The assassination of former Head of State General Murtala Mohammed on February 13, 1976 robbed Nigeria of her great foundation, says President Muhammadu Buhari.
“Murtala was on his way to putting Nigeria back to the path of order and discipline after years of drift, corruption and near despair. It would not be over stating the fact to say that Nigeria lost its newly found momentum with Murtala’s demise,“ Buhari, who was then a Lt-Col in the Army and Military Governor of the north-eastern states, said.
President Buhari called on all Nigerians to learn from the late former Head of State General Murtala Mohammed; the virtues of loyalty, honesty and extraordinary passion to make the country better.
“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.
“On assuming the role of Head of State in 1975, Murtala set out with a single-minded determination seldom seen in Nigerian leadership. Decisions were on fast-track. Two major developments are prominent among his legacies: the move of the capital to Abuja from Lagos; and the creations of seven new States to make 19. The shadow of his death still somewhat hangs over Nigeria.
“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.”
He said this at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja on Friday while speaking at the 40th anniversary memorial lecture organised by the Murtala Mohammed Foundation.
