LOOTERS OF NIGERIA

OWNERS OF NIGERIA SHARING THEIR NATIONAL CAKE
Then after taking the Lion's Shares, they leave the crumbs for the poor majority who they treat like their dogs.

OWNERS OF NIGERIA


-PART 2

Continued from http://www.dawodu.com/oduyela6.htm

By

Seyi Oduyela
seyioduyela@aol.com

August 24, 2004
Under Alhaji Shehu Shagari, the Chadian gendarmes invaded Borno State, and the government ordered the deployment of troops from the 3rd Armoured Division of the Nigerian Army to the borders in the North East. This action did not last long as smugglers in the Shagari's government mounted pressure on him to order the withdrawal of the troops, because the presence of the soldiers was preventing them from their smuggling.

Alhaji Shehu Shagari ordered the withdrawal of the troops but the General Officer Commanding the 3rd Armoured Division of the Nigerian Army, based in Jos knew it was not a wise decision to take, he declined until he was ordered by the Chief of Army Staff, then General Wushishi, the GOC reluctantly withdrew his men and that marked the beginning of the end of Alhaji Shehu Shagari's government. This man was General Muhammadu Buhari.

The support of all officers was needed and this group led by Buhari set out to get as many people as they could to their side. There was a man they needed and someone was sent to him. Domkat Bali was the man and the man who went to discuss the coup possibility was Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida. Bali had told Babangida to still give the politicians time to sort themselves out; but after the 1983 election, Buhari met with Bali on the latter's way to Langtang, he raised the issue of the coup again, it was then it became clear to Bali that Babangida was just delivering message, Bali of course consented and few days later, they struck.
One thing that was not clear to Buhari and others was that there was another coup within their own coup. The position of the Chief of Army Staff was for Bako, the man who was to deliver Shagari, but Babangida was also interested in that same position. He knew why he wanted it. It was to position himself for eventual take over from Buhari. All the General Officers Commanding report to the Chief of Army Staff that was the chain of command before 1985. They do not report to the Head of state or President directly, and to succeed in any coup, you need these GOCs, since they are in direct contact with the soldiers and whatever may be needed for the coup, in terms of troops, weapons and ammunitions. To displace Bako, a plan was hatched to bring someone in to coordinate the coup in Abuja, the man now a Senator was recalled from Harare where he was serving, though he was to coordinate the coup in Abuja, his actual mission was to stop Bako.

Eventually Bako died in the coup allegedly shot from the back. But no one ever queried that. That he was shot from the back showed clearly that he did not die during gun battle but was killed. It was a case of a coup within a coup.

At the early stage of the coup planning, Ibrahim Babangida was sent to General Domkat Bali, to feel the latter's pulse. Bali advised him to give the civilian time to sort themselves out. To Bali it was Babangida who was planning the coup, but it dawned on him that Babangida was not the man behind the coup but an errand boy. He was on his way to Langtang and he stopped over to say hi to the GOC 3rd Armoured Division, Jos, Buhari was the GOC and it was then that Buhari now asked Bali again if it was time to strike, this is about the end of 1983 and Bali said yes. They struck and Shagari was removed. Bali was in that government, though he was the most senior officer, Babangida was made the Chief of Army Staff.
Some of Babangida's seniors were forced to retire because they could not stand him being their chief, but they paid dearly for it.
Zamani Lekwot was one of them, and this was why he was arrested for the Sango Kataf crisis, he was roped into the crisis by IBB to get even with the man. Thank God Zamani Lekwot is still alive to tell his stories.

As Chief of Army Staff, he was able to win some of the GOCs; Abacha was the GOC 2nd Mechanised Division, Ibadan then. He used the office judiciously. But before the Buhari coup, when Shagari took over, Babangida and some Northern officers had advised against leaving Alani Akinrinade as Chief of Army Staff, to them, it was not safe for Shagari, the Grade II teacher and Nigeria's first (s) elected Executive President knew nothing, he was advised to ease out Akinrinade. How did they achieve this?


