Reminiscences with Major-General Sam Momah (rtd)

Sam Momah was commissioned into the Nigerian Army Engineers Corps in 1967.

He rose to become a Major-General before retiring in 1999. In this interview, Momah, who served as minister of science and technology during the late General Sani Abacha regime, reminisced on his career, penchant for writing books, as well as life at 77.

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You just turned 77 years. How do you feel?

I feel very grateful to God because once you clock 70, people think you have come of age. But to get 77, I think God has been very merciful. I hope I would continue to take care of my health until God decides to call me home.

I still believe I should be alive to see Nigeria improving from what it is today. This is because the way the country is going is a bit demoralising. I do hope that one would be able to be alive and see the better part of Nigeria. This is why I wrote my current book on ‘restructuring’ to probably be able to live and see Nigeria turning a new leaf, and then being a trajectory to greatness.

Can you recall some of the memories of your childhood?

I must say that I am very privileged to be a detribalised Nigerian, in the sense that I am of eastern extraction, but I was born in the North in 1943; in Kano precisely. I did my primary school in the North and secondary school in the West.

My parents were clergies. That made me to travel around Nigeria a lot. I was able to see Nigeria from all sides. In those days, we never cared whatever tribe you were. We were little children and just knew that we were Nigerians. It is unfortunate now that things have changed and there is so much dividing us. However, one is hoping that in view of the restructuring I am advocating in my book, ultimately, the idea would sell and we would be able to see Nigeria back to what it ought to be.

Can you recall what happened in your early days in Kano?

I was born in Kano, but I grew up in Minna, where my father was a clergy at St Peters Primary School. We used to have members from various tribes there. As little boys, we used to play ball in the evening.

I was able to speak many Nigerian languages because I interacted with a lot of people, including the Yoruba, Urhobo, Tiv. Speaking someone else’s language was not a problem. Even in school, teachers would teach us songs based on their tribes. So we were able to learn a lot of other Nigerian languages. But today, if a teacher does that, they would say he is trying to indoctrinate them. These are the things one is seeing and making one feel that Nigeria has lost the track to greatness in the real sense because you achieve more when you are together. They say God is always with a bigger battalion, so if we are divided we will certainly fall. We hope that Nigeria would eventually pick up and be what it ought to be.

As clergies, what kind of influence did your parents have on your upbringing?

Because my parents were clergies, there was no question of telling lies and all the discrepancies children normally do. I had to live a straightforward life. I had to be very godly because my parents were very strict Christians. They believed not just in preaching Christianity but practising it. That was what they imbibed in their children. So we were the best we could be, and that has guided me till today as I find myself doing the right thing always, That has been a major plus for me in all that I do. They are now of blessed memory, but I owe so much to them.

How would you describe your days in primary school?

The primary school I attended was mixed. We had various tribes there. I remember one time when the late General Abacha was telling me that he attended the same school with me in Kano, but I didn’t know him then. We had people from various nationalities in the school. And there were no such thing as whether you were a foreigner or an indigene. All that never really arose because we had a few colonial masters. And they were able to give us some leadership on how to be a true Nigerian. All we had was really how to ‘do-well-for-Nigeria.’ Life was very simple, people were contented; and there wasn’t any form of stealing. I remember we used to leave the doors of our houses open at night and walk away. Nobody would come and take anything in your house. Even when you travelled, you found out that you could travel at midnight and nobody would do anything harmful to you. But today, it is a complete opposite.

We are recalling those good old days with nostalgia. What do we do to go back to those good old days to make a change for the better?  Government promised a change, but that change has not been very manifest as it should. We believe the change ought to be total, and unless we do that, it will not serve the purpose.

Was there a particular incident during your primary school days, maybe with your teacher or fellow students that has stuck to your memory?

One thing I remember is that sometimes we were in a hurry to leave for school, such that we didn’t eat at home. But you found out that a particular pupil would call you and share his or her meal with you. That was how we lived in those days. We were always sharing and caring, and that made life pretty abundant for everybody. So there was that oneness; there wasn’t any animosity. We had the best of time, and there was so much hope for Nigeria because everyone was looking up to Nigeria as a model of what a black man should be. We still believe that all is not lost; we must get back to that.

Was there a teacher that influenced your life?

Yes, I had a teacher who was our scoutmaster, and because my parents wanted me to imbibe a bit of military life, I was asked to go and live with him. He was very strict. I remember that I was supposed to get up every day by 6:30am or so. And if I didn’t get up by that time, he would just take a bucketful of water and pour it on me. So, in that cold weather you just had to learn how to wake up on time. That was the kind of parents we had; they just wanted the best for their children. Such training helped me a lot.

