April 17, 2010
In his widely unpopular quest to steal back political power in Nigeria, Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida has been displaying arrogance and disdain towards Nigerians. Babangida's latest contempt for Nigerians was demonstrated in a declaration he made in an interview with the BBC Hausa Service yesterday. He told the interviewer that Nigerian youths are incapable of leading Nigeria.That interview – reproduced below – is a vintage of the arrogant and morally naked Babangida sticking his fingers in the eyes of Nigerian youths the same way he did for eight years between 1985 to 1993 when he reigned and ruined Nigeria.
Babangida has also been attempting to rewrite history in order to leave the impression that he was a transformative ruler during his days as a military dictator. The facts overwhelmingly establish the opposite.
At the time Babangida took office as dictator in 1985, the naira was N0.8 to a dollar. He left it at N22.3 to a dollar, massively devaluing the Nigerian currency. In 1986, Babangida’s agents delivered a parcel bomb that killed Nigeria's foremost journalist, Dele Giwa. Babangida looted the Nigerian treasury so mindlessly that, 19 years after he was forced out of power, neither he nor any member of his family has ever worked, but he and his family have maintained a luxurious lifestyle complete with lavish vacations, private jets, and enjoyment of villas in Germany, France and the UK.
Babangida framed and killed innocent army officers including his best man, Mamman Vatsa, in phantom coup plots. He instigated the downing of a military jet filled with middle ranking officers he suspected of plotting to overthrow him, leaving Nigeria’s military demoralized. He jailed numerous human rights activists without trial, ultimately causing two of the frequently jailed activists – Gani Fawehinmi and Beko Ransome-Kuti – to die of lung cancer years later. Gani Fawehinmi disclosed that Babangida’s agents often sprayed their cells with strange aerosols. Fawehinmi, who was not a smoker, believed the sprays caused his lung cancer.
The former military dictator subverted Nigeria’s finest moment for democratic renewal when he annulled what observers lauded as Nigeria’s freest and fairest election on June 23 1993. That annulment led Nigeria down the part of instability that continues to haunt it till today. Babangida’s treasonable action shook Nigeria’s roots and exposed the country to international ridicule. He unleashed soldiers and policemen on pro-democracy activists, killing and maiming scores of protesters who resisted the annulment.
It has recently come to light that Babangida, whose wife died last December in Los Angeles, delayed the announcement of her death so that he could exact maximum political capital from her burial. As soon as Babangida arrived from the US, he gathered his political associates around and told them that his wife’s “last wish” was for him to retake power. He lied to these associates that he could not resist this marching order and spiritual mandate from his deceased wife. His wife had to buried in the middle of the night because Babangida had violated Islamic principles in the way he treated her corpse, according to a Muslim cleric in Minna who spoke to Saharareporters.
Babangida will be 70 years old by the time he plans to retake power in 2011. This 70-year old derelict wants to mortgage the future of Nigerians by presiding over the continued destruction of their country.
The following is the full text of the interview:
You wanted to contest for the Presidency in 2007, but at the end of the day you didn't submit your papers, how can you assure Nigerians that this time around, you will contest?
I gave my reasons for not contesting in 2007 and it was published in many newspapers in the country. Therefore, Nigerians know my reasons for not contesting at that time. But now, Alhamdudillahi, things have changed.
Don't forget we are talking of helping the country. What we are talking about, is something that happened some 16 years ago. We should be thinking of what we can do to make progress.
Nigeria is facing a lot of problems, if by the grace of God; you become the president again, what are these new things you never did in the past that you will want to employ in tackling these problems.
God in His infinite mercy gave me the leadership of this country for 8 years. Remember the Nigerian people have not changed, and since they have not changed, we are in a position to tell them that we can do it again.
There are speculations that the United States of America (USA) wants you to contest for the presidency. What do you have to say about this?
How can that be possible since it is not Americans that will vote? It is Nigerians that will vote.
But America is an influential country in the world and it has its interests in Nigeria.
Nigeria is an influential country too. If somebody wants something in Africa and he hears the voice of Nigeria, it is like he has heard the voice of Africa.
But they said the American Assistant Secretary of State paid you a visit.
Yes, he came to greet me. He is somebody I have known. He came to condole with me over the death of my wife. When we were in the hospital in America, he was coming to greet us
The issue of the dwindling Nigerian economy is blamed on your administration. You invited former World Bank Economist in charge of Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP), Prof. Joseph Tigris, who you used to ruin the nation's economy. Why did you do that?
...Today, we are talking of exactly 24 years, but SAP has not changed, they keep on modifying it. If the economy was ruined, by now, we would have been history. The Nigerian economy was not ruined.
But they say Nigerians are going through serious hardship as a result of your economic policies.
I want you to know that if you read all the books on the economy of Nigeria, you will find out that from 1960 to 1995, Nigeria made far-reaching progress. I left office in 1993. You should be asking what have those who came after us done.
Your administration was accused of massive corruption. If you become the president again, how would you address the problem of endemic corruption in Nigeria?
If you compare what is happening now with what happened during my administration, you will commend me. I sacked a governor for embezzling N300, 000 during my regime, but now, what do you see? During our time we were not enmeshed in this kind of things we see today.
During your time, there was this $12 billion made from the sales of oil. What happened to the money?
The $12 billion was the money realised from the sale of oil for 8 years. Let me repeat, it was money made from the sales of oil in 8 years. It was money that we saved in the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) within those 8 years. There was an additional $1.2 billion... So all they are saying about this money are lies. If you read the Okigbo report, you will see that the money was made in 8 years.
But the Financial Times reporter who published the story was sent out of Nigeria because of the report. If it was not true, why was he sent away?
Frankly speaking, I can send the Okigbo report to you to read. I have been explaining this over and over. What I realised from oil in eight years is what somebody makes in one year.
You have been a major player in the leadership of this country for a longtime.
Don't you think it is time to allow the younger generations take over from you the older ones as it happened in America and other parts of the world?
Honestly, it is our wish that God will bring the younger people that will take over from us if they are available. I was the one who introduced the politics of new breed in this country.
Why didn't you step aside and give the younger generation a chance to lead since they are fresh and strong.
Because we have seen signs that they are not capable of leading this country and so we feel we should help them. May be they are not given the proper education that is why. I have spent 17 years since I left office.
Haba! The younger generation is supposed to be in charge by now.
But a country like Nigeria cannot be ruled by people without experience. People like the Obama that you are speaking about have the experience. He started from the state House of Assembly to the House of Representatives and to the Senate. If our youths are like this, we will say they have the requisite experience. But we have not reached that level.
If by the grace of God, you become the president what new thing will you do which you did not do during your eight years in power.
Which are the mistakes you would want to correct?
The politicians are asking me what I forgot in the Presidential Villa that I want to go and pick. When I left power, the naira was N22 to the dollar. Petrol was selling at 70 kobo per litre. So there are things that I did that will make me come back.
These things were not like that when you came to power. You were the one that devalued the naira.
How? During my time, the naira did not exceed N22 to the dollar. Now it is N150 per dollar.
But how much was it before you came to power?
It was N4.5 to the dollar.
So you devalued the naira.
Some people destroyed the value of the naira
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