We have always made the mistake of forgeting about our past.
The essential part of the up-bringing of a child is.... he knows heroes of his nation, identifies them and tries to be like them.
Though Abacha has come and gone, His Excelency was a great hero, and almost all of us agree on that.
I have never met the great man in person, but i have studied him very closely. Anything this Great man did in His life, i tried my possible best to know about it.
Abacha must not slip into the shadow of history and be forgotten.
So after many weeks of thinking wether to go ahead with this or not, i have decided to finally make this topic.
Lets talk about his excelency, learn about him, tell each other of experiences with him(if any had) what we have read about him that is credible, how we felt when he died.
What we did to remember him when he died,
I would be very gratefull to all those that contribute in here.
Yours ALI HAMZA
I'll be the first,
When i heard of His Excelencies death, I was devastated, because i had believed that when He came to power, Nigeria would finally take bold steps towards making itself as strong as it should be.
I remember clearly that school was closed the next day, at home i wasted no time, i picked up a card-board paper ( i dont know exact dimensions of it) which usually are quite big back home, i drew a portrait of him, in a babban-riga and a zanna bukar. I drew with a pen, so there was no room for mistakes, I hadnt been very good at drawing people, But i did succede in making a very beautiful portrait in the first attempt.
Reports were all over the country, southerners were openly partying and distributing free alcohol at the death of this Great Man, i cared not about what was going on.
The next day i hung the Portait in the classroom. Right behind me on the wall (i used to be the notorious back-bencher).
During break, in our school it wasnt allowed to stay in the classroom, so we all used to move out. Break used to be for 20mins, i just decided to go check on on my drawing. When i got there, i found the portait torn and the cardboard paper litteraly cut to pieces with a razor-blade. The only person i found in the class happened to be an igbo. We had a long and furious fight, and at the end he had to appologise and believe it or not, today he is a staunch abacha supporter.
Abacha's campaign brought in many items to show support, like wrist-watches and badges, i gave-up wearing my "swatch" to wear a watch with a picture of His Excelency which i did for many years b4 it got stolen/lost. I wore the badge. and today its amognst my most valued item. His Excelency is wearinga blue shadda. with zanna bukar, has a beautiful grin, and is one of the rare picture without his favorite glasses.
Any guy that was talla'ing (lol) was my victim, i would stop at any place where i saw these guys on their bikes, i would ask for stickers with his pic and if they didnt have it, i'd give them my address and tell them to get it to me.
I put a sticker on our gate, It was a big one, and many people started describing our house as "gidan da suke da hoton abacha akan gate din su" :)
that wasnt enough, and i put a sticker next to my number plate on the back side of my car, it didnt go till our driver (Mallam Mohammadu) whom i respect alot thought it wasnt wise since the government was against anything Abacha (it stayed till late1999).
As a lagosian during the sani Abacha regime, I was under the illusion and brain wash that he was a cheat, a dictator, a common thief. But Just after his death was my very own re-awakening of my concious and I even left lagos. I realised what marvel the late General is, and his plot for this country was the best story never told for Nigeria. If at all the critics I've lived with a Lag define him that way, then maybe that is what this country needs, all that it needs. His financial record are the best compared to any military dictator or ruler. His principles and ambitions are quite rare, the modernised, improved and better hitler was he. If I go on, its gonn sound like hero worshiping, which I aint. I just thought I might keep this here before I see how others will react. May his gentle soul rest in peace, Amen.
P.S thanks alot AL-Hamzah.
Quotei picked up a card-board paperi drew a portrait of him, in a babban-riga and a zanna bukar. I drew with a pen, so there was no room for mistakes, I hadnt been very good at drawing people, But i did succede in making a very beautiful portrait in the first attempt.
C ur mouff............ ::) ba a feder meker in ur Madras that drawin din mutunmi beyer cikin musulumci ba! Now if pessin tlk ur trouble go start ::) (she laffs)
Quote As a lagosian during the sani Abacha regime, I was under the illusion and brain wash that he was a cheat, a dictator, a common thief. But Just after his death was my very own re-awakening of my concious
Mhmmm now alot of ppl know.
