Ever since former military president, General Ibrahim Babangida, left office in 1993, his wife, Maryam, has maintained a low profile. She has been going about her business and shied away from granting press interviews.

Within this period, much happened to her family. Also, much had been said about her. At a point, she was rumoured to be suffering from breast cancer and was critically ill.


•Maryam Babangida
Photo: Sun News Publishing

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) once arrested her son, Mohammed. The Olusegun Obasanjo government froze the account of the Better Life Programme, which she founded as a First Lady. In all these, she refused to talk.

However, as part of her 59th birthday, which she marks today, Mrs. Babangida has finally broken her silence. She spoke on fundamental issues, including her activities as First Lady, the Orkar Coup, which nearly claimed her life, her husband’s and those of other members of her family, her marriage with Gen Babangida and her state of health.

Mrs. Babangida spoke at the palatial home of General Babangida, in Minna, the Niger State capital.

Excerpts.

You will be 59th by November 1st 2008. Looking back at your past, what are those memorable events that you are ready to share with your admirers?

Glory is to Allah, the creator of heaven and earth. To have attained 59 years on earth is a wonderful achievement. Given our present state of health in Nigeria, it calls for real celebration for one to clock 59, particularly as I have gone through all kinds of stresses here and there, the coups, counter-coups and the likes. It’s all about a celebration of life and praising Allah for His grace, mercy and compassion on me and members of my household. There are so many things that one can reminisce about, but for sure I can’t remember all. Some of them I can recollect vividly, some, may be not.

Perhaps the memorable ones?

This is also a matter of perception, because it is mixed blessing of good and bad. First of all, I am married to a military man, and you should expect some disturbances here and there. You never can tell what would happen to him. They have tough times in their lives; coups and counter-coups. These are some of the trials we went through, but thank God, none of us was injured in those times.

At any rate, the most striking aspect of these times was the Orkar coup in 1990. That is a story I will tell another day. I will also like the narrative to be filmed also. It was a big experience on my own part. Good time, I had my baby, Halimat Sadiat in office. And then we came to power and my husband was made the President, it was something that disturbed me a bit, knowing the kind of person that he is. Whatever is destined to be is destined to be. We went through all that era and we were able to come out in peace and not pieces (laughs).

Looking back into the late sixties when you got married, how was the relationship between you and your husband consummated?

God has a way of doing wonders. As at then, he was very close to the family; I had an uncle who was his colleague. He was always visiting the house. We got interacting but there was nothing like love attached to that. It was a come and go kind of. I joke a lot with him. And suddenly he told my uncle that he really wanted to marry me. At first, they thought he was joking, but because he has been used to the family nobody objected to it; even though I had not conceded to his wish.

How did he propose to you?

He simply told me; “I want to marry you.” I said ‘no, I know your girlfriends.’ He said he really wanted my hand in marriage. I said, ‘no, no, you all are a playboy. You know, you military people better go away.’ He kept on coming to the house. He told me he saw it in a dream.

At what point did you make up your mind?

After some time actually. It took me some time to make up my mind.

Were you under pressures from parents, friends and uncles?

No, no, no. It was not an open affair. It was sort of a closed affair. It wasn’t quite a long time that I conceded.

How did you convey your acceptance to him?

I simply said ‘ok, go and do the normal thing you should do. Go through the procedure.’ He said ok, and that was it.

You knew him to be a playboy?

All of them military guys were. They were all out there enjoying themselves catching the funs of their youth.

So, how were you able to overcome that perception of him being a playboy, and now a prospective husband?

At the time we got married, he saw a new responsibility and he cautioned himself and tried to remain a nice man. (Laughs). He was busy; you know the war had not ended. Though after the war, we came over to Lagos, thereafter we went to America for a course for one year. We were busy; so we got out of the thick of the attraction.

People have said you are a strict disciplinarian and perhaps, because of your own upbringing, you have been able to hold the Babangida family together. How do you react to that?

Well, they are right. It is true. I think my upbringing gave me that strength of character to do what is appropriate and right to nurture an ideal family unit. I am the kind of person who would want to do things in a proper way. Call it being strict, and you will be right. If am involved in any issue or being a wife, I have my duties, I have my responsibilities. I have to do them well. And then, I have my kids; it’s a big responsibility bringing up children. And I am doing that, bringing on board my experiences, ensure that they attend good schools, train them on how to be good children. It’s just an aspect of me to show good examples. And so, if anybody sees me as disciplinarian, that person is right.

