Disclaimer: I’m not advocating for coups, dictatorships, or human rights violations. Ensure you adequately understand the example before drawing your conclusions.
In 2019, I took an online course where the instructor made an interesting argument.
He said when you really detest someone, that person usually has some other traits that would bring you phenomenal success if you applied them to your life.
In recent Nigerian history, there’s no one that has gotten as much hate as General Sani Abacha, the military head of state who ruled Nigeria with an iron fist from 1993 – 1998.
I’m old enough to remember the celebrations of the masses when news of Abacha’s death filtered out to the street in 1998.
Over two decades later, Abacha’s name continues to stink to high heavens, even as the millions of dollars he embezzled from the country’s coffers continue to be restored.
Yet, for all his failings as a leader, Abacha understood something that so many people fail to grasp at an elementary level.
He had an understanding of the times
Between 1960 and 1993, there were 9 coups in Nigeria, with 6 resulting in the toppling of the incumbent government.
Out of the 6 successful coups, Abacha was involved in the planning and execution of 5 of them.
In fact, it can be said that the only coups that failed were the ones Abacha didn’t help plan.
Was this a consequence of Abacha’s wisdom as a master strategist?
No. I believe it had more to do with his intuitive understanding of the times.
The Bible says, “The children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of the light”
Possessing an understanding of the times is a key distinction between the wise and the fools. Unfortunately, a lot of good people have good intentions but lack this intuitive understanding that Abacha possessed.
So, how can you develop an intuitive understanding of the times?
Apart from your personal walk with God, which I believe is the most important criterion for developing an understanding of the times, here are 3 points from Abacha’s career that you can apply to your life for positive outcomes.
1. Learn to keep your emotions in check
Right now, there’s a lot of hype fueled by the current COVID-19 pandemic.
On one hand, you have the news media throwing out the daily number of deaths from Coronavirus.
On the other hand, you have experts and life coaches motivating you to take advantage of the global lockdown to learn new skills.
The problem with the two scenarios is that they force you to take reactive actions in fear.
Because of your constant consumption of the news, you are forced to live in a realm where fear and anxiety becomes your daily reality.
Because of the constant noise from the self-proclaimed gurus and life coaches, you find yourself reacting in “sheep mentality”, learning for its sake, when you could really benefit from keeping your eyes and ears open to the times.
In an interview, Ibrahim Babangida, former Nigerian military president was asked whether he could have predicted that Abacha would have ever become military head of state.
After dribbling around the question in his usual “Maradona” manner, Babangida admitted that he didn’t see it coming.
Why?
In all the times they had been together, the only side of Abacha that Babangida saw was the loyal soldier.
Abacha mastered his emotions.
He never, at any point, allowed his emotions to betray his ultimate ambitions or the slightest indication of interest in the country’s highest office.
You can never go wrong when you make equanimity your friend.
2. Be patient
In a world of fast cars, fast food and fast internet, everyone seems to forget the power of patience.
When you are patient, life-changing opportunities will eventually come your way.
When you’re patient, your faculties of perception are sharpened and you are more likely to position yourself to be a beneficiary of the times.
That’s why there’s a lot of wisdom in the Preacher’s words when he said, “The race is not to the swift…nor the battle to the strong…nor favor to the man of skill; but time and chance happen to them all”
Buka Suka Dimka and Sani Abacha were both conspirators in the July 1966 coup.
Both men were ambitious and thirsty for power.
Yet, it was Abacha who was seated in Aso Rock by 1996.
At that point, Dimka had been dead for 20 years after he had hastily hashed out a coup that ultimately proved abortive.
Abacha’s patience allowed him to read the times clearly. And as a result, chance seemed to partner with him at every decisive stage of his career.
3. Know when to be decisive
Some people appear to be models of patience, but deep down within their hearts, they are afraid of taking action.
After a season of waiting, there’s always a window of opportunity that time and chance will bring your way.
When such an opportunity arises, you need to be decisive.
After Babangida annulled the June 12, 1993 elections in Nigeria and installed a clueless interim government, I can imagine Abacha rubbing his hands in glee, hardly believing his luck.
It was like everything in his life had been leading up to that point.
Because of his understanding of the times, Abacha staged a bloodless coup that saw him installed as the Nigerian military head of state for the next 5 years.
Now, imagine if Abacha had chosen to be more patient.
That window of opportunity would have been closed and Nigeria may have been in a much better place today.
Stories like this will continue to play out in history, especially when evil men possess an intuitive understanding of the times.
May the Lord give you Understanding in these things.
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