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IBB: The Nigerian enigma Max Gbanite
Dr. K. O. Mbadiwe wrote: "For sure, President Ibrahim Babangida is a leader who is determined to take his people to a goal of self sufficiency and greatness whatever the cost. The road is full of obstacles. He made this fact known early in the day." I chose the word 'enigma' to describe General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, GCFR (rtd.) because he is seen to be different things to different people in Nigeria of yesterday, today, and probably tomorrow. He is amongst the first Nigerian Army officers to opt for tank training in England, instead of infantry. He is a trailblazer who fought gallantly during the civil war; he still has a bullet lodged in his leg from that war as proof of his commitment to die for his belief, which is the unity of Nigeria. He has shown in many instances that Nigeria's unity is paramount in his existence, going by his legacies. A friend once asked me, "Why do you always defend IBB?" Well, I quipped, for the same good reason a sane man would defend late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Chief Anthony Enahoro, and late Chief Ajibola Ige -- whose infamous war doctrine of "hunger and starvation are instruments of war" was well-articulated to General Yakubu Gowon (rtd.) during his prosecution of the civil war and which drove a million Igbo children to their untimely grave. This was achieved by way of naval and air blockades. I defend IBB because his policies were ahead of their time. He understands the politics of Nigeria of yesterday, today, and probably tomorrow, and he would probably play very crucial roles in determining the political course of the country. So I say to detractors: hate him, dislike him, abuse him, disabuse him, love or hate him, one thing that is prevalent about him is his propensity to disarm your aggression with his gap-toothed smile and humility. This is unprecedented in a former president. The man is not an actor but a soldier's soldier. In approaching a soldier, one's first instinct is the demeanor of strictness, not that of love or humility. IBB has both. I guess what I am suggesting is that perhaps his actions while the President are clear indications of his love for his country and the citizens, and above all the commitment to a united Nigeria. When he assumed office in 1985, everyone hailed him as God-sent, and he rewarded the people by creating an environment that enabled them to make money left, right, and center. He was called President by his own choice, the first for a military ruler in Nigeria's history. Why not? He has always been the pacesetter amongst his peers in everything that he does. The press praised him. "Nigerians might not have been jubilating in the streets since the country's latest military coup d'etat but that is certainly not because they disapprove of the latest change of government…They have found themselves where they are, wary of seemingly new heroes…finding no faith in civilian rule, and betrayed by successive military regimes, it is easy for such a disappointed people to be apathetic to events which must necessarily influence their lives and generations unborn." (National Concord 8/30/85). "Given the nightmarish experience of the recent past, especially the systematic intimidation of people and the derogation of their fundamental human rights, the Nigerian media and people cannot but welcome the coup that saw General Ibrahim Babangida bestowed with the rulership of our beloved country. To cynics and critics the foregoing may elicit a smirk and a 'deja vu' shrug with justification. While awaiting the new regime's programme of action we may suggest the following: An immediate stop of the importation of rice and phasing out of the importation of all other food items; a re-examination of the counter-trade survival tactics, with a view to restricting it to execution of core capital projects as well as giving us a fairer deal. We are not naïve enough to believe that miracles are possible. Nevertheless, we expect that sooner than 20 months of the new regime, hospitals will cease to be mere consulting clinics and armed robbers will cease to rule our streets and homes by day and by night" (The New Nigerian 8/29/85). "The bloodless and apparently smooth change in the country's leadership can, in the main be taken as evidence of acute dissatisfaction of some top architects of the December, 1983 coup with the overall performance of the ousted administration…President Babangida and his lieutenants should therefore do everything possible to make their stay in office effective and profitable for all Nigerians. Every Nigerian should be made to have a sense of belonging in the most elaborate meaning of the word…Even if we admit that a military regime is an aberration, there is still the need for some degree of responsiveness in running the government. Lack of recognition of these facts was the undoing of the ousted administration" (Daily Times 8/29/85). Political sycophants comprising of mostly university dons and those disenfranchised by the previous regimes urged him to ban all the old politicians and make room for what was then called the 'newbreed' politicians. He followed their advice. The so-called newbreed politicians could not hold their own. They started infighting and backbiting before even forming political parties. They were seen to be political comedians or jokers who couldn't take the nation to the next level. This clearly made a case for the banned old politicians