I was told you expelled your daughter from El-Amin International School as a show of your knack for discipline?

That is not true. She was never expelled. And that cannot be true. She was being spoilt by everybody, some kind of over-indulgence. When she gets into trouble with her mates, they don’t discipline her, so I wouldn’t take that. For me, all of them there are my children and I must take full responsibility for their good behaviour and proper conduct, so that their parents would find us worthy. I must be fair and just also. So, I insist that any student who runs foul of the rules and regulations of the school must be disciplined, including my daughter.

You were barely six years in marriage when Dimka struck. How did you feel, given your own dissonance for the military even when you are married to one?

The late Dimka was a friend of the family. I remembered a day or two to the coup; he came to the house in the afternoon and said he was hungry. He asked what I had. I answered that I was just preparing a meal. I had fried chicken and he took all. I wondered aloud, you have taken all my chicken and I have to make my soup. He said yes, that nobody was going to eat with him, that he was damn hungry. He left, only for me to hear the following day that Dimka was involved in a coup. I said wow, this is very unfair to me. There are so many stories about these military boys, because a lot of them are too close to the family. At times, they come around to eat with us; ask for money for fuel, very free with us. And then, suddenly despite such closeness, they still hide things from you.

And the coup and the counter-coup…,

(Interjects) my husband was not part of it. He went to work as usual. He didn’t know about any Dimka planning coup. He left for work and told me they were going to have a meeting that morning. I saw his driver back to the house. And I asked the driver ‘where is oga’? He said he only dropped him and he said there was a coup and he didn’t know where oga was. The children had gone to school, so I had to start thinking of bringing them back home. In such kind of confusion, you have to think fast on how to safeguard your family. The driver was going to the school to pick the children and saw him (Babangida) in an armoured carrier, standing and getting into the NBC and brought the message back home.

Keeping the home front at such moments, how was the experience?

I kept the home front stable. I had to muster the courage. I didn’t know where to go; I didn’t know what will happen next. It was some kind of confusion. It was such a difficult time. All I knew was that early in the morning, I remember discussing with a Colonel trying to get at the roots of it. Trying to make sure that my husband was okay.

You don’t seem to like military antics; but you are part of them.

I was part of them as a wife, and not as somebody who participated. It was terrible, because we were very close to these folks.

What about the other coups?

If you want us to talk about coups, coups and counter-coups, it will be a different subject matter. It is a subject for another day. But it was part of the experiences one has to share for generations to come.

Let us look at 1985-1993 and juxtapose that with your introduction of the office of first lady.

Was I the one who introduced the first lady office? I don’t think so.

But other wives of president before you were not as visible as you were and didn’t perform official state functions as you did. We are talking of the powerful Maryam Babangida.

Whether visible or not, they were first ladies operating in their own way. That was what we met. At the time we came, Nigeria was not ready for us actually. When we came into office, we were in Dodan Barracks, and for sure, the office was not befitting the status of President of the almighty Nigeria, big brother of Africa. There was no office different from the living room where we could receive visitors. That was what we met; and we had to improvise to make it more befitting; I did some gardening and tried to make the accommodation wear a befitting look. It wasn’t easy coping with the number of visitors that came in and out everyday.

I was thinking ahead of the people around me, hence I decided to improvise. Here we were, in a house that was supposed to accommodate a President. You are talking about personalities that visit you daily; Presidents, Queens and Kings, and you expect to keep them in your small space, lumped into one place. I had to personally inject my money into the renovation of the house, from the cleaning to the decoration, to the food, to everything. In fact, Nigeria owes me a lot, because if I have to say all that I did, my sacrifices, my time, energy, my money just to give Nigeria that good image and outlook; they owe me a lot.

But you are being accused by some Nigerians, particularly critics of your husband’s administration that so much money went through your office as first lady. How do you reconcile that?