Did you also attend secondary school in the North?

I finished secondary school in the West and joined the Army. Actually, I was initially selected for the Navy and sent to India as a cadet. But in my second year in the academy, I had problems with my eyesight, so the authorities wrote to the Nigerian government and they transferred my service from Navy to Army. That was how I ended up in the Army.

Since your parents were clerics, one would have expected that you become a clergy too, why did you choose a career in the military?

It was not my choice to join the Army; it was just a divine call and providence. I just saw an advert in the papers, inviting applications from people who wanted to be trained in the Navy. I applied because we were three boys in the family; my elder brother was just finishing his secondary school and aspiring to enter the university. I knew that my parents, from their little salary, there was no way they could pay for two of us in the university. So, since I had the opportunity to see that application in that advert, I applied. That was how good Nigeria was in those days. I just applied, and two weeks after, a letter came from Lagos, inviting me for an interview. My father first refused because he wanted me to finish my higher school and then, maybe seek admission into a higher institution. He didn’t support my move to join the Army. Eventually, I was able to convince my mother, who really gave me the money to travel from Asaba to Lagos, at that young age of 18. My father said I should not join the Army, but after days of argument, because I was insisting that I would like to go for the interview, he said I just wanted to go and waste money. But mothers, being who they are, I cried to my mom and she saw that I was really determined, and from her purse, she gave me 1pound, which I used to travel to Lagos. When we got oriented, we were 149 applicants. The interview was very competitive. We spent about two weeks for the interview. They were eliminating people as the days went by. After two weeks, only about 20 of us were left and we went to face the Defence Board. They used to have a board in those days. It was a very serious board conveyed by the Ministry of Defence. They called 20 of us one by one, asked different questions and that was the final part of the interview. I was surprised when I saw that I was among the four that were eventually picked out of the 149 to go to India. That was how my career in the Navy started. They had provisions for those who wanted to be trained as marine engineers. I had always wanted to be an engineer, so I applied. Unfortunately, my bad eyesight took me to the Army. The academy where we trained had provisions for cadet, naval cadets. We could change from one service to another, depending on circumstances. I was transferred to the Army, and eventually, I become commissioned and joined engineers.

Can you share some of your high points while training at the Defence Academy in India?

I must say that it is one of the best academies in the world. The academy was built in 1954. If you went through the place, you would not only be made an officer, but also a complete gentleman. The discipline, the environment, the comportment, the curricula, everything was totally designed to make you an officer and a gentleman.

In the defence academy you will be trained in a way that you take your life seriously. There was that spirit of teamwork. Whenever you worked, or any time you were going on a duty within the academy premises, including going to a restaurant to eat, you must move in squads. Squads are a minimum of four. That was to show team spirit. You must work as a team in the Army. So the academy was really a great place. I believe it actually contributed to what I am today.

You held numerous appointments and rose through the ranks.  Can you talk about your career progression?

My career in the Army was truncated by the civil war. After the war, it continued; and thanks to God, I was among the very few from the East that rose to the rank of General. I served in various capacities as an engineer. For almost 10 years, I was a commandant in the Military College of Engineering in Makurdi. I also commanded the Engineering Brigades.

I was the chief principal officer in the army headquarters, where I was assistant adjutant-general for a while. I was also a pioneer director of the War College. When the War College was to be set up in 1992, I was among those who had to go to Britain to train, to be able to lay the foundation for its take-off. I was also the commander, training and doctrine in Minna. That command made me virtually the 2-i/c- to the Chief of Army Staff at the time. We were involved in the doctrine and tactics of the Army. They call it a think-tank of the army. From that appointment, I was made a member of the Military Supreme Council, and later, minister of science and technology. I retired in 1999, after completing 36 years of meritorious service.

Did you take part in the civil war?

Yes, I did. I was in Nigeria, but when Biafrans crossed over to Asaba, we got mixed up, and somehow, because I was from the East, I wasn’t sure of my safety within Nigeria. So, I had to go back home to my root. After staying a while at home, eventually, I was with the Biafran army for a while until the end of the war. At the end of the war, there was a board of inquiry to investigate the roles played by each of us, and they found me worthy to continue in the Nigerian Army. That was how I continued in there. A few of us who were reabsorbed continued as second lieutenants. From there, we kept on taking one step at a time. I eventually retired as major-general after serving for 36 years.

Were you part of any of the coup d’états that took place in the country?

