Buhari: Murtala was too Eager to Change Nigeria

Buhari: Murtala was too Eager to Change Nigeria

 President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday reflected on the virtues of former Head of State, late General Murtala Muhammed, who was assassinated in a botched coup, noting that he was in a hurry to change Nigeria.
Murtala Muhammed was assassinated in a military coup on February 13, 1976.

The president who spoke at the Murtala Muhammed 40thMemorial Lecture in Abuja,
recalled that on assuming the role of head of state in 1975, Murtala set out with a single-minded determination seldom seen in Nigerian leadership.

Buhari noted that the country mourned the death of Murtala because he was on his way to putting Nigeria back to the path of order and discipline, after years of drift, corruption and near despair.

According to him, Murtala’s motto was to get the job done as quickly as possible, saying that no one could doubt his inspirational qualities or call into question his love and dedication in the service of Nigeria.

“Of course, no one is without flaws. He was a man in a hurry, and sometimes this could make him appear abrupt or even moody.
“But what he could not tolerate was incompetence and idleness.

“By the time Murtala was given command during the civil war, the Federal side was on the defensive.
“The rebels had over-ran the then Mid-West, and reached as far as Ore, just 100 miles from Lagos.

`”By dint of sheer bravery, improvisation and resourcefulness, he mustered a rag-tag group of soldiers, integrated them into an entirely new division, knocked them into fighting shape, recovered mid-west and ventured across the Niger.
“Alas, there were terrible casualties on both sides.

“But, Murtala’s motto was to get the job done as quickly as possible; sacrifice and loss were part of the risks of war,’’ he said.
He also stated that two major developments were prominent among Murtala Muhammed’s legacies and these included the move of the capital to Abuja from Lagos and the creation of seven new states.

The president, who noted that late Muhammed was his senior in Army, said he developed a great liking and respect for him on account of his professional excellence, competence, straightforwardness and genuine interest and concern for up-and-coming officers like him.
“We are here to honour a national hero and patriot, not to mourn him, and to take a few lessons from his achievements:

“His love for Nigeria and Nigerians, from wherever they came; His intense professionalism; His impatience with incompetence and lack of patriotism; His loyalty to friends and colleagues.