It is all because they are ignorant and because I never complained. I was a good manager and could manage any little amount of money I had. I am not the extravagant person, No! I am not wasteful also. If you give me money to do something for you, I will give a full account of such money. I wasn’t brought up in a manner to take from public treasury, or trying to take what does not belong to me. No! That is for them and God. And may God forgive them because they have a very wrong perception of who Maryam is or what she stands for.

Your husband ran the government with your inputs no doubt? What kind of consultations took place at the home front? Were there areas he sought your viewpoints and or inputs?

It was just a husband and wife scenario. Of course, husband and wife do discuss, so it was not a matter of consulting. We hold discussions and tried to look at issues ahead of time. It happens in every home; ours is not an exception. A typical Northern man doesn’t do that kind of consultation you are talking about. If I were consulted before decisions were made, my husband wouldn’t have been a strong man. He is the man. He is the leader. Haba, why should he consult? Haba, haba.

But it is because you are also seen as very strong and tough?

(Laughs) It’s because people don’t really know me closely, very well. They see me from a far and conclude that I am very strong and tough.

In fact, some call you Margaret Thatcher of Nigeria.

They are quite ignorant of so many things about me. I am very simple, very straight forward, and principled and very understanding. But may be God gave me that look. As you see me, you might see a very tough person, and may be because of the discipline in me, I don’t tolerate nonsense. I don’t dwell on issues that are silly.

Let’s come back to your first lady office. Your revelation is amazing that Nigeria owes you a lot. I’ve seen published stories about how you used your office as a conduit to siphon public funds….

(Interjects) They are just ignorant. I cannot quantify my effort to give Nigeria a good outlook, good image, open doors to a lot of things.

Not many people would agree with you.

It’s because I have not been talking. I am not loud. They see me in beautiful dresses and they think that’s all. Nigeria never paid me for anything. Let me tell you how the first lady office you are talking about started.

I am interested.

There was this room, at the Dodan Barracks. Nobody was using it. I said ok, let’s get to do some renovations, adjustments and make it more habitable for us to use as a temporary office. I saw that it was not fair for the first lady to be receiving visitors in the living room when the President was also doing same. There was only one sitting room in Dodan Barracks and you cannot be receiving visitors and be doing some work at the same time. I started there and tried to give the office of the wife of the President a dignified status. Suddenly people started realizing that this woman has a role to play. She has to receive visitors, attend to other organizations, other official matters. So, where do you want us to be? When we moved to Abuja, I made sure that the office of the first lady was recognized. Nigerians should be proud of that.

Since then, it has been there and other people have been enjoying the facility. So, what is the fuss about it? Is it something I should be crucified for? Go and ask Dr. Olagunju and others who worked in that office. I had no budget for my office, even to buy stationery. I could recollect my staff complaining about not being assisted with office item and equipment. I committed my personal funds to buy all these items. At times, they gave them N5,000 to buy some stationery, and they complained bitterly saying this was not fair, bla, bla, bla…, Some people didn’t understand, until we left office before they started seeing the sacrifices we were making.

So, you were running the place with donations from people?

Which donations? It was with whatever my husband gave me and whatever I have. I am not a poor person, so nobody will say I stole government money. I never saw government money. I am just surprised when people talk about this chunk of money.

So ,you were using your personal wealth?

Yes, with my personal wealth. I was not a poor church rat before we got to government or before my husband became a President. I have my business. My husband will never allow anyone to abuse or misuse government money. I never saw it; nobody gave me. Go and ask them. The records are there. Let them tell me how much was given to my office or how much was given to me.

Let’s come to the April 22, 1990 coup when Orkar struck and you were trapped in the gunfire exchange. How would you share your experience with Nigerians?

Let Nigerians pay me. (Laughs) It is a big story and not one that could be told in just an interview. Stories about coups and counter-coups must have their own books, and films and their songs. Hmm,…, Orkar coup…, Hmm,

How did you feel when they struck?

I sensed something was going to happen when I heard of a building that got burnt; I think it was the Defence Building. When I heard the house was burnt, the late Governor of Central Bank came to the house in the morning and as he was seated, I said, ‘you people better sit up. I am sensing something.’ If he was alive, he would confirm this. Just a week after, this thing happened. I could observe that may be there was change of guards; because I was seeing strange faces and some soldiers carrying their guns to the kitchen to pick their food. At the same time, I saw the armoured tank; it was like being serviced. I never knew they were removing them. Alhaji Gambo came with somebody to see my husband. When they left, I heard a gun shot thereafter, I said oh! My God.

