[Article Comment]Will Military Coup Be Welcome By The Nigerian People?

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[Danmeka]

Watch this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hz7wNzWHKj0.

WE NEED PATROTIC MILITARY MEN AND WOMEN TO TURN NIGERIA AROUND, OUR DEMOCRACY HAS BECOME NEO-COLONIALISM OF ITS CITIZENS BY THE SO CALLED CABALS

[Danmeka]

Watch this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaPUTXNvhX0

[kundu]

We say a loud NO to another military engagement in Nigeria's politics. The military is the cause of our current problems.
The civilians with time shall get it right.

[Enyi]

Apart from probably the first coup, I am not sure that the generality of Nigerians have really welcomed military coups. As a nation, we are faced with a recurrent problem- How do we get a sincere, selfless, progressive leadership that does not need to go to Harvard to learn governance. I must add that despite the corruption, nepotism and some degree of ethnicity that existed during the first republic, the leaders had vision, did not display the now pervasive culture of impunity, were accountable to the electorate and tried to move the nation forward. It can be said that the level of corruption then was a child's play when compared with subsequent events. Your statement: and I tell you I prefer a corrupt democratic regime than the type of military regime I experienced in Nigeria. deserves further scrutiny.
Can we truly refer to the civilian governments we have had since 1999 as democratic. As I have said before civilian rule and democracy are not synonymous. Until we are able to conduct relatively credible elections we shall have undemocratic civilian rule. Democracy, whether home grown or imported must ensure the right of the people to freely choose their leaders. Anything short of that is an exercise in self-deception.
Should we therefore have a miliatry rule? My answer is a NO! NO! NO!. If anything, the military compounded our problems.

[ariteni]

I searched in vain in this piece for your own panacea to the malaise of civilian misrule. We're done with identification. We need SOLUTIONS not tears. If all you came up with after all that traveling is a common man's crude answer - military coup, you have wasted your time (and ours). If you set out to alert us that the "pro-democracy" people desire a coup, them you don't know Nigerians.

On the ground right now there are numerous faulted but excellent proposals:

1. Throw Shoes at them. Nigerians hate detention. So nobody has been bold enough to do this. But remember, the Shoe thrower of Baghdad is now free man (after a short detention) and a hero of his people. Also, the Kano man who threw shoe at the "evil genius" in a Kano Mosque is still a free man.

2. Expose corruption. This is the most futile and unimaginative solution ever. Which Nigerian Paper will carry your exposition? This is an era where the Public is shouting "ole" at Public Officers including Judicial Officers and the officers just ignore the shouts or as JOHN NWODO - an Abacha Minister put it "feign ignorance".

Even the "OPERATION MAKE YOUR ASSET DECLARATION PUBLIC" started by some Diaspora Nigerians died a "natural death". The Senate President was able to convince the protagonists that the project is "unpatriotic". So it died with him.

Nigerians don expose taya. And Obasanjo don know say we taya, na him make him say, make we go find "EVIDENCE" before him go prosecute him friend. Evidence dey koro koro for we eye, even a blind man see am. Evidence dey for EFCC but na "SELECTIVE" prosecution Baba started still dey reign. If you want, Affidavit of Corruption, pay Godwin Daboh (the man is very broke now) you go get "evidence" maza maza.

3. Public Demonstration. "Masses should march out on the Street!" Sonala cracked this joke in his recent article. Which masses? The hungry ones? The corrupt people will just organise "well fed masses" to drive away the hungry ones. Women demonstrate, Police beat them. Beeko Ransome Kuti go demonstrate, he die of sickness. Abacha killed 120 Nigerians during June 12 demonstration, nothing happened. You demonstrate in Lagos, Abuja no go hear. You go Abuja (N20,000 fare) na "godo-godo" you go meet. You demonstrate in Benin, business dey go on normal for Aba. "Back to the trenches" but you forgot that someone paid cash for the June 12 trenches. Who will pay. Even the angry Diaporan internet warriors can only bark, cannot put their money where their mouth is.

4. More PRAYER: Tons of articles are on the internet arguing that religion has been turned into a weapon for the "anesthetizations" of the masses. Promise them heaven every Friday and Sunday so they'll be distracted from paying attention to corruption and misrule. Some pastors themselves are "members of the house"! "This one goeth not away, save by prayer and fasting" so let us add fasting even though the average Nigerian is already on a regular fast. Remember, Baba Awo called a fast and Shehu Sagari's Govt fell.

5. Sovereign National Conference. Which one? By who and for who?
As long as the Officers who fought on the Biafran and Nigerian side are still living "TO KEEP NIGERIA ONE IS A TASK THAT MUST BE DONE" Nobody will sit down with anybody to divide Nigeria. Ekwueme who proposed regional army and later asked to be President never got the endorsement of the Military. (He was only joking) For the next "60 years" no advocate of secession can hope for the Presidency.

6. ONE PARTY STATE. This is my favorite Solution - which is yours? (Not because Baba Iyabo said so ooo) All progressive and patriotic youths join PDP and effect change from within. But Yorubas say: Oro agba bio se lowuro, ase lojo ale.

