How God Placed IBB Above David-West
It is on record. In any step to chronicle the history of Nigeria, much credit would go to the military for the direful adventurous missions they took in hijacking the helm-of-affairs of Nigeria and the civilians without a purpose. One of such military officials who were engaged in these ruinous adventures was General Ibrahim Badanasi Babangida (popularly called IBB). IBB dribbled Nigeria and Nigerians in many ways – policies and programmes – that he was called “Maradona.” His knack in handling and doing things when he was president, was equivalent to the legend soccer Diego Maradona of Argentina who exhibited knack in the lawn of soccer without equivalent. But, IBB, been ambivalence.
In any village where a retired criminal emerges the king, he would persuade his clansmen to enact a law outlawing criminality. He would, by whichever means, use his ill-gotten wealth to buy morality. He does that by building houses for those who could not build a house on their own. He would send children of the less privileged on scholarships, tar roads, sole handedly build town halls, rent publists, praise singers, commentators and yes-men, all in a bid to make strong his tainted image. But the heart knows who is who!
Following a story credited to the erudite professor of virology, Tam David-West, reportedly on 1st of October 2007, Daily Sun, Page 6, over General (Muhammadu) Buhari and General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB), who take credit to the success of the Nigerian Liquified Natural Gas (NLNG) project. It gives headache now that in the same Daily Sun, now on Thursday, October 4, 2007, the media spokesman to IBB, Prince Kassim Afegbue, on page 10, casted venoms and vituperation on the person of David-West who served as the Petroleum Minister in that IBB-headed government, in defense of his (Afegbue) job.
Hear Prince Afegbue: “From all that David-West said in his response, he did not provide details to back up his claims. David-West is not only promoting contradictions to the Olympian height of morality, but also abusing the rule of ‘recency’ to undermine the achievements of a government and a man that God, in His infinite mercy, has placed above him.”
That been a ghastly utterance by the rented Afegbue and loquaciousness on his kind of job, it would have been tremendously a discourse if that utterance had come from the Nigerian populace, because one person does not sing the praise of a king. People are ones best mirror!
For example, Julius Nyerere of Tanzania was one president whom people sing his praise. Reportedly Nyerere had no other official profile than thus: "When President Julius Nyerere of Tanzania was in office, he was so honest that he did not have a house of his own. After his retirement at 76 years, people showered so much presents on him because of his selfless service to his nation. It was then that he told them that he had no house of his own. Some people then came together and built him a house. This is an example worthy of emulation by Nigerians political office holders".
Well, going to ask Afegbue how many companies, local and hard currencies, schools and all that that IBB owned, would amount to debasement on the integrity of this writer because IBB assets would not contain in a 500 page note.
But, what happened to Okigbo Report? (Oil Windfall?) Was IBB able to unravel the person(s) who soared his government by killings, especially person(s) who sponsored and led to the untimely death of the vibrant journalist Dele Giwa? Reportedly, Giwa died by a kind of bomb called, “Letter-Bomb”.
Notwithstanding, before David-West would hide his face (not in shame) for Afegbue’s IBB, it would interest Afegbue to know that if someone like Nyerere is called-up to probe IBB, the result of the probe would be (a government of hoax).
IBB amassing such wealth to him through the military con trick is how Afegbue’s ‘God’ has placed IBB above David-West; not in education. Nigerians are not fools!
By Odimegwu Onwumere
Onwumere is a Poet and Author,
writes from Oyigbo, Rivers State, Nigeria.