to be unbanned, thus creating the opportunity for these old people with the wealth of political experience to establish new parties. They equally failed woefully by creating all sorts of parties with ethnic and religious connotations. The military governing body, Armed Forces Ruling Council (AFRC), wouldn't have that; it deliberated and urged IBB to set up two political parties for every one to join, regardless of their ethnic or religious background. This decision led to the creation of National Republican Convention (NRC), and Social Democratic Party (SDP). This created an opportunity for Chief M. K. O. Abiola to join a political party and, within 90 days of joining, became the party flag-bearer for President. Many things both printable and unprintable have been said, and written about IBB. However, as far as my person and a good many others are concerned, he remains a good and committed Nigerian, who did his best under the advisement of the best minds this country could muster (the so-called intelligentsia). If any persons are to be blamed for what the IBB led administration did, or did not do, it's the group of eminent persons who misadvised him on some of his policies. The likes of Dr. Chu S. P. Okongu, Dr. Olu Falae, Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka, Prof. Akinyemi, Dr. Alex Ogunleye, Prof. Omo Omoruyi, Prince Ajibola (SAN), Gen. Akinrinade (rtd.), and Dr. Pius Okigbo as adviser, and many more notables. IBB doesn't have a degree in economics; however, his military background gave him the opportunity to delegate and use competent professionals whose advice he had considered to be very sound. Even today in Nigeria, there's evidence of a continuation of some of the programs he initiated, such as Agricultural Bank, People's Bank, Local Government Community Banks, DIFFRI, Child welfare Reform, Civil Service Reforms, Federal Capital Territory (Reengineering of Abuja), ECOWAS Monitoring Group, Federal Character Commission, OMPADEC (renamed NDDC), MAMSER (renamed NOA), NDE (National Directorate of Employment), NDLS (National Direct Loan Scheme), NERFUND, National Population Commission, and Federal Road Safety Commission, etc. The current President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, was the first President (then Head of State) to take a loan from the World Bank and IMF (check the records). During IBB's tenure, he was advised by selfish cronies to take the same line of action as Obasanjo. One of his most respected advisers, Chief Olu Falae was the principal architect of 'STRUCTURAL ADJUSTMENT PROGRAM' as the panacea for a sound economy for Nigeria. Why the southwest-dominated media spared him from criticism is a good example of their practice of selective criticism or 'he's our own son' syndrome. The same stupid, if not selfish position articulated when the world found out that Alhaji Bola Tinibu, currently Lagos State Governor is equally as fraudulent in the art of false degree tendering as Mr. Salisu Buhari. OPC operatives were inevitably used to silence Chief Gani Fawehimni's (SAN) court case against Governor Bola Tinubu. During IBB's era, Nigerians failed to understand that the economic trend in the world then was downtrodden. Yet workers were paid regularly, pensions were paid as and when due; there were no fuel scarcity or shortages; food was bountiful; importers made well; in short, everybody made money. At the time, even the United States and British economy was in recession; unemployment rate was terrible; and the economic trend eventually brought down the governments of President George Bush and Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. IBB did his best with what he had, and under the advisement of these ebullient Ph.D. (permanent head damage) holders. So why must he alone be criticized or blamed for a collective decision made by the Armed Forces Ruling Council (AFRC) and his intelligent ministers. Yes, one could arguably state that all responsibilities start and stop with Mr. President, as the Americans would say of their President Johnson, "The buck starts and stops with me." Well, we are Nigerians, and our problems are created by us, for us and, therefore, must be stopped by us. Detractors have accused IBB as "the man who institutionalized corruption." If his attempt to introduce free market economy, under the advisement of his economic gurus, is translated as ways and means of getting rich quick, then we -- the so honorable citizens -- committed the worst crime by practicing and perpetuating the evil known as corruption. IBB must not shoulder the blame alone, Afterall, majority of the finance houses that ripped Nigerians off were owned and operated by the untouchable Lagos economists. We must also remember that the Buhari-Idiagbon regime jailed some prominent citizens for their corrupt practices. Muritala-Obasanjo regime did the same. Of course, if you read the Major Nzeogwu's litany on why he attempted a coup that led to the murder of so many prominent persons, corruption and tribal nepotism were his main reasons. So how can IBB be a soloist in the institutionalization of corruption, which was already embedded in our society? Mind you, corruption is as old as the trade of prostitution. One can never eradicate both vices; rather, one may succeed in taming and reducing their practices. Corruption is alive and well and thriving in the administration of President Obasanjo, despite the much-heralded 'anti corruption law.' During the days of IBB, the late Chief MKO Abiola visited us in the United States. U.S.