May Allah rest his soul in perfect peace, May he grant d deceased with Jannat
Well I remembered bck in d dayz wen alot of ppl hated him....not 2 mention dama..... politics as practise, whateva its profession, has always been the systematic organisation of hatred :-/ So of course alot of ppl did hate him but wen sum1 is not there anymore then truelly his worth is known!!!!
ummita, i wasnt a good muslim at that time,
and is it a hobby to pick on people? or were u born like that?
or is it that you like arguing with me? ;)
Are you guys saying this out of pure objectivity or anemic fanatism? ???
If you guys are aware of what is known about what Abacha did to the country you wouldnt be pontificating about his (lack of) greatness.
Our point here dan Banza is that his greatness is luminous and we are trying to reflect it to the forum. If you can pinpoint out some of it then go ahead! Dan banza, what a name!...welkom anywayz
Thanks Ibro,
The list of horrors that happened during his time goes on and on; people disappeared, were summarily executed or detained during Sani's regime. Add to that the looting of billions still unobtainable today. The Nigerian economy degenerated to a pathetic state... what is there that is luminous about Abacha? Nigeria has never had a decent president for the past, what, 26 years? but Sani tops them all.
U guys must be outta ur minds....what da heck? Someone that shed blood and killed innocent pple for persoanl benefits and screwed the country up-side down is ur personal heroes?
May Allah help the present Nigeria Generation and may the wicked never go unpunished!
...And as the history part of it, if u want to know more, pls go read about Mungo Park and Tafawa Balewa! Abacha is known as one of the most brutal dictators on earth and the day the son of a b!tch died, I cudnt help but go to the mosque that afternoon and thank Allah for saving my dear Nation from the stupidity of one man! I'll study the "history" of AbdulSalami any day cos he's a man that stood by his words...now, that's one of the numerous definition of a true hero!
Bura Uba!
Finally, someone that isnt blinded by the fact that SA is from Kano. :o ;D
That man was an animal.
QuoteFinally, someone that isnt blinded by the fact that SA is from Kano. ? :o ;D
That man was an animal.
I dont like talking about dead pple...but i must say calling him an animal is a serious offence....a serious understatement if i may add! I'm still looking for a word to qualify him!
May I use this avenue to impore my fellow northern brethen not to be confused and blinded by "northen bias"...Nigeria is one...live with it and let us try to take Nigeria away from the Animal Kingdom and discourage "Animals" from getting into the driver's sit.
Buran Uba!
As the Administrator of this forum, I will like to remind all our members new and old about the fact that this site and forum will not tolerate abusive words and attacks on anybody without any fact to back the attack up.
For example if you said people disappeared, were summarily executed or detained or billions were looted or the economy degenerated to a pathetic state..., then provide for us the names of the people that disappeared, were summarily executed and for the state of the economy, how many people were working and how strong was the Naira compired to NOW. For all we know NOW anybody can say that at this time and in this day and age that people disappeared, were summarily executed or detained and that billions are still being looted or that the economy is worst than pathetic .... This is just an example.
We will also not tolerate abusive words such as the last two words that Ibro555 used in his last two posts...
Thanks.
Admin:
Please stop obfuscating! Abacha's brutality and style of government is well documented and publicly available.
You really want to see evidence of the mass looting that occured under Abacha's administration? :o Huh?! :-X Dude, if you've been fortunate enough to hide under a rock over the last decade or so then good for you. Otherwise, plese give us a break!
-SF
This thread is in sorts a microcosm of Nigeria's problem: never learning it's lesson, and continually returning to its vomit. >:( I would love to believe that we are capable of producing much better statesmen in this country. But that will never happen until we rid ourselves of ethnic bias!
HEY ADMIN WATCH OUT!!! DONT BE BIASED!!!
Rest of you are wasting your time condenming or praising Abacha.
I do not LIKE or HATE him. Why should I?
As far as I am concerned He failed woefully like all other Nigerian Leaders (Obasanjo, Babangida, Buhari and the rest). He and other thieves are not worth any memory in history.