The position that never existed in the history of the Nigerian Army was created and after their aim was achieved it was scrapped. Shagari asked Akirinade to write a blue print on duties of a Chief of Defence Staff a new position to be created; the unsuspecting Akinriande did not know he was preparing his new office. He was later made the Chief of Defence Staff. With Akinrinade's promotion to redundancy, Gen Jalo, now late, became the Chief of Army Staff. Something happened that never happened in the history of the Nigerian Army and did not happen there after. The post of a Deputy Chief of Army Staff was created and General Wushishi was appointed as the Deputy Chief of Army Staff. Babangida led the group of those who contrived the concept of the D-COAS.
Having being isolated, Lt. Gen. Alani Akinrinade retired and Jalo was made the Chief of Defence Staff while Wushishi became the COAS and the position of D-COAS was scrapped. Ironically, the same Babangida who schemed out Akinrinade now invited him back to serve in his government and surprisingly Akinrinade accepted.
When Buhari took over power at gunpoint, it was their thinking that Nigerians need a change of attitude. War Against Indiscipline was launched. We were to queue at bus stops, public places, it became an offence to litter, urinate in the public. A day was set aside monthly for environmental sanitation. Buhari/Idiagbon thought of addressing the problem of inflation created by Shagari and his army of politicians, this they did by changing the currency and those who have stolen money could not bring them out. Many of them at the time were in detention, they lost it all. But with a government, getting Nigeria out of external debt, changing the psyche of Nigerians and raising hope of a better and disciplined citizenry, what could bring about its ouster? Babangida, Abacha, Joshua Dongoyaro, Abubakar Umar, Abdul Mumini, Tanko Ayuba, Tunde Ogbeha, David Mark, Lawan Gwadabe and others that I cannot remember have answers to this question.
In 1985 August, Babangida using the crop of Mid-riff officers struck and took over power from Buhari. Why they struck is still sketchy but we know some of those who supported the take over then. One prominent name and personality was late Chief M.K.O Abiola, he supported the coup morally and financially and he benefited immensely from it. Col. Abubarkar Umar, Abdulmummini, Gwadabe were among the mid-riff officers used, they were Majors; there was Tunde Ogbeha and David Mark now Senators. They played prominent roles in the ouster of Buhari's government. The best military government so far in the history of Nigeria. This is subject to debate and it is open. If we compare the Buhari's government to Babangida we know that the difference is clear. While one succeeded in instilling discipline in Nigerians, the other encouraged it and institutionalised corruption. I wonder why Col. Abubakar Umar served Babangida's government for that long seeing all that happened, the stealing, looting, killings, annulment of June 12 1993 elections and still has the moral gut to write to Obasanjo, leaving out Babangida. This is my problem with Umar. In as much as I would have respected his views on Obasanjo, I think he is guilty of double standard. He knew what happened on June 12, he was part of it, let him come out and tell us. He has no excuse to have served under one of the world's adjudged worst military government in Nigeria and he feels he is democratic. He owes Nigerians the duty of telling them what happened during the June 12, why sparing Babangida and taking on Obasanjo.

It was Joshua Dogonyaro who announced the coup. Which was a blessing to the politicians, some of Babangida's friends and one of his very good friends, Aliyu Mohammed Gusau. Of course MKO Abiola supported the coup because he fell out of favour with the Buhari/Idiagbon government. It was part of Buhari/Idiagbon government's policy that the Oku-Igboku Newsprint Company must be patronized and no Newspaper publisher should import newsprint from overseas. MKO imported newsprints and the Buhari/ idiagbon government seized them.