-based reporters asked him his views on the advance-fee fraud (419) and its effect on the country's image. He simply stated that he welcomes it, since it's a form of economic reparation for all the damages caused by the white man against Africa. In other words, he supported that act of roguery, as long as it's done against Americans and Europeans. Let's look at another 'mother of all corruption' perpetrated against other ethnic groups of Nigeria by the holiest of leaders Pa Obafemi Awolowo: Immediately the civil war ended, he advised the then Head of State, Gen. Gowon (rtd.) to seize all the monetary assets belonging to the Igbo, give them twenty pounds to start all over, irrespective of the amount deposited in Nigerian banks prior to the civil war. His reasoning: it will serve as a lesson to those who might want to secede in future. His next move was to nationalize the key industries in the country, hence, denying the Igbo and other ethnic groups the opportunity of a level playing field, to purchase stocks in these companies benefiting only the Southwest. No media has ever criticized his person. I still admire him for his tenacity and selfish approach to tribal politics, which Pa Adesanya and his Afenifere apologists are teaching the next generation, unfortunately. What the Southwest-dominated media have discovered is the power of the print and broadcast media, as the 'fourth estate of the realm.' They have found a wonderful and beautiful, if not one-dimensional, approach to articulate their ethnic views, while centering their problems as a national issue. I just pray and hope that they the press doesn't become the 'fifth column' that will destabilize this country with their sensational journalism. This is not an indictment of Southwest journalists in totality; however, a good number of them have turned IBB into a whipping figure, and they have inadvertently co-opted his name in the marketing of their papers. I once said that if the great Zuma Rock were to move today, the press would blame it on IBB. Some members of the press would even welcome the opportunity to blame IBB for the current explosion in Lagos that killed over 600 people. They may even credit him for the unfortunate 'shut up' statement made by President Obasanjo to the horrified people of Ikeja. Just like the so-called Convenant Party, a United States-based Yoruba dominated group and Egbe Omo Yoruba in the United States have tried in vain to convince the world that IBB is the principal supporter of Islamic fundamentalism in Nigeria, whereas 50 percent of Yoruba people practice Islam and, are even agitating for Sharia in some Southwestern states. Yet, the people are at peace, except for the dangerous Odua Peoples Congress. Some journalists have suggested that IBB must apologize to the country for annulment of the aborted election. He must do no such thing. I support his decision if, as he has reiterated time after time, it was a collective decision, not unilateral. Many of his close associates who were privy to that decision would even admit to you that Babangida agonized for many days before making that decision. The fifth column within the military had implicitly accused him of attempting to hand over the government to his friend late Chief MKO Abiola. They further accused him of allowing an unknown like Ibrahim Tofa to contest under the banner of NRC, making it easier for Abiola (SDP) to defeat his opponent. He was also told of Abiola's abrogation of Option A4; which clearly states that any attempt to corrupt the electoral process would be dealt with. Insiders advanced the theory that Babangida was slated for assassination with Abiola, if he transfers power to his good friend. Of course, he did not want to precipitate another civil war within the rank and file loyal to him and those loyal to the fifth column. Critics have always maintained that that election was the freest and fairest in the history of the nation. Why? Because IBB designed it to be that way! He made sure that the law-enforcement agents were on hand to assist the NEC electoral officers in the supervision of the open ballot system. He did not create room for rigging. Perhaps the incumbent President should learn something from that process in the forth-coming election of 2003. The June 12th incident is not more important than January 15, 1966, July 29, 1966, and all the successful coups that have taken place in this country. These are all-important dates that must be preserved for the next generation as part of the annals of our turbulent history. The way NADECO people saw things, one would think that they were the proponents and true fighters for the democracy we have today. I will challenge their claim and subversive activity any day, just like I did in the past. If Chief Shonekan did not support the annulment, why did he accept to replace his kinsman, a fellow Yoruba man? Why didn't Shonekan retire all the senior military officers, late General Sani Abacha inclusive, and reinstate Chief Abiola as the real winner, as we were meant to believe. Why didn't Shonekan call for fresh elections, or have the results of the annulled elections released? Simple: The Yoruba themselves knew that they did not vote for Abiola. They never forgave him for thumbing Chief Awolowo's nose during the NPN political era. They, in collaboration with the different so-called "human rights" group including NADECO, killed Abiola psychologically by insisting that he should remain in custody while they were raking in millions from the international community. Think