Military Can Not Take Over Nigeria Democracy Again

Against the backdrop of mounting security and economic challenges plaguing the country and uncertainty surrounding its unity and cohesiveness, former military president, General Ibrahim Babangida (rtd), had said there was no chance of any military uprising to scuttle the nation’s democracy. He said: “I can say without equivocation that our democracy faces no danger from the military. This is because the curriculum of this college has exposed participants to the tenets of democracy from its inception.

 ‘Therefore, long before Nigeria returned to democratic rule, military officers who passed through this college were prepared for life under civilian leadership and control’.” The former head of state, who was speaking on ‘The Creation of National Defence College; 20 Years After,” pointed out that an area in which the college had contributed to national development is in the inculcation among military and paramilitary personnel, core values and ethics that support democratic rule. 

 Babangida said: “By the time international partners were falling over themselves to give lessons in civil-military relations within the democratic context, most senior officers in the armed forces already knew that; because they already learnt this at the college.” He continued, “Ironically, it seemed that it was the new civilian political masters who most needed to learn from these lessons. It is no wonder that the military has firmly kept to its professional duties because this is right and also out of enlightened self interest”. “Therefore, the college has helped to raise a critical mass of senior officers who are committed to democracy and that in itself facilitate national development”. 

 Regarding suggestions to tackle issues of sectarian and religious crises in the land, IBB said, “The work being done here also has the potential to contribute more to national development, if the relevant government agencies make the best use of the results or findings. I am referring to the studies and research reports which this college produces every year. Even the local and foreign study tours generate reports around selected themes and these are shared with government, including state governments, as the case may be”.

 “It is my firm conviction that if these reports are processed and used, they will impact positively on national development as the case of the National Emergency Management Agency has shown”. Another area in which the NDC has positively aided development through its product according to IBB, is the way the armed forces of Nigeria are transforming the system. “For over a decade now, the military has been managed mainly by leaders who are trained here. With the top echelons comprising graduates of NDC, it is easier to achieve consensus, cooperation, communication and coordination to bear on the management of the system”.

 “The senior leadership at the defence headquarters and the services had trained together here at the college where they learned about team building to solve problems, to see jointness as the way to go, and to be more analytical at solutions to problems. This has paid off rather well, and the achievements are there for all to see’. “The present generation of leaders seems to get better and better in performance, whatever leadership position they occupy. They have taken this standard beyond our borders where they have served creditably as Force Commanders and Military adviser to United Nations peacekeeping missions’, he said.

 The former military President advised that there was need for military personnel are able to manipulate ICT tools to their advantage in line with national interest saying, “Another thing which the NDC needs to do in the future is to become the leader in generating solutions to Nigeria’s problems in general and defence and security in particular. This should be done through robust research especially by the faculty members. “Technology is driving advancement in every facet of life and the NDC strives to be current in this area. The college must harness the unlimited possibilities which the Information and communication Technology, ICT, revolution has brought about. 

“There is no way the NDC can attain the status of one of the best out there without adopting and mastering ICT tools. Therefore, the college should work towards a future where its staff is able to manipulate ICT tools to do their work. The Minister of State for Defence, Erelu Olusola Obada stated that insecurity all over the world is gradually becoming the norm and there is need for security agents to live up to their responsibilities. “Clearly, there is need for our security to remain a very strong strategic institution for effective coordination of our efforts as stated in our policy in ensuring national development”. 

 “In particular, the College needs to intensify effort at helping government to articulate a vision of current and future security environment vis-à-vis national development and the priority for national security policy and initiative and the allocation of resources for the best needs of the 21st century. “As for us in the Ministry of Defence, we will be working closely to our security services to ensure that, the members of our armed forces are well prepared and supported. 

Our measures are in line with the overall strategies of the President in term of the proactive approach to address the nation security and developmental challenges”, she stressed. In his welcome address, the Commandant, National Defence College (NDC), Rear Admiral Thomas Lokoson reiterated the commitment of NDC towards developing and delivering strategic leaders that can live up to the security challenges of the 21st century, noting that the college has been in the forefront of maintaining peace not only in Nigeria, but in the world at large.

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IBB Quits Politics

Former military president, General Ibrahim Babangida, has said that he has quit partisan politics, but added that he will, henceforth, provide advisory services to the nation as a statesman.

He made the disclosure at the Daily Trust 9th Annual Dialogue at the Transcorp Hilton in Abuja Thursday. Drawing inspiration from former US President Richard Nixon who once told the US media he would no longer be in the public glare for bashing, Babangida said: “I have news for you my media friends: you will never see Ibrahim Babangida again. 

