the General’s helmsmen were based on the economy (which was obviously in shambles and was being looted left and right by the General and his family) and Security of Lives (which of course involves indiscriminate assassination of perceived enemies).
The circumstances surrounding his death are still skirmish till today, some have the Apple-Girl Theory version and others have the Cardiac Arrest version. An aide also went as far as telling us the whole thing started when the General shook hands with an Aide of President Yasser Arafat who came on a visit earlier. All thanks to Major Al-Mustapha his Aide-De-Camp who brought a new twist to the story recently that he has a video footage of the MURDER (did he say murder? I thought he told Justice Oputa Panel that the General died of Cardiac arrest, anyway the confusion reinforces my belief in my own theorem) of the General, we hope to see it someday. Obviously, there are many versions, but the one I chose to believe is the HEAVENLY COUP theorem (no apologies). Believe it or not, if General Abacha had accomplished his dream of becoming a civilian President (although he never admitted with his own mouth just like the Baba that served from 1999 to 2007), he would still be President till today (God forbid right?).
There is a dangerous trend in Africa right now. Since the Military coup system and Dictatorship became outdated and old fashioned, Sit tight Presidents are now amending and modifying the constitution with the help of Parliament to keep them in power for life and probably have their children continue when they are no more. Take the questionable referendum that went down in Rwanda the other day as a case study and also Baba Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe. And of course when it becomes a law, it is a law no matter the moral downsides.
I write this today to commend the resilience of my fellow Nigerians and to assure us that God has not departed from this country and whatever we are going through right now, God is in control and there is definitely a bright light at the end of the tunnel. If we survived the Soldiers, we will survive till Christ comes. The economy is bad owing majorly to the fall in oil prices, but when God works his wonders, we will be like them that dream.
In that light, I urge us to remain resolute and never to lose hope as HOPE is the only weapon we have against despair and hopelessness. It will be better (e go better) very soon. I so believe in my country and I urge you to do so and while believing, play your part in national development. This country is neither an APC country nor a PDP country. If it fails we fail. Let us join hands together to salvage our country in prayers.

ADDENDUM:
I heard a 40 year old Young Man is doing something that septuagenarians and octogenarians have failed to do somewhere in one of the middle belt states. I also hear he is working some kind of wonders. I will bring you the news when I confirm it to be true

If Abacha were to still alive, he would have been contesting as a democratic president.