At the inception of the Buhari/Idiagbon government a panel was set up to probe the rice importation scandal and the person behind it turned out to Aliyu Mohammed Gusau, Shagari's Director of Military Intelligence. This earned him retirement from the military. As soon as Babangida came in, Gusau was reinstated. It never happened before Gusau and after him. Rafindadi, the Nigeria Security Organization Director who took over from Umar Shankafi under Shagari, released the information that nailed Gusau. Shinkafi, being aware of the plot to topple Shagari, and for some reasons known to him, tendered his resignation letter on health ground, but never hinted Shagari of the plot. Rafindadi was then appointed, Rafindadi is a Daura man like Buhari, and it was easy for them to plot the coup, since they now have their man as NSO Director. But Rafindadi paid for letting the information on Gusau out. Gusau while under Shagari had got a $1m importation license for rice. And when Babangida came in, Rafindadi was arrested, and detained for a long time. Hence his appearance at the Oputa panel, Babangida and Gusau knew what Rafindadi would have revealed to the whole world and that explained why they didn't show up.

When he took over power in 1985, he withdrew the oversight function of the Chief of Army Staff on the GOCs to his office and made Abacha the Chief of Army Staff. Abacha was just there without control on the GOCs. The GOCs were directly responsible to the Head of State.

As soon as he took over power, Babangida opened up a debate on the political ideology Nigeria wanted, money was spent, and the Political bureau went round the country. Nigerians, according to the Political Bureau's findings wanted Socialism, but Babangida said he was not ready to impose an ideology on Nigerians. What about the IMF debate? We debated and he said, no, but what we got was IMF through the back door in the name of Structural Adjustment Programme. We have not recovered from the adjustment. It was adjustment from good to bad, wealth to penury, sqalour. The man-Evil Genius changed our lives. It became unlawful to serve in government without stealing. You must steal as a government official and no one will arrest you. It was Babangida who made the likes of Bolaji Akinyemi. Professor Bolaji Akinyemi is closely related to Sonny Okogwu Marayam Babangida's elder brother. In actual fact, Sonny Okogwu once lived with Bolaji Akinyemi's father. It was through this that he met Babangida, which eventually gave him the NIIA job and eventually the Foreign Affairs Minister job. Mike Okhai Akhigbe, the king pin of the illegal bunkering mafia, also benefited from Babangida. Olabode George, the loud mouth of PDP, chairman of Nigeria Ports Authority and the Vice Chairman of PDP Southwest, also benefited from Babangida. Did he know anything about Bola Ige's death? Ask Atiku, it is pity Sunday Afolabi is dead; we would have asked him too.
In 1986 after the alleged coup plot of Mamman Vatsa, Babangida began the demobilization of the Nigerian Air Force. He actually wanted to scrap it and merge it with the Airborne of the Nigerian Army, but stopped for Ibrahim Alfa's sake. Ibrahim Alfa was the Chief of Air Staff and played a prominent role in the removal of Buhari and Idiagbon. It was Alfa who went with Idiagbon to Mecca on Hajj. It was part of their plan to execute the coup when Idiagbon would not be around, so at the Supreme Military Council Meeting, Alfa and others joined in voting Idiagbon as the head of the Federal Government delegate to the Hajj and Alfa had to go with him to monitor him there. So IBB had to respect him and left the Air force untouched but redundant. The Air force personnel were only in uniform but empty in terms of tools. This lasted up to Abacha's era. Babangida did it because of the fact that Mamman Vatsa and his group was alleged to have planned to use the AirForce to take over power in 1986.


What happened to Nigerian educational system? What was behind the introduction of the so-called 6-3-3-4? What role did Jubril Aminu play in Babanigida's government, what about the April 20, 1990 revolution? Chief Obafemi Awolowo died in 1987. What killed him? They said heart attack. Is this true? On 26 September 1992, Nigeria lost a generation of mid-riff officers in the C-130 plane crash. Who dunnit? What about the families of those who died in the crash?

