Dangiwa Umar: A soldier of democracy

Colonel Abubakar Dangiwa Umar (retired) came into national reckoning and public spotlight in 1984.

This was shortly after the coup d’état by Major General Muhammadu Buhari and Major General Tunde Idiagbon, which toppled the civilian regime of Alhaji Shehu Shagari on December 31, 1983.

He was appointed Chief Executive of the Federal Housing Authority, FHA. Umar, who then held the rank of major, was a dashing-looking young man full of exuberant displays of public intellectualism and altruistic intentions.

He immediately attracted the attention of the insistent media, which was suspicious of military intervention in our polity and national life.

But with his captivating swagger and radical statements, and his dress sense reminiscent of revolutionary Che Guevara, the Bolivian revolutionary minus the goatee beard, he immediately became the object of media scrutiny and public attention.

He promised to revolutionize the housing sector and his outspokenness was a breath of fresh air in the autocratic Buhari/Idiagbon regime that cultivated silence as an art of governance.

Before Nigerians could scrutinize him and his housing policies, the coup d’état of General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, IBB, took place on August 27, 1985. His reign as FHA boss came to an abrupt end.

For those who thought this was the end of the unusual military officer, steeped in radical ideology, had more than they bargained for.

It soon emerged that Colonel Umar was one of the three middle officers of the musketeers who were the foot soldiers and masterminds behind the IBB coup.

The other members are Colonel Lawan Gwadabe and Colonel Abdulmuminu Aminu.

As an officer in the armored corps, Umar was very essential to the success of the IBB coup.

He was appointed as military governor of the old Kaduna State (comprising the present-day Kaduna and Katsina States). He was only 36 years old and held the rank of major.

For credible reasons, not a few Nigerians were concerned about Umar’s position, especially because of his youthful age and rank in the military, considering that Kaduna State was home to many retired military generals, and also served top military officers, like many soldiers. formations were located in the state.

Kaduna State was also home to the powerful and all-controlling amorphous group called the Kaduna Mafia.

Therefore, his appointment was like throwing a small fish into shark-infested waters. But Umar was not only equal to the task, he also distinguished himself with lively policies and statements, fearing or favoring no one, only with a heart for the downtrodden masses.

His messages and policy direction resonated with the people. Although he had royal blue blood and as a scion of the famous Sokoto Caliphate, being the son of one of the kingmakers, the Wazirin of Gwandu, he was more in the company of the common people. He conducted himself with the élan of a liberator from feudalistic tendencies.

He was credited with statements challenging the all-powerful traditional institutions in the North to reform or face extinction.

His left-wing leanings and socialist statements were not really surprising to those who know him well.

He obtained a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and was one of the famous radical students on the campus called BUBU (Bala Usman Brought Up).

The late Dr. Yusuf Bala Usman was an uncompromising and unrepentant socialist ideologue and lecturer at ABU. Umar was one of his ardent followers and students.

Therefore, while in government, Umar only practiced and experimented everything he learned under the tutelage of Dr. Usman.

Another notable achievement of Umar as Military Governor of Kaduna State was the manner in which he brilliantly, without insolence, managed and tamed the retired military henchmen who dominate the polity, business and social life of Kaduna State.

He was fair but firm in dealing with all to ensure lasting peace, growth and development of the state under his watch.

At that time, Kaduna State was a hotbed of religious crises and tensions, especially between the Muslims in the northern part of Kaduna and the Christians in the southern part.

When one of such religious fires occurred in 1987, those who expected him to side with his fellow Muslims were shocked. In his usual cerebral dissection of issues he was on the side of sociological reality and truth.

He emphasized the futility of religious wars, as he noted: “If you win a religious war, you cannot win religious peace…. How many Christians have converted to Islam since the murder began? How many Muslims have converted to Christianity? It is an exercise in futility.”

Essentially, religion, because it is the opium of the people (apology to Karl Marx), is mostly a facade to brew social and political carnage.

According to Umar, this is usually caused by hunger, poverty, deprivation and ignorance, largely due to poor leadership that lacks accountability and transparency.