Admin, you of all people shouldnt be asking for evidence of the accusations made by any of us against Abacha. Really, his terror is well documented. And let me say that this should have nothing to do with ethnicity.
As a couple of enlightened folks have said, Nigeria is one. It is really sad that most of us here who should be representing the new generation of Nigerians seek to forget the truths about what that dictator did. Its fascinating to see that some still put that cruel and inhumane mistake of a human being high up on a pedestal. A lot of chaps are ready to say honesty and truth are the keys to personal enlightenment but its obvious that some adhere painfully to ethnic lines. We have never had a proper statesman since independence but I'd rather go through IBB and co than have Abacha back in the hotseat.
What is one thing that Abacha has done to benefit Nigeria? Nigeria was a pariah state during Abachas time... No one could say anything untoward about him. Saro Wiwa is a classic example of Abachas brutality. Admin, I implore you to seek out any information that paints that cretin in any other light than being the devils surrogate. They say dont speak ill of the dead but we can make an exception in that mans case. This world is an immensely better place without him!
mice hate cats. cats love mice.
Quoteummita, i wasnt a good muslim at that time,
and is it a hobby to pick on people? or were u born like that?
or is it that you like arguing with me? ?;)
Salamz Al-hamza............u werent a gud muslim bck den :o u werent...........oh this is juss gettin better...........is gud 2 repent & cum clean(she laffs)............ok! on a serious note 2 ansa ur question, my ansa is ALL OF D ABOVE but here this, honestly I wont pick on u, seriously....2 pick on u is juss a violation of my time management but wen we all jokin, we joke around! but in serious circumstances I do not joke but state d fact & d fact still remains drawin humans is not permissable in Islam..........u cant put life in2 it can u? :P :-/ U r d best brother I eva had :P Peaceeeeeeee(she laffs)
QuoteAs the Administrator of this forum, I will like to remind all our members new and old about the fact that this site and forum will not tolerate abusive words and attacks on anybody without any fact to back the attack up.
2 ask a question in point of ur fact oga admin,: So it's ok 2 attack a member if they hav any fact 2 bck up their attack? :-/ I taut attackin, wat eva d circumstances myt b shud not b allowed & neither shud u encourage members 2 indulge in such an act.........!!!!!! Ofcourse abusive language is something that shud b regarded offensive & ppl shud avoid behaviours that cud b termed as unreasonable..........& attack is quite unreasonable but we can du it if we hav facts koh? Wat I know it ur website is so good that every member has a good behaviour & we hardly attack or abuse......with d xception of...............who was it der yayi zagin sef? ::)
On d other hand, Kan I please, please, please ATTACK brother Al-hamza, cuz he has been teasing & pickin on me & I know he dislikes ...........but den......hmmmm aint there nothin u can du :P
LOL
FOR ABACHA YOU GUYS SHOULD LET THE MAN BE, EVEN WHEN HE IS DEAD YOU GUYS ARE STILL EATING HIS MEET. DO YOU GUYS HAVE ANY IDEAD THAT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT DECEASED PPL THEY ARE ACTUALLY BEING WOKEN UP IN THEIR GRAVES TO HEAR HOW PPL TALK ABOUT THEM? NOW IMAGINE ABACHA (RIP) BEING WOKEN UP MANY ATTIMES AND HOW YA'ALL TALK ILL ABOUT THIS MAN. WHAT HAS BEEN DONE HAS BEEN DONE SO LET BY GONE BE BYGONE. HABA!!! JAMA'A DUK DA YA RASUNMMA BAZU KU KYALESHI BA :o WANNAN AI SHINE "NABI MAMACI KABARI KARBAN BASHI"
I think we shudnt talk about the deceased.......May his soul rest in perfect peace. At least he died a muslim n he loved Nigeria.
for those liking abacha. if a million flies say sh*t is sweet, wd u expect man to eat it?
Hafcy, its not a matter of following a man to his grave, its a matter of bringing up the honour we know about that man.
