Former President Ibrahim Babangida retires from politics
Friday, January 27, 2012 at 9:27AM 
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."
Chastising the Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, for departing from his known radical bent to public policies while he (Maku) was a student leader, Babangida said Maku had changed and had become the champion of government’s deregulation policy.
He said: "I have my brother here, Labaran Maku, who was a young student leader always leading demonstration against Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP), always demonstrating against minor increases in fuel prices. Today, he is in government, he is now government spokesman.
"Maku was also one of the restless reporters against IBB transitional programme, I hope Labaran Maku will use his wealth of experience to reverse all the hot phrases and coinages used by protesters, the Lagos youths, critics and civil right activists. Most of the phrases used in the protest were coined by Labaran, as a student."
Also speaking at the event, Senate President David Mark said the African continent has no alternative to democracy, as it remains the only platform for sustainable development.
Mark, who was represented by the Senate Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba (SAN), added: "Democracy is a must for Africa. The Senate has shown its commitment to both democracy and the media by enacting the Freedom of Information (FoI) Act."
Governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole, on his part, urged the media not to give priority to profit making at the expense of national interest.
The governor further said that the exigency of national security should compel the media to work hard so as "not to allow Nigeria go under”, adding: “when national interest is at stake, I think there is need to ask questions".
Representative of the Minister of Information, Kingsley Isadalor, said the duty of the media is to embrace the profession in such a way that both the led and the leaders become beneficiaries of the development of journalism.
Chairman of Media Trust, publishers of Daily Trust, Mallam Kabiru Yusuf, told the gathering that this year’s event was organised to x-ray the role of the media in politics, and how it affects governance and development.
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Babangida to quit politics in 2015
Reader Comments (1)
We have read IBB’s ‘valedictory’ address, as it were, in Abuja eulogising President Nixon for his decision to quit politics in the U.S. fine, but what about the reaction from the retiring great tactician and Civil War hero, Gen. U. S. Grant of U.S. army and thereafter a civilian President, thus,
He said of the Presidency when his friends urged him on for a third term in 1879, in the hope they will be as principled as the great tactician, “I never wanted to get out of a place as much as I did to get out of the Presidency!”
Now, for both IBB, Buhari and indeed Obasanjo, which of these is as honourable or want to be compared with what Gen. U. S. Grant did for the U.S - I mean Buhari’s abandonment of that WAI and he went to accept Abacha’s PTF’s appointment rather than fight back as Tude Idiagbon was minded means a lot for Nigeria! Nigerian people lost out in that retreat/non-action! IBB’s SAP accompanied by Naira devaluation, which amongst other ills like the ‘Paris Club debts’ hoisted on our necks, caused the lecturers and civil servants inability to renew or afford cost of spare parts for their cars, instead it forced them to resort to buying or use of ‘Okada’ for their transport system to and from work-places in total contrast to what happened to China! To most economic and political commentators, the policy looked like that Mrs. Palin’s ‘Bridge to nowhere’ in Alaska, U.S.A! Whatever his advisers like Mr. Kazeem Afegbua, Dr. Chidi Amuta and the rest of them have to say, IBB said he was going to give Nigerians Democracy when he and Abacha ousted Buhari and Idiagbon but Nigerians ended up on their shoulders what observers termed DEMOCRAZY at the end of their tenures of office such that we are still reeling/grappling with the aftermath of their terms in office! Think about the genesis of most of the evils ravaging the country today how it all started - the letter bomb, the bribery and corruption, for example!
The State creation which was poorly thought out brought about a lot of disillusionment and frustrations on the general public - those that lived all their lives in the Old H. Qs, lost the goodwill and the burgeoning miscegenation they had enjoyed over 100 years of domiciles in such zones! In fact, in some of the reported cases it brought about forced divisions/divorce in the families - it was abhorrent to say the least! In the true sense of it the policies they pursued, to most observers turned the ‘Heads of the citizens-in’ such that some of the States are not even viable; can’t sustain themselves if we are to go for that FEDERALISM IBB is surprising propagating! His political programme was a disaster - it left people dismayed and totally bereft - MKO’s Vasta’s Dele Giwa and a lot host families whose sons and daughters died in that Lagos Lagoon plunge/fiasco, to mention these few, folks!