Some critics often point to Umar as an IBB boy and invest him with the shortcomings of the time. Not many people knew that Umar, with his characteristic bluntness, was by far the biggest insider critic of the Babangida era.

From the beginning of Babangida’s regime, Umar has underlined his authority and voice of reason. A knowledgeable source and colleague of Umar once told the writer that immediately after the success of the IBB coup, it was time to elect the second in command, the Chief of General Staff, CGS.

The late General Sani Abacha and some Hawks within them stressed the need for a Northern officer to occupy the position and proposed General Domkat Bali.

It was almost sailing when Umar, even though a non-commissioned officer made a comment.

He therefore nominated Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe. His choice shocked and angered Abacha as he believed Umar should be on his side as he was the one who nominated Umar for the position of Chief Executive of the FHA under Major General Buhari.

It was the FHA job that thrust Umar into national reckoning and the spotlight. However, Umar has a mind of his own and chooses to stand on the side of history and support ethnic balance. Even Bali reportedly backed Umar’s proposal. That’s how Ukiwe got the job from CGS. Abacha never forgave Umar for this.

My research as a journalist revealed that Umar wrote the largest number of internal memos and petitions against Babangida’s policies and programs.

When General IBB said there was no alternative to the structural adjustment programme, SAP, Umar and Chief Gani Fawehinmi disagreed. They noted that everything, including life, has an alternative, which is death!

One of the most beneficial qualities of Umar is that he is not materially driven. When IBB introduced the settlement culture into our polity, where corruption became a norm, anyone who had access to him became instantly rich.

But Umar was different.

Today, there are no records of acquiring homes across the country despite him being the Chief Executive of FHA. He does not own any FHA properties, not even in Lagos and Abuja (the Federal Capital Territory, FCT).

Bored with the routines of a soldier holding political office, he approached the military high command and resigned without media fanfare after serving as military governor for three years.

He subsequently obtained a master’s degree in political science from the prestigious Harvard University in the United States

On his return from the United States of America, he was posted as Headmaster of Armored Corp School in Bauchi State. Although a professional soldier through and through, he was a true democrat.

His uncompromising belief in promoting the freedoms, liberty and dignity of his fellow citizens was clearly demonstrated during the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, which was widely applauded as won by Chief MKO Abiola.

When he heard about the annulment of the June 12 presidential election, he drove from his Bauchi base to Abuja.

IBB was already surrounded by the military Hawks who were unwilling to hand over power to civilians. He sought an audience with the benevolent military dictator.

Umar emphatically told his boss to complete the presidential election announcement and hand over power to the winner, Chief Abiola.

Umar reportedly told IBB that it would be a mockery of justice to deny Abiola his victory.

In fact, it will amount to gross disservice to the nation by the military if the annulment is upheld.

He reiterated that he would not want to be seen as a usurper of democracy and therefore threatened to resign from office if the military refused to hand over power to Abiola, the winner of the elections.

And he did. How courageous, and a rare display of courage and patriotism! Then he declared himself a June 12 fundamentalist!

He joined forces with the likes of Balarabe Musa and Yohanna Madaki to form Movement for Unity and Progress, MUP. They formed the northern wing of NADECO (National Democratic Coalition).

He never held back in the fight to restore democracy, facing intimidation, intimidation and loss of income.

Since the birth of the civilian regime on May 29, 1999, he has remained consistent in his advocacy for good governance.

He has never shied away from making suggestions, sometimes sharply criticizing the successive civilian regime from 1999 to date.

As Umar celebrates his 75th birthday, he has lived a remarkable life worth celebrating. Unfortunately, Nigerians only celebrate the dead. No one is a hero in Nigeria until he or she is dead.

But Nigerians must realize that nothing will change until we learn to celebrate the living who are progressive in their thoughts and actions, and encourage them to make a more positive impact.

Therefore, I tip my hat to retired Colonel Abubakar Dangiwa Umar, a true soldier of democracy.

Osa, a journalist and lawyer, can be reached@DirectorOsa on Twitter (now X).