WE have celebrated what he created 50 years ago. The seven states he created the same day, February 3, 1976 were celebrated last week. Strangely, only Abuja wasn’t celebrated. But the Minister of Abuja has promised that the birthday of the 50-year-old Territory would be celebrated in May this year when the Tinubu’s consequential three years in power would be marked.
But more important, if authorities in Abuja were too busy to celebrate the work of his hand, his family and friends have celebrated the Hurricane General Murtala Ramat Muhammed Lagos, Abuja and Kano, his birthplace. Having contextually reported and written on Abuja for 38 years too, it isn’t enough to celebrate only the power of his thinking, Abuja.
I would like to celebrate the great thinker, who looked into the seeds of time in 1976 and proclaimed Abuja, unarguably Nigeria’s greatest achievement since independence. Yes, if the leaders after him forgot to label the Road named after him, I won’t forget to celebrate the man whose good thinking brought me to Abuja 38 years ago. So, it is a time to celebrate the man who has taught us a leadership lesson that you don’t need even a year in office to run with consequential development plans and strides.
What can be more remarkable than a tribute a former President and Peace Ambassador, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, PhD paid on February 12, to the memory of the unforgettable leader whose 200 days in office changed everything in Nigeria and Africa. Let’s review Jonathan’s fitting tribute and an inconvenient message of hope to African leaders who have not been living up to the vision of Murtala.
At the ECOWAS Headquarters in Abuja on Thursday this week, where some leaders in Africa gathered for the International Memorial Lecture to mark the 50th Anniversary of the assassination of the former Head of State, former President Jonathan called for a deliberate generational shift in leadership across Africa, urging nations on the continent to prioritise younger leaders between the ages of 25 and 50.
Addressing political leaders, scholars and dignitaries at the event, the former president argued that the demands of modern governance require physical stamina, mental alertness and resilience qualities he believes are more prevalent among younger leaders. His words:
“Why do we begin to think that you must be a hundred years old before you can rule your country?” Jonathan asked rhetorically. Reflecting on his own experience in office, Jonathan recounted the intense pressures that accompanied presidential responsibilities. “When I was in office, some days I did not sleep up to two hours…If you subject an older person to that kind of stress, the person will spend 50 per cent of the time in hospital.”
He stressed that governance in the contemporary world demands unusual stamina, noting that leaders often need to stay awake for extended hours to respond to crises and manage state affairs. “If they need to stay awake for 24 hours, they can stay awake for 24 hours,” he said, referring to younger leaders. Jonathan aligned his position with the philosophy behind Nigeria’s “Not Too Young To Run” movement, which seeks to lower constitutional age requirements for elective offices and expand youth participation in politics.
“I have to reinforce the Not Too Young To Run movement. We have to bring some of these age limits down,” he said. “If we are looking for people who can run nations in Africa, we should look within the 25 to 50 age bracket. That is when you can be very vibrant, physically strong and mentally sound.” He lamented that in many African countries, political leadership is often associated with advanced age rather than competence and vision.
The former president also criticised the practice of some public office holders spending extended periods outside their jurisdictions, warning that such absentee leadership contributes to governance and security challenges. Hear him: “In a country like the United States, some governors do not leave their states for four years. But here, some of our governors spend 50 per cent of their time outside. So who runs the state? Why will we not have security problems?” he queried.
He emphasised that leadership maturity must be anchored in discipline and self-management. Coming of age must transcend many things. First and foremost, we must have the discipline to manage ourselves, he added.
Jonathan used the occasion to reflect on the legacy of General Murtala Muhammed, who assumed office as Nigeria’s Head of State at the age of 38 and ruled for just 200 days before his assassination in 1976. Despite his short tenure, Jonathan said Muhammed left an enduring impact because of his clarity of vision and decisiveness. His words:
“General Murtala Muhammed assumed office at the very young age of 38. Despite a tenure of only 200 days, his achievements were profound because he was driven by a clear, unyielding vision…His leadership sent a clear message: leadership was to serve the national interest, not personal ambition.”
He also referenced General Yakubu Gowon, who became Head of State at 32 and steered Nigeria through the civil war before establishing the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), which remains operational till the present. “A young man of 32 managed to pull the country through the civil war. So why do we now think leadership must only come at old age?” he asked.
While advocating youthful leadership, Jonathan cautioned that age alone does not guarantee effective governance. He stressed that democracy thrives not merely on energetic individuals but on strong institutions.
“Democracy requires vision rather than decree. It requires persuasion instead of command. It depends on institutions, not individuals,” he said. He emphasised that credible electoral bodies, an independent judiciary, accountable governance systems and professional security agencies are essential pillars of democratic sustainability. “Democracy also demands restraint and respect for the rule of law,” he added.
Jonathan urged African leaders to regard governance as stewardship rather than entitlement and encouraged young people to approach leadership with a sense of responsibility and service.