Was it late in the night?

Not that late, at about 11pm. I looked in the direction of the gunshot to view and saw the movement of some vehicles. When I came back, my husband was watching the television, then I told him to switch it off; that it was like we were in trouble. He got up and I put Halima on my back. The next thing I heard was kpa-kpa-kpa-kpa-kpa…… Rain of bullets. I was asking for the ADC. Everybody was on the alert. I assembled my children around me. They (coupists) were really firing. It was my first time of seeing the Bazooka. And you could also hear the armoured car firing back. It was like a real war situation. I didn’t know where the ammunition was landing. That day I knew that God loves us.

And you were still in the house watching this whole drama?

Yeah. We were caught in-between. The good thing, the ammunition were flying over the house and we learnt later that they were landing on the field.

At what point were you evacuated?

It was too dramatic. When they were getting closer and oga (IBB) didn’t want to go to anywhere. What can I do? I had this six- month-old baby at my back; what about the food, clothes and all those things that the baby required? I didn’t know how long that would last, and didn’t know where we were headed. What can I do to this child? I went up, came down. God gave me extra-ordinary strength that night. And so, the whole drama ended.

Where did you go to from that moment?

Ah, no! It’s not something that I am willing to disclose.

But your husband has given us his own account?

I was within the vicinity.

You mean, you didn’t escape through a tunnel or perhaps through an exit gate at the balcony?

That’s not true. Which gate? There were gates, so the idea of tunnel did not arise here.

So, you escaped through the gate?

Which gate? I was within the vicinity. And my distance was not too far from the Dodan Barracks itself. There were people in the Dodan Barracks. People lived there; even after the incident. I was within the vicinity.

How close?

Very close.

You mean, your husband abandoned you there and sought refuge elsewhere, as far as Ojuelegba without you?

(Long laughter)…, which Ojuelegba? The thing is that ehm, that night; I saw something that I tried to analyse later. Because the security interest was the President’s safety and nothing more.

I thought it was a matter of securing the first family?

That was what I saw that night. The President’s safety. It was later I tried to analyse it. I became uncomfortable and I said to myself, now I understand the whole concept. I got to understand the military attitude, the principal first. I started making up my mind on how to do certain things, understand certain things, and learn certain things all on my own.

When the coupists were caught, tried and sentenced to death, did you, at any time, ask that they be pardoned?

If they had succeeded in killing us that night, will I be there to plead for them?

But providence saw you pulling through and one would have thought that you lent your voice to granting the coupists clemency?

You don’t seem to realize the kind of trauma that we went through; and how one was able to rehabilitate oneself after the coup? The family and all of that? Who was thinking about the coupists anyway, after all that trauma? Haba!

Did you share similar experience on the Vatsa issue, particularly on account of Vatsa’s closeness to the family?

Just leave the military people alone. As you see them, just leave them alone. They know themselves better. Anybody who is talking and making insinuations might be ignorant of the issues, and you will not be fair to both parties. Yes, Vatsa was a close friend. In fact, what is a friend, brothers? It was the system. Given our everyday life, if one person takes first position in the class, the person who takes second will be struggling to take first the next time. It’s in the military system, just as it is in the civilian. It is a kind of competition; some kind of attitude. I don’t know what happened between the two of them oh!

You mean at the home front, the issue was not discussed and you didn’t bother to

ask?

I don’t want to go into this their matter. All I know is that greed can lead anybody into anything, if you are not grateful to your God.

Let’s come to your Better Life for Rural Women. Why did you choose rural and not urban women?

Because the rural people need help, all the attention. It is assumed that we the urban people have it. There are some rural-urban areas, no doubt, but my focus was on the rural folks, to address their plight. Don’t forget that we are all from rural background except for our children these days who don’t know anything about rural life. I was just trying to use the position God gave me to help the poor. I did my best. Some appreciated, others didn’t.

Was the idea your own initiative or that of your office?

