Protests: Military Rule Not Solution, Says Late Abacha’s CSO Al-Mustapha

A retired Nigerian Army major, intelligence officer and politician, Hamza Al-Mustapha, has said despite frustrations among Nigerians, which resulted to calls for a military take-over of the affairs of the country, military rule was not the solution.

Al-Mustapha, who stated this while speaking during an interview with journalists on the state of the nation, said there was the need to refine Nigeria’s democratic practices to address the current challenges.

He said the military should rather be professionally subordinated to democracy, emphasising the need to strengthen military as an institution and focus on improving security in the country.

Al-Mustapha, who served as Chief Security Officer (CSO) to the former Head of State, late General Sani Abacha, also lamented that the failure of those in power to address the grievances of Nigerians showed negligence and poor advisement.

He said; “Military subordination to democracy is a clear direction as the world is today. But when you have democracy, the type that we are operating – presidential system. In a debate, in our presentations in the past, I am against presidential system in Nigeria and the examples I gave is the fact that two close countries, the closest to us, the United Kingdom and the United States, one is operating parliamentary system and the other is operating presidential system, all has to do with their historical backgrounds, with conveniences of the people and Nigeria is simply a copy cat.

“We copied parliamentary system, we changed it to presidential system! All the two are strange to our culture, to our history, to our background, to our understanding as a people. How can you bring the same system and adopt as yours? It would not work, it will be repulsive.

“I give you some examples. Some politicians came to me and said you need not to say that in the open, allow us to continue to operate the way we are but I cannot form part of cheating. What did I say? I said United States is a country where immigrants who became citizens, have laws protecting them and the question I asked was, in Nigeria, who is an immigrant and who is an indigene?

“How can you have more of laws and system of governance that is protective of immigrants? Who is an immigrant in Nigeria? We are all citizens. So, we need to chart our own course, we have to have domestic type of democracy that will suit us and suit our future. That is what I am calling for, but the issue of military, no.”

Speaking on protesters raising Russian flags in some cities during the #EndBadGovernance protests, he said the display of the foreign flags indicated a search for alternatives due to a lack of confidence in the Nigerian system, not necessarily translating to direct Russian involvement.

He, however, said the Nigerian youths who raised the Russian flags did so to look for alternatives, call for re-examination by leadership to be able to proffer solutions to the problems facing them.

“To me, in the psychology of man and the abuses of right and making of chapter two of our constitution, then the youths who decided to look for alternatives call for re-examination by leadership to be able to proffer solutions.

“First of all, go back to history. This same country called Nigeria unfortunately, from 1999 to date, there were incidences where neighbouring countries of Nigeria were used in rigging elections, which is worse than military coup.

“Rigging elections, punishing the country, deceiving a country under the guise of democracy is one of the worst offences any politician can commit to his country. It became a trend whenever elections come, some Nigeriens were brought in to vote in Nigeria, is that right?,” he asked.

Al-Mustapha further said he was not in support of the ongoing street protests, but stressed that the good thing was that protesters gave notice and despite the long notice, nothing happened and it started.

“It shows that those around the leadership that had allowed that to happen themselves, have failed in their duties. I can see clearly negligence. They are not in support of the president, talk less to have allowed him to read such a speech, that is away from the grievances outlined by the protesters and their sponsors,” he said.

This is just as he advised the security agents to look at the oath of commission they all have had when they finished as cadets and became officers while urging the leadership not to shy away from tasking the military, paramilitary, joint intelligence bureau and giving them task within time.

“There must be timeframe in completing assignments so that this country would be back on course. But if you allow it to happen the way it has been since 1999 to date, then it means certainly that some people are investing in it and are making money out of it,” he added.

That’s notwithstanding, he cautioned protesters against carrying out violent forms of protests.

“Protesters should now let the authorities address their grievances. Violent protests are unacceptable, and constructive dialogue should take precedence.”