No. I was very lucky not to be part of them. We were in the defence academy in India in 1966 when the first coup happened. We were in our final year to get commissioned.

It was a tragedy because before the coup, all of us there, from the North, West or East, were like brothers. We didn’t know where anyone came from. There was such harmony among us. But when that coup happened, we saw the differences in our relationship. People started feeling bad. The coup was really unfortunate and a big setback.

Before then, the Nigerian Army was one of the best; we learnt to trust one another. But that coup brought in some kind of distrust.

I want to appeal to fellow Nigerians to put the past behind us. If we keep on living in the past, we will never get a future. Nigeria needs a brighter future; therefore, we ought to forget the past. Let’s move on by going about the slogan of General Gowon: “No victor, no vanquished.’’

How would you compare what happened during your days in the military and what obtains today?

There is a gulf of differences. The Army, I must say, is not what it ought to be, because of some factors. In the kind of training we had overseas, we became thorough gentlemen and very level-headed. You didn’t arrogate powers to yourself; you knew that you were there to serve, not to be served. We were totally for the country. You were going to sacrifice your life for the nation at your best. But today, people just look out for material things. In our time, material things were inconsequential; what was more important was the relationship we had with one another, how you would be able to do things together with your fellow officers and succeed.

No matter how rich you are, eventually you will leave your wealth and go, so why should you take it so seriously? But that is what is happening now! It is because somehow, the system is creating an environment for this. When you deny somebody his rights, he now tries to cut corners to get those rights. But if you are fair, just and equitable to everybody, people would just compete and be sure that they would get what they deserve. But now that they know that unless you know Mr A or B, maybe a cousin or brother to C or D, unless you can pay money for certain things, you cannot get it. There are no ethics, no standards. This is affecting the Army.

What kind of reorganisation would you like to see in the military?

I want to see a military where people are properly trained, not just getting certificates as officers. Their comportment is more important than their certificates. They should be patriotic professionals; they should never get involved in shoddy deals. In our time, I couldn’t imagine an officer trading. But today, someone in the Army still has some shops somewhere. This is unethical; it is never done.  Once you do that you debase the profession. You now become half soldier, half armed robber. Soldiers must remain in the barracks and do their job. When they come out, they know it is action. But when they expose themselves, every day they mount roadblocks. And by the time you know it they will start collecting money like policemen from the roadblocks.

You served as minister of science and technology, how did you get the appointment?

Honestly, I must say it came to me as a surprise. I didn’t know I was being considered. I was in the office in Lagos and somebody phoned me and asked if I listened to 3 o’clock news. He said I had been appointed a minister. My immediate reaction was that maybe it was somebody else, another Momah or Momoh, in case he didn’t hear it properly.

I closed immediately and went home to watch the 7pm news on television, not radio, so that if they put the name on the screen I would see it. We sat with my family and listened to the news on NTA and saw that I had been appointed minister of science and technology.  I was directed to report in Abuja immediately. General Abacha was the head of state.

What were the landmarks you left as minister?

I am not trying to praise myself, but when I got to the ministry, it was in disarray because during the regime of Ibrahim Babangida, it was disbanded and attached to the Ministry of Industry. Halfway through the regime of Babangida, they got back the ministry, and then, a year or two after, they disbanded it again and appointed somebody to be an adviser to the president on science and technology. So, when I was appointed, there was no ministry on ground as most of the parastatals were sent to other ministries. By the time I came, bringing back all those parastatals to fill the ministry again was a herculean task. It was like rebuilding the ministry. I was lucky I had the support of General Abacha because he really wanted me to rebuild the ministry. I must say we were able to do that because it was the first time in Nigerian history that the Ministry of Science and Technology was well known all over the country. If you had grown up then, you would know there was one thing I put on television every Friday. There was something called Technology Digest. The NTA would carry it to show the latest research achievements of Nigerians.

I noticed that Nigerians were having a lot of achievements in research and development but they were not publicised. And you found out that somebody would repeat what another person had done. We were just going round in a circle.

We really need science and technology to grow. I built up that place strictly from my own little finances. I tried to get a budget for it, but the minister of finance said no. I used the money given to me for tea in the office, or some little allowances. I also got my parastatals to contribute. That was how we bought a vehicle, television camera and all those things required for the programme. It was really a big success.

How would you describe the late General Sani Abacha?

Well, I know many people have said all sorts of things about General Abacha. I don’t want to be a judge of my boss, but Abacha gave his best. Nobody is perfect. While we prosecute somebody for certain things, let’s also know that he did some good things worth remembering him for. I think he gave Nigeria relative peace for the six years he was there and we should appreciate that.

