Bolaji Akinyemi, a former minister of external affairs, has said that if previous head of state Gen. Murtala Muhammed had not been slain, Nigeria would have been a different country.
From July 29, 1975, until his death in Lagos on February 13, 1976, Muhammad was reportedly Nigeria’s head of state.
Speaking at a workshop on strategic policy organized by the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, led by Eghosa Osaghae, and the Murtala Muhammed Foundation, led by Aisha Muhammed-Oyebode, Akinyemi claimed that if Muhammad had not been killed, both his personal life and Nigeria’s history would have been different.
The workshop’s theme is “Has Africa matured? The event, “Murtala Muhammed’s pan-African vision 50 years after,” took place in the NIIA auditorium on Victoria Island in Lagos on Thursday.
Dr. Aisha Muhammed-Oyebode expressed how deeply she misses her father, according to Akinyemi. Allow me to reassure her that I personally miss him as well.
“I am certain that not only would Nigerian history have been different if the General had not been assassinated, but I even believe that my own personal life would have been different.”
According to Akinyemi, Muhammad was a public speaker and political analyst who was not afraid to express disagreement with opinions that did not align with his own position.
He pointed out that Nigeria needs leaders like Muhammad, powerful individuals who wouldn’t be afraid to publicly express their opinions on matters, even if they went against the consensus.
He went on to discuss Muhammad’s character by saying, “I had never met him, but one was aware of the positions he took and continued to take publicly on issues.” In publications, General Muhammad would always be found arguing for or against the stances taken by military leaders on various matters.
Once, military officers were invited to a conference we organized. I was particularly captivated by an episode that featured General Murtala Muhammad. We were talking about the Middle East, and I would say that everyone in Nigerian universities at the time supported the Palestinian cause.
“We were hostile to Israel. The Israelis, in our opinion, were acting quite terribly. General Muhammad rose for afternoon prayers as they were about to begin. He stopped as he was leaving, turned around, and asked, “Why are we talking about this?” as he reached the door. Infuriating waste of time. After saying his prayers and spreading the prayer mat in the hallway, he returned.
That surprised me because, in a normal situation, we would have expected a military official in the north to be pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel, and we would have expected Nigeria to adopt such a stance. He was the exact opposite, though. I was introduced to General Muhammad’s values at that point. He had no problem voicing his disagreement with authority figures, including those who had invited him and their stance. And it occurred to me that Nigeria needs this.
As a Head of State, he said, Muhammad inspired pride in Nigerians and was respected in both continental and worldwide diplomatic circles.
“Somehow, people still remember that there was a time when our nation’s head of state inspired pride in Nigerians. They understood his values. Nigerians were aware that he was not a Head of State who shied away from taking a stand on anything. Akinyemi stated, “If he didn’t agree with you, he would explain why.”
