In Africa, there are too few success stories to learn from and emulate. When there are we must make sure the continent and the world pay attention.
In 1999, two years after I won the presidency in the first democratic election in Nigeria since 1979, the Economist put out the cover on Africa titled ‘A Hopeless Continent’. Ten years later, and four years after I handed over power, the Economist changed its tune with a cover depicting ‘Africa Rising’.
The military’s intervention in Nigerian politics fouled the political air, caused instability and uncertainty, the destruction of lives and properties; resulted in a civil war, and left the country divided internally and isolated externally. This peaked when General Sani Abacha pursued his programme of self-succession and life-presidency.
On assuming office as president, I decided to put an end to these incessant coups. I asked the military to submit the list of all officers who had either participated in or benefited from the dividends of coups by being appointed to political office as governors or ministers. Not knowing what the list was meant for, the military faithfully compiled it and submitted it to me.
The idea was not to punish them for life but to exclude them from positions in the military where they could be coup planners, coup plotters, coups executors or coup beneficiaries.The challenge today in Africa is that we have too few success stories to learn from and emulate. When we do encounter successes we must make sure the continent and the world pay attention.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Distell's toast to growth in AfricaLiquor group sets ambitious target for sales on the continent
Read more »
LETTER: Black lives in Africa matter tooLeft-leaning US liberals need to wake up to atrocities being committed on this continent
Read more »
Balwin announces largest sectional title development in AfricaSA’s top developer in the property segment wants to build 50,000 ‘gap’ housing units in eastern Pretoria
Read more »
The destinations that may not allow tourists until 2021, and yes South Africa is on the listEven as many nations begin to lift their coronavirus travel restrictions, travellers considering a gamble on late-2020 trips abroad might want to reconsider - or at least make sure to book a very flexible ticket.
Read more »
OPINIONISTA: The country, not the ANC, comes first, alwaysThis weekend’s special national executive committee (NEC) of the ANC was meant to be one where President Cyril Ramaphosa reasserts his authority in the governing party.
Read more »
OPINIONISTA: Democracy is not an endpointAs the country slowly emerges from the heavy cloud of the Covid-19 pandemic, the focus must finally hone in on how South Africa is to recover its economy. Apart from the obvious, being the implementation of the illusive plan to ensure growth and a reversal of the 8% decline in GDP, the constitutional health of the country needs an urgent vaccine.
Read more »