September 6, 2004

In October 1986, on a Sunday two things happened to Africa and one particularly affected Nigeria. Samora Machel of Mozambique died in a plane crash, Dele Giwa, the founding Editor-in-Chief of Newswatch Magazine was killed through a letter bomb. It was a shock to us all; a new dimension into killing in the history of Nigeria was launched. Sadly no one has been named officially for the killing. The reason is clear, we all know it. That the government killed Dele Giwa. Which government? What do we mean by government? Not you, not me. We know that Nigerian government does not involve us the masses, the government is personified in the leader, so when we say government, we mean, Badamasi Babangida. Will Florence Ita-Giwa serve under Babangida if he becomes Nigerian President?

This is so crystal clear. No individual in Nigeria had access to what was used to kill Dele Giwa except the military. Giwa had received a call from Halilu Akilu that morning to confirm if he was in. we do not know why he was killed, but the rumour is that he had information on Gloria Okon. The Buhari/Idiagbon government for drug trafficking arrested Gloria Okon, she was detained. And few days later, the news came that she had died in detention of food poison. Who killed Gloria? We were waiting for that when Buhari was toppled. Well some people benefited from the death of Dele Giwa, the chairman of the board of director of the magazine, chief Alex Akinyele became a minister under Babangida. It was said that dele Giwa had information on what actually happened to Gloria Okon.

We do not know if this was the reason. Someone also died around that time, Dan Archibong, Military Governor of Cross River State under Babangida. It was reported that he died in a car accident on his way back to Cross River. He was in Lagos on the invitation of the Military President Babangida. But we did not see the car that killed Archibong, was he driving alone at the time of the accident? Was it a collision of two cars? A governor under the military as we know travel with escorts, but what happened to Archibong? He got killed on the Gloria Okon-related issue.

Odeleke, husband of Bola Odeleke the woman Bishop, until his death was a Colonel in the Nigerian Army. He was in Abuja to attend a meeting summoned by President Babangida, what we later heard was that, while on short break, Odeleke was killed by a hit-and-run car in Abuja, in day light! The hit-and-run driver was not arrested. But where did this happen? Who was there to know it was a hit-and-run driver. Someone must have been watching to see it happen, but who was this 3rd eye? Why was his funeral rushed? They didn't even wait for his wife to see his remains before burial. Why the rush? They didn't want them to see that he was shot and not knocked down by a car. Just as Archibong was killed and arranged like an accident.
While the killings go on, the military government of Babangida opened the way for Advanced Fee Fraud. He started the Finance Houses; fraudsters to swindle used this. Forum Group was one, Ade Bendel, Fred Ajudua, late Maurice Ibekwe and others.


On education, Jubril Aminu was made the Education Minister and we had 6-3-3-4 from the government, we also had nomadic education. According to the 6-3-3-4 policy, we have 6 years of elementary education, first 3 years of junior high school, second 3 years of senior high school and the last 4 years for university education. No mention of Polytechnic or College of Education.

You spend more than four years in Polytechnic, first two years for Ordinary Diploma, and you might decide not to go back for your Higher National Diploma, the College of Education has three year for Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE). At that time, Teacher Training College education was scrapped. Surprisingly, the scrapping took place in the South it did not affect the north. I did my National Youth Service (NYSC) in Borno State, Buba Marwa, and then a Lt. Col. Was the Governor of Borno State (1990-1991).

In the north then, after the first three years in high school, students are transferred to Teachers College to complete their last three years in High school; they also have Senior Science secondary School, something that does not exist in the south. Though their Instructional Laboratories were well equipped, there were no teachers to teach. They buy uniform for their students, feed them, and even give them transport fare to go home and come back to school. It was a ploy to slow down our education in the south. The 6-3-3-4 was just a ruse; it has not showed any meaningful impact on the social-economic development of Nigeria, because it was not meant for that, neither did the nomadic education made the northern nomads educated. I taught JSS I-III Christian Religious Knowledge, SS I-II English Language and Economics and the SS III Literature in English, this I did with BA (hons) religious studies. My friend and roommate, a graduate of Biochemistry from the University of Ilorin, now a Medical Doctor, taught Chemistry, Biology and Mathematics. We were not given any extra allowance for all these. We lived on our 350 naira/month allowance. It was at Government Girls Secondary School, Gajiganna, and Borno State. The village had no electricity; we lived on generator for 6 hours daily, from 6pm-12am. It is on Baga road, few miles away from Lake Chad. Funny enough that is where the NNPC depot is located and it is just about 1 hour from late general Sani Abacha's village.

