THE EVIL CANDIDATE: GENERAL IBRAHIM BABANGIDA.
Reading the above captioned article written by Naiwu Osahor, what easily comes to mind is the desperation and extent to which people can go in their bid to give a dog a bad name just to hang it. His write-up smacks of deep-seated animosity against the General rather than the patriotic stance he poses.
Where else could he have found an accomplice other than in Sahara reporters; a forum where disgruntled elements have found as a platform to pour vituperations on perceived enemies. Knowing their antecedents, one would never had bothered to offer a riposte but for posterity sake which makes it imperative. By doing this, i will take on the writer on the issues he raised but in no particular order.
It would be most unfair to describe the government of General Ibrahim Babangida spanning from 1985-1993 as a colossal waste marked with the edification of corruption in our body polity. Whilst acknowledging the fact that General Babangida’s administration just like any elsewhere in the world was not perfect, the Generals commitment and contribution to the Socio-economic development is unquestionable. In as much as the writer is entitled to air his views, issues as critical as the ones he raised should not be misconstrued with the view of misleading Nigerians. In essence Osahor should have done a more in-depth research before arriving at conclusions.
Osahor credited Jeffrey Robinson with the saying that out of $120 billion siphoned out of the Nigerian treasury by politicians, $20 billion is traceable to IBB within the periods spanning from 1985-1993. He further quoted the World Bank and other international sources of information as putting Ibb’s loot at $35 billion.
Having done a research on Jeffrey Robinson, and from the facts that i was able to glean, he never lived nor worked in Nigeria or any of the secret agents .It then beats my imagination as to how he arrived at those figures which if indeed are correct would no doubt confer on him a sort of super man status.
The World Bank is a vital source of financial and technical assistance to developing countries around the world. It carries out projects and provides a wide variety of analytical and advisory services to help meet the developmental needs of individual countries and international community.
What this writer failed to address is if the World Bank did allege that IBB misappropriated, embezzled or whatever terms he chooses to use monies loaned to Nigeria by the bank amounting to $35 billion. Again i wish to ask who these other sources are.  The gravity of his allegations is weighty and as such i expected a learned person as he poses to be to be more forthcoming with facts.
On the 400 billion Naira figure quoted by Osahor as IBB’s campaign chest, i am inclined to believe that if this were to be true, it nonetheless confers on him a privileged position of being a close confidant of the General. Who else could be privy to such information other than a close confidant? Could IBB possibly decide to disburse this fund through him? Who knows?
Many Nigerians, Osahor inclusive have been made to believe in the famed 50- bedroom mansion in Minna. Probably he could be right as he might have been a special guest of the General at some point with General Babangida taking this distinguished guest round the house, opening the doors one-by –one in the process. The pictures of the famed mansion have been posted on NAIJA BLOG a forum where gossips, lazy and un-enterprising bunch idle away. Whilst some are of the view that the house belongs to Saddam Hussein, others are of the view that it belongs to Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe. I guess these are the kind of people Osahor prefers to hobnob with.
Anyone who has visited the General’s hilltop residence knows surely well that the house is not his. Babangida’s house no doubt is an edifice befitting the status of a former president and nothing more.
I beg to ask which of the former Nigerian presidents viz Gowon, Shagari, Shonekan, Abdulsalam Abubakar, Obasanjo live in squalor? Why single out IBB? I guess the writer would have been much happier seeing the former president living in penury.
Osahor and like minds obviously seem no to be comfortable with the waves being generated by the General’s 2011 presidential ambition thus their desperate attempts to be a clog in the wheel of progress of this ambition. If he knew about all these so called sins of General Babangida, why did he choose to remain mute only to speak out at this critical time? H e should rather allow Nigerians whom he portrays to hate IBB with a passion to decide his fate.