I was thinking of what to do for the women. And I know we had so much to do to help the women. I assembled like-minded women to brainstorm. They asked me what I wanted. I said I wanted something that had to do with the rural women. We went to Lagos and that’s all. I told the women I had rural women’s background knowledge. Women expressed their needs and we used our position to talk to government to appreciate those needs. From there, government started the DFRRI issue, NDE, People’s Bank and all those programmes being put together to open up the rural areas for them to benefit from government.

I want to correct this impression. Sincerely, I fear my God and no human being. Government did not give any specific amount for the programme. It was the struggle by women for people to donate into the programme. Even the Women Centre that was built started from our little donations and contributions. Government did not even contribute at the initial stage. We started letting government to understand that this initiative was not a personal thing. So, they should help. So, my husband now said Gado Nasko (then FCT Minister) come, let’s see what these women are doing. At that time, we had no money to continue the construction. It was at that time that the government agreed to take over the structure and completed it. The money from government did not come to us directly. It was the construction company. The government was dealing with the company based on the amount of work done. Why are people then accusing us? I kept on saying God should forgive them, because they certainly don’t know what they are saying.

I understand the Better Life account was frozen during the Obasanjo regime. How true?

Yes, we had an account from day one when we launched the programme. It was expected of us to open up an account for the programme. That was how we were running the programme. We had some money after the commissioning of the Women Centre. Those who made pledges started fulfilling them later. The money started coming into the account, and of course, it was yielding interest. Then suddenly, we had to leave and the money was still in the account. We were thinking of how to use the money to run the centre. During this Obasanjo administration, when Aisha Ismail was the Women Affairs Minister, she needed money to run one health programme, and government was not forthcoming with the money for her.

The government said go and look for money anywhere you can find money, use it. She said ok, there’s money in this Better Life account, can she use? I heard so. She went to Chief Obasanjo and explained, then Chief Obasanjo said go and use it, after all, Better Life money is government money. She went and froze the account. There was even no courtesy of informing me or Mrs. Aikhomu. The next thing I heard was that they had used the money. I was really, really embarrassed. Number one, it was not government money. They would carry sins on their heads. I left everything to God. And the Cecilia Ibru woman of Oceanic Bank was aware, because she was in charge of the bank and she allowed such thing to happen without consulting me first. This is the same woman who benefited from Better Life programme. She started her Oceanic Bank in the Women Centre. We gave her space to start the Oceanic Bank. She was even calling us to be part of the bank, but I said I wasn’t interested. Go and ask her. She’s alive.

You didn’t take the bank to court?

I didn’t really have the time. Whatever God has decreed, will be. Let’s leave it at that. Let God be the judge of these people.

Who are the signatories to the account?

Mrs. Aikhomu, and two others. They are all alive. I never signed. I was never a signatory.

And the government just imposed its weight on your organization just like that?

Yeah. If we go about it legally, it would have been a question of embarrassing Chief Obasanjo, who was then the President. And that lady. And it would be seen like we were fighting the government. And they would start harassing my husband. I just left it at that.

So the matter has reached a dead end? Are you not taking any step now that Chief Olusegun Obasanjo is no longer the President?

The money is gone already. What are you going to fight for? The centre is still there. I am alive. They too are alive. We will one day account for all this. We are in this world now enjoying the nonsense we are doing.

What is the position of the Better Life now?

The position of the Better Life is that it is on its own. It is still running. We are not everywhere as before. We are still engaged in skills acquisition programme, adult literacy and several others.

At a time, you seemed to have re-energized the Better Life programme, ostensibly to get some support for your husband’s aspiration in 2007.

Well, I started the Better Life programme when my husband was in office. Whether it was re-energized or repositioned, that is their headache. People are bound to have their own faith. I just have to appeal to people to be God-fearing. Don’t say what you don’t know. Better Life programme is still on. Is my husband running for office now? It is still on.

But it appears quiet?

You can be doing your thing your own way. You don’t have to be on the pages of newspapers. We are not loud. We are doing our thing our own way. You know publicity is expensive.

How do you mean? Buying space or just making news?

Buying spaces and going to television to cover your events. It’s all money. It’s expensive.

Even for your celebrity status?

When NTA has gone commercial? Nobody is doing anything free for anybody, no matter how good your programme is.

• To be continued tomorrow