In 1987, Chief Obafemi Awolowo died. It was a shock to Nigerians, not because the death was untimely, not because he died at a tender age, but we were not expecting that the man would die so soon even at his age. He was seen dead on the floor in his bathroom. What could kill Baba Awolowo? They said cardiac arrest. Is this true? The rumour then was that Pa Awolowo committed suicide after he was confronted by IBB on some findings. Let us say this is true, (which can never be anyway), what could have been the issue that Chief Awolowo would have to take his life for? The life he did not take during the treasonable felony trial. If he did not commit suicide, what killed him? It is known that one of his last visits was to Dodan Barracks; the landlord of Dodan Barracks entertained him. Did he drink tea like MKO Abiola?

It was Babangida who created the concept of NEW BREED Politicians. New breed politicians with the backings of Old Politicians. The late Musa Yar'Adua, Bola Ige, Adamu Ciroma, and others were banned. Yar'Adua saw something in Atiku Abubakar, and asked him to resign from the Customs to join politics. Atiku left Customs in 1991 or thereabout to become a new breed politician. Babangida asked the politicians to form political associations, they did, but he eventually gave them NRC & SDP. He wrote the constitution and provided money for them to run the parties. Our politicians without any iota of principle jumped at it, since all they wanted was power, they do not care how they get it. They organised primary elections, surprisingly Yar'Adua won in the West beating Falae. This feat was achieved with the help of the amala and gbegiri politician, Lamidi Adedibu.

Babangida annulled it, banned them, and MKO Abiola came on the scene. Before this time, MKO Abiola never saw anything wrong in Babangida's goal post shifting, he was IBB's spokesman, appealing to Nigerians to bear with IBB and support him. I save the rest on Abiola till when I get there. I never believed Abiola would rule Nigeria. I had told my friends in 1993, they didn't believe me, we fought over this and I think they owe me apology now.


On May 30 1989, we Nigerian University students embarked on what was called SAP riot, but it was a peaceful demonstration to liberate ourselves from perpetual economic slavery of Babangida and his colonial masters. The then Gbenga Olawepo (NANS PRO) and a student of University of Lagos, was in South Korea to represent Nigerian Students at a world conference. Babangida had sent his SSS as Nigerian students, but the then Olawepo went and presented the true situation of Nigeria at the conference. We all saluted his courage then. This was embarrassing to Babangida, who declared Olawepo wanted, at that time Gbenga Komolafe, Student Union Speaker of University of Ibadan was also wanted. Olawepo was eventually arrested when he came back to the country; Komolafe too was arrested at Dugbe in Ibadan. Both were first detained at Shangisa, but got transferred to Kirikiri when they caught their middleman who went to deliver message to Mr. Femi Falana. The SSS man was arrested and sent to another jail, we don't where and what happened to him till date. These guys were in detention for 6 months or more than that. At this time, Babangida shut 6 Universities for their involvement in the Anti-SAP demonstration. The Universities were not opened until November 1989 from May 30. This actually marked the beginning of irregular academic calendar in our Universities, and it also greatly affected the exchange programme with foreign universities, many professors left our universities and things have not been the same since then.