On the issue that the General lacks basic education or intelligence is laughable. IBB passed through the Primary school and proceeded to the famous Government College Bida where he passed his West African School Certificate Examination in 1962. He later enrolled at the Nigerian Training College on December 10, 1962 passing out on April 20, 1963. This is in addition to several courses he attended outside the shores of Nigeria. For persons vying for the office of the President of Nigeria, the minimum educational qualification is the SSCE which IBB not only possesses but surpasses. I can understand Osahor’s dilemma especially for someone who posses several qualifications to his credit. Compared to him IBB is less educated. On the issue of intelligence, even his friends and hardest of critics attest to his high level of intelligence so i wouldn’t dabble much into this. In summary while i concede to the fact that Osahor is more educated, IBB on the other hand is more intelligent.
One of the beauties of democracy is the conferment on the people the right to express or speak on issues as it affects them. However this right should not be abused as people should always be cautious of their utterances. I am still at loss regarding how he came to the conclusion that the trio of then Major Buba Marwa, Tunde Ogbeha and Gwazo delivered the parcel bomb at Dele Giwa’s home on the orders of IBB. Was Osahon part of the so- called deadly team going by his blow by blow account of what transpired? Did he base his story on the outcome of a commission of enquiry set up by the government? Did any commission indict IBB on this? Please Osahon i oblige you to throw more light on this as the whole world would love to tap from your knowledge.
Buba Marwa from the records was posted to the Nigerian Embassy in Washington, USA, as Deputy Defence Adviser (Army) contrary to Osahor’s claim that he was awarded with the position of Military Attaché. It was from this position that he was recalled to serve as the Governor of Borno state in 1990 after which he later became the Defence Adviser to the Nigerian permanent mission to the UN.
It is equally instructive to note that General Marwa was the Administrator of Lagos state between 22nd August 1996 and 29th May 1999 with General Babangida as president between 1985 and 1993. Where then was General Babangida whom he alleged pumped unusual resources into Marwa’s coffers to ensure his success as Governor of Lagos state? I refer Osahon back to the history books as even less privileged Nigerians knows that Marwa served as the Military Administrator of Lagos state under General Sani Abacha.
On the issue of the economy, it would be most unfair to accuse IBB of mismanaging the national economy. IBB is unfortunately a victim of circumstance having assumed the leadership of Nigeria at a time when the early-mid 1980’s economic recession similar to the present global recession was biting hard. In his bid to address this, he set up the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) engaging the services of some of Nigeria’s best minds such as Yale trained Chief Olu Falae and former world bank official in the person of Dr. Kalu Idika Kalu amongst others. The SAP involved a drastic restructuring of the country’s economy. Like other reforms, it did not come immediately with the curative effects which Nigerians wanted. However, two years after its adoption, Nigerians learnt the economic tricks of self-reliance and began to look inward for Socio-economic dependability. The benefits of SAP, such as lower inflation and more balanced budget, were felt by Nigerians.
Despite mismanaging the economy as Osahor pointed out, the exchange rate of the Naira to the Dollar when IBB assumed office in 1985 was 1 Naira-$0.894 or 1 Naira -$1.70 in the parallel market. In 1993 when IBB left office, it stood at 1Naira-$17.30 and 1Naira-$21.90 at the parallel market (Source: Central Bank of Nigeria). Where then did Osahor get his figures from and what is the present day exchange rate of the Naira to the Dollar?
The sum of 40 billion naira was quoted by the writer as the amount spent by IBB in the course of the transition programme including bribing the NLC, NUJ AND PMAN with the sums of 50 Million, 20 million and 30 million naira respectively in his bid to silence them. Once again he might be right in this regard as he was probably the middleman between the General and the executive of these unions. Whilst he painted a gory image of the fate of journalists under IBB, recent events have proven otherwise as the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) on the occasion of its 55th anniversary chose General Babangida to chair the occasion. Is this not a clear indication that Osahor is crying more than the bereaved. I wouldn’t be surprised if he comes up with another false statement claiming that General Babangida bribed his way to get an invitation from the NUJ.
