18 years ago, General Sani Abacha, Nigeria’s most powerful ruler died.
This was a very powerful man, he moved a law school campus just for his daughter, and he jailed Moshood Abiola never releasing him.
Abacha was corrupt, as we speak stolen “Abacha loot” are still being returned to Nigeria from the abroad where it was stashed.
He arrested, jailed and hung Ken Saro Wiwa, that death isolated Nigeria internationally (even our poor beauty queen was booted out of a competition in South Africa because of strained diplomatic relations).
Abacha was a man of ironies, General Abacha a military man, ironically intervened in Sierra Leone and Liberia to restore those nations to civilian rule after the army staged coups in those nations.
Abacha hung Ken Saro Wiwa but gave minorities a voice by “creating “regions and reintroducing derivation to 13%….
A corrupt man , who however instituted the failed bank tribunals…ironies.
However has Abacha been judged with fairness…?
Abacha created the Petroleum Trust Fund and did significant capital projects across Nigeria.
Abacha took Nigeria foreign reserves from $494m in 1993 to $9.6b in 1997,
Abacha reduced the national debt from $36b to $27b,
Abacha reduced the inflation rate from a crazy 54% to 8.5%….All these with oil price at $15 a barrel.
Abacha invested the seed fund of $1b to the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas company…NLNG.
Abacha set up the Aluminum Smelting Company. Abacha stabilized the fragile national balance sheet by introducing VAT.
Abacha administration is also credited with creating the most comprehensive and realistic blueprint for Nigeria’s development through the Vision 2010 committee chaired by his predecessor.
Abacha was no saint, far from it, he remains the reference point for abuse of civil liberties and human rights…however he did leave economic legacies, 13%, NLNG, VAT…..So what is more important to Nigerians? rule of law or a functional job creating economy?
I simply ponder….
However, i recall when Abacha was alive, he was feted, praised, loved and cried over, many said they would die for him, that he was the ONLY savior of Nigeria,,,,,..now i can bet many will not remember him today….a point that must not be lost on those in power today….ignore the sycophants…do your work…
“Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you,”
Luke 6:26