Today, my dear media friends, although I will continue to be involved by playing advisory role, I have decided never to seek political office in this country again.” He added that though, he had left office more than 20 years ago, “I am still a substance for bashing from the media.”

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IBB tells Jonathan way out of violence

Former military President Gen. Ibrahim Babangida has told President Goodluck Jonathan that political solution, entrenchment of value system, responsible leadership, meeting people’s expectations and good governance are ways out of the present national crisis.

In a press statement yesterday, the former leader said, ”In order to arrest this ugly trend and refocus our country on the path of peaceful co-existence in spite of our manifest tribal configurations, we must begin to revisit our value system and provoke platforms where this becomes the central theme of our collective discourse.”

Blaming the leaders for the failures in the society, Babangida said it is imperative to “engage in dialogue and wider consultations in our resolve to providing lasting solutions to the challenges facing us. All our religious leaders, political leaders, traditional rulers, opinion moulders, the media, must unite to arrest this ugly phase of our political life.”

He said, “ We must begin to consciously redirect our collective energies in entrenching a culture of strong and enduring moral super-structure as a platform for sustaining our once cherished value system, adding that the failure of governments and Leaders at various levels has further disconnected the people from their leaders; reason why there has been so much angst in the land.

“There is a potential breakdown of social contract between the leaders at all levels and the led. Leaders have failed in their responsibilities at meeting the expectations of the people.

These days, the gap between the rich and poor has further polarized the socio-economic and political discourse on the basis of winner-takes-all thus making public office unethically attractive. This is why there is so much desperation in the contest for public office,” he added.

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Igbo president will gladden Ojukwu’s heart

FORMER military President Ibrahim Babangida knows how to make the late Biafran leader, Dim Odumegwu Ojukwu, happy in death: ensuring that the Igbo produce President.

Gen. Babangida yesterday joined a long row of prominent Nigerians eulogising the late Ojukwu, a fellow soldier, who died in London on Saturday. He described the late Biafran leader as a “wordsmith”, a “great orator” and a “courageous” Nigerian.

Gen. Babangida, in a tribute he paid through his spokesman, Prince Kassim Afegbua, said of the late Ojukwu: “He was a man who felt the Igbo nation deserves more than it is getting and did give me his word that he was going to support me on the assurance that I would take a Nigerian of Igbo extraction as my running mate in the presidential contest.

“I was going to do that before the aspiration petered out. Despite that, I still believe in the presidential aspiration of the Igbo in future elections and one thing that would gladden the mind of Dim, even in death, is to see an Igbo man becoming President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, in the spirit of unity and stability.”

He urged the Federal Government to immortalise Ojukwu by naming a monument after him.

Gen. Babangida added: “The Federal Government should immortalise this great Nigerian by naming a great institution or monument after him. That way, his name and history will forever be preserved for the good of humanity.”

The ex-Head of State also recalled how he related with the late Ojukwu and the kind of leader he was.

The statement said: “At last, a great Nigerian, an extra-ordinary Nigerian, a wordsmith and great orator, a cerebral soldier and very courageous Nigerian, Dim Odumegwu Ojukwu, has just snapped.

“He was a Nigerian who was driven by his convictions and pursued his goal in life, believing in his convictions. He was a rare gem, a strong advocate for better society and strong believer in the equitable distribution of power and political bargaining.

“With Dim, my very senior colleague, there was no dull moment. I got really close to him during my regime and I remember vividly how we used to sit and discuss issues of nation-building and unity of our country after the civil war era.

“Even at old age, Dim still believed in the cause he fought for. He shared his sentiments about the country barely a year ago when I paid him a visit at his country home to inform him of my intention to run for the last 2011 presidential election. He was his vintage self, taking me down memory lane about the Nigerian situation.

“He could remember vividly also the role that my administration played in returning his seized property to him as well as those of several others as part of our modest contribution to healing the wounds of the civil war.

“He was his characteristic self, deploying anecdotes and wise sayings to underscore the import of our discourse.

“Dim Ojukwu’s patriotism about the oneness of the country was not in doubt. He believed that given the country’s diverse socio-political and cultural configurations, the nation-states within the nation must be given room to flourish in a mutually exclusive arrangement that would further the aspiration of the country.

“His understanding of the political dynamics in the country was extra-ordinary and, trust him, his rendition was usually in a class of his own.

“The nation will miss this solid voice from the East of the Niger, this leader of men who stood firmly by his people all through his journey in life. Dim was never given to prevarication nor was he the type that would genuflect on issues.

“It was easy for one to know where he truly belonged, and he would give convincing reasons why he would take such a position. Such a man should be immortalised and his history and entire humanity should be preserved for the present and future generations of Nigerians.

