Coming to terms with an ugly military past

One of the first acts of President Olusegun Obasanjo has been to purge the military of about 149 senior officers who had held political office, including all those who had been ministers or military governors, since 1985. “The retirements do not indict or cast aspersion on the integrity of these officers but should be seen as some of the sacrifices ... to guarantee the survival of democracy in Nigeria,” presidential spokesman Doyin Okupe said. He said it was all part of a process of building a new, professional armed forces. His explanation tallies with popular thinking that soldiers who had held power were more likely to be tempted to seize power and benefit once again from its trappings. But some analysts think the retirements are also an important signal that military rule may be finally over in Nigeria.