In every administration, people die, people get killed. Be it the government, be it nature. It has always been happening. But take a look back at Abacha's days and shun any prejudices. National security and even security at the streets was at its maximum during his time. The famous Area boys of Lagos, the most dangerous city in Nigeria were disarmed and given real "Jobs" people. And u might remember Marwa's Operation sweep, which was the reawakening of Nigerian police force, and other state governments followed suite. There was no need for keep-Nigeria-clean boards, because the nation was disciplined enough to keep it. His days (before '99) was the time Abuja was the cleanest compared with the Junk yard we have today as the F.C.T. Cleaned only when international confrences will hold. Abacha introduced the P.T.F and increased N4 per litre to the fuel price, which everyone in this country will acknoledge its endless dividents, if not blinded by prejudice. Till the end of his regime, their has not been anymore fuel price hike, Or even those endless fuel cues. Nepa wouldnt dare take power for as long as they do now, atleast not in the major cities. Today the F.C.T. is praying for power. Education; There wasnt those endless strikes from the universities, and its not like they werent paid.
Danbanza Dare ask what Abacha has done for Nigeria? Nigerias inflation rate was at maximum of 23% during his time, and even went as low as 4% at a time. Thats a national record. Today Nigerias inflation rate is way over 80%. The Naira was N44 to a USdollar in his glorios days, after his death, Abubakar Abdussalami managed to get it to N85 despite such "short notice" and today, congratulations its about N145 to a USdollar and the British Pound has almost double that.
And remember when Nigeria was sanctioned! because he wouldnt let IMF or the commonwealth make slaves out of us again, was that heroic or what. And today, I'm a living proof sanctions dont work. We lacked nothing.
Lionger my friend, If Nigeria could bring in a better statesman, couldnt she have after 43years?
You talking about looting, Yes he did, but who didnt? Its the Nigerian thing. Besides Abubakar took far too much money than Abacha ever did .Go take a look at our foreign reserve '98 and '99. Or would you rather compare him with the present administration which has taken about two or even three of our budgets?
I remember his brutality to the brutal, his wickedness to the wicked, and no government in the world will have its media criticize it not even the U.S and dont mention Britain. Bet mi Eskimo, all our past heroes have been judged by relativity and direction. By relativity, Abacha is a legendary Hero, his direction was "Dictatorship" which is what Nigeria needs now. What Nigeria still needs is a dictator with a good focus. Abacha was that man with much more ambition, his solidarity to his country, a war hero, a true general from the grassroots to the top, no Nigerian could be more decorated than The General Sani Abacha. He was a hero you could never be and much more and we lost him, I could go on but the dividents of our faithful general are endless. Allah Ya ji kan maza.
DanBanza, I'm sorry maybe Abacha locked you up or som'n, what did u do? From the name u could neva be 1/10th the man Abacha was, and Bash... who'll bell the cat? Ibo555, I cant call u Ibro, I hate to see dat blindness among people. If he killed for personal "joy" then u wouldnt be alive, no one will. You probably heard the story of Idi-Amin and was confused. Someone dares call abubakar Abdussalami a hero, a man whom has ruined and condemned us to our graves. I spit on him. I'm sick of u.
Hey you want to know if Abacha is a hero, dont ask mi, ask Seria leonians, or Liberians or even Gambians. They will tell u what the world missed out of Abacha. But like they say, one mans food is anothers poison, even in Nigeria there are different kinds of people. He maybe a....whatever u call him, but to me, he's relatively a Hero, to us.
Admin, the nick "dan-banza /Bastard" even if used for one-self, i guess isnt a word suitable for this otherwise very clean and beautiful forum,
D-B, Wallahi, even if you are a D-B, i cannot use that word for you, i cannot imagine what you have on your mind that you chose such a nick.
As for Abacha, those that eat "halal" or you can say those that choose to stay clean and wont do 419things for money, know that Abacha years were Golden years after a very very long time in Nigerian History,
Alhamdulillah we eat Halal, a single rice grain of haram ruins the entire plate according to a hadith,
Are you sure the guy next door that bought a new car recently is making entirely halal money? Is it possible? when the business commuinity (after the government this section generates the largest jobs) in Nigeria is being strangled mercilessly??