After their release, they came to UI and we drove them round the campus in a Coaster bus, I remember, it was at night. Unfortunately, now it was a waste. We have lost Gbenga Olawepo. He is not dead, but politically he is gone. I almost cried the day I saw Olawepo on the NTA Tuesday live defending PDP and Obasanjo's government. At first, I didn't believe it was the same Gbenga I had listened to at rallies in the 80s, passionately talking about our beloved country, Nigeria, can now align with the same people who jailed, maimed and tortured him. This is a crazy world. Bode Ojomu has also become a government contractor and a PDP member. Ojomu had been involved in student union activism from his days at the Oyo State College of Arts and Sciences (OSCAS). Then Gbenga Komolafe was the President and Bode was the Speaker, but when they got to UI, they both changed position. I will dwell more on this when I get to "Repositioning Student movement." On this, I intend to trace the origin of the present crisis rocking the student movement in Nigeria and make some suggestions. I could not believe my eyes the day I saw Bode Ojomu at the Defense Headquarters in Abuja. This was in 2000, he was there as a contractor and later discovered that he is a card-carrying member of PDP. I still salute Adewale Bashar and Gbenga Komolafe who stood firm on their ideology and did not falter. Today, like the Apostle Paul, Gbenga Olawepo a former anti-Babangida is now Pro-Babangida. This is a tragedy!

It is very sad to see him thrown out of PDP in a disgraceful manner. Obasanjo, using Atiku as a smoke screen expelled him from PDP. Olawepo, late Harry Marshal and Emmanuel Ibeshi were pro-Obasanjo elements in PDP, but a plot was hatched by Atiku and with Obasanjo's approval, they were expelled without regard to court's restraining order. We shall talk more on their expulsion under Atiku in part V.

In 1990 April 20, we woke up to another Marshal song, it was a revolution, not a coup. Contrary to general opinion, it succeeded, but they were not able to seize power. I said it succeeded because we all got the message of the proponents of this revolution. For the second time, we failed to yield to the wake-up call. The first time was in 1967 when Odumegwu Ojukwu started the revolution, it was termed civil war, and Obasanjo is now claiming the glory of ending the war leaving out the likes of Benjamin Adekunle and the important role Pa Awolowo played in ending the "war." The second call came from Major Mukoro and his group, Gideon Orkar paid with his life. Rather than support them, we termed them tribalists. The likes of General Oladipo Diya, then GOC 82 Mechanized Division in Enugu came on air to condemn the revolution, Raji Rasaki too in Lagos did not support it. Though Ishaya Rizi Bamaiyi claimed the glory of stopping the revolt in Lagos, it was General Zidon Gandi who actually deserved the glory. Zidon was in Ikeja Cantonment as a Commander at that time, but because Zdion has problem expressing himself, all he said on that Sunday was "the dissidents have been dislodged." This was a turning point in Babangida's life. But for Sani Abacha, Babangida would have been dead by now. What did Abacha do? He saved and haboured Babangida and his family on that Sunday night. Where was Babangida's deputy, Augustus Aikhomu? Oh, he was in a boat holding party with friends.

Though the ECOWAS Monitoring Group ECOMOG was set up to give helping hands to fellow West African countries, but the genuine intention of the creator was to settle score with the 123 Brigade Battalion, Ikeja Military Cantonment because of their alleged role in the April 20, 1990 revolution. They stayed in Liberia for two years and were later disbanded. The military under Babangida, according to his former Chief of Army Staff, Salihu Ibrahim, was an "anything goes military." Under Babangida we had a military infected with corruption, this period produced a large number of military millionaires. Promotion and appointments were not done strictly on merit but on godfatherism. Babangida's regime laid the foundation of what Nigerians later experienced under late Sani Abacha.
On September 26, 1992 another Sunday, over 168 mid-riff officers were killed in a plane crash at the Ejigbo swamp, Lagos. The Officers were the 15th Course of the Senior Division of the Command and Staff College, Jaji. It was the first time in the world that a nation's military will lose such a number of officers in an accident in a day, not even in war situation.


I shall conclude Babangida in the next part and begin with MKO Abiola.

What was the link between Abiola and the Military? What about the ITT, June 12 and all that?

