In 1963, Sani Abacha was a second lieutenant in the army, and by 1969 was only a major. As a major in the Federal side, he was the subordinate of his contemporaries such as Murtala Mohammed, Benjamin Adekunle (the Black Scorpion), Yakubu Gowon, Olusegun Obasanjo, and Chukwuemeka Ojukwu, among others. But during the civil war, it is documented that Sani Abacha had a breakdown and almost left the army, but Lieutenant Colonel Olusegun Obasanjo supported him and persuaded him to stay. At one point, Abacha’s dismissal papers were on Obasanjo’s desk during the war (due to his breakdown), but he refused to sign it.
Continue reading Decisions and consequences: The Obasanjo—Abacha web of fateAuthor: Dr. Ikenna A. Ezealah, JD, Ph.D., MBA
Dr. Ikenna A. Ezealah is a is a Builder of the African Future, a visionary, and leader. Dr. Ezealah is a unique multidisciplinary professional whose specialty lies in global governance, international trade, investment, and development law (ITID law) strategy focused on African nation-building and long-term economic transformation. Dr. Ezealah holds a Juris Doctorate (JD), a PhD in Higher Education Leadership, an MBA, a BBA. His academic and professional formation sits at the intersection of law, public policy, economic strategy, and institutional leadership, equipping him to operate across complex national and multilateral environments geared toward African nation-building.
The Great Relay: An Analogy for Nation-Building in Africa
Anyone who has been fortunate to participate in a relay race in track & field will, through personal experience, understand the operation of a great universal principle that applies to nation building in Africa.
Continue reading The Great Relay: An Analogy for Nation-Building in AfricaThe Purpose of Nation Upbuilding
For a plant to grow and reach its full potential, everything Nature preconditioned for this purpose must be provided in the right balance: oxygen, water, light, soil, and the right climate. Only when this happens do its inherent—and hitherto dormant—God-given abilities come to fruition, thereby spreading blessings by enriching the environment and contributing to its further development. As Nature (of which the plant is a part) and man are both fruits of the Creative Spirit, the same principle applies to human activity.
Hence, a nation is a plant–a collective human activity bearing unique characteristics–that, in order to blossom to its full potential, must fulfill the preconditions ordained for this purpose. Only when this happens are the inherent God-given abilities of individual citizens called to life and fully expressed. And in the melodic resounding of individual parts, a rich reciprocity develops that unites into a collective harmony, thereby spreading blessings and enriching the earth in a continual upbuilding towards the ideal of true humanity.
But as a clarified knowledge of the God-willed preconditions is needed before the path to this sublime goal can be traversed, it is here that Nation Upbuilding finds its purpose. Ergo, the primary purpose of this website is to illumine the principles that serve as a foundation and guide for a nation upbuilding. With the recognition of these principles, the path of their application will automatically develop that, when diligently pursued, leads to the goal.
The following words are primarily intended for people of African descent and, more specifically, are directed to those people who derive from the territory currently known as “Nigeria”. However, being universal principles of a spiritual origin, they are also relevant to others and can be broadly applied by people of all nationalities.
The deliberate choice of word “upbuilding” is based on the simple principle that everything natural strives upward only, towards the Source of all life—just like every blade of grass, the flowers, plants, and trees. As maturity for man when born is characterized by the upward growth of his body, so is the maturity of a nation—a body of people, characterized by their upward building, i.e. how much they (below) reflect the principles of heaven (above). As above so below. Therefore, an upbuilding presupposes a commitment to recognizing and obeying the Will of the Creator governing human activity, which naturally implies continuous progress and a vigorous striving upward.
May the following insights open new vistas of thoughts, through which inspirations for creative action will hopefully descend, thereby preparing the soil for the resurrection of the African spirit and thus the unfolding of its God-given abilities towards the realization of its great potential. In this process, may those of goodwill who carry the volition to truly help and serve find their purpose so that, through the union of many such hands, a joyful working might arise that reflects the true concept of “nation upbuilding”.
~Ikenna Q. Ezealah
–In Association with Foundation for Ascent—
Nation Upbuilding 