It looks like we are back at IBB ‘Maradonic’ stance, folks - by this gesture it appears to political observers as if he is now thrown a gauntlet - a challenge, for both Obasanjo and Buhari to respond! Whatever IBB’s retreat from partisan or active politics means, the retreat from politics by all of them will not be complete until they are withdrawn from the Council of State arrangement in their Constitution - there is nowhere you have the kind of arrangement - i. e. creating a DESPOTIC State with kind of theocracy in the Traditional Leaders Institution, promoting/harbouring what I call “Share cropping” in the system, unless in Socialists organised/led States! The reason is clear in such econimies like China, North Korea and Russia - they want to maintain/sustain the socialist policy in such States unlike what we are doing in Nigeria - promoting profligacy for the few! No doubt that IBB carved himself a niche and he became filthy rich in Nigeria but then at whose peril? IBB publicly declared he was DICTATOR and that he pillaged the Financial Coffers of Nigeria to a point he now claims it was to him - the SPOILS of War! In Nigeria where you don’t have public inquiry to determine what went wrong with policies or such financial misappropriations in the country to a point where you begin to think are these not going through that psychiatry effect of the new IT acronym - ‘confused.com’, and they hope they will get there by 2020 –20! They don’t do public inquiries because of the collusive disposition (nature) of the officials, possible culpability of which one of them might be my kinsman/friend after I had taken down statements or remit about what the complaint is!
To tell the truth looking at the position Nigeria is today, the military - that led by IBB and Sani Abacha should be blamed for the ills, economic and political in Nigeria because during their time, the original Constitution thought out (agreed upon) by the founding fathers was gravely tampered with and reversed in so many ways such that we now lost the bearing/ gearing agreed upon by the fathers! It came to a hitch when after the civil crisis that culminated in the civil war, nationalists like Dr. Zik, Chief Awo and in particular Chief Anthony Enahoro even still alive, were totally excluded from what they could have done to repair the mistakes in the system we adopted such that as the time passed, the mistakes become compounded the more, as it were! Therefore the remedy now, as I see it, must be for the NASS members and all those assigned to effect some amendments in the Constitution to now proceed in that assignment to attempt a repair in the present Book, referring (working) back from the Old Book where it is necessary so as to restore to certain degrees, the original intentions of the fathers! My reason being that both the Military and those who were hired to advise it obviously did not do what they were supposed to do correctly for the people and this is clearly evident today in what we are witnessing in the country, folks! Part of the repair works must include my “zoning formula, the proportional representation and a clause embodying periodical revision of the Revenue allocation for the States” if we shall come out of the puddle/tangle, as it were!
We hear IBB talk about his readiness to pick up his military artier and arms for a return to the trenches if it comes to military confrontation and we know how the ‘faint hearted’ groups in Nigeria would be reacting to the pronouncement coming from him! However his advisers may have to let him know that it may not get to that kind this time (day and age) due to the now recognised and accepted UNO’s Resolutions 1971 and 1973; behold the Foreign Minister Mr. Hague together with his Prime Minister David Cameron have let societies know that where there are obvious records or indications that a group of the society is singled out for persecution, the UNO’s Resolution must now be applied - it would not be as of old when Britain and USSR joined together to bring the conflict to an end in Nigeria in 1971! So thank you very much IBB, our case in Nigeria is now clearer as the crystals such that it will now be a matter of ‘referendum’ rather than through the barrel of the guns and tanks! We don’t want no more war (Suny Okoson would interject) particularly now that Dim Ojukwu is not with us anymore to pick up his hatchets where he left them - fortunately, the people of Nigeria have all come of age and are also aware now of that ABURI Agreement! So, it is now more on the people’s shoulders to decide, folks!
For Boko-Haram we can only remind the group that the blame can never be on the present Federal Administration because - the North has altogether (in total 8 - 5) presently, past Heads of State and 19 Governors all of whom receive Revenue Allocations for use in developing your people in the North! That you have not seen such developments showing or springing up in your areas or hamlets - the query should be directed to your leaders! Others in the South have been struggling in spite of the little amount of funds in comparison, they get from the Central Government! Above all, that Sir Wilinkson’s Report and Recommendation before our Independence for Federal Government to develop the NIGER DELTA was totally ignored by the past Heads of State all that number of years - 1957 to 2010 hence the AMNESTY for that region; somebody should be telling you this, folks! So the question is, and should be directed to your leaders; Who is doing who in Nigeria? Nigeria - TAKU! Thank you.