1.     LESSONS FROM THE OCTOGENARIAN: IBB @80 CELEBRATIONS.

By Yunusa Abugi

Snippets

The octogenarian has celebrated his birthday, with classy pageantry and mixed reactions from all walks of life. From the variety of events leading to the main day, the variability and diatribe of opinions, class, royalty and glamour of visitors that trooped to the famous Minna Hill-Top Mansion before and after the event attests to the fact that IBB might have left the seat of power very many years ago, exactly years now, but his relevance in the sociopolitical realities of Nigeria is still intact. Indeed, as argued by some commentators, ‘no Nigerian in the past and possibly in the next decades will attract the kind of diverse discourse as does IBB.

 

Here, I present a dossier of commentaries by people and their perceptions of who IBB is. I would rather start off with the description of Egr. AJ Isah when said “The one and only Nigerian Military President, that was the 8th Nigerian president, who ruled the country for 8 years, and having attained 8 decades on the mother earth to join the elder statesmen’s club of Octogenarians is not a feat by coincidence but divine gift that meets a prepared mind”.

 

As the ‘Maradona’ he has come to acknowledge as an apt description of him, in the build up to his 80^th birthday, having been off everyday media reportage, he gave strategic interviews to two high profiled television stations; that move has been described by many as a master stroke, because to many millennials who were not privy to Babangida years’ that gave them a firsthand impression of who he really is and to the old breed, it was a return of the maverick.

 

Niger State Governor, Abubakar Sani Bello in the company of his counterparts from Akwa Ibom, Emmanuel Udom and Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto State were on hand to celebrate with the former Nigerian Military President Gen. Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida at his hilltop residence in Minna.

 

Governor Sani Bello defined Gen. Babangida as an individual that has achieved a lot in his life; a man of the people. The Akwa Ibom State Governor Emmanuel Udom described the former Military President as a rare Nigerian, highly detribalized, who combines character and charisma and succeeded in uniting the country despite the differences in religion and tribe. While Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto State recounted how the celebrant has been a great statesman and quintessential leader of inestimable value to the nation.

 

Many of his contemporaries and associates, eminent Nigerians took turn to extol the person of Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida. including former head of state, Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd), and former Senate president, David Mark among others. In the overall, a summation of the calls across the country was the need to emulate the Babangida’s inclusive leadership qualities in managing Nigeria’s multi-ethnic polity.

 

Starting off with top government functionaries, who served under Babangida’s regime, who organized an ‘IBB legacy dialogue’ prior to the birthday in Lagos, raised concern over the retrogression of intellectualism in governance. They expressed concern over the mismanagement of Nigeria’s multi-ethnic nature, even as they set an agenda for the next set of leaders in the country. According to them, the next set of leaders must have a broad network of friends across the country in order to ascertain the true situation of things across the country. This re-echoed Babangida’s portrait of the next Nigerian leader to be in his or her ‘60s and must have friends in every part of Nigeria’.

 

Some dignitaries at the event were former governor of Niger State, Babangida Aliyu; former minister of Information, Prof Jerry Gana; former minister of education, Prof Tunde Adeniran; media mogul and chairman of the Daar Communication Group, Raymond Dopkesi; elder statesman, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu and Gen Olagunsoye Oyinlola (rtd).

 

Former head of state, and brother to IBB, Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar, extolled the virtues of the former military president. He underscored the need for leaders in the country to carry everybody along in a multi-ethnic country like Nigeria. Outlining the leadership qualities that have endeared Babangida to a lot of Nigerians, Abubakar said, “Once you are a leader everybody is yours. You are supposed to look after the welfare of all of them.” Gen. Abubakar who recalled his early childhood years with Babangida said the former military president displayed leadership qualities from a young age, serving as class monitor in primary school and later as head boy in secondary school.

 

The former head of state who regretted that the former military president is one of the most misunderstood, noted that Babangida has the love of Nigeria at heart. He recalled the institutions established under the Babangida administration are still relevant in the present day, adding that Nigerians are now reaping the fruits of the numerous agencies created under his watch. Abdulsalami further added that “IBB has the love of the country in his heart. He is one of the most misunderstood Nigerians but by and large you can see that what he has established over the years we are seeing the benefits. Abuja is one of the greatest and fastest growing capitals in the world. He then described IBB as “He is quite accommodating and generous to a fault; he can deprive himself to make sure someone is okay.”

 

Next to speak on the octogenarian was Senate, David Mark, he said Babangida’s personal touch of governance has made him a popular figure in Nigeria. Recounting his experience while serving as military administrator in Niger State and later as minister in the Babangida regime, Mark said the former military president stood by him and didn’t unduly interfere in decision making.

Mark, while stressing that he served in three capacities under Babangida, said, “Niger State had the highest number of generals in the Army. But Gen Babangida stood by me when Generals pulled me in different directions over an issue. But the military president stood by me. He would allow you to make decisions.” Mark also recalled how as minister of communications the military president gave him free hand to revitalize NITEL among other things. Sen. Mark recalled how he was able to convince the military president to allow him to cut phone lines of government offices as a means of making them pay the backlog of their bills. He added that Babangida was not swayed by those who claimed that the process of disconnecting phone lines of government offices, including Dodan Barracks as a means to ensure government offices paid their bills, was part of a coup plot. Mark recalled that the military president had replied: “This boy would not do a coup without telling me.”

He praised Babangida for establishing many institutions and getting the best hands to work with him.

 

Also, Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, an elder statesman and member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustees (BoT), reflecting on his long relationship with Babangida, echoed the need for inclusive government. Iwuanyanwu who said IBB impressed him as a friend and leader in many dimensions, hailed his inclusive leadership abilities in a multi-ethnic country like Nigeria.