seriously about this: if Abiola were released, they would not have had any more justification to receive monetary support. I also ponder why the Yoruba never gave a damn nor pressed for Chief Obasanjo's release from prison. His American friends like Andrew Young and Robert McNamara, and not NADECO et al, facilitated his release. Did our current President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, make a mistake when he averred that MKO was not the messiah that Nigeria was waiting for? Ironically, with the support of the North, East, and other ethnic groups, Obasanjo is now playing the messiah. Don't forget to blame IBB for that. The same antagonistic Southwest-dominated media forgave their kinsmen like Dr. Bolaji Akinyemi and his friends who went behind closed doors to beg IBB to stay in power longer than he had wanted. The same group went to General Abacha and asked him to take over from the Interim Government, rather than advising Shonekan to revise the election and install MKO, if they truly believed that he (MKO) was the winner of that election. Lets not forget a simple but salient fact: If God had wanted MKO to be the president of this country, no amount of annulment could have stopped him. I honestly thank the distinguished Senator Arthur Nzeribe for his maverick and gallant act of patriotism in recognizing that MKO was really an African fox. This was a man who had sponsored rebels in Uganda and the overthrow of governments in Nigeria. Apparently, nemesis caught up with him at the door of his political triumph. I actually blame the toothless Northern press (Weekly Trust and Hotline excepted) for their inability to defend their son and for allowing the Southwest press to dominate the events of this country. The Southeast must also invest in newspaper publications, not just be importers and transporters. The wealthy Northerners must invest their hidden wealth in bright and intelligent Northerners practicing journalism to counter these attacks against the north. IBB must not to be dismembered by these sectional, ferocious journalists. And what manner of apology is greater than IBB's appointment of Chief Shonekan and his subsequent anointment and support of the current President Olusegun Obasanjo. This is the third of such deeds. The first was during the coup that removed Gowon, as Obasanjo confirmed in his book, 'In the eyes of time': "Both Garba and Yar'Adua contacted colonels Abdullahi Mohammed, then director of Military Intelligence, Ibrahim Taiwo, Muhammadu Buhari, and Ibrahim Babangida, and Lieutenant-Colonels Muktar Muhammed, Alfred Aduloju, and Ibrahim Alfa of the Air Force. They chose to strike on July 29, 1975, the ninth anniversary of the coup that brought Gowon to power." …. "At midnight the following day, Colonels Garba, Ochefu, Taiwo, Abdullahi Mohammed, Buhari, Paul Tarfa and Babangida and Lt-Colonels Muhammed, Aduloju, and Ibrahim Alfa met and shared out responsibilities. By the early hours of July 29, the coup plotters were in control of such strategic locations as the Ikeja Airport, Radio Nigeria, the Ikeja Army Cantonment, Bonny Camp, and other military installations in Lagos. It was a swift operation. And it was bloodless." Without IBB dislodging Colonel Dimka from Radio Nigeria, General Obasanjo could not have come out of his Ikorudu-Road hideout (resident of S.B. Bakare) to position himself for eventual takeover in February 1976. IBB gave Obasanjo's second coming a big boost by lobbying the PDM group, led by Alhaji Abubakar Atiku, to accept Obasanjo as their presidential candidate; the rest, as they say, is history. How many Southwest journalists and Yoruba people supported or gave Obasanjo the chance to preside over this country? Did they, the press, not berate and ridicule his candidacy. I still remember how the people of Ota pelted our campaign vehicle with stones and feces in protestation of Obasanjo's candidacy. Alas, he's the President now, and they that never supported nor voted for him are now arrogating a second term to him, as if they are God. If any apology is to be tendered, the Yoruba people owe IBB an apology; and they must thank him, the Northerners, the Southeasterners (the Igbo people), and South-south peoples for installing their son, whom they had rejected, as the president of this country. Whether Nigerians like it or not, here is a given that must be accepted, if not digested into our minds: The man IBB is and will continue to be an enigma to this country. Detractors better watch out for his second coming. In my opinion, he is the most credible of all the presidential aspirants currently parading the political landscape. As long as this country continues to exist as we know it, and God extends IBB's life and wills it, he will return as the President of Nigeria. And he will win it with a third, if not half of the Yoruba votes, two thirds of the Southeastern and South-South votes, and two thirds of the Northern and Middle-belt votes. This time, he will do far much better than his first coming, and he will correct all his past mistakes. As a good practicing Christian or Muslim would say, I have forgiven him if he has done me wrong. The rest is up to God's will. My regret is the fact that all the sycophants that he made millionaires and the so-called millionaire IBB boys in the AFRC, have not come out to defend him against all the lies leveled against him by the Southwestern press. Haba! The man is truly, and will continue to be, an enigma -- dead or alive. |
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