Recalling earlier constitutional age restrictions in Nigeria, he noted that one had to be at least 40 years old to contest for positions such as senator, deputy governor or governor.
“Yet the Head of State we are celebrating today assumed office at 38,” he said, underscoring the need to reassess rigid age thresholds.
Concluding his remarks, Jonathan urged Nigerians and Africans to measure leadership not by duration in office but by the quality of impact made. “As we mark 50 years of General Murtala Muhammed’s legacy, let us remember that leadership is not measured by how long you govern; it is measured by the courage to act decisively when the nation needs direction and by the impact you make on society,” he said.
Former President Jonathan was paying glowing tribute to a leader who was silenced by the wicked ones 50 years ago. According to those who served him, as Head of State, Gen Muhammed led a simple life. He moved without a siren-blaring convoy and mixed with Nigerians in the market and other public places. Forty years after his death, ten years ago, his life and times were celebrated too at a photo exhibition tagged: “Our Hero Past” at the National Museum in Onikan, Lagos.
Our leaders we hardly trust these days should note and take away some lessons from the General: Murtala jolted a sleepy nation into life. The vibrancy in his voice was captivating. The fire in his eyes charmed and awed the nation in only six months …Murtala, the leader, adopted a low profile policy. The 504 replaced Mercedes Benz as the official government car. Only the Head of State rode a Mercedes Benz: not bullet proof and not the 600 series. For the 200 days Murtala was Head of State, he lived in the house he had occupied as Director of Army Signal Corps.
He drove to work at the Dodan Barracks every morning from his house accompanied by his driver, his orderly and his ADC. No convoy. No sirens. No outriders. Few days after his assumption of office, Murtala shunned the sirens and convoy and rode alone with his driver from Lagos to Kano, a journey of more than 1000 kilometres in his personal car.”
These were the words of former Nigeria’s High Commissioner in Namibia Ambassador Adegboyega Christopher Ariyo, guest speaker at an event organised by the National Commission of Museums and Monuments (NCMM), in collaboration with Murtala Muhammed Foundation and Ikoyi-Obalende Local Council Development Area (LCDA) to mark the fortieth anniversary of the death of former Head of State. Adegboyega revealed then that the late General had only N70.20 in his account when he died on February 13, 1976.
As soon as he took over, General Yakubu Gowon’s military governors were sacked, some of them tried for corruption and their ill-gotten wealth confiscated. General Murtala cleared the “cement armada”; a derisive term for a long line of ships that had practically paralysed the Lagos seaport while waiting to discharge imported cement. There followed a massive purge that affected the civil service, diplomatic service, the judiciary, public corporations, the police and armed forces. General Murtala sought to demobilise 100,000 troops from the rank of the bloated Nigerian Army. He brought broadcasting under federal control, cancelled the 1973 census and began to review the Third National Development Plan.
He introduced some terms into our governance language. Thus, his government would “arrest the drift” and give the country “a new lease of life”. “Deadwoods” were retired; appointments were made or terminated with “immediate effect”. General Murtala also introduced the term “Fellow Nigerians”. For a while, everyone took Nigeria serious and people were ready to be accountable for what they did or didn’t do.
Murtala’s administration was a perfect example of how the economic, political and social well being of a country could impact its international status. General Murtala, speaking on 11th January, 1976 at Addis Ababa,
Ethiopia, during an extraordinary session of the then Organisation of African Unity (OAU), held the entire continent spell bound with his hard hitting anti-imperialist tirade directed at Western countries seeking to reinforce colonialism and racism in Africa. He brought delegates to tears in a speech dubbed “Africa Has Come of Age”, which was essentially a clarion call to action against apartheid and colonial rule. The historic speech called for unity of purpose and Murtala’s regime led the way for a concrete financial and material assistance to freedom fighters all across Africa. This was Nigeria’s finest moment. Of course, the West was alarmed.
Murtala’s OAU speech was undiplomatic. It was shunned of rhetoric and it was rousing. It was a serious business. General Murtala communicated his own personal pain about apartheid thus: “Mr Chairman, when I contemplate the evils of apartheid, my heart bleeds and I am sure the heart of every true African bleeds”. Somewhere in this inspiring address, the General warned (the West): “Africa has come of age.
It’s no longer under the orbit of any extra-continental power. It should no longer take orders from any country, no matter how powerful, the time has come when we should make it clear that we can decide for ourselves; that we know our own interests and how to protect those interests; that we are capable of resolving African problems without presumptuous lessons in ideological dangers which, more often than not, have no relevance for us, nor for the problem at hand”.
All told, our leaders at all levels should therefore reflect on the life and times of the leader we are celebrating today fifty years after his death and ask this question: what will my people remember me for even 50 days after my death?
- Oloja is former editor of The Guardian newspaper and his column, Inside Stuff, runs on the back page of the newspaper on Sunday. The column appears on News Point Nigeria newspaper on Monday.