THE Muslim Media Watch Group of Nigeria (MMWG) has called on Nigerians, especially members of the political class, to reflect on the type of leadership provided by the late military ruler, General Murtala Muhammed, and therefore resolve to do things that will make the country great.
This was contained in the MMWG’s tribute to the “great Nigerian leader” who was assassinated 47 years ago, on February 13, 1976.
In the tribute signed by its national coordinator, Alhaji Ibrahim Abdullahi, the group enumerated the achievements of Muhammed to include “holistic fight against corruption, restoring discipline in public service and all spheres of the nation’s life and creation of new states to promote sense of belonging.”
The group, however, lamented that the death of General Muhammed “has reversed the trend of the nation’s socio-economic development as Murtala’s vision and mission for a greater Nigeria has not been realised due to the citizens’ uncooperative attitude and morbid desire for illegal wealth acquisition.”
It expressed regret that several other achievements of the leader’s administration, especially fight against corruption, were reversed after his death with “corruption rearing its ugly head again.”
It said: “The new leadership that will emerge from the forthcoming elections must resolve to holistically fight corruption by evolving stringent laws that will deny bail for serious corrupt cases, abolish plea bargaining that has encouraged corruption and punish offenders seriously.
“The greatest honour and respect the citizens could give to the late General Murtala Muhammed and all departed good leaders of this country is to rule with the fear of Allah by changing our political system into one which would serve the citizens instead of individuals as it is presently.”
