Akowe scrutinises the late Afrobeat musician Fela Anikulapo Kuti’s 1980 allegation that Abiola was a CIA agent on a mission to destabilise Nigeria
In a March 1980 press interview the late Afrobeat musician Fela Anikulapo Kuti alleged that Moshood Abiola who is widely believed to have won the 1993 presidential election was a CIA agent.
“I am prepared to prove in court that MKO Abiola is a CIA agent” Fela speaking on the third anniversary of the “Kalakuta Inferno” where allegedly a platoon of soldiers not two battalions as believed, burnt down his mother’s house where he lived.
“ITT is the telecommunication arm of the CIA.” Fela asserts. The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) created in 1947 was tasked with collecting intelligence overseas and supporting friendly foreign political groups and governments, including planning, coordinating, training in torture, and technical support. It is involved in many regime changes and carries out terrorist attacks and planned assassinations of foreign leaders that don’t cater to US “national interest”.
Abiola had acquired a 49 per cent equity ownership of the Nigerian subsidiary of the famous American multinational International Telephone and Telegraph (ITT) in the mid 1970s and the company won a contract to build several sophisticated telephone exchanges in several parts of the countries and supply the military government with handsets.
Fela as he was popularly known showed the evidence to the director of the National Security Organisation (NSO) Umaru Shinkafi. The NSO founded by a decree promulgated by the then military head of state Olusegun Obasanjo was tasked with the detection and prevention of any crime against the security of the state, with the protection of classified materials, and with carrying out any other security missions assigned by the president.
“It is better to live with a known devil than for the country to live without a telecommunications system.” Shinkafi had responded after the musician showed him the book “The Sovereign State. The Secret History of the ITT” written by Anthony Sampson. This was the evidence that Fela wanted to show in court if Abiola was “man enough” to sue him for libel and slander.
ITT founded in 1920 had supplied Nazi Germany with military range and direction finders including communication equipment through local subsidiaries. It was discovered after the war that the American conglomerate had made payments to Heinrich Himmler the head of the SS. In the 1960s it won a $27m compensation for losses in the share values of a German aircraft manufacturer it held.
Salvador Allende September 11 1973
ITT also had some $200 million-worth of investments in Chile. Fearful that the socialist Salvador Allende, if he wins will nationalise the company’s operations, funnelled $350,000 to Allende’s opponent, the right wing Jorge Alessandri. When Allende won the presidential election, ITT offered the CIA $1,000,000 to overthrow Allende, though the offer was rejected.
Declassified documents released by the CIA in 2000 reveal that ITT financially helped opponents of Allende’s government prepare a military coup. On September 11 1973 the much loved Allende was overthrown and replaced by a right wing military dictatorship.
“Care should be taken in Nigeria to avert a situation like Allende’s Chile and the topsy-turvy of Jamaica under Michael Manley.” Fela emphasised that the ITT operates through local agents and subsidiaries who endeavour to frustrate African states and other so called “Third world countries like Chile and Cuba”
“ITT activities were synonymous with espionage, spymasters, assassinations and expert blackmailers” The late musician stated.
Fela also noted the ITT bitterness against revolutionary musicians like Bob Marley who was allegedly shot by a suspected CIA agent. Made famous in the song “Ambush in the Night”. He also said ITT had refused to clear its name from the assassination attempt on Marley.
“Typical of CIA agents, Abiola has persistently tried to frustrate all that I have been doing with my music and ideology for the summary enlightenment of the masses. For the intellectual, economic, political and cultural development of this country and Africa in general.” Fela pointed out. In the mid 1970s after Abiola had acquired Decca Records, the recording contract with the Afrobeat star was cancelled on the grounds of it being “distasteful” to the public.
In 1979, Fela critiqued Abiola and Obasanjo in the hit song “International Thief Thief” accusing the big multinational corporations like ITT of draining Africa’s resources and says “they start to steal money Like Obasanjo and Abiola”.
“My victimisation is little compared with the national havoc ITT has done to this country. Since ITT took over the telecommunications network. our telephones have not worked well.”
Akowe writes from Lagos