Okay, maybe Abacha did kill people, but in a dictatorship and the scene he played a hero in, its very dificult to rule with critics that have funding and backing from abroad.
There was justice, there was security, there was a solid economy, there was no begging, Criminals were caught, Naira never inflated,
D-B did you notice Abacha died two days after he met Yasser Arafat?
IN many years, it was the first time that a Nigerian Head of state had MADE A STATEMENT ABROAD! MEETING ARAFAT WAS SHOWING SUPPORT FOR THE PALESTINIAN CAUSE!
Maybe, it didnt go too well with "Mosad" (the israeli secret service) which can easily do its mission and get away, (they are the worlds best secret service)
al-hamza:
Take some friendly advice. THINK HARDER!!!
Thank you Al-Hamzah,
And we all know Almustapha was trained by the mosads.
One other thing, the mosads never train for free, once one, everly one.
They say intelligence is a collection of dots, and intelligence draws the lines on those dots to make sence, lets see how onliners will draw a line on this one.
Al_Hamza, please quit all this sanctimonious posturing. My nickname hasnt got anything to do with tarnishing the "beautiful" and "clean" image of this forum.
Abacha's death is the greatest gift Nigerians could have asked for in recent memory. He is gone but I have not the slightest compunctions to speak ill of him.
Its impossible to believe that that tyrant could be portrayed in any other light than the personation of evil. What justice did he bring? impromtu detention without charges or evidence, disappearance of people that dare say anything anti-abacha, looting of the national treasury, whatelse?
QuoteThere was justice, there was security, there was a solid economy, there was no begging, Criminals were caught, Naira never inflated,
I dont see which of these are true... except perhaps marginally the inflation of the naira. But I dont understand how this benefit makes the existence of Abacha worthy. I got nothing but pain for the struggle of the Palestinians but if the Mossad is responsible for Abacha's death then a job well done.
QuoteYou talking about looting, Yes he did, but who didnt? Its the Nigerian thing
Ibro2g,
This quote show why a debate with you will be fruitless.
wishing for dreams that have never been, blinded by prejudice since childhood, guided by a heavy heart, guilt of the brain ladies and gentlemen Our latest specimen, Danbanza Reloaded, :D :P Welkom to Kanoonline, no! this is kanoonline ::)
Salam all.
For one History is never written by the vanquished. The victors have that as a god given right. It is true that Abacha's regime killed, maimed and looted the Nigeria nation. what we tend to forget is the Abacha alone could not do that.
The Blame has to be shared equally by anyone who took a seat as a member of the PRC (provisional Ruling council) and stuck the regime to the end.
DanBanza has tried to make this look like a Muslim thing ( from his refering nigeria's lack of a just leaderin 26 yrs). ?Just for the avoidance of doubt, Buhari ruled Nigeria in that time span, and if you dont consider his tutelage of our nation as a good thing, then.......... yes you ought to take a vacation in siberia naked!
fact:
*Man for man, more people died during Obasanjos regime than Abacha's. hight profile gentle men like Ige, Marshall Harry, Okadigbo...... were all killed by well........... we all know.
*There is by far more incidents of robbery and general criminal violence now than abacha's time.
*There is, as Transparency international opined, more corruption in Nigeria now than at any other time.
* At now time did nigeria universities spend almost a year on strike due the ineptitude of its leaders.
In short Abacha is BAD but Obasanjo is in the same league if not WORSE.
Bissalam
The sad but very obvious fact is that if the late Sani Abacha were not a 'muslim' or a northerner, many of us here would not have a single good thing to say about him. Just look at the ridiculous excuses some of us are making on his behalf.
Amin, you said that all the bad things that happened during Abacha's regime should not pinned on him alone. Correct observation; but then y should we then credit him alone for the 'relatively good times' back then? Are we ready to give Obasanjo the same benefit of a doubt that we give Abacha? And btw, Buhari's regime was by no means the best! Sure there was good to it, but bad too. I won't go into details but i think that murtala mohammed was the closest thing to a statesman that nigeria ever had.
And Ibro2g, as for Abacha's exploits in Sierra Leone and Liberia, I give him due credit, but as the saying goes, charity begins at home!