At-79-does-babangida-worth-all-the-praise-singing
September 7, 2020 | News
AT 79, DOES BABANGIDA WORTH ALL THE PRAISE-SINGING?
With all the warm felicitations and rain of praises in the public space, to former Military Dictator/Head of State, Gen. Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB), on his 79th birthday, August 17, 2020; I cannot help but ask, does the former Military leader worth any praise, not to mention all the facilitation and praises to him? This is the big question, that I believe we all need to critically, objectively and honestly ask ourselves as a people.
In my own opinion however, Babangida does not worth it at all. And this is hinged on the obvious factors. Topmost of the list is the fact that it was Babangida who murdered the June 12 Presidential election, which was still regarded today as one of the most freest, fairest, and credible elections in the nation's Political history, and which also caused the deaths of many Nigerians as a result of the said unexplained annulment. Babangida caused many respected nationalists in the country then, like our respected Chief Anthony Enahoro to go to self exile due to crises that was generated from the said June 12 situation, which also brought in the Gen. Sani Abacha's reign of terror on Nigeria.
Babangida was also a key player in most of the military coups in Nigeria (June 1966, February 1976, December 1983, August 1985, December 1985 and April 1990). It was under Babangida dictatorship that the Nigerian economy experienced one of the most devastating economic policies that changed the trajectory path on the development of the nation. Most of his economic policies, like the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP), that was powered by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), is said to be responsible for the downward progression of the nation's once thriving economy. Since then, Nigeria is yet to recover from that experience.
It was Babangida who created the untold political heat and economic hardship, and nick-named himself the "evil genius". Babangida is also yet to clear his name beyond reasonable doubt, of the allegation of a letter bomb blast that killed Dele Giwa. Come to think of it, If Babangida actually did well, and the right thing, the present Federal Government led by President Muhammadu Buhari, could not have publicly apologised to the Abiola family, and officially named June 12 as Nigeria's Democracy Day, instead of May 29.
So, I really do not see the reason for all the rain of praises on Babangida as he turned 79. Why all the facilitation, commendation and praises of this same Military leader, whose past actions in the country's public space, is still haunting the lives of many and Nigeria as a whole?
How do we expect Nigeria to develop when the leaders of today still talk with "double-tongue", and praising past Military leaders like Babangida, that caused great political and economic crises in our nation? Babangida was the first major leader to devalue the Nigerian Naira. And the country was left in huge debts, under him and Abacha, which former President Olusegun Obasanjo was able to address then, before the debts started heaping up again. Why should Nigerians forget the huge atrocities caused by Babangida in a twinkle of an eye? No matter the praises, facilitations, and commendations as he clocked 79 years, the atrocities caused by Babangida cannot be wished away. This was the same Babangida who used Arthur Nzeribe, with his Association of a supposed better Nigeria, to annul the most freest election in the history of Nigeria. That singular act, which led to the loss of lives of many Nigerians, will not be forgotten in a hurry. But will always be remembered with that name, Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida.
Zik Gbemre.
August 18, 2020.
We Mobilize Others To Fight For Individual Causes As If Those Were Our Causes
AT 79, DOES BABANGIDA WORTH ALL THE PRAISE-SINGING?
With all the warm felicitations and rain of praises in the public space, to former Military Dictator/Head of State, Gen. Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB), on his 79th birthday, August 17, 2020; I cannot help but ask, does the former Military leader worth any praise, not to mention all the facilitation and praises to him? This is the big question, that I believe we all need to critically, objectively and honestly ask ourselves as a people.
In my own opinion however, Babangida does not worth it at all. And this is hinged on the obvious factors. Topmost of the list is the fact that it was Babangida who murdered the June 12 Presidential election, which was still regarded today as one of the most freest, fairest, and credible elections in the nation's Political history, and which also caused the deaths of many Nigerians as a result of the said unexplained annulment. Babangida caused many respected nationalists in the country then, like our respected Chief Anthony Enahoro to go to self exile due to crises that was generated from the said June 12 situation, which also brought in the Gen. Sani Abacha's reign of terror on Nigeria.
Babangida was also a key player in most of the military coups in Nigeria (June 1966, February 1976, December 1983, August 1985, December 1985 and April 1990). It was under Babangida dictatorship that the Nigerian economy experienced one of the most devastating economic policies that changed the trajectory path on the development of the nation. Most of his economic policies, like the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP), that was powered by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), is said to be responsible for the downward progression of the nation's once thriving economy. Since then, Nigeria is yet to recover from that experience.
It was Babangida who created the untold political heat and economic hardship, and nick-named himself the "evil genius". Babangida is also yet to clear his name beyond reasonable doubt, of the allegation of a letter bomb blast that killed Dele Giwa. Come to think of it, If Babangida actually did well, and the right thing, the present Federal Government led by President Muhammadu Buhari, could not have publicly apologised to the Abiola family, and officially named June 12 as Nigeria's Democracy Day, instead of May 29.
So, I really do not see the reason for all the rain of praises on Babangida as he turned 79. Why all the facilitation, commendation and praises of this same Military leader, whose past actions in the country's public space, is still haunting the lives of many and Nigeria as a whole?
How do we expect Nigeria to develop when the leaders of today still talk with "double-tongue", and praising past Military leaders like Babangida, that caused great political and economic crises in our nation? Babangida was the first major leader to devalue the Nigerian Naira. And the country was left in huge debts, under him and Abacha, which former President Olusegun Obasanjo was able to address then, before the debts started heaping up again. Why should Nigerians forget the huge atrocities caused by Babangida in a twinkle of an eye? No matter the praises, facilitations, and commendations as he clocked 79 years, the atrocities caused by Babangida cannot be wished away. This was the same Babangida who used Arthur Nzeribe, with his Association of a supposed better Nigeria, to annul the most freest election in the history of Nigeria. That singular act, which led to the loss of lives of many Nigerians, will not be forgotten in a hurry. But will always be remembered with that name, Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida.
Zik Gbemre.
August 18, 2020.
We Mobilize Others To Fight For Individual Causes As If Those Were Our Causes