‘We cannot always build the future for our youth but we can build our youth for the future’. – Major Hamza Al-Mustapha
It is often said that some are born great while others attract or achieve greatness through hard work, discipline, self-believing, and dedication to service of humanity. Although great men and women who made things happen all over the world are skinny, courageous, fearless and outspoken like President Barack Obama, President Bill Clinton, President John F. Kennedy Dr. Martins Luther King, Jr, Prime Minister Gandhi, Prime Minister Thatcher, Hilary Clinton and President Nelson Mandela, etc, they did not allow circumstances, pedigree or anyone to kill their dreams.
Major Hamza Al-Mustapha was a hard working, disciplined, and loyal army officer who served his boss with open-minded and trustworthy in line with the doctrine of military command ‘obey the last order’. He served General Sani Abacha meticulously as Chief Security Officer (CSO) to the former head of state of Nigeria (November 1993 to June 1998). He was later arrested after Abacha’s death and was tried for murder of Kudirat Abiola. Therefore, On January 30, 2012, a Lagos High Court convicted Al-Mustapha over the murder of Kudirat Abiola, the wife of MKO Abiola, the acclaimed winner of June 12, 1993 presidential election. He was sentenced to death by hanging, but was discharged and acquitted of the crime by the Appeal Court, Lagos division on Friday, July 12, 2013. Wao! That was a great judgement.
Today, we are commemorating one year anniversary of emancipation of our fearless and courageous leader who was discharged and acquitted of the murder charge he did not have knowledge of.We commemorate the day of freedom of one who discharged his duties and responsibilities in immaculate loyalty, and probity. Today, Nigerians would rise up for this great celebration; join the train from Kano, Yobe, Lagos, down to Abuja. It is a celebration of victory over wrongful accusation, illegal detention and character assassination of a young, gallant army officer – Al-Mustapha.
Major Al-Mustapha serves as a role model to millions of Nigerian youth, and to incoming generation. Many people have predicted him as a future president of Nigeria. Al-Mustapha has called us to hope through hard work, self-confidence, patience, and perseverance without losing faith. This young man has mentored Nigeria unity by campaigning for peaceful co-existence among Nigerian people in line with vision of our founding fathers: Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, and Sir Ahmadu Bello. This was what made Al-Mustapha to instituted Al-Mustapha Peace, Unity and Development Initiative (APUDI), a Non Governmental Organization (NGO), is promoting peace, love, brotherliness, unity and development among ethnic nationalities nationwide.
Fellow Nigerians, we have heard the truth. We have seen the sun rising together, we have seen the mountain top, we have seen the flag flying that in a tolerant Nigeria your name or your pedigree is never a barrier to success, but hard work, humility and respect you have for those ahead of you.
Clinton M. Stephen,
Founder and CEO, Centre for Democratic Research,
Justice, Peace and Fair Play in Nigeria,
Abuja (08078573221, 08170443515)