“My heart goes to his family, especially Bianca, his wife of many years, at this moment of grief and mourning of a departed dear husband, father, uncle and highly cerebral Nigerian. My condolences to the entire Igbo sons and daughters and Nigerians all over the world for the loss of a distinguished Nigerian who lived by his convictions till death separated us. May the spirit of the Almighty God grant him eternal rest in the hereafter. May He also provide the family the strength and fortitude to bear with this great loss.”

A former President of the Senate, Senator Adolphus Wabara, described the death of Ojukwu as a huge loss to the nation.

Wabara, in a condolence message to the Odumegwu-Ojukwu family, said the Igbo and indeed Nigerians at large are proud of the late Ojukwu’s contributions to Nigerian nationhood.

Wabara described the late Ojukwu as a “tower of pride to generations unborn”.

He added: “We take solace in the fact that his legacies will abide by Nigeria forever. No one, not even his ardent critics, will overlook his monumental contributions to Nigerian nationhood, his love for the downtrodden and his passion for the development of his people.

“I urge the family he left behind and the entire Igbo community to take heart and continue to bask in the glory of his indelible and glorious legacies.”

Former Head of State Gen. Muhammadu Buhari described the late Ojukwu as a tireless, focused and frank negotiator who kept to his words.

Buhari, in a condolence message by his spokesman Yinka Odumakin, said Ojukwu and himself were partners in progress, searching assiduously for solutions to the problems confronting Nigeria.

“In the process of our friendship and quests in each other’ houses and in all our transitions and engagements on and off the political scene, I find Dim a most forthright and honourable players,” the former Presidential candidate said.

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OBJ, IBB at war

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo and former military President Ibrahim Babangida yesterday descended from the platform of statesmen into an acrimonious mutual war of words, accusing each other of foolery.

Yesterday’s brickbat flowed from an earlier interview by Gen. Babangida on the eve of his 70th birthday on Tuesday where he said “in my eight years in office, I was able to manage poverty and achieved success while somebody for eight years managed affluence and achieved failure.”

Chief Obasanjo who was President for eight years retorted yesterday accusing Babangida of threading the path of foolishness at seventy even as he defended his administration against allegations of ineffectiveness couched in the earlier interview granted the press by Babangida. He said that Babangida should rather be pitied and shown sympathy rather than anger or condemnation.

Babangida responds

Babangida’s response was swift and severe as he tackled Obasanjo on both his performance record while in office and decency in his dealings even with his household and daughter in-law. He accused Obasanjo of being a witless comedian whose eight-year double term was characterized with human rights violations and mishaps including plane crashes.

Obasanjo who spoke with news men in Abeokuta during the visit of an American Team on an inspection of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) said that his initial thought was not to respond but that on second thought he decided to reply Babangida so that he (Babangida) would not consider himself wise.

He said: “Well, normally when I read these things I don’t believe them. Yesterday when somebody phoned me and said this was said, I said I don’t believe it. He said check on all the papers and I said get me all the papers; they got me the papers and I read; it’s a little bit unlike Babangida. But if Babangida had decided on becoming a septuagenarian, that he will be a fool, I think one should probably do what the Bible says in Proverbs chapter 26, verse 4. It says, don’t answer a fool because you may also become like him.

“When you go to the same Proverbs chapter 26, verse 5, it says answer a fool so that he will not think he’s a wise man. So, I am now torn between which of the two verses I should follow in this respect. Some of the things he said unfortunately were not well thought-out.

“For instance, he talked about our energy. When I was the military head of state, I built Jebba dam; built Shiroro dam, I prepared the foundation of Egbin plant which President Shagari completed and commissioned. That time the money we were making was not up to the money Babangida made annually for his eight years and yet we built two dams. Because it was important, you know that power is the driving force for development and for any developing country. But since the building of Egbin power plant, until I came back in 1999 there was not any generating plant for almost 20 years and Babangida spent eight years out of that. Now, he has the audacity to talk about anybody; I think that is unfortunate.”

IBB deserves pity, sympathy

“I also read where he said in his time, he gave the dividends of democracy and at the same time he regretted. When I read that, well I said Babangida should be pitied and shown sympathy rather than anger or condemnation because the old saying says a fool at 40 is a fool forever and I would say a regret at 70 is a regret too late. Well a regret at 70 is a regret to the grave.

