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The Military Rule And Political Transition In Nigeria: An Appraisal Of Abacha Regime (1993-1998)
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1.5 Literature Review
Literature
review of this work is based on different comments and findings of
different scholars on their views and prospects about military in
politics.Ruth First, (1970) explained military intervention in relation
think tank theories. One of such the ones was that expounded by Finer.
The Finer explains intervention primarily in terms of social environment
in which the military functions. According to levels of political
cultures, which were determined by the strength or weakness attached to
civilian institutions.Janowitz School (1964) on the other hand, draws
attention to the properties of military itself to its hierarchical
organisation and its distinctive patterns of recruitment and training,
control and discipline.Huntington, (1964:194) sees military intervention
as being apolitical in nature. To him, in societies where social
institutions and social forces are highly politicized, such as political
universities, political bureaucracies, and political clergy and of
cause political armed forces, military intervention is
inevitable.According to Alex Thomson (2000:131) he sees coup d etat as
sudden illegal displacement of government in which members of the
security forces play a prominent role. He says coup can be reactionary
or revolutionary, bloody or bloodless. They must however be sudden,
lasting a matter of hours or days rather than weeks.For Steve Egbo,
(2001:8) he sees military coup as a situation where the military may
decide to overthrow the existing government and assume total control of
the apparatus of the state and civil government at its highest level
which is commonly known as coup d etat, it is often achieved through
excessive violence and bloodshed.In view of Emezi and Ndo, (1987:37)
military rule is generally regarded as an aberration. A generally
accepted political system in such a system that is governed directed and
controlled by civilian political class which has been recruited by
popular choice to the decision making structures of the state.Ndo
further argued that military rule is not a viable substitute to a
properly and popularly elected government. A. K. Ocran observed that the
competence of the military in the area of political leadership is
unconstitutional. He argued that the soldiers should leave politics
alone when they try to run a country. This is regardless of the fact
that the military when compared with their civilian counterparts have
shown to be more worthy of political leadership.Isawa Elangwu,
(1988:120) in his, Gowon: the Biography of a soldier_ statement takes a
look at the political biography of Gowon. He observed that while Gowon
demonstrated beyond doubt that he was an effective binder, his energies
were soon too taxed by a number of dilemma in Nigerian political
system/. This dilemma he argues was later responsible for his dismiss in
1975. They include the inability to implement satisfactorily his nine
point political programme. Announced in 1970, Black and African Festival
of Arts and culture (FESTAC), Udoji salary awards and inflationary
frails, labour strikes and a change for Gowon of his lieutenants who had
been in office since 1967.There was also industrial unrest, abandoned
property issue, “Dodam Barracks Politics,†corruption of in high places
especially among the lieutenants. The corruption of this lieutenants
attracted public outcry that they should be removed. Yet Gowon remained
adamant. He would see no need to primitive measures to check the
excesses of his lieutenants.As regards being more of political
leadership as observed by Ocran, one wonders on how an ill-trained
person would effectively lead without being eluded. It was against this
backdrop that Oyediran stressed that it was only in the areas which are
related to the normal functioning of the military as an institution that
success has been much achieved. However, Ocran advocated that before
political power can be handed over to the military and democratically
elected civilian government there should be a transition to civil rule
programme which would be lengthy so as to make room for the drafting of a
new constitution, established of political institutions and the
election of civilians into representative‟s political positions. He
further asserts that there should be a reorientation of the masses Vis
–a- Vis their social political psychological and economic consciousness.
For Ocran, a complete demiliterilization of the political system
entails such a comprehensive programme of military transition to civil
rule. He however, cautioned that any lastly transfer of political power
would simply encourage the re-emergence of the military.As laudable as
this preposition might seem, it had so far served to perpetuate military
rule due to the extensive process of military disengagement which such
political programmes requires. To this extent, many military transitions
to civil rule programmes tend to prolong military rule, on this issue
of political education through state agencies, there tend to be a
contradiction because of power can truly educate the masses on the
principles of democracy.A number of writers have their conceptions bout
the reason why corruption is prevalent in the military and other
developing countries. Verda Eker, (1981:25- 70) in his article published
in the journal of modern African studies sees corruption as a wide
spread phenomenon in the developing worlds.
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ABSRACT - [ Total Page(s): 1 ]This study analyzes military rule and the political transition to democracy in Nigeria. It enquires into how military intervenes in the Nigerian politics in the recent time. The study also examines how corruption induces military intervention in Nigerian politics due to the embezzlement of public funds by our political leaders as well as mismanagement of government properties. This study looks at the major challenges in Nigeria‟s transition to democratic rule so as to establish the gap in ... Continue reading---