7. SHADOW GOVT: This is mere theory. The useless opposition parties are supposed to take that initiative. Atiku's exit killed AC, Kalu and the others have hungrily joined YarAdua's NATIONAL GOVT. Leave us to continue our INTERNET SHADOW GOVT. Most Nigerians would believe Sahara Reporters before they listen to Dora Akunyili abi Auntie Dora as per Dele Momodu. But we are still unsure whether Kalu is a liar or Sowore: That Baba Iyabo is a Killer.

8. Military Coup: This you can easily capture if you ride "MOLUE".
Hungry and tired half-educated Nigerians unable think deeply or read anything (due to NEPA) and sweating like Christmas goat inside the BOX OF DEATH called Molue or the Senior Brother "Osa- Straight" would easily conclude that "let the Soldiers Kill all dem corrupt politicians" So you think Soldier will help to carry your burden? Soldier no be human being? So, you dont want to die, and you expect soldier to "carry Coup" and hand over to you because of democracy? Soldier will bring a heavier burden - period.

So, the search continues, but I beg you Mr George Omonya dont write this type of thing again. Even a small boy of yesterday has had the audacity to call over the internet for the assasination of Govt Officials but here you are - lamenting that Pro-Democracists are demanding for coup. Have you forgotten that Prof Bolaji Akinyemi and his friends who called upon Sanni Abacha to take over have re-canted and regretted? Abeg stop that joke.
"I rest my case" (in the style of one of my "egbons")

[konkomitant]

After decades of misrule by the military, we don't need a prophet to tell us that military rule is no good for Nigeria. We have experimented with that and now we know. Give us time to experiment with democracy!

[sangodarekakanfo]

Originally Posted by kundu

We say a loud NO to another military engagement in Nigeria's politics. The military is the cause of our current problems.
The civilians with time shall get it right.

We do not have time, we would probbably want the military if its the only way to get this country moving. We would have to rearranged how the military govern, it may have to be one high military man next to one civilian governor.
We do not have to practise what our colonial/slavemaster told us that is good, we would have to find out what is good for us, all we need to understand is to learn from History.
Enough of one step forward 39step backward. As for the current hurrcane in the country, its not new, this people carry on doing the same thing over and over again. Example must be made of this evil people by hang them in the public at Dugbe market in Ibadan.

[Igboamaeze]

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Military rule? No. NO oo. NO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO...

A mallam in agbada with gworo in his mouth is a turn off. A mallam in khaki, gworo in mouth and gun in his hands is a raging bull. And an eye sore.

No to any form of coup. Whether military or civilian...

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@ariteni,

Nice analysis up there...

[Onukulunjo]

I happen to agree with the third school of thought: Nigerians are corrupt and incompetent. It wont matter whether the military takes over or the current civilian administrators stay kaput. pussy cat does not beget a lizzard. We are the product of our environments. No Nigerian living, dead or unborn, has the country's interest at heart. It is all about the bejamin, baby.

The ONLY solution to our current quagmire is to contact the leadership of our country to a group of seasoned FOREIGN administartors and pay them renumerations for their services. We got our independence before we got our nationalism. We are good 'workers' but terrible 'leaders'.

Nigerians are not matured yet to run Nigeria.

[kundu]

@ sangodarekakanfo

I doubt you experienced the hell we all went through during the military regimes of Babangida and Abacha.

The sort of diarchy you suggested was practiced by the evil genius, Babangida, but it led us no where.

Corruption engendered by the uncertainty of Nigeria's future is the country's first enemy.
The fear of Nigeria's tomorrow is engendered by the various ethnic claims of marginalisation and search for equity and justice.

If the military comes in it shall worsen these problems.

The only solution is the emergence of a political leader who understands these problems and honestly embarks on measures to make every group in Nigeria have a sense of belonging (patriotism).
So far it appears this present crop of leadership is still bent on grab-while-it -lasts kind of politics

[maxsiollun]

I doubt whether a coup would be welcomed by the public. The Nigerian people are fed up of military coups and have bad memories of past military govts:

1) Within 7 months of the "Five Majors" striking in 1966, Nigeria was plunged into a massive political crisis, pogroms and the following year, a brutal civil war in which over a million people died. That is what military coups did for Nigeria!

2) Do none of you remember the brutal beating that a Rear-Admiral's Ratings inflicted on a poor young woman in broad daylight just a few weeks ago? Under military rule, that Rear-Admiral would be one of the leading members of the government!

3) For all their shortcomings, civilian politicians are not reclusive freaks who kill their opponents and their opponent's wives for criticising them. This is what Gen Abacha did when his henchmen killed MKO and Kudirat Abiola. To get some sense of balance on this, what Abacha did to his opponents would be the equivalent of Yar'Adua having Buhari and his wife killed, placing Atiku in jail, and then trying to murder his own Chief of Army Staff.

4) Nigeria got suspended from the Commonwealth and became an international pariah.

5) Gen Abacha's own son Mohammed was personally involved in torturing opponents of his dad.

6) Gen Abacha's killing squads murdered opposition figures like Kudirat Abiola, Alfred Rewane and Shehu Yar'Adua and they made unsuccessful attempts to kill Lt-Gen Akinrinade, Gani Fawehinmi and Abacha's own army chief Maj-Gen Alwali Kazir.

7) The military regimes deliberately set up, tortured and sentenced to death scores of innocent people in bogus "coup plots" for no reason other than their opposition to the regime.