Civilian Rule Agitation Starts With Bishops
Eze Onyeka, Benin City
The euphoria which greeted their success in toppling the Shagari government seems to have evaporated into thin air and exposed, in its place, disillusionment and frustration bordering, in some instances, on utter disgust and abject regret.The Catholic Bishops conference of Nigeria on Tuesday 12 June, 1984 met the Head of State and Chairman of the Supreme Military Council, Major- General Muhammadu Buhari and submitted to him, a memorandum in which they drew the attention of the ruling SMC to a number of issues which they said, the attention of the ousted Shagari regime was also drawn to but went unheeded and which they feel is 'applicable to all members (of government) whether civilian or military.'
In particular, they drew the attention of the SMC to the fact that though they supported the Cleaning-up Operation which is aimed at calling upon the former politicians to 'account for their stewardship,' it was 'necessary both for the internal peace and stability of our country and for our reputation and national image in the outside world', that the following important factors are not lost sight of:
Firstly, "every effort should be made to be fair to all concerned," and that "it is in the interest of the nation in general, that justice be not only done, but clearly seen to be done".
Secondly, detentions without trial of politicians of the previous regime, to the Bishops, was an "extreme measure" which should be applied (or rather ought to have been applied?) with the "greatest caution" and for as short a duration as possible.
Furthermore, they urged the Head of State to accord such detainees a reasonable measure of human treatment including, naturally, access to "spiritual attention".
The Bishops warned against "panic measures" such as mass retrenchment of workers which only succeeded in worsening the hardships of the same people for whom the coup was organis- ed to save.
The highlight of the memorandum however, was the call to General Buhari and the SMC to consider as an "urgent task" the need to "PREPARE AND IDENTIFY A NEW BREED OF PUBLIC-SPIRITED AND HONEST POLITICIANS TO WHOM WE SHALL EVENTUALLY ENTRUST OUR NATION AND TO WORK TOWARDS A NEW SET OF RULES FOR THE NOBLE GAME OF NATIONAL POLITICS, SUCH AS WILL ENCOURAGE SERVICE AND DISCOURAGE SELFISH OPPORTUNISTS."
The Bishops affirmed their belief that Nigeria "has many of such people, otherwise there will be no hope of good government EVEN FROM A MILITARY REGIME."
This rather diplomatic call by the Bishops to the soldiers to consider, "as an urgent task" the need to prepare the country for a civilian regime, especially coming after only six months and thir- teen days of the SMC's rule does not only mark the opening shots of the barrage on the soldiers to seriously think of going back to the barracks which is now being whispered generally, but a most serious indictment of their performance so far since they took over.
The euphoria which greeted their success in toppling the Shagari Govern- ment seems to have evaporated into thin air and exposed, in its place, disillusionment and frustration bordering, in some instances on utter disgust and abject regret.
The military regime of General Buhari has not been able to stem the decline in the living standards of the people. Prices of goods have continued to sky-rocket.
And let no one deceive himself that it is only the Bishops who are thinking this way millions of Nigerians, disillusioned and frustrated by the performance of the soldiers so far are seriously having nostalgic feelings of the days of 'Papa Awo for President', 'NPP-Power' and 'NPN-Super Power'.The initial zeal (rather misplaced though) with which warehouses were forcibly opened and all stocks branded and sold as having been 'hoarded', has now given way to the stark realisation that without stocks and the money to keep supplies coming in to keep abreast with demand, prices will inevitably rise - to the detriment of the same poor people who hailed this action in the first place.
A cake of lux soap which sold at 50k during the last days of Shagari's regime when people were crying it was then beyond people's reach is now N1.00. A bag of imported Thailand Rice (50kg) which sold during the last days of Shagari at N95.00 or at most N100.00 is now (under the noses of soldiers) being sold at N230-N250.00.
A gallon of vegetable oil which sold at N8.00 during the last days of Shagari is now N35.00.
Meanwhile, all over the country workers are being laid off in their thousands to add to the misery of families which is already spilling over.
In almost all the states now, school fees have been reintroduced in the primary schools because the government says it cannot cope with the financial burden, and in effect, adding more to the already overburdened poor worker.
The currency exchange has added its bit by making it almost impossible for people who have even a bit of money in the Bank to withdraw it to be able to eat. As for the poor who deposited their old notes in the Banks to be exchanged for the new notes, the entire exchange exercise is increasingly becoming a trauma.
To be able to get a withdrawal from the Bank these days, one must either be a 'Big Man' who knows someone who works in the Bank, or that he knows someone who knows someone who works in the Bank and to whom he will go to in the evening (in his house) and 'plead' for assistance to withdraw N50.00 or N100.00.
Otherwise, he must be prepared to sleep in the premises of the Bank to ensure that by the time the Bank opens the next morning, he is close to the Bank gate (or door) in the queue. And do not be surprised if it becomes necessary to sleep there for 3 or 4 days before one gets only N50.00 or N100.00.
The last straw that has broken the I camel's back is the promulgation of Decree No 4, officially titled, 'Public Officers (Protection Against False Publication) Decree which effectively gags the press and the public from the free expression of their feelings by a military tribunal for 'contra- vening' the decree which took retroactive effect from the date of the coup. Another journalist, Mallam Haroun Adamu formerly of Triumph newspaper has, since 25 January, 1984, been having a brief chat' with the National Security Organisation. The 'chat' is still 'continuing' and so meanwhile, he is in detention!
A fourth journalist, Ojaoro Igboho Otu, freed by a Federal High court on 3 May, 1984 on charges of plotting to overthrow ex-President Shagari which said it lacked jurisdiction, is still being detained by the National Security Organisation.
The situation is like beating up a child and stuffing his mouth to prevent him from crying!
It is therefore no wonder that six months and thirteen days after his coup, Gen. Buhari is being diplomatically and, if I may be permitted 'Biblically' being asked by the Catholic Bishops to consider it as an 'URGENT TASK' to plan to hand over to civilians.
And let no one deceive himself that it is only the Bishops who are thinking this way millions of Nigerians, disillusioned and frustrated by the performance of the soldiers so far are seri- ously having nostalgic feelings of the days of 'Papa Awo for President' 'NPP-Power' and 'NPN Super Power'.
