Sequel to our 12 December edition, we bring you the concluding part of the series on : Three Generals Who Ruled Nigeria. In this edition, we take a peek into what chiefly characterised late General Sani Abacha's regime.
Nigerians got more than was bargained for when late General Sani Abacha took on the mantle of leadership after Ernest Shonekan's resignation. General Abacha, being the most senior Military official and the Defence Secretary, took over power on November 17, 1993.
Regarded by many as the proverbial "child of circumstance", late Sani . Abacha's years of Military draculian rule took advantage of the clamour by civil societies and the press, following aftermath of the annulled June 12, 1993 election.
Once in power, General Abacha dismissed elected civilian governors in all the states and re-placed them with Military Administrators. In what appeared a desperate move to check the Media and public criticisms on June 12 elections the first anniversary, the Abacha administration promulgated some anti-Press laws: "Degree 48", which demanded stiff registration of even existing Newspapers. As a result, many Nigerian press were forced to go under ground, and practice "gorilla journalism", while many journalists were arrested, detained or killed.
This regime saw to several forced exile of civil rights activists, senseless killings, disappearance of presumed enemies of the state, false accusations, invasions, massive arrests or substituted arrests, detentions without trials, and staged trials. General Abacha's administration banned and un-banned Press publications at will.
A former Head of State under military regime, major critic of the Abacha administration, and a critic of all governments after his, General Olusegun Obasanjo, was arrested and imprisoned.
Records has it that all Nigerian refineries went down under the watchful eyes of late General Sani Abacha's regime resulting in Nigeria's incessant importation of Petroleum Motor Spirit (PMS), remember the 'foul fuel' times?
Nonetheless the Abacha administration is believed by some as one of the best things that happened to Nigeria. It was during the Abacha regime that peace and democracy was restored in war torn Sierra Leone and Liberia. This school of thought equally believe that General Sani Abacha was a good economist who stabilised the exchange rate at N22 - $1, and an unofficial rate of N80 - $1. This administration saw to the creation of six new states: Ebonyi, Bayelsa, Nasarawa, Zamfara, Gombe and Ekiti states.
It is pivotal to note that the price for PMS product was increased only once during late General Abacha's administration. The Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF) thought to have performed well in infrastructural development and intervention program in the health water and educational sectors was established by the late Abacha's regime.
The National Hospital for Women and Children, now simply known as National Hospital -Abuja , one of the top most public hospitals in the Nigeria to-date, was set up by late General Sani Abach's wife, Mariam Abacha.
Late General Sani Abacha died suddenly while still in office on June 8, 1998. Although his death is shrouded in mystery, an official accounts stated that he died of heart attack.
Find stories on General Ibrahim Babangida and Major General Muhammadu Buhari's regime below:
http://rovinginformant.blogspot.com.ng/2014/12/three-generals-who-ruled-nigeria-buhari.html
http://rovinginformant.blogspot.com.ng/2014/12/three-generals-who-ruled-nigeria.html
http://rovinginformant.blogspot.com.ng/2014/12/three-generals-who-ruled-nigeria.html