“Then as elected president, I built Papalanto, Omotosho, others and I started five of what they called Independent Power Stations which were stopped for two and a half years. Now the present administration has started building a new power project at Uyo. As a country, Nigeria should be adding nothing less than 1,500 megawatts annually. South Africa with a population of 50 million generates 50,000 mega watts. Nigeria with a population of about 165 million we are not generating, we as at 1999 met 1,500 mega watts before we took it up to 4,000 mega watts. What we started they are now allowing it to go on. I believe if they continue with the programme that we left, In another two years , we will get to 10,000”.

Obasanjo on sale of Nigeria Airways

Commenting on disclosures by erstwhile Director General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises, BPE, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai that he, Obasanjo stopped the sale of Nigeria Airways as President, Obasanjo said:

“I blocked the sale of Nigeria Airways, not that I attempted to block the sale of Nigeria Airways. When I was military head of state, Nigeria Airways had 32 aircraft, by the time I came back as elected president of Nigeria, Nigeria Airways had only one aircraft.

“One of the 32 was a wide-bodied aircraft, they had all gone and the report on which we worked is here, the amount of money we will have to pay if Nigeria Airways was sold, what we would get out of it is less than 10 percent of the debt we have to pay. 

That would be the debt Nigeria tax payers will have to pay; that will not be the way to run the affairs of this country. I won’t run my own affairs that way, so I opted for liquidation. So, it was bankrupt, it was liquidated; in which case whatever you gain from liquidation which is also a form of sale, it means the burden will be shared by all the creditors and everybody. So, if I owe you 10 dollars and what I sell when I am liquidated is two. That’s what you get. So, I did not allow normal privatization or sale because it would have put very heavy burden on Nigeria.

“So, Nigerians should know that and in fact my administration should be commended for that. It’s not that I did not allow the sale because the law establishing it says sale and liquidation is also a form of sale”.

The IBB statement

Babangida in a riposte through a press statement issued by his spokesman, Prince Kassim Afegbua said:

“It is certainly not in the tradition of General IBB, such a refined gentleman officer; to join issues with his subordinates’ and superiors, but for the price we owe history, this riposte becomes appropriate and necessary. We expected Chief Obasanjo to react to the substance of General Babangida’s submissions and not deploy this distractive strategy to shy away from the real issues at stake. The statistics of the government they both ran at different times, speak for them.”

“The history of Chief Obasanjo is an open sore that is irredeemably contrived in several incongruities and contradictions. When he pleaded with IBB to be given another chance to extend his tenure, IBB was not a fool then. When he was released from prison and granted state pardon, bathed in cerebral ornaments and clothed in royal beads and later crowned as President of Nigeria, IBB was not a fool then. Now that he is at the extreme of his thoughts and engagements, he can decide to dress IBB in borrowed robes.

But the histories of both of them, when put to public scrutiny comparatively, IBB is far glowing and instructively stands poles apart from Obasanjo. In terms of decency, finesse, class, distinction and general conduct, IBB could be described in the superlatives but for Obasanjo; God bless Nigeria.”

A witless comedian

“For a man who cannot possibly tell his true age, one may excuse his present outburst as the effusions of a witless comedian trying effortlessly to impress his select audience.

On the issue of performance, Obasanjo cannot contemplate a comparism of his conquistadorial and largely acquisitive regime that plundered our hard-earned state resources, with that of IBB government with verifiable record of achievements. Despite the fact that he carried out a clinical investigation of IBB’s regime, what did he establish against him? Nothing!

We wish to refer Obasanjo to the National Assembly to give his own side of the story to the several revelations that have become themes of his

orchestra when he held sway as President of Nigeria. Perhaps, he would be able to tell the world how he managed Nigeria’s resources during his regime.

“Chief Obasanjo should ponder on these incontrovertible facts: The revenues that accrued to former President Obasanjo during his eight years are more than those that accrued to the nation from independence till 1999 before he took over.

Despite such stupendous wealth of the nation, what was his performance profile? The number of high profile deaths by assassinations and politically motivated killings during Obasanjo’s eight years is more than any other in the history of this country.

Besides, is it not curious that after Obasanjo’s exit, there has not been any reported case of plane crashes? What was his human rights record? The people of Odi in Bayelsa State and Zaki-Ibiam in Benue State are yet to recover from the massacre visited on them by Chief Obasanjo.

Again Crude Oil sold for as much as $180 dollars per barrel for the better part of his eight years, what benefit did Nigerians derive from such excess crude? With the revelations coming from the hallowed chambers of the National Assembly, Nigerians are now coming to terms with the profligacy of the Obasanjo era.

“Against the backdrop of the above, it is ludicrous for him to raise any intellectual debate on the achievements of the governments they ran at different times in the life of the nation. Calling IBB “a fool at 70” is at best a compliment. Nigerians surely know who is truly a fool or the greatest fool of this century.”
Source:vanguardngr


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