 

Iwuanyanwu who hailed the leadership qualities of Babangida, said “When you assume leadership of a multi-ethnic country, you must carry everybody along.”

He however urged secessionist groups to desist from stoking the embers of war, noting that having experienced war just like Babangida, it was not a tea party. “We are warning younger ones causing trouble; it is not a tea party. I fought in the war and he (Babangida) fought and we suffered injuries,” Iwuanyanwu said.

 

He however stated that when Babangida came to power he assured those who fought the war on the side of Biafra of inclusion, a promise he said IBB made real.

“He (Babangida) had people of all parts working for him. It is an example other leaders must learn. He didn’t neglect any ethnic group; he carried them all along. IBB has confidence in a people called rebels and that is why Igbos have confidence in IBB. He married our daughter. He gave us respect,” he added.

 

The PDP chieftain recalled that Babangida founded the raw materials development Council in order to address the way foreigners were exporting raw materials from the country. Iwuanyanwu also described the allegation linking Babangida to the demise of the late Dele Giwa as fake news, even as he also said the former military president was not to blame for the cancellation of the June 12, 1993 presidential election.

 

Recalling how the former president spent the whole day at his hometown in Imo State when he buried his father, Iwuanyanwu said, “He is an excellent leader. He is being misrepresented. All leaders are misrepresented. But it is for the leader to tell his story; if he does not tell it others will tell it for him. He should say with joy that I came, saw and conquered”.

 

Speaking also, a member of the defunct Armed Forces Ruling Council, Gen Haliru Akilu, said he was attracted to Babangida during the civil war when Babangida, as a young military officer, defended a junior officer from a bully military officer. “There was an incident that attracted me to him. He stood up for a junior officer who was being bullied. He cared for the junior officers working under him,” he recalled.

Describing Babangida as a gifted person who is kind to a fault, Akilu further recalled how the former military president gave out his only car to a friend who needed it.

He also decried the lack of maintenance of the federal secretariat which was built by the Babangida regime. On the relocation of the federal capital territory from Lagos to Abuja, Akilu said, “He (IBB) was courageous to take the right decision at the right place and time, even when many of us were saying it was not the right time.”

 

Speaking also, Prof Sam Oyovbaire, underscored the need for the next leader to have a firm understanding of the country. “To govern the country, you must know the country. You must know in virtually every part of the country,” Oyovbaire stated.

He noted the former military president’s role in starting the democratizing of the Nigerian society and liberalization of the economy, saying “he had a rare gift of knowing people by their first names.”

 

Also, former deputy governor of Lagos State, Alhaja Sinatu Ojikutu, who described IBB as a hero to the womenfolk however, said he should not be blamed alone for the cancellation of the June 12 1999 election. “He didn’t singlehandedly annul the June 12 election. People were behind it but unfortunately, the buck stopped somewhere. Babangidas administration was a success. I hope the incumbent admins will look into some of the things,” she said.

 

On his part, former military administrator of Lagos State, Col Olagunsoye Oyinlola, stated that he almost cried when Babangida and former President Olusegun Obasanjo insulted each other in the media. Oyinlola, who is close to the two leaders, referred to that fight as the most trying time of his life. Obasanjo and IBB had called themselves fools on national papers

“I was close to tears. I went to Baba at Ota and I said, ‘Sir, in my place there is a saying that old dogs do not tear the mat. It is the small dogs that try to bite the mat’.

“Baba said ‘go and meet your Oga; he started’. I took a flight to Minna. I want to thank God that the two of them allowed me to mediate in the matter.”

 

On his part, renowned political economist and member of the defunct National Electoral Commission (NEC), Prof Adele Jinadu, expressed concern over the widening ethnic divide, warning that “the way we are going, if we are not careful, it can tear the country apart.” He also lamented the trend of relegating intellectualism to the background in governance.

 

Former minister of External Affairs, Prof Bolaji Akinyemi, said IBB was more interested in the idea of individualism in recruiting people into his government and not where the person comes from. He recalled that IBB always attended lectures at the Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) when he, Akinyemi, was director-general of the institute.

 

On his part, president-general of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Ambassador George Obiozor, said, “Under Babangida’s leadership you know that the president is the chief diplomat.” He hailed the former military president for his inspiring confidence and charisma which he said helped to restore confidence in Nigeria, noting that the sheer force of his captivating leadership got the attention of the international community.

He also noted IBB’s “inclusive approach to governance,” adding that “he didn’t tolerate tribalism; he had friends across the country; he believed in Nigeria.” He added that the no victor no vanquished declaration was not mere words for Babangida.

 

Similarly, former minister of foreign affairs, Senator Ike Nwachukwu, hailed Babangida for his role in stabilizing neighboring African countries. While praising the former military president for his tremendous understanding of world affairs, Nwachukwu noted that IBB was not afraid of ideas and engaging in debates.

He recounted how Babangida mobilized other African states to ensure stability in Sierra Leone and Liberia through the use of ECOMOG. He said the former military leader strived to bring honour to Nigerians and the black race by proving that they can deal with their problems.

 

“We brought peace to Liberia and Sierra Leone,” Nwachukwu said when the history of the crisis in Liberia and Sierra Leone is told, IBB will be given credit for his leadership role in stabilising those countries. “He was not afraid of ideas. He had the intellectual strength not to be afraid of others intellectuals around him. He was glad to debate. “He has a tremendous understanding of world affairs and a great understanding of why Nigerians unity should be kept. He doesn’t care who or where you come from but what you can contribute to society. He helped to ensure that West Africa remains safe,” he added.

 

Earlier, chairman of Daar Communication, Raymond Dopkesi, said the former military president assembled some of the best minds in Nigeria to turn the country around. He said Babangida’s team contributed positively to reshape the country, adding that even his worst critics would regard him for the work he has done for the country.