Most of your contemporaries who retired from the military usually seek political offices, but you have chosen not to do that, why?

I don’t see the purpose of venturing into politics. I was minister for five years; what else do I want? Do I want to become head of state, which I know I can’t be. I know what it takes. And I cannot aspire to be a governor; for what? All my children are over 40 years of age; they should be the ones vying for governorship. When I see my colleagues who do that, I keep wondering what they are looking for? We should be helping to groom the young ones and direct them. If the elder now becomes the masquerade, who would now beat the drum, as well as guide and advise him? I find it very strange. I think the time has come for us to learn to groom the young ones so that this country can be suitable for everyone.

After retirement, having spent 36 years in the military, how have you been living your life?

I have spent my years of retirement writing books. I wrote the first two books while I was in service. I believe that was what made General Abacha consider me for an appointment.

When I was in the United Kingdom (UK), I was going to the library to read so that when I got to the War College, I would be able to talk to my students. I was a brigadier but my lecturers were British lieutenant colonels.  When they came to talk to us, I noticed the depth of knowledge in them. As a brigadier, I didn’t even know one-quarter of what they knew, so I started going to the library, so that when I got to the Nigeria War College, I would be able to talk like those guys. That was why I started compiling little notes. Eventually, I noticed that what I was compiling could make a book. That was how my idea of writing a book came.

When I got back to Nigeria, I was a lecturer in the War College but in the evenings I would stay in the library till 2am, writing. Eventually, after a year or so, I came up with those two books. One of the books came out as a masterpiece. It is good to work hard. Nothing good comes easy. You must put in your best always and give the rest to God.

You have written 12 books, would you say they were for commercial purposes?

They were not for commercial purposes. They are actually to direct the psyche of Nigerians to put more attention on knowledgeable issues than money. We must learn to read. They say if you want to lead, you must learn to read. It is only by reading that you gain more knowledge, and knowledge is power. Some of our leaders don’t read; they are empty. They have nothing to offer. But when you read, you gain more knowledge and you will be able to see things at a wider perspective.

Among these 12 books, which one would you consider as the most challenging?

The first two books were the most serious and challenging because they dealt with international politics. I wrote about the new world order. Before then, it was a ‘Bipolar World’ – the then Soviet Union and America were the two superpowers. With the Soviet Union gone, America became the sole superpower and there was a vacuum.

Also, Nigeria Beyond Divorce was a book I thought Nigerians should read because I was trying to say that the unity of Nigeria is important. If you have been married for 52 years, does it make sense to start thinking of divorce? In Nigeria we have a lot in common. There’s no need to break up because if we do, we would become like India and Pakistan.

What are your thoughts on restructuring as encapsulated in your books?

Restructuring has been misunderstood. People believe that restructuring is for resource control. It is not! It was resource control before December 12, 2015, but by the time the elders held a conference in Paris – the global climate change conference, of which Nigeria is a signatory, they resolved that we must stop using fossil energy and go for renewable energy, so that the Green House effect will be controlled because the heat was almost consuming the entire world. You can see that lakes are drying out, desertification increasing, soil erosion; all manner of global changes happening. The world now decided that we must stop this fossil energy, which means that by 2030, everybody should stop using fossil energy and go for clean energy. So, in Nigeria, we just have 10 years to market our petroleum, after that, our crude oil may be the most embarrassing liability we have because nobody would want to buy it. It will sell, but very few people will still be running on fossil energy because the Western World is researching day and night on how to find better ways to run their machinery and autos. Some of them are giving themselves deadlines. France has given its deadline as 2030 while Britain has also given theirs. They are working towards that quietly. That’s one of the things Donald Trump is doing.

Restructuring means how to have an alternative to oil, where 80 per cent of our revenue comes from. If oil ceases to be a valuable asset, how do we now manage the country? We have 200 million souls and you have to plan for them. This is why it is important to restructure; and restructuring is about welfare. That is why we have to start now, so that in the next 10 years, by 2030, we are done. We have to find an alternative to oil. That alternative is technology.

At 77, you are still looking strong and healthy. What is the secret?

Maybe it is because I didn’t join politics. I just sit here to work on my books and manage myself. The only thing I worry about is the state of the country. Nigeria has gone down the drain so much, and I am afraid that unless something is done, what happened in Sudan, Somalia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Libya, may be a child’s play to Nigeria. So I think our president and everybody should give a thought to restructuring so that we can have a brand new Nigeria and start building on it.