Thank you for all your comments. Stay tuned.

Friday September 17, 2004

When Babangida annulled the Presidential primaries of SDP & NRC, it angered Yar'Adua and some other politicians; he also banned them from contesting. MKO Abiola did not see anything wrong in the annulment. As it was an opportunity for him to contest. Earlier, his late wife Simbiat had kicked against the idea of MKO going into politics. But after her death in late 1992, MKO saw the opportunity to fulfill his life ambition, of having both economic and political power. He joined SDP and no sooner, like Obasanjo did in PDP launched his campaign for Presidency "Hope 93," then I called it "Hopeless 93."
This did not receive the blessing of his former business partner, Shehu Musa Yar'Adua, Baba Gana Kingibe, once the National Chairman of SDP also indicated interest in presidency; this drew the ire of Yar'Adua more than MKO's. Yar"Adua, Abiola, Bamanga Tukur and Raymond Dopeksi were partners in African Ocean Lines and multi-million Dollar shipping business. Tukur and Dopeksi are experienced hands in marine while Yar'Adua a lucky guy who retired as Major General at the age of 36, and Abiola contributed money. The business collapsed, and there was a rift between Abiola and Yar'Adua, but they still have Habib Bank. I save the rest on MKO till when I get there.

Eventually, we had the Presidential election on 12 June 1993. It was between Tofa and Abiola. Tofa and Sylvester Ugoh, his running did not have voters card, as a result they didn't vote on the election date. After IBB had shifted dates from 1990 to 1993. In all, IBB spent 50 Billion Naira on a transition to nowhere.

There was an unwritten agreement between Babangida and Abacha that the former will hand over power to the latter by 1990, this didn't work out and the late Abacha didn't like it. There were moves to stop the June 12 election. Arthur Nzeribe went to court, got an injunction to stop the election through his Association for Better Nigeria (ABN). Professor Omo Omoruyi in many of his press interviews also mentioned a meeting with Babangida and Professor Humphrey Nwosu, the NEC Chairman, where the idea of suspending the election came up. Babangida was strongly advised against it.
Why would Babangida, the man with great vision and who meant well for Nigeria, want to postpone the election? Babangida or any of his sponsored or unsolicited spokespersons should tell us.


Nigerians voted and SDP had 14 million votes. Suddenly we had the news that the announcement of the election result has been suspended and that the election has been annulled. The release was on a plain sheet of paper without signature.
But what happened then was that some Nigerians knew before the annulment that the election would be annulled and that there would be an interim government. General Olusegun Obasanjo, late Major-General Shehu Musa Yar'Adua, and Chief Tony Anenih-the then National Chairman of SDP- knew about the annulment. While this was on, Sani Abacha was scheming too. Abacha's scheming and how Lt. Gen. Oladipo Diya was used, as a pun would be discussed when we get to Abacha.

In 2000 or thereabout, some Nigerians organized a conference in Jos, Plateau State. The organizers of this conference were Babangida's beneficiaries, those IBB raised from nobody to somebody in the world of looting and misgovern ace. We have his former Foreign Affairs Minister, former Apostle of SAP, former District Officers (Military Governors) and many other contractors without offices in attendance. Their agenda was to take over power. This in actual fact created panic in Aso Rock.

