The Nigeria political scene is currently being heated up with activities of who clinches what seat in the next general election, especially the number one seat of the nation, the president.

While Nigerians have been earnestly hoping for a messiah, especially since the return to democracy in 1999, AceGist's pertinent rhetorical question is, can Nigeria, with the depth of corruption amongst our politician, ever produce a Thomas Sankara?

But who is Thomas Sankara, and why is he being used as a model in this article. Let us take a peep into Sankara’s world and judge if he is such Nigeria needs at a time like this.

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– Thomas Sankara was the former president of Burkina Faso who came into power at age 33 through a popularly supported coup organised by his friend, Blaise Compaore, on 4th August, 1983, with the goal of eliminating corruption and former French colonial power.

– Sankara renamed the country from French colonial Upper Volta to Burkina Faso (“Land of Upright Man”), a year after his accession with the aim of changing the mindset of his people.

– His government eschewed all foreign aid, as he said, “he who feeds you controls you.”
– He sold off the government fleet of Mercedes cars and made Renault 5 (the cheapest car sold in Burkina Faso then) the official service car of the ministers.

– He reduced salaries of well-off civil servants, including his own.

– Thomas Sankara’s domestic policies were focused on preventing famine with agrarian self sufficiency and land reform. He doubled their staple food – wheat – production.

– He prioritised education with a nationwide literacy campaign.

– Sankara promoted public health by vaccinating 2.5 million children in one week against meningitis, polio, yellow fever and measles. He was the first African leader to recognise AIDS as a threat to Africa.

– Thomas Sankara embarked on massive road and railway construction programme to “tie the nation together.”

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– He had over 350 communities built schools with their own labour.

– Thomas Sankara embarked on large scale housing and infrastructural projects.

– All these were done without any foreign aid.
– Sankara prosecuted corrupt officers in popular Revolutionary Tribunals.

– Going by his popular saying, “…women hold up the other half of the sky,” Thomas Sankara was foremost women right emancipation who encouraged women to work outside the home and stay in school even if pregnant. He was the first in Africa to appoint women to major cabinet position and to recruit them actively for the military.

– Four years into his regime, on October 15, 1987, at age 37, Thomas Sankara was overthrown and assassinated by the same Blaise Compaore we earlier mentioned. Stating deterioration in relation with neighbouring countries as reason.

– A week before his death, he declared: “While revolutionary as individuals can be murdered, you cannot kill ideas.”

– Thomas Sankara possessions at death were a car, four bikes, three guitars, a fridge and a broken freezer.

Now you know whom Thomas Sankara was and the sacrifices he made to the point of death to make his country great.

It is worthy of note that Sankara met a decayed Burkina Faso as at the time he took over the mantle of leadership and it took him just four years - which is usually Nigeria politicians cliché; 'one term is not enough to fix a rotten state' - with lean resources, to turn a nation around. 

The question again is; can Nigeria ever have a Thomas Sankara?

https://acegist.com/as-the-world-marks-the-31st-anniversary-of-thomas-sankaras-death-can-nigeria-ever-produce-his-kind-see-things-he-did/

watch out for me....i will do greater than he did his country.

Atimes i wonder if our problem is in the air we breath...you will see a right thinking being,with good plans,templates and well organised policies...but,the moment they are elected/selected or appointed.that very air goes into the brain,then turn a sound,sane thinking and God fearing man into only God knows what,the very moment he/she swears oath of office....we must fumigate nigeria before 2019 swearing in(s).

Seriously, most times I sit and wonder why they are getting it right in other climes and our own case in Nigeria completely different. Are we all not same human?