By HUGO ODIOGOR & CHARLES
KUMOLU
Former Military president,
General Ibrahim Badamosi
Babangida (rtd), yesterday
undertook a critical view of
the predictions made by
soothsayers, including the
United States of America that
Nigeria will disintegrate in
2015 and suggested ways to
ensure the predictions do
not become a reality.
General Babangida spoke
where he was the chairman
of the public presentation of
two books in honour of
former External Affairs
Minister, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi
at the Nigerian Institute of
International Affairs, Victoria
Island, Lagos.
Said he: “As Nigerians, we
are aware of the great
doubts that have been cast
about what 2015 portends
for the continuing existence
of our nation. I am aware
that Nigerians have taken
great umbrage at these
predictions. Even Lord
Lugard who founded what
has been called Nigeria gave
it a life-span of 100 years.
*Two Books titled
'Perspectives on Nigeria's
National and External
Relations: Essays in Honour
of Professor Bolaji
Akinyemi' and 'Nigeria and
the World A. Bolaji Aknyemi
Revisited' by Professor
Author; Dr Olusegun
Mimiko, Governor of Ondo
State and Guest of Honour;
General Ibrahim Badamosi
Babangida, former
President and Chairman of
the Occassion and Major
General Ike Nwachukwu
(rtd) at the Book
Presentation. Photo by
Lamidi Bamidele
“I regard it as a challenge to
our intelligence to ensure
that these portends and
prophesies do not become
self-fulfilling. We should
engage these predictions on
an intellectual level, testing
whether the facts justify the
conclusions.
“But on a practical and public
policy level, we must import
honesty into our public
policy assessments. Firstly,
we must identify the
problems that need to be
addressed. Secondly we must
address these problems
honestly.
“Thirdly we must identify the
most current and the most
appropriate mechanism for
addressing these issues.
“Let me make this clear. My
position is not dictated by
the fact that foreigners are
making these predictions.
We don’t even need foreign
sources as a reference point.
The Nigerian media is awash
with alarming news about
our problems. My position is
dictated by my conviction
that Nigeria is precious
enough to be saved.
It deserves an investment of
our time and resources to
make Project Nigeria a
success. But the starting
point has to be an admission
that we need to fix things.
We need a new mindset
about the Nigerian project.
Let us start off by admitting
the mistakes of the past.
Right policies have at times
been wrongly implemented.
Temporary solutions have
often been turned into
permanent policies, even
though the problems they
were designed to address
have long been solved”.
Making suggestions on how
to ensure the continued
existence of Nigeria beyond
the predicted 2015, General
Babangida said, “the issue of
the principle of federal
character needs to be
revisited. In a multi-ethnic,
multi-cultural and multi-
religious nation, the principle
of Federal Character is a
sensible one and there is no
alternative to it. Each national
group must be given a
feeling of belonging.
What needs to be refined is
the question of standards.
Federal character can go
hand in hand with merit. 50
years after independence
and over 50 years after the
establishment of universities
in Nigeria, there should be
no national groups, no
states, no zones, no hamlets
without qualified citizens.
Therefore there should be no
question of employing
unqualified people in the
name of federal character,
just as there should be no
question of abandoning the
principle of federal character
in a Federation.
Principle of federal character
“We must admit that
sacrifices have been made
and sacrifices will continue
to be made for the survival of
this Nigerian project. In the
past, maybe there has not
been sufficient recognition
of the fact that those making
these sacrifices have
grievances which should
have been addressed.
“Maybe in the past, there had
not been sufficient
recognition of the fact that
each national group has
legitimate fears and
grievances. Some of the
mistakes of the past have
now come to haunt us. But
let me make one thing clear.
Not all these mistakes were
made out of callousness or
bad faith or malice.
Most people in office do their
best. They act to the best of
their ability. Unless we think
that our leaders have divine
ability, we have to admit that
even with all the best of their
abilities and even with the
best faith and with the best
of all intentions, human
beings will still make
mistakes.
“That after nearly 100 years
of existence, people and
national groups still have
grievances provide us with
an opportunity to address
these grievances. That these
grievances are of sufficient
magnitude for them to
demand a dissolution of the
nation show the extent of
the grievances and therefore
it should point to the
magnitude of the
seriousness with which we
should address the
grievances.
From the creeks in the Niger
Delta to the Sahelian areas of
the North, Nigeria is under
pressure. Now is the time for
us to regard the rescue
effort as a joint enterprise to
secure maximum benefits for
all and not an enterprise to
secure temporary advantage
for one group over another.
We need to arrive at a grand
consensus that will move this
nation forward rather than a
panel-beaten system that
satisfies no one except the
temporary holders of power.
“We can face the challenges
together, united in the spirit
of a joint enterprise and
propelled by the belief in the
greatness of this country and
a commitment to make
Nigeria a source of pride and
inspiration to the black race”.
Centenary celebration
Speaking on the forthcoming
centenary celebrations
General Babangida said, “in
less than a year, in about 11
months and a few days, we
as Nigerians will be
celebrating 100 years of our
existence as a legal united
entity. We have cause to
rejoice. During these 100
years, Europe has endured
two world wars, Russia had
gone through a revolution, a
civil war and finally gone
from being Russia to Soviet
Union and back to Russia.
During this time, Spain and
Yugoslavia have gone
through horrendous civil
wars. During this time,
several countries in Asia,
including China went
through civil wars that
almost brought them to their
knees.
“Yet today, Europe is one of
the fastest growing
economies in the world.
China is destined in a few
years to become the biggest
economy in the world. Yes,
during the past 100 years of
our existence, we also have
gone through a horrendous
civil war. The events that led
to the war and the war itself
have left lasting effects on all
of us, including those who
were not even born during
those events.
“As other countries have
overcome the mistakes in
their history and moved on,
so we Nigerians also have
cause to rejoice that even
though in our history we
have met with obstacles, we
have experienced ups and
downs, each generation had
sought to the best of its
ability to tackle these
obstacles. That we are still a
united nation is sufficient
cause for congratulation.
Our problems are not over.
Nation building is not like an
electric switch which you
turn on and off. It is a
continuous process which
makes a heavy demand on
government and the people”.
Eulogising Prof. Akinyemi, in
whose honour the books
were being launched, he said
“let me say a word or two
about the man we are all
here to honour today. That
he was my first External
Affairs Minister is an
established fact. That before
then he was the Director-
General of this Institute, the
Nigerian Institute of
International Affairs for eight
years is also an established
fact.
The fact that as part of
today’s programme, there is
a symposium on the
Technical Aid Corps scheme,
one of Prof. Akinyemi’s
enduring legacy in
government, is ample
demonstration of the
relevance of Prof. Akinyemi
to Nigeria’s Foreign Policy.

How old is IBB now...surely over 70.

hmmm...i see.

Who is afraid of disintegration and why?

News like this calls for 'deep reflections' indeed, a lot is wrong with Nigeria and her leaders! The 'expected change' (Disintegration) may just just happen anytime from now, the ground is really fertile for it! I am watching