Still on the issue of corruption, he made mention of John Fashanu’s private investigation in which he discovered an alleged $6 billion debt buy-back scam by IBB between the period of 1988 and 1993 whilst another $14.4 billion disappeared into offshore accounts. There is no doubt that this is the most truthful statement made by Osahor in his write-up as he used the word ALLEGED which literally translates to declared but not proved. Who else is in a position to discredit this other than the man at the centre of the saga, Fashanu Himself? In his visit to Minna in August 2009 he tendered an unreserved apology to IBB over the accusation which he owed to being misguided on and further accused the Nigerian media of misrepresenting his opinion on the issue. Did Osahor read the Fashanu apology prior to his write-up? Just as in the Fashanu case, i am optimistic that one day the truth would surely prevail on the Gulf war oil windfall, the various properties and business deals which Osahor accused IBB of being associated with.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) under Mallam Nuhu Ribadu investigated General Babangida but could not come up with any findings to indict the General on all allegations of corruption levelled against him. This negates Osahor’s belief that IBB and Obasanjo entered into an agreement not to probe each others past. In the face of all this, IBB in his usual manner appears to have taken everything with equanimity as when he spoke with the BBC’S focus on Africa Programme he acknowledged that he is the most investigated Nigerian living today. Did IBB bribe the incorruptible Ribadu to look the other way round or did Nuhu who is widely acknowledged for his knack in loot recovery fail in this duty? Time will tell.
IBB was portrayed as a man desperate to hold onto power using all sorts of spiritual, criminal, and witchcraft means. This is very confusing as i am beginning to reason along several lines of thought. I am curious to know if IBB sought the assistance of Osahor to engage the services of witchdoctors and marabouts. Could it be that both men met at the shrine of a witch doctor or marabout? Without trying to denigrate his person, a look at Osahor himself (see picture) says it all. Res Ipsa Loquitor as the lawyers would say meaning let the fact speak for itself. More still he is a proud mystique leader and a spiritual prince. Is this not a case of kettle calling pot black?
On Nigeria’s membership of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC), if Osahor’s assertion that IBB forced on Nigeria, membership of the organisation in 1986 is correct, why then did Nigeria rejoin the OIC on April, 11, 2009 when the Nigerian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Abdullahi .M. Aminchi, signed the charter on behalf of the Nigerian Government. This confirms that Nigeria was never a member of this organisation under IBB. However, if Nigeria under IBB did renounce her membership based on public outcry, the writer failed to acknowledge it. I am yet to read Osahor’s views on the actions of the Federal Government represented by Aminchi.
Despite his misgivings about Babangida’s democratic process, IBB’S commitment to democracy and the transition programme was never in doubt. As the reforms, processes, and transparency that characterised the electoral system under Professor Humphrey Nwosu gave Nigerians an election that has been adjudged as the most credible in history of Nigeria. However just like most Nigerians i do not share in the General Babangida’s view on the reasons for annulling the election that produced Chief M.K.O Abiola as winner on June 12th, 1993. Osahor and indeed every Nigerian will reason alongside myself that no election in the Post- IBB era has been as credible as that conducted by the General while in office such that the Justice Uwais committee on electoral reforms widely sought his views in the course of their assignment.
Lastly i would like to take him on the statement that almost all the principal characters involved in leadership tussles with IBB since 1985, Abiola, Yar’Adua, Idiagbon and Abacha have all died in questionable circumstances. From what i could decipher, he insinuated that IBB knows something about their deaths. Who does not know that the duo of Abiola and Yar’Adua died in Abachas detention while that of Idiagbon and Abacha have no links to IBB whatsoever?
As the race to the 2011 presidential race draws nearer, its high time people desist from character assassination. Power comes from God and he gives it to whoever it pleases him to. No amount of intimidation can stop the General from exercising his civic duties. Let Nigerians decide his fate.
A word is enough for the wise.
Nwachukwu Obiora .