Then Obasanjo and Babangida were having some misunderstanding on someone. Who? Turaki Adamawa, Alhaji Abubakar Atiku. I am not going to talk about why now, but I will talk about the moves IBB made and the outcome of the Jos conference. Was the move to impeach Obasanjo part of it? No. Who wanted Obasanjo removed? Later.
After the coup that removed Chief Sunday Awoniyi, Bamanga Tukur, Chief Ume Ezeoke, late Harry Marshal, Emmanuel Ibeshi, and Gbenga Olawepo from PDP, there were moves to form political associations to fight PDP. Chief Awoniyi formed National Frontier and other members expelled from PDP, but it did include Ibeshi, Olawepo and Marshal. National Frontier took its name from Arewa Frontier, the Youth wing of Arewa. Babangida's guys too came up about two associations. But the Awoniyi group sounded more serious and could command more respect than the IBB's association. Though Babangida denied involvement, but one of his alter egos, Chief Alex Akinyele, the Lobosin of Ondoland, came on AIT to link IBB with it. He said he joined because of IBB; this didn't go down well with IBB.
Their plan was to form many associations, make one vocal and distance the rest from IBB. UNDP became very vocal, was very critical of Obasanjo's government. Before this, IBB's group attempted an alliance with National Frontier, but it did not work out. And Kenny Martins was used to divide National Frontier (NF). NF was divided and Awoniyi withdrew. That was a very good strategy to get rid of potential threats. After the exit of Awoniyi, they took over NF and fused it to UNDP. Ahkiomu led another group to APP and they took over APP, changed it to ANPP. This was revealed by one of IBB's ally in Ibadan. According to him, they will create a decoy for Obasanjo. NDP is another IBB association. They had attempted to use the garrulous Pastor Chris Okotie as a southwest presidential candidate. Okotie had gathered journalists in his church for support and to block negative publicity in the media. While it lasted, he was receiving briefing from Minna. He was able to pocket a number of media editors. But he was dropped after some considerations. The concert at the National stadium was sponsored from Minna, they also promised him that his famous broadcast on AIT would be translated into Arabic and Hausa and aired in the North. He was to go to Kano for another show when the drum beat changed. He did not know until the night of the long knife at the International Conference center Abuja, when he lost to Ike Nwachukwu.

But between the ends of 2001 to early 2002, Mr. Fix-it (Anenih) mediated between IBB and his former oga. Atiku got wind of Anenih's visit to Minna, he was angry and PDM was split into two, Yar'adua's Political machinery. Who masterminded the Obasanjo declaration of April 26 2002? Why was Atiku absent? Why did Obasanjo first declare on a presidential chat of the April 26 2002 night on FRCN that his running mate would be known after the PDP primaries and three days later, through Tunji Oseni, his Special Adviser on Media Affairs, announced Atiku as his running mate? Many questions begging for answers. All coming under Atiku.

Footnote:
While it is not in my character to respond to some side talks, because it amounts to waste of time and unnecessary distraction, I think it is good to set the record straight.


This is not an attempt to attack any individual but to remind ourselves of the damage these people have done to us, and why they don't deserve to be where they are today. To be rich in Nigeria today, you cut corners. Yes, no civil servant can afford to own property, to buy tokunbo cars; you need cash, minimum of 300,000 naira. Where can an average Nigerian get this? Many of those who live abroad forget that what they enjoy our people back home don't. If the government is good, why do our boys abandon their university education in pursuit of visa abroad? Why do we have our Professors, Medical Practitioners, lawyers, Engineers and other professionals scattered in Europe and America?


Babangida meant well and he had vision. Yes. He meant well for himself, and had vision for himself. He created Directorate of Road and Rural Infrastructure, Mass Mobilization for Self Reliance, Peoples' Bank. Where did all these end? They were avenues of stealing. Conduit pipes for looting. We have also been making mistakes judging the success of some governments as good because of the involvement of some personalities. Most of these personalities, we found to be inconsistent. The say one thing today and do another tomorrow. That late Tai Solarin served in Peoples Bank does not give Babangida's government credence. He brought the likes of Solarin in to humiliate them, which he did. Tai Solarin was appointed chairman of People's Bank, without fund to run the bank and with no power. I remember that Tai Solarin after quitting tendered apology. He admitted he made a mistake. Tai Solarin who once vowed never to wear Agbada, who once said that it is only a lazy man that wears agbada, wore it as Chairman of Peoples Bank.

What was the state of our economy before August 1985 and from 1985 to 1993?


Heaven, they say, help those who help themselves.