[allAfrica.com] Abubakar Umar Has Done It Again! Vanguard (Lagos) OPINION December 22, 2005 Posted to the web December 21, 2005 By Paul Odili IT was Fidel Castro, who once said that a military without ideological training is nothing more than a collection of bandits. The Nigerian military, lacking ideological training, intervened in the nation's political scene, with disastrous consequences; validating Castro's observation. And there is a reason for it. Trained by the British to subdue the local population, and create the necessary condition for exploitation and despoliation of the communities, the army at independence was never re-oriented from the colonial tradition it had inherited. The founding fathers found more time to quarrel over power and spoils of office than tame the military and orientate it for proper duties of protecting the territorial integrity of the nation, rather than getting involved in politics. That omission cost this nation dearly. By the first coup of five majors led by Major Chukwuma Nzeogwu in January 15, 1966, the counter coupled by Captain Murtala Muhammed on July 29 1966 ushering in a full blown military rule, the country began its gradual inexorable descent into abyss. By the time Major Musa Yar'adua, Major Abdullahi Mohammed, Major Joe Garuba, and others organized the overthrow of Yakubu Gowon, on July 29 1975, and brought in Murtala Muhammed, the orientation of the military as anti-people was not evident because of the fiery rhetoric of General Muhammed's junta. Though brief, it showed some flashes of ideological direction. By the time Lt. Col. Bukar Sukar Dimka, eliminated General Muhammed, in his own coup on February 13, 1976, the crack in the wall widened. Still, the danger the military posed to itself and the nation was not seriously addressed. By then the military had tasted political power and had become intoxicated by it. Corruption had penetrated the upper echelon of the military and they could not wait to intervene again. The disorder of the second republic gave them the opportunity to come back and resume from where they left off in 1979. By the time the nation tasted the regimes of Generals Ibrahim Babangida, and Sani Abacha, between 1985 and 1998, the military had become in the words of former Army chief of staff, General Salihu Ibrahim "an army of anything goes." It had lost its code of honour completely. Though today the army is no longer involved directly in political power, some might by proxy; it carries a hump that shows it up as an army of occupation and not the people's army. For instance, it is perhaps only in Nigeria that soldiers would turn their gun at the local people. It is only in Nigeria that the military thinks it is above the citizen, and answerable only to the high command. The arrogance of the military is suffocating. Indeed, because the army was in power for too long, at a time it had no ideological training, and again some might say it still does not, but because it luxuriated too much in power, many youngsters it recruited had no conception of what an army should be. It was therefore no surprise that many of the officers joined because they wanted to be military governors and ministers. It is indeed an oddity that from such a decadent army, Col Abubakar Umar emerged. Perhaps, one of the big mysteries was how he escaped the attention of army selection panel, which seemed to have earned notoriety for recruiting potential bandits. As one of the original IBB boys, he remained unlike many of his colleagues untainted by allegations of corruption. If there is an ex- military officer whose credibility has remained unimpaired, it is Col Umar; a straight shooter, who says what he means and means what he says. There is no double-speak with him. It is either he is saying it the way he understands it, or he is quiet. Umar has never ever disappointed any one by his contribution to national debate. An ideologue, Umar is sincere, fearless, committed and honest. Most times when total confusion is about to envelope this nation, Col Umar comes out like a breath of fresh air. When IBB was pussy footing over annulment of June 12, 1993 election, Umar had no hesitation, he broke with the regime and resigned his commission. When General Sani Abacha was in cahoots with all kinds of shady characters, to deny Chief MKO Abiola his mandate and elongate his tenure, Umar at personal risk spoke out. This was at a time many of those prancing about the stage today were shivering, afraid of their own shadows. There is nothing pretentious about him. He lives a simple, spartan life, and does not covet power, or materialism. Many of his colleagues who served with him as military governors are ensconced in mansions surrounded by opulence from their ill gotten loot. Umar is a model. When Obasanjo, typical of him was getting carried away thinking he was the best thing since sliced bread, Umar, very much like him brought him down to earth in his famous essay: " Devil is it, Mr. President". Now with the heightened tension in the land over the third term plot, Umar has brought a refreshing clarity to the debate, which deserves full quote. "The present struggle must be aimed at getting the President to respect the Constitution by relinquishing power at the end of his second term. An ethnic struggle is bound to subvert and polarize the nation. There is this irrelevant, self-seeking and diversionary debate as to whether Obasanjo's government is worse than Abacha. This is irrelevant. I have always believed that if anything else fails for Obasanjo, he will hold on to that enviable trust reposed on him by Nigerians and the international community. The highly prized status of a statesman is too sacred to stake away for the uncertainties and dishonourable prize of a third term. I support those who believe that Obasanjo must hand over to any good person no matter his sectional or religious extraction in 2007." Umar has done it again. His perspective, logic, and elegant choice of words can hardly be improved upon. Umar is a model.   =============================================================================   Copyright © 2005 Vanguard. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). =============================================================================