Libyan or Libu as it was once called is a country with a very rich history dating back to over 8000BC. Ruled by the Neothlics, Berbers, Romans, Greeks, Byzantines, and lately by the Othman empire. Captured by islam under the leadership of Amr Ibn Ass and Abdullahi ibn Saad in 647 AD from the byzantine Emire, with a space of about 1.8 million square kilometres, Libya has a population of just about 7 million people.
Libya got it independence from Italia in 1951 as it made its self declaration of independence by its then leader, King Idriss. As of the time of its independence, United Libyan kingdom was of the poorest countries in the world, Not only that, it is one of the lowest literate nation on the globe.
King Idriss, a fairly just leader ruled Libya for 18 years until his overthrow by a young military officers leader by Colonel Muammar Gaddafi.
The brother leader and guider of the Alfateh revolution as he was officially referred, Gaddafi was able to reform Libya, Educate the populace and chartered a new cause for what became Great Socialist peoples Libya Arab Jamahiriyaa in 1986.
Gaddafi against all odds was able to nationalize Libya’s resources by expelling the western colonial from Libya just a year or so after coming to power. Libya then quickly became the new pride of Africa as Gaddafi was among the strongest proponents that changed OAU to AU, and also set a dream to actualise United State of Africa one day.
Unfortunately for Gaddafi, just like any seat tight leader, he over stayed his welcome. His sons then started to interfere with official activities of Libya while they are not officials. The state treasury was virtually inside Gaddafi’s account. His family fortune was said to be about 80 billion dollars. As time drags on, Gaddafi lost his focus and his vision. He became the soul legislature of Libya by declaring his green book as the constitution of Libya. Activists were imprisoned and some even killed for demanding a share in the running of affairs of Libya.
Nothing survives time, in 2011 after the toppling of Hosni Mubarak in Egypt, and Ben Ali in Tunisia, the bandwagon then jumped to Libya, after just nine months, Gaddafi was overthrown by the Libyans supported by the west. It might have been a very happy day for many Libyans seeing the ouster of Gaddafi, little did know that Libya is going to descend into civil war and ‘republic of Militias”.
A lot of resources have been lost as a result of the conflict. Oil output is now virtually one of tenth of as it was during Gaddafi, standard of living has been lowered as a lot of ministers have either resigned or deserted in fear of their lives. Is not all the time that revolution result into goodness? Sometimes it takes many years before development start as a lot of opportunist and criminals will like to use the mood to create mischief. It is imperative for the new constituted Libyan Nation assembly to put their hands together to salvage Libya if not Libya may become another Somalia or even worst
Comrade Abdulbaqi Aliyu Jari